August 25 to 31, 2021

august 25-31, 2021

local. independent. fresh.

the original guide to tahoe & truckee since 1982

is your

tahoe’s

rock-climbing angels becoming

mark twain

backpacking to paradise lake

cooking with lulu’s lebanese kitchen

go bag ready?

VS

CH

FIND A SUMMER FULL OF EVENTS AT SQUAWALP I N E.COM

GET INVOLVED AT TI NSW E B.ORG

IN G

S

GUIT

S

R T I S N G R A

W IC KEN

fun. unique. everywhere.

August 25-31, 2021

12

Volume 40 | Issue 16

Courtesy Tahoe Climbing Coalition

TM

P.O. Box 154 | Tahoe Vista, CA 96148 (530) 546-5995 | f (530) 546-8113 TheTahoeWeekly.com Facebook.com/TheTahoeWeekly @TheTahoeWeekly

SUBMISSIONS Events & Entertainment Submit at TheTahoeWeekly.com Click on Events Calendar

Entertainment Inquiries entertainment@tahoethisweek.com

Courtesy Michelle Okashima

17

Editorial Inquiries editor@tahoethisweek.com

Cover Photography production@tahoethisweek.com

20

E-NEWSLETTER SUBSCRIBE

to our e-newsletter at TheTahoeWeekly.com

in this issue

making it happen Publisher/Owner & Editor In Chief Katherine E. Hill publisher@tahoethisweek.com, ext. 102

AUGUST 25-31, 2021

FEATURES

Sales & Marketing Manager Anne Artoux anne@tahoethisweek.com, ext. 110 Art Director Alyssa Ganong production@tahoethisweek.com, ext. 106 Ad Production Abigail Gallup graphics@tahoethisweek.com, ext. 101 Entertainment Editor Sean McAlindin entertainment@tahoethisweek.com Food & Well Being Editor Priya Hutner priya@tahoethisweek.com Family Editor Michelle Allen michelle@tahoethisweek.com Copy Editor Katrina Veit Contributing Writers John Dee, Barbara Keck, Bruce Ajari, Mark McLaughlin, David “Smitty” Smith, Priya Hutner, Katrina Veit, Kayla Anderson, Lou Phillips, Sean McAlindin, Tim Hauserman, Alex Green, Lisa Michelle, Cam Schilling, Alex Silgalis

bears & wildlife BEAR EMERGENCIES BEAR League (530) 525-7297 (24 hours) | savebears.org A bear walking nearby or through your yard is not an emergency unless it is trying to enter your home or car.

INJURED ANIMALS Lake Tahoe Wildlife Center, South Shore (530) 577-2273 | ltwc.org The Wildlife Shelter, North Shore (866) 307-4216

TAHOE WEEKLY is published weekly throughout the summer and biweekly the rest of the year, with occassional extra issues at holiday times by Range of Light Media Group, Inc. Look for new issues on Wednesdays.

Subscribe to the free digital edition at issuu.com/ TheTahoeWeekly. Visit TheTahoeWeekly.com.

TAHOE WEEKLY, est. 1982, ©2007. Reproduction in whole or in part without publisher’s express permission is prohibited. Contributions welcome via e-mail. The Weekly is not responsible for unsolicited submissions. Member: North Lake Tahoe Resort Association, North Tahoe Business Association, Incline Community Business Association, Truckee Donner Chamber of Commerce, Tahoe City Downtown Association, Truckee Downtown Merchants Association, Tahoe South Chamber of Commerce and Alpine County Chamber of Commerce. Printed on recycled paper with soy-based inks. Please recycle your copy.

Backpacking to Paradise Lake Is your Go Bag ready?

THREAT OF WILDFIRES LOOM IN TAHOE

6 10

Tahoe’s Rock-Climbing Angels 12 Who owns the water from Lake Tahoe & Truckee River? Part III

14

FROM THE PUBLISHER

The West is burning. In California, there were 15 active wildfires as we went to press on Aug. 19 with fires burning to the north, south and east of Lake Tahoe.

While the Tahoe-Truckee region has been spared from any major fires so far, the wildfire season is far from over and the threat of a wildfire is ever present.

An intentional fire was set on Aug. 11 near Echo Summit that was fortunately put out quickly.

As historic fires burn across the West and the threat of wildfires grows in Tahoe and Truckee, I felt a need to help our community be prepared in case a wildfire and potential evacuations occur locally.

I’m committing space in the next six editions of Tahoe Weekly to help Tahoe and Truckee’s residents, homeowners and visitors prepare for a wildfire by offering practical, easy-to-use wildfire and emergency preparedness information to our readers. Up first: “Is your Go Bag ready?”

Having an emergency bag ready with essentials for you, your family and your pets is essential in case you need to evacuate without notice. Wildfires can start anywhere and at any time and can move swiftly as we’ve all seen on the news of late. We also included information on online resources to help get ready for an evacuation, local evacuation routes and how to sign up for emergency alerts.

GET OUTSIDE Sightseeing 4 Lake Tahoe Facts

5

Beaches & Parks

7

Summer Fun

8

Events 8 Marinas & Boat Ramps

15

FUN & GAMES Horoscope & Puzzles

16

THE MAKERS Tahloha Serape Ponchos 17 The Arts 17 THE LINEUP Becoming Mark Twain 18 Live

18

EAT & DRINK Lulu’s Lebanese Kitchen

20

Tasty Tidbits

20

Mena’eesh Flatbread

21

Wine Bargain Bin

22

SUPPORT OUR WORK Donations | paypal.me/tahoeweekly n

on the cover A climber on Snowshed Wall on Donner Summit, one of the many climbing areas in the Tahoe Sierra. Read Sean McAlindin’s feature on “Tahoe’s rock-climbing angels” about two local organizations working to preserve climbing routes and protect climbers. Photography by Court Leve | CourtLeve.com, @CourtLeve

WILDFIRE

INFO & RESOURCES Visit TheTahoeWeekly.com Click on Wildfire Safety under the Get Outside menu

3

LAKE LEVEL Lake Tahoe Natural rim 6,223’

Readings taken on Thursday, August 19, 2021 ELEVATION :

RESERVOIR CAPACITY

6,223.91 |

IN 2020:

C PACITY CITY:: 40 CIT 0,870 0 BOCA 12,362 CAPA

Explore Tahoe CLOSED

South Lake Tahoe

(530) 542-2908 | cityofslt.us Urban Trailhead at base of Heavenly Gondola with local exhibits and programs. South Tahoe

Fannette Island

Tahoe City Field Station

Tallac Historic Site Emerald Bay

North Shore

Summer | (530) 583-3279 | terc.ucdavis.edu This 1920s-era building features a history of the field station, current UC Davis research projects, interactive exhibits and demonstration garden. Ages 8+. TART South Lake Tahoe

(530) 541-3030 | parks.ca.gov Lake Tahoe’s only island is located in Emerald Bay & is home to an old tea house. Boat access only. (Closed Feb. 1-June 15 for nesting birds.)

TART/South Tahoe

(530) 541-5227 | tahoeheritage.org Once known as the “Grandest Resort in the World” as the summer retreat for three San Francisco elite families with the Baldwin Estate, Pope Estate & Valhalla. Grounds open yearround. South Tahoe

Heavenly

Taylor Creek Visitor Center

South Lake Tahoe

OPENS JUNE 18 (775) 586-7000 | skiheavenly.com Enjoy a 2.4-mile ride on the gondola to the top with panoramic views. Ticket required. South Tahoe

Hellman-Ehrman Mansion

South Lake Tahoe

(530) 543-2674 | fs.usda.gov Features Stream Profile Chamber to view slice of Taylor Creek, nature trails & more. South Tahoe East Shore

Parking fee | parks.ca.gov (530) 525-7232 Park | (530) 583-9911 Tours Sugar Pine Point State Park is home to the historic Ehrman Mansion (summer tours), see boathouses with historic boats and General Phipps Cabin built in the late 1800s. TART

May-October | thunderbirdtahoe.org The former Whittell estate. This magnificent lakefront home features the Lighthouse Room, Old Lodge, 600’ underground tunnel (with a former lion cage) and Boat House, home to the “Thunderbird,” a 1939 wooden boat. Ages 6+ only.

No on-site parking. Tours by reservation only.

High Camp

Truckee

Olympic Valley

(800) 403-0206 | squawalpine.com Aerial tram rides with views of Lake Tahoe, Olympic Heritage Museum, events and more.

Ticket required. TART

Kings Beach

North Shore

northtahoebusiness.org Kings Beach is a popular spot for dining and shopping with the North Shore’s largest sandy beach located in the heart of town. Free parking at North Tahoe Beach, Brook Street, Minnow and the Christmas Tree lot on Hwy. 28. TART

North Lake Tahoe Demonstration Garden

Incline Village

Summer | Free (775) 586-1610, ext. 25 | demogarden.org Demonstrations of lake-friendly landscaping using native and adaptive plants, water conservation, soil stabilization techniques, defensible space from wildfires & BMPs. Self-guided tours & clinics. TART

North Tahoe Arts Center

Tahoe City

(530) 581-2787 | northtahoearts.com Featuring exhibits of work by local artists and works for sale by local artists. TART

Tahoe Art League Gallery

South Lake Tahoe

(530) 544-2313 | talart.org Featuring local artists, workshops. South Tahoe

4

STAMPEDE 19,9661

truckeehistory.org | truckee.com Settled in 1863, Truckee grew quickly as a stagecoach stop and route for the Central Pacific Railroad. During these early days, many historical homes and buildings were built including The Truckee Hotel (1868) and the Capitol Building (1868). Stop by the Depot for a walking tour of historic downtown. Paid parking downtown. TART

Vikingsholm Castle

429

Tahoe City

Truckee River | FLOW AT FARAD 429 (530) 583-1762 | northtahoemuseums.org

Featuring historic photos, the Steinbach Indian Basket Museum and historical memorabilia. TART

Truckee

Tues.-Sun. | Locals’ first Tues. half price (530) 587-5437 | kidzonemuseum.org Interactive exhibits, science & art classes for kids up to age 7. BabyZone & Jungle Gym. TART

Lake Tahoe Museum

225

GRAEAGLE MEADOWS

Lost Sierra

Tahoe Science Center

Truckee

KidZone Children’s CLOSED Museum

South Lake Tahoe

(530) 541-5458 | laketahoemuseum.org Features Washoe artifacts and exhibits on early industry and settlers. Pick up walking tour map. South Tahoe

Open by advance ticket (775) 881-7566 | tahoesciencecenter.org NAKOMAFEATHER University of California, Davis, science eduRIVER PARK FEATHER cation center at Sierra NevadaRIVER College.

Exhibits PARK include a virtual research boat, biology lab, 3D movies and docent-led tours. Ages 8+. TART

Truckee Railroad Museum

Measured in Cubic Feet Per Second (CFS)

TROA.NET

Truckee

Open by appt. truckeedonnerrailroadsociety.com Learn about the historic railroad. Located in a caboose next to the Truckee Depot. TART

Find more places to explore

at TheTahoeWeekly.com

VISITORS’ CENTERS Kings Beach Kings Beach State Rec. Area (Thurs.-Mon., July-Aug.)

Incline Village 969 Tahoe Blvd. (800) 468-2463 Stateline 169 Hwy. 50 (775) 588-4591

Truckee

Sat. & Sun. & by appt.

Thurs.-Mon. | (530) 582-0893 | truckeehistory.org Housed in the original Depot, built in 1901. Exhibits cover different eras in Truckee history. TART

Tahoe City 100 N. Lake Blvd. (530) 581-6900 Truckee 10065 Donner Pass Rd. (Depot) (530) 587-8808 U.S. Forest Service | Incline Village 855 Alder Ave. (775) 831-0914 (Wed.-Fri.)

Old Jail Museum

Truckee

Open by appt. | (530) 659-2378 | truckeehistory.org One of a few surviving 19th Century jailhouses used from 1875 until May 1964 (summer tours). TART

Olympic Museum

Olympic Valley

(800) 403-0206 | squawalpine.com Squaw Valley, host of the VIII Winter Olympic Games in 1960, celebrates its Olympic History with the Tower of Nations with its Olympic Flame and the symbolic Tower of the Valley.

The Olympic Museum at High Camp features historic memorabilia and photographs. TART

U.S. Forest Service | South Lake Tahoe 35 College Dr. (530) 543-2600

U.S. Forest Service | Tahoe City 3080 N. Lake Blvd. (530) 583-3593 (Fridays)

U.S. Forest Service | Truckee 10811 Stockrest Springs Rd. (530) 587-3558

National Forest access info fs.fed.us/r5/webmaps/RecreationSiteStatus

TRANSIT North Tahoe & Truckee (TART) | laketahoetransit.com South Tahoe | tahoetransportation.org

Emerald Bay

Parking fee | (530) 541-3030 | (530) 525-9529 ADA parks.ca.gov or vikingsholm.com Tour the grounds of Vikingsholm Castle (May 29-Sept. 30), see Eagle Falls and Fannette Island (the Lake’s only island), home to an old Tea House. TART/South Tahoe

Watson Cabin

Tahoe City

(530) 583-1762 | northtahoemuseums.org Watson Cabin, built by Robert Watson and his son in 1909, is the oldest building in Tahoe City and on the National Register of Historic Places. (summer tours). TART

MUSEUMS Donner Summit Historical Society

Soda Springs

donnersummithistoricalsociety.org At Old Hwy 40 & Soda Springs Rd. 20-mile interpretive driving tour along Old 40. TART

DO L

WHITEHAWK GRAEAGLE PLUMAS PINES RANCH MEADOWS GRAEAGLE NAKOMAGRIZZLY RANCH MEADOWS Incline Village FEATHER WHITEHAWK GRIZZLY RANCH RIVER PARK only WHITEHAWKRANCH RANCH NAKOMA

2 PROSSER 11,061 CAPACITY: 29,840 (530) 582-7892 | parks.ca.gov CAPACITY: C 9,500 5 features exhibits DONNER 4,690 The Emigrant Trail Museum and artifacts on the Donner Party (1846-47) at 8 INDEPENDENCE 1,3763 CCAPACITY: 18,300 Donner Memorial State Park. See the towering Pioneer Monument.

A TART 20,400 40 MARTIS 1,052 CAPACITY:

Gatekeeper’s Museum

6,227.17 TheLost Sierra

Measured in Cubic Feet Per Second (CFS) TROA.NET GRIZZLY MeasuredRANCH in Acre Feet (AF) PLUMAS PINES

CAPACITY: C 226,500

Emigrant Trail Museum

200,000 AF

175

150,000 AF

125

FLOW AT FARAD

Museum of Truckee History

Thunderbird Lodge West Shore

|

Donner Summit The PLUMAS IN 2020: PINES

200,000 AF

Eagle Rock, one of the lake’s famous natural sites, is a volcanic plug beside Highway 89 on the West Shore. Trail to top is on the south side. TART

Truckee River C PACITY CAPA CITY:: 40 CIT 0,870 0 BOCA 12,362

175

West Shore

visittahoecity.com Popular for shopping and dining with historical sites. At the junction of hwys 89 & 28, visitors may see the Tahoe City Dam, Lake Tahoe’s only outlet, and Fanny Bridge. Peer into Watson Cabin (1909) for a glimpse at pioneer life. Free parking at Commons Beach, Grove St., Jackpine St. and 64 acres at Hwys 89 & 28. TART

RESERVOIR CAPACITY

6,223.91 |

150,000 AF

Eagle Rock

North Shore

ELEVATION :

125

Drive through one of the area’s natural wonders at Cave Rock, the neck of an old volcano.

The area is named for the small caves above Highway 50 that were cut by waves when Lake Tahoe was 200 feet higher during the ice ages.

Tahoe City

The

DONN TAHOE D LAKE

Lost Sierra Donner Summit Readings taken on Thursday, August 19, 2021

100,000 AF

East Shore

25

Cave Rock

Donner Summit

CAPACITY: 18,300 C 8

75

25

covid19.ca.gov | nevadahealthresponse.nv.gov

INDEPENDENCE 1,3763

LAKE LEVEL A 20,400 40 MARTIS 1,052 CAPACITY: Lake Tahoe Natural rim 6,223’

75

Check schedules before visiting. Masks are required in California and Nevada for those who are not vaccinated.

A quiet day on Donner Lake. | Alyssa Ganong

CAPACITY: 9,500 C 5

100,000 AF

DONNER 4,690

TAHOE DON

CAPACITY: 29,840 2

50

ATTRACTIONS

PROSSER 11,061

Measured in Acre Feet (AF)

CAPACITY: C 226,500

50

SIGHTSEEING

STAMPEDE 19,9661

6,227.17

225

TheTahoeWeekly.com

Boots McFarland by Geolyn Carvin | BootsMcFarland.com

A M

August 25-31, 2021

lake tahoe facts |

Read about how the lake was formed, Lake Tahoe’s discovery, lake clarity and more at TheTahoeWeekly.com. Click on Explore Tahoe.

GRAY ’S CROSSING

TAHOE DONNER

COYOTE MOON

Truckee

DONNER TAHOE DONNER LAKE

OLD GREENWOOD

BOCA RESERVOIR OLD GREENWOOD RENO-TAHOE PROSSER RESERVOIR INTERNATIONAL TRUCKEE BOCA RESERVOIR AIRPORT STAMPEDE RESERVOIR AIRPORT OLD GREENWOOD TRUCKEE BOCA RESERVOIR PROSSER RESERVOIR AIRPORT Donner Lake PONDEROSA TRUCKEE RENO-TAHOE PROSSER RESERVOIR STAMPEDE RESERVOIR BOCA RESERVOIR DONNER AIRPORT INTERNATIONAL PONDEROSA Summit SCHAFFER’S RENO-TAHOE MILL LAKE AIRPORT RESERVOIR PROSSERSTAMPEDE RESERVOIR INTERNATIONAL ra T PONDEROSA m i eR AIRPORT STAMPEDE RESERVOIR ho a SCHAFFER’S MILL T INCLINE VILLAGE a r SCHAFFER’S MILL Rim T MOUNTAIN oe a r NORTHSTAR ah im T R T SCHAFFER’S MILL INCLINE VILLAGE oe r ah MOUNTAIN R i m TT INCLINE VILLAGE OLD BROCKWAYh o e INCLINE VILLAGE NORTHSTAR a MOUNTAIN T CHAMPIONSHIP INCLINE VILLAGE NORTHSTAR Truckee MOUNTAIN WEST EAST River OLD BROCKWAY INCLINE VILLAGE SNORTHSTAR OUTH CHAMPIONSHIP OLD BROCKWAY INCLINE VILLAGE CHAMPIONSHIP OLD BROCKWAY INCLINE VILLAGE CHAMPIONSHIP DEEPEST COON ST.

Truckee Truckee

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GRAEAGLE MEADOWS

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North Shore

Tahoe Vista

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Ta h o e R i m

Eagle Rock

Eagle Rock OBEXER’S

Maximum depth: 1,645 feet (501 m)

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CAVE ROCK

Natural rim: 6,223’ (1,897 m)

Zephyr Cove CAVE ROCK Cave Rock South EDGEWOOD CAVE ROCK Lake Tahoe Zephyr Cove TAHOE EDGEWOOD CAVE ROCK Stateline Emerald Bay Average Water Temperature: 42.1˚F (5.61˚C) Zephyr CoveSouth TAHOE Fannette Island South Lake Tahoe Zephyr Cove SKI RUN Emerald Bay Lake Tahoe South Average Surface Water Temperature: 51.9˚F (11.1˚C) Fannette Island LAKESIDE Stateline Emerald Bay TAHOEEagle Lake Tahoe SKI RUN Fannette Island Stateline Lake KEYS Emerald Bay BIJOU SKI RUN Average Surface Temperature in July: 64.9˚F (18.3˚C) Watershed Area: 312 square miles (808 sq km)

Cascade SKI RUN Lake TAHOE

CAMP

RICHARDSON Highest Peak: Freel Peak at 10,881 feet (3,317 m)

Permanent Population: 66,000 Ta h oe

Ta h oe

R i m Tr ail

R i m Tr ail

Number of Visitors: 15 million annually

Learn about the natural history of the Tahoe Sierra

at TheTahoeWeekly.com

CAMP RICHARDSON CAMP RICHARDSON Ta h o e R i m Tr ail

Meyers

TAHOE LAKESIDE KEYS LAKESIDE

KEYS

Size: 22 miles long, 12 miles wide (35 km long, 19 km wide)

Stateline

Lake Tahoe is as long as the English Channel is wide.

LAKESIDE BIJOU

LAKE TAHOE AIRPORT Fallen

Shoreline: 72 miles (116 km)

PEAKSouth

Shore

Leaf Lake

FREEL Meyers TAHOE PARADISEPEAK FREEL LAKE TAHOE Meyers AIRPORT PEAK LAKE TAHOE Meyers Echo Lakes AIRPORT LAKE TAHOE

LAKE TAHOE

Kirkwood Kirkwood

LAKE TAHOE AIRPORT

Lake Tahoe has a surface area of 191 square miles (307 km). If Lake Tahoe were emptied, it would submerge California under 15 inches of water (.38 m).

FREEL PEAK

TAHOE PARADISE

TAHOE PARADISE

TAHOE PARADISE

Kirkwood

EDGEWOOD TAHOE

BIJOU CAMP RICHARDSONBIJOUFREEL

LAKE TAHOE

LAKE

Hope Valley TAHOE Markleeville

Kirkwood Hope Valley Hope Markleeville Valley Markleeville

Hope Valley Markleeville

Why is the lake blue?

The Lake of the Sky appears blue in color as other colors in the light spectrum are absorbed and the blue light is scattered back.

Come Play With Us!

R

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Ta h inches (10.4 m) Average Snowfall: 409 o e R i m Tr ail

TAHOE KEYS

Lake Tahoe sits at an average elevation of between 6,223’ and 6,229.1’. (1,897-1,899 m) The top 6.1’ (1.8 m) of water is controlled by the dam in Tahoe City and holds up to 744,600 acre feet of water (91,845 m).

Cave Rock

EDGEWOOD

Cave Rock TAHOE

Fannette Island

There is enough water in Lake Tahoe to supply everyone in the United States with more than 75 gallons (284 liters) of water per day for 5 years.

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CA

MEEKS BAY Rock

East Shore

e Ri

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MEEKS BAY

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Meeks Bay

Lake Tahoe is the second deepest lake in the U.S. (Crater Lake in Oregon, at 1,932 feet, or 589 m, is the deepest), and the 11th deepest in the world.

Volume: 39 trillion gallons (147.6 trillion liters)

o Ta h

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MEEKS BAY

Tahoma

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Tahoma Age of Lake Tahoe: 2 million years Tahoma MEEKS BAY Meeks Bay Fed By: 63 streams and 2 Meeks hot springsBay

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Homewood Glenbrook Glenbrook OBEXER’S

West

OBEXER’S

Only Outlet: Truckee River (Tahoe City)

Spooner Lake

Carson City

Glenbrook

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HOMEWOOD

HomewoodShore CASINOS Tahoma OBEXER’S Homewood HOMEWOOD

Meeks Bay

Average depth: 1,000 feet (304 m)

Glenbrook

Homewood

Eagle Rock

Tahoe

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Lake Clarity: 2020: 63 feet avg. depth (19.2 m) 1968: First recorded at 102.4 feet (31.21 m)

Marlette Lake

Lake

Ta h o e R i m

Ta h o e R i m

WHITEHAWK RANCH

Lake Tahoe is located in the states of California and Nevada, with two-thirds in California.

Incline Village

Incline Village Crystal Incline Village Kings Bay Tahoe Vista Crystal Beach Carnelian BayTahoe Vista NAKOMA Crystal Kings Bay Olympic Tahoe Vista POINT FEATHER Kings Crystal Bay Beach BOAT LAUNCH SIERRA Carnelian Bay Valley RIVER PARK BOAT CO. Kings Beach DEEPEST Bay Olympic Carnelian Bay COON ST. POINT SANDDEEPEST BOAT LAUNCH SIERRA Beach Olympic TAHOE COON ST. NORTH Valley Carnelian Bay CITY HARBOR BOAT CO. POINT BOAT LAUNCH TAHOE SIERRA RESORT AT DEEPEST Valley Olympic BOAT CO. COON ST. Tahoe SAND SQUAW CREEK POINT BOAT LAUNCH NORTH DollarSIERRA Hill TAHOE CITY HARBOR Valley LAKE TAHOE VISTA SAND City BOAT CO. TAHOE RESORT AT MARINAS NORTH FOREST TAHOE CITY REC AREA HARBOR Tahoe SQUAW CREEK TAHOE SAND Alpine RESORT AT Dollar Hill NORTH CITY LAKE HARBOR TAHOE VISTA Tahoe City SQUAW CREEK TAHOE TAHOE TAHOE NV Dollar Hill RESORT AT CITY Meadows FOREST REC AREA LAKE TAHOE VISTA City Tahoe SQUAW CREEK Alpine Dollar MARINA Carson FOREST Hill RECTAHOE AREA LAKE TAHOE VISTA City Meadows Alpine CITY City Sunnyside FOREST TAHOE REC AREA MARINA BOAT RAMPS AlpineMeadows CITY SUNNYSIDE TAHOE MARINA Carson CITY l Meadows Sunnyside ai MARINA Tr Carson City Sunnyside SUNNYSIDE City il SUNNYSIDE Sunnyside ra GRIZZLY RANCH

for details

Incline Village

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PLUMAS PINES

LOGO here

anne@tahoethisweek.com

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Donner

The DONNER LAKELost Sierra

Your business’

Reno & Sparks Reno & Sparks RENO-TAHOE Reno & Sparks INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT Email

Truckee

GRAY ’S CROSSING OLD GREENWOOD

COYOTE MOON PONDEROSA COYOTE MOON

DONNER LAKE

Reno & Sparks

GRAY ’S CROSSING

TRUCKEE GRAY ’S CROSSING AIRPORT COYOTE MOON TAHOE DONNER

TAHOE DONNER

er Summit

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GET outside

the outdoors | recreation | events | mountain life

C O M M U N I N G W I T H N AT U R E AT

Paradise Lake S TO RY & P H OTO S BY P R I YA H UT N E R

B

ackpacking is a beautiful way to commune with nature. It isn’t always easy. Carrying weight on your back with supplies for a few nights and hiking uphill is an art. If you have too much in your pack, it can make or break your adventure.

I planned a quick weekend trip for two nights with friends Karen Barchas and Kat Terrey to Paradise Lake. It’s a 7.5-mile hike to Paradise Lake, 15 miles out and back. The trailhead is located at the Boreal exit off I-80 near Donner Summit. Our plan was to depart early on Friday morning to avoid the heat, set up camp and chill out away from it all. Each of us would bring our own lunch and snacks. I was in charge

A little climb up, the beautiful alpine lake opened before us: Paradise. We were tired but continued on to find a campsite. of dinner. I purchased grilled chicken pad Thai and al pastor with rice from Tahoe Mountain Sports. Kat handled breakfast (oatmeal) and Karen supplied chocolate pudding with graham crackers for dessert.

I called Karen Zazzi, an expert through hiker, to discuss packing my new Gossamer Mariposa backpack. She had recently completed 800 miles on The Arizona Trail and was preparing for another 800 on The Appalachian Trail. Her counsel was direct: “Pack light and pick and choose carefully what goes in your pack.”

Sleeping bag first, clothing next, my lightweight sleep pad packed at the bottom, plastic bags with personal items next and food was packed in the back of the pack by my back. She recommended that the tent and rain jacket be on top in the event of weather. She also mentioned that the lightweight chair I wanted to bring wasn’t meant to be carried in this type of pack. She suggested that I pack the chair in the long side pocket along with my tent poles.

Explore more trails at TheTahoeWeekly.com

ALL CUSTOM!!

Located in Boatworks Mall at the Tahoe City Marina SteveSchmiersJewelry.com · 530.583.5709

6

My water bottle should go in the opposite side pocket. Personally, I prefer a bladder, but I thought I’d try this method.

Headlamp, snacks, toilet paper and the like were at the top in an easy-to-access compartment. The waist belt held my phone for photos and snacks for the trail.

Once the backpack was packed, I slipped it on. It felt to be around 25 pounds. I hydrated the night before and the morning of the hike, so I didn’t have to carry a lot of water.

TOP TO BOTTOM: Karen Barchas and Priya Hutner along the trail; Wildflowers in full swing: My tent at sunrise on Paradise Lake.

We hit the trail at 10:40 a.m., a bit later than expected. The weather was on our side. There was a lovely cloud cover and the temperature was in the mid-70s. We started our hike along a fire road. Castle Peak loomed to the east. Its craggy rock formation was impressive.

It was a quiet morning and there were fewer hikers than expected. Adjustments were made to the packs as we started a steady climb and followed the Pacific Crest Trail. Indian paintbrush, cornflowers, purple lupine and all manner of wildflowers were in full bloom as we passed the Peter Grubb Hut. There were streams and springs along the way. Granite slabs and expansive vistas spread out on both sides of the trail. After a quick stop for lunch, we continued on our way.

At about 5 miles into our hike, the skies darkened and thunder rumbled overhead.

We needed to pick up our pace. The skies

held for a bit; at 6 miles, we started our descent to the valley floor. The woods were lush and I was surprised at how green it was. It was also humid. A sign on the tree denoted Unconformity Springs. A little farther on the trail, a sign pointed the way to Paradise Lake. We turned right onto the trail. It started to drizzle. I felt my neck straining under the weight of my pack and the first backpack of the season.

The terrain shifted as we climbed the granite slabs; the lake was close. A little climb up, the beautiful alpine lake opened before us: Paradise. We were tired but continued on to find a campsite. We headed to the east side of the lake and found a perfect spot. We set up our tents and jumped in the lake.

Dinner and bed came early. Saturday, we hiked around the lake and looked down on Warren Lake. We swam to the many granite islands that dotted the lake and warmed ourselves on the granite slabs. Sunday morning, we ate breakfast and broke camp. We started the hike back to the car.

It was an 8.11-mile hike out and uphill out of the gate. I recommend starting early if you go.

THE TRAIL 15 miles RT | Moderate-Strenuous

Paradise Lake is considered a moderate hike, but if you’re not accustomed to the altitude or haven’t hiked with 30 pounds on your back, it might be more challenging than moderate. It was a beautiful respite and our trip was lovely in every way. | alltrails.com 

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VOLLEYBALL

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PLAYGROUND

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BEACH

PICNIC TABLES

RESTROOMS

BIKE TRAIL ACCESS

Beaches & Parks

HANDICAP ACCESSIBLE

August 25-31, 2021 GET OUTSIDE

EAST SHORE

CHIMNEY BEACH & SECRET COVE ROUNDHILL PINES BEACH

Hwy. 50

SAND HARBOR STATE PARK ZEPHYR COVE PARK

5.9 miles south of Incline Vlg.

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Hwy. 50

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KINGS BEACH

COON STREET DOG BEACH

Hwy. 28, bottom of Coon Street

KINGS BEACH STATE REC AREA

Kings Beach

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MOON DUNES BEACH

Hwy. 28

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NORTH TAHOE BEACH

Hwy. 28, across from Safeway

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SECLINE BEACH

Hwy. 28, at the end of Secline Street

SPEEDBOAT BEACH

CLOSES AUG. 19 FOR SEASON.

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TAHOE VISTA

NORTH TAHOE REGIONAL PARK & DOG PARK Hwy. 28, at top of National Ave.

SANDY BEACH

Hwy. 28, across from the Perennial Nursery

TAHOE VISTA RECREATION AREA

Hwy. 28, at National Ave.

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CARNELIAN BAY

CARNELIAN WEST BEACH PATTON LANDING

Hwy. 28, next to Gar Woods

Hwy. 28, at Onyx Street

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COMMONS BEACH HERITAGE PLAZA

Hwy. 28, Tahoe City behind old fire station

Hwy. 28, Downtown Tahoe City

LAKE FOREST BEACH POMIN PARK SKYLANDIA

Lake Forest Rd, 1.5 miles east of Tahoe City

Lake Forest Road, east of Tahoe City Lake Forest Road, east of Tahoe City

64-ACRES PARK & BELL’S LANDING

South of Tahoe City

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WILLIAM KENT BEACH

2.5 miles south of Tahoe City

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TAHOE CITY DOG PARK

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WEST SHORE

D.L. BLISS STATE PARK

17 miles south of Tahoe City

ELIZABETH WILLIAMS PARK EMERALD BAY BEACH KILNER PARK

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Hwy. 89, 3.5 miles south of Tahoe City

MARIE SLUCHAK PARK MEEKS BAY

4 miles south of Tahoe City

Corner of Hwy. 89 & Pine St., Tahoma

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Hwy. 89, 10 miles south of Tahoe City

SUGAR PINE POINT STATE PARK

9.5 miles south of Tahoe City

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BALDWIN BEACH

BIJOU COMMUNITY PARK CAMP RICHARDSON EL DORADO BEACH KIVA BEACH

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Hwy. 89 Hwy. 50 at Lakeview Commons

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Hwy. 89 east of Taylor Creek

NEVADA BEACH POPE BEACH

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Hwy. 50

Hwy. 89

REGAN BEACH

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SQUAW VALLEY PARK

At Hwy. 89 & Squaw Valley Road

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MARTIS CREEK

Hwy. 267, 1 mile south of Truckee Airport

RIVER VIEW SPORTS PARK

12200 Joerger Drive

TRUCKEE RIVER REGIONAL PARK

Hwy. 267, Truckee

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DONNER MEMORIAL STATE PARK SHORELINE PARK WEST END BEACH

I-80 Donner Lake exit

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No smoking or vaping of cigarettes, e-cigarettes or marijuana on state beaches or in state parks allowed per state law.

BUS & SHUTTLE SCHEDULES

North Tahoe & Truckee (TART): laketahoetransit.com | South Tahoe: tahoetransportation.org

7

TheTahoeWeekly.com

Summer Fun

Courtesy Truckee Professional Rodeo

ADVERTISEMENT

Visit TheTahoeWeekly.com for more Summer Fun Activities.

Always check operating schedules before visiting.

GEOCACHING

PUBLIC POOLS

OLYMPIC VALLEY

INCLINE VILLAGE

High-tech treasure hunt on mountain using GPS to find 10 caches. Free with Aerial Tram ticket; GPS rentals available. TART

25-yard, 8-lane indoor pool at Incline Recreation Center, swim lessons, aqua fitness, 1-meter spring diving board, inflatable slide (weekends). Daily rates & memberships available. TART

CRUISES

OLYMPIC VALLEY

“SIERRA CLOUD”

Swimming Lagoon & Spa at High Camp at Squaw Valley, free form lagoon with 50-meter lap lanes, two islands with waterfalls and native boulders. Closed for season. TART

(800) 403-0206 | squawalpine.com

(775) 832-1300 | inclinerecreation.com

(800) 403-0206 | squawalpine.com

(775) 831-4386 | awsincline.com Catamaran cruises. Daily cruises, parasailing and rentals.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE

DISC GOLF

(530) 542-6056 | cityofslt.com

DONNER SKI RANCH

(530) 426-3635 | old40barandgrill.com 18-hole course. Free to play; must register at restaurant.

Practice basket.

INCLINE VILLAGE

(775) 832-1300 | inclinerecreation.com 18-hole course at Incline Park at 980 Incline Way. Free. Daily dawn-dusk. TART

KIRKWOOD

25-yard indoor/outdoor year-round pool. Lessons.

BlueGo

TRUCKEE

(530) 582-7720 | tdrpd.com 25-yard indoor pool with 6 lanes, 1-meter spring diving board, swim training, hydraulic lift at Tahoe-Truckee High School. TART

TRUCKEE

Experience disc golf at 7,800 feet with the notorious DiscWood disc golf course. The 18-hole course weaves through the trees and over mountainous terrain. Free. Scorecards and maps may be picked up at the General Store.

Community Recreation Center offers 29’ climbing wall & 12’ bouldering wall. All ages & levels. Lessons available. TART

(530) 694-2140 | alpinecounty.ca.gov Located at Turtle Rock Park Campground.

Due to pandemic protocols, there will be no Kids’ Day Rodeo; it will return in 2022. The Queen Pageant will be held at a private residence in Truckee for the horsemanship and indoor portion.

Watch a video of the rodeo at TheTahoeWeekly.com Tickets are $15 online and $20 at the door; $10 online and $15 at the door for ages 6 to 12; free for ages 5 and younger. Parking is $10 in the lot across from the arena. Carpooling, public transportation and biking are strongly encouraged. | truckeerodeo.org

events

(530) 582-7720 | tdrpd.com

Concours d’ Elegance Virtual boat show Tahoe City | Aug. 25-Sept. 1

SKATE PARKS

laketahoeconcours.com

Courtesy TAMBA

INCLINE VILLAGE

MEYERS

(775) 832-1300 | inclinerecreation.com

tahoeparadisepark.com 9-hole course at Tahoe Paradise Park.

OLYMPIC VALLEY

(530) 583-6985 | squawalpine.com 18-hole course at Squaw Valley’s High Camp. Disc rentals. TART

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE

Intermediate/advanced area with two, 5-foot tall bowls with a spine, 3-foot box and 2.5 foot bowl for beginners. Street course on top, with 8-foot flat rail, 6-foot down rail, four stairs and a 10-foot downward ramp. Corner Hwy. 28 & Southwood. Daily dawndusk. TART

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE

Bijou Community Park | cityofslt.us

A mostly flat and moderately wooded course is located at Bijou Community Park featuring 27 holes covering 8,324 feet. The course features mixed tees with varied fairways with slight elevation changes. On Al Tahoe Boulevard off Highway 50. BlueGo

TAHOE VISTA

(530) 546-4212 | northtahoeparks.com 18-hole course at North Tahoe Regional Park, off National Avenue. Parking $5. Daily dawn-dusk. TART

TRUCKEE

(530) 582-7720 | tdrpd.com

Bijou Community Park features a skateboard park on Al Tahoe Boulevard off Highway 50. BlueGo

Skatehouse | @skatetahoe 40’x80’ warehouse with indoor skate rink. 867 Eloise, South Lake Tahoe.

TRUCKEE

(530) 582-7720 | tdrpd.com Truckee River Regional Park with several bowls with a spine and channel, a long rail and ledges. Knee and elbow pads and helmets required. Free. Daily dawn10 p.m. TART

18-hole course at Truckee River Regional Park, off Brockway Road. Dogs must be on leash. Free. Daily dawn-dusk. TART

WOODWARD TAHOE

TRUCKEE

Featuring two skateparks – The Sierra Skatepark and the Eastern Sierra Skatepark. Plus, indoor skate park inside The Bunker.

(530) 550-2225 18 holes at Sierra College Campus. Free. Daily dawndusk. TART

ZEPHYR COVE The Zephyr Cove course is 18 holes covering 5,256 feet with holes of varying lengths. On Warrior Way. BlueGo

(530) 426-1114 | rideboreal.com

MINI GOLF COURSES Village at Northstar

northstarcalifornia.com Free. First-come, first-served. Thurs.-Sun. TART

Call (530) 546-5995, ext. 110, to be listed in Summer Fun. No smoking or vaping of cigarettes, e-cigarettes or marijuana.

BUS & SHUTTLE SCHEDULES

North Tahoe & Truckee (TART): laketahoetransit.com | South Tahoe: tahoetransportation.org

8

Truckee Professional Rodeo is happening this year on Aug. 27 and 28 at McIver Area in Truckee. There will be barrel racing, mutton busting and bull riding on both days, starting at 5:30 p.m. on Aug. 27 and at 4 p.m. on Aug. 28. Saturday’s rodeo will be followed by live music and dancing.

ROCK CLIMBING WALLS

(209) 258-7277 | kirkwood.com

MARKLEEVILLE

It’s Not All Bull

Endowment funds TAMBA projects Tahoe Fund awarded the first grant from the new Tahoe Trails Endowment to support a four-person trail crew from Tahoe Area Mountain Bike Association (TAMBA) this fall. The $11,700 grant will fund work on existing trails in the Tahoe Basin with a focus on erosion control, fixing storm drainage, clearing brush and trees, and improving signage.

Tahoe Fund hopes to grow the endowment to $3 million to fund annual trail maintenance in the region.

While the endowment is being built, Tahoe Fund is also working with trail partners including Tahoe Rim Trail Association, TAMBA, U.S. Forest Service and Nevada State Parks to develop a Regional Trails Plan that will establish a long-term priority ranking for trail work. | tahoefund.org

Heritage Trail 2021 Area venues Tahoe City | Aug. 25-Sept. 1 9 a.m. | placer.ca.gov

Hike for Parks Area venues | Tahoe City | Aug. 25 $10-$50 | sierrastateparks.org

How to Prepare for Wildfire: A Workshop for South Lake Tahoe Renters Child Development Centers South Lake Tahoe | Aug. 25

5:30 p.m. | tahoelivingwithfire.com

Frog Lake Cliffs hike Bunny Hill Parking Lot Truckee | Aug. 26

9 a.m.-2 p.m. Free | eventbrite.com

Galena Waterfall Workday Galena Creek Visitor Center Stateline | Aug. 26

9 a.m.-4 p.m. | tahoerimtrail.org

Thursday Trail Workdays Sawtooth Trail Truckee | Aug. 26

3-5 p.m. Free | (530) 448-2826, truckeetrailsfoundaiton.org

Cool Car Cruizen Fridays Heavenly Village Gondola | South Lake Tahoe | Aug. 27

5-8 p.m. Free | goodsamsaferide.com

August 25-31, 2021 GET OUTSIDE

TAHOE

ADVENTURE COMPANY Conceptual drawing | Courtesy Tahoe Donner

Truckee Core Values - Castle Peak Hike Castle Peak | Norden | Aug. 27 8 a.m.-1 p.m. | tinsweb.org

Truckee Professional Rodeo McIver Arena Truckee | Aug. 27, Aug. 28 5:30 p.m. $10-$20

Historical Mountain Biking Tours Donner Memorial State Park Truckee | Aug. 28

9 a.m.-12:30 p.m. | facebook.com

Kid Train Rides Truckee River Regional Park | Aug. 28

11 a.m.-2 p.m. Free | truckeedonnerrailroadsociety.com

Lake Tahoe Triathlon

New downhill lodge in the works Plans for a new lodge at Tahoe Donner Downhill Ski Resort are underway. The current lodge was built in 1971 as a real estate office and after an extensive review, it was decided by the Tahoe Donner Board of Directors to replace the lodge. The lodge is owned and operated by the Tahoe Donner Association.

Input is still being sought by members on the plans with the next meeting on Sept. 14.

The size of the new ski lodge or a timeline for construction have not yet been determined. | tahoedonner.com

Sugar Pine Point State Park Tahoe City | Aug. 28

Skier visits up last season

7 a.m.-4 p.m. | facebook.com

Lakeside Historical Hikes Donner Memorial State Park Truckee | Aug. 28

10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. | facebook.com

Tahoe Downwind Championship Watermans Landing - Tahoe Waterman Carnelian Bay | Aug. 28 7 a.m.-6:30 p.m. | facebook.com

Wild West Murder Mystery Benefit Dinner The Lost Marbles Ranch Beckwourth | Aug. 28

5 p.m. | (530) 400-7737, (530) 836-2548

Jr. Ranger Programs Donner Memorial State Park Truckee | Aug. 29

10 a.m. Free | facebook.com

K9 & Caymus 5K in honor of Scott Menke Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Stateline | Aug. 29

(844) 588-7625, facebook.com

CONTINUED ON PAGE 11

Skier visits at California and Nevada ski areas were up nearly 22 percent as compared to the 2019-20 season, with a total of 6,753,303 estimated visits to downhill ski areas in 2020-21, according to a new report produced by RRC Associates for National Ski Areas Association. | skicalifornia.org

New trail for Truckee Truckee Trails Foundation recently completed a new, unnamed trail featuring six-tenths of a mile of jumps, berms and V trees. The single-direction trail connects to the new Happy Face uphill with the middle parking area of the Sawtooth Trail.

The easiest access is to take the 06-06 road to the intersection with Happy Face.

Climb to the 4-way intersection, then take a right. The trail starts in about 20 feet.

Signs will also be added to the new trail. | truckeetrails.org

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TheTahoeWeekly.com

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E-mail anne@tahoethisweek.com

Cal Fire | readyforwildfire.org Level 3 (Advanced) Sommelier

Create a disaster kit | redcross.org

Louis Phillips

Create a home wildfire checklist | readyforwildfire.org

Call or email today for your no-cost profit consult.

WineGuru123@gmail.com - (775) 544-3435

Current fire conditions & restrictions | tahoelivingwithfire.com

We Train Your Staff, Profitize Your Wine, Program, Represent Your Collection Sale and Make Your Fundraiser Money

Nevada Fire Info | nevadafireinfo.org

Don’t Get Taken When Selling Your Collectible Wines

Prepare for a disaster | tahoelivingwithfire.com/get-prepared

Most Wine Sales Programs Underachieve, We Can Fix That For You Make Your Non-Profit Fundraiser a Success

Truckee Travel Alert | visittruckeetahoe.com

Helping Businesses and Collectors Become More Successful for Over 30 Years

I

f you were told to get ready for an evacuation or to evacuate immediately, do you have a Go Bag of essential items ready? If not, there’s no better time than right now to put yours together.

A Go Bag should be prepared before an emergency, be easily accessible and filled with at least a three-day supply of items needed to help you quickly and safely evacuate your home.

Find more wildfire safety info at TheTahoeWeekly.com

The recent Tamarack Fire | Courtesy U.S. Forest Service

OTHER ITEMS TO PACK: • Hand sanitizer/wipes • Books and magazines • Games, cards and toys • Trash bags • Rain poncho • Blankets • Laundry detergent

Organic

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HISTORIAN & AUTHOR

MARK MCLAUGHLIN’S NEWEST BOOK - UPDATED EDITION

ESSENTIALS INCLUDE:

• Sleeping bag and tent

• Clothing and personal toiletries

• Family heirlooms and photos

• Face masks or coverings

• Computers and hard drives

Order book at:

TheStormKing.com

or pick up a copy at: Geared for Games • Word After Word Bookshop • Donner Memorial State Park • Gratitude Gifts • Mind Play • Alice’s Mountain Market located at Squaw Valley •

Group presentations · In-home talks (530) 546-5612 · mark@TheStormKing.com

10

North Lake Tahoe & West Shore | bit.ly/3CRDgtG South Lake Tahoe area | southtahoeemergencyguide.com Tahoe Donner | tahoedonner.com

City of South Lake Tahoe | cityofslt.us Douglas County | douglascountynv.gov

• Cash and extra credit cards • Medications and prescription glasses

• Paper map marked with Evacuation Routes (especially if you don’t live here full time)

Incline Village & Crystal Bay | nltfpd.org

Alpine County | alpinecountyca.gov

• Contact information for family, friends and physicians

• Electronic chargers

Alpine County | alpinecountyca.gov

EMERGENCY ALERTS

• Extra set of car and house keys

• Important records – passports, birth certificates, titles, medical records, etc.

GUIDE & EVACUATION ROUTES

SIGN UP FOR

• Flashlight, portable radio tuned to an emergency radio station and extra batteries changed annually

• Pet necessities including food, prescriptions, leashes and toys

EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS

Hard copies available at local fire districts

• An inventory checklist from your insurance agent

• First-Aid kit

Un Kit De Suministros De Emergencia | readyforwildfire.org

Truckee | truckeefire.org

• Inventory of home contents and photographs/videotape of the house and landscape

• Water and non-perishable food

Wildfire Evacuation Checklist | livingwithfire.com

El Dorado County | ready.edso.org If you anticipate an extended evacuation at an emergency shelter or your family is returning to a home without functioning electricity and water, consider also creating a disaster supplies kit. Find information at redcross.org.

Always keep a sturdy pair of shoes and a flashlight near your bed and handy in case of a sudden evacuation at night. 

Nevada County | mynevadacounty.com Placer County | placer.ca.gov Town of Truckee Nixle alerts | local.nixle.com Washoe County | washoecounty.us

Courtesy LTBMU

August 25-31, 2021 GET OUTSIDE

Fire conditions force Forest Service closures The USDA Forest Service Pacific Southwest Region issued a temporary closure of nine National Forests in effect from Aug. 22 to Sept. 6, citing extreme fire conditions and strained firefighting resources.

Closed are Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit and the Tahoe, Plumas, Modoc, Klamath, Shasta-Trinity, Lassen National Forest, Six Rivers and Mendocino national forests. This includes all roads, trails and campgrounds.

Eldorado closure | As well, the Eldorado National Forest is closed until Sept. 30 due to the risk from the Caldor Fire including all roads, trails and campgrounds.

Back country closed | The U.S. Forest Service has also closed access to several wilderness areas until Sept. 19 due to the Caldor Fire. The includes all roads, trails and campgrounds for: Desolation Wilderness; Meiss Country; Barker Pass and Blackwood Canyon; McKinney-Rubicon; and Pacific Crest Trail north from Barker to the Tahoe Rim Trail. Also closed are the 14N40, 14N40B, 14N54, 16E01, 16E03 and 16E12 trails. More details and maps of the closed areas are available at TheTahoeWeekly. com. | fs.usda.gov, fire.ca.gov

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 9

Royal Gorge Rim Trail hike

Lake Tahoe Open Water Swim

Hoelter-Hall Trailhead Norden | Aug. 31

Big Blue Adventure Tahoe City | Aug. 29

8-11 a.m. | facebook.com

Lower Carpenter Valley hike Carpenter Valley Trailhead Truckee | Aug. 29

F O R R E S E R VAT I O N S :

Call today or book online!

530-587-5777

gowhitewater.com

your is waiting.

9 a.m. Free | eventbrite.com

Tahoe History Talks on the Beach Lakeview Commons South Lake Tahoe | Aug. 31

6-7 p.m. Free | (530) 541-5458, laketahoemuseum.org

9 a.m. Free | eventbrite.com

Volunteer Garden Club River Talks Virtual | Truckee | Aug. 31

4:30-5 p.m. Free | 530.550.8760 x5, truckeeriverwc.org

Sugar Pine Point State Park Tahoma | Aug. 31

9-11 a.m. | sierrastateparksfoundation.org

Water Warriors TJ Maxx South Lake Tahoe | Aug. 31

6 p.m. Free | sugarpinefoundation.org

adopt & save a life at

petnetwork.org

(775) 832-4404 11

TheTahoeWeekly.com

TAHOE’S ABOVE: Board members and volunteers get ready for a cleanup day at Eagles Lake trailhead. | Courtesy Tahoe Climbing Coalition BELOW: Michael Habicht replaces a bolt

on one of Tahoe Basin’s many rock climbs. | Courtesy Jason Ogasian

ROCK-CLIMBING ANGELS

BY S E A N M c A L I N D I N

AS THE NUMBER

of outdoor recreationists visiting the Tahoe Sierra continues

to multiply, preserving sustainable access to the outdoors has become one of the greatest challenges for land managers and environmental advocates in our region. The popular, yet potentially dangerous, sport of rock climbing is no exception.

Read our feature on climbing at

Black Wall

at

TheTahoeWeekly.com

Report dangerous hardware tahoeclimbingcoalition.org/bad-bolts 12

“If you look at the numbers, we must have three or four times the amount of climbers than before,” says North Tahoe Climbers Coalition board member John Scott. “I’ve been living and climbing on Donner Summit since 2004 and it’s crazy. How do we accommodate that?”

While it’s important to welcome visitors into the region’s tourism-based economy, this influx presents numerous problems in terms of trash, human-waste disposal, parking access and trail maintenance.

When it comes to rock climbing, user safety is an added concern.

On March 13, 2015, Scott Sederstrom fell to his death climbing on Silent Pillar Wall in Owens River Gorge outside Bishop when he put his weight on a metal bolt that unexpectedly failed. Like practically all sport climbers, he trusted his life on protection that he did not himself install. This incident, and others like it throughout the nation, have shined a spotlight on the potential for aging rock hardware to lead to life-altering accidents.

Fortunately, with help from national groups and local volunteers, two stewardship organizations in the area are now working to keep Tahoe Sierra climbing safe and sustainable for the decades to come.

A self-regulated sport After years of mounting interest, the gravitydefying athleticism of sport climbing made its Olympic debut this summer in Tokyo. This outdoor activity differs from traditional climbing in that practitioners clip into metal bolts with circular hangers drilled into the rock face, rather than freeclimbing with removeable gear. The use of bolts allows climbers to scale walls that would be otherwise impossible to safely ascend due to the lack of natural features, such as cracks, to which climbers traditionally secure themselves.

A majority of the sport routes in the Tahoe Sierra were bolted in the 1990s. With a lifespan estimated at 20 years, the hardware on most of these routes are now in need of replacement.

After moving to South Lake Tahoe in 2011 to work as an emergency-room doctor at Barton Memorial Hospital, Michael Habicht was inspired by the successful resurrection of Tahoe Area Mountain Biking Association to form a similar stewardship group for rock climbers.

“We had thousands of climbs listed in the basin and no local organization to curate them,” he says.

August 25-31, 2021 FEATURE

After gaining the support of local climbing pioneers such as Jay Sell and Chris McNamara, he founded Tahoe Climbing Coalition in 2019 with the mission to protect and improve rock climbing in the Tahoe Basin through mentorship and stewardship.

Since its kickoff party at South Lake Brewing Co in 2019, the nonprofit has raised more than $20,000 and completed hundreds of hours of volunteer work at popular crags throughout the region.

Climbing Gym in South Lake Tahoe and in the wild.

“Covid made that grind to a halt,” says Habicht.

“We’re trying really hard to restart it.”

Two coalitions, one mission While Tahoe Climbing Coalition focuses primarily on crags within South Lake and the Tahoe Basin, North Tahoe Climbers Coalition has taken on responsibility for the climbing areas in Tahoe and Truckee. The organization came to life after Truckee Donner Land Trust purchased a 12-acre property surrounding Black Wall near Donner Summit in 2015 to protect the classic crag from development.

The climbing routes there were established more than 50 years ago and range from deep chimneys and low-angle slabs for beginners to splitter cracks and overhanging test pieces for experts. Along with Yosemite Valley, Donner Summit was home to many of the best rock climbers of the 70s and 80s. Today, it serves as a training ground for both elite athletes and newbies.

Since 2018, North Tahoe Climbers Coalition has replaced bolts at Black Wall, Snowshed Wall, Space Wall and the Big Chief climbing area along Route 89 between Truckee and Olympic Valley. A new official access trail was installed at Black Wall to prevent erosion from the proliferation of dozens of improvised paths. As part of the Donner Pass Road Construction Updates, they are helping to install new portable toilets at Snowshed and School Rock, two of the most frequented crags on the summit. They are working with Nevada and Placer counties to ensure climber parking access is maintained and expanded as Old Highway 40 is widened to accommodate a new uphill bike lane. They’ve organized graffiti cleanup days to combat the never-ending onslaught of unauthorized murals on the rocks and train tunnels overlooking the road. Farther west down the high-

Both climbing coalitions are working with the national organizations of Access Fund and American Safe Climbing Association, which support local groups to take ownership and responsibility for their area crags.

“The goal is to make it safer and more approachable,” says Scott. “There’s a lot more people these days. We’ve got to make sure we’ve got the infrastructure to welcome them.” | tahoeclimbingcoalition.org, northtahoeclimberscoalition.org n

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“To have it super local is to have relationships with the land managers,” says Habicht. “You can’t do anything without that trust and feedback. It has a much higher impact statement to have a sign up on Castle Rock about the peregrine falcons, for example, that comes from a local organization in conjunction with the Forest Service.”

ABOVE LEFT: Climbers use ropes Tahoe Climbing Coalition began its mission with to safely remove graffiti from cleanup days focused on the uber-popular Eagle Donner Summit. | Courtesy Lake Trail at Emerald Bay. North Tahoe Climbers Coalition “Eagle Lake is a trash shitshow literally and figuratively,” says Habicht. “We’ve found diapers, coolers, ABOVE RIGHT: Jay Sell and beer bottles, inflatable pizza wedges, used toilet paper, Nikita Shah remove graffiti cigarette butts — all kinds of trash people leave from a local crag. | Courtesy behind — you name it. It continues for miles up the Tahoe Climbing Coalition trail with heavy, heavy impact mostly from tourists.

It needs someone to look after it.”

From there, coalition volunteers improved the access trail and installed new bolts and anchors at “There’s a lot the Eagle Lake climbing crag.

They’ve also done bolt replacement of satisfaction in at the 300-foot Pie Shop wall in the city of South Lake Tahoe and cleaned up the Grinch boulderlooking at some ing zone in Christmas Valley. They partnered with Climbing Resource shiny new bolts Advocates for Greater Sacramento (CRAGS) to do work at Sugarloaf, Phantom Spires and Lover’s Leap and knowing along Highway 50. Their next big project includes trail work and they will last for falcon signage at Castle Rock off Kingsbury Grade.

“It’s very behind the scenes and 20 years plus often underappreciated by the people who use them, but it’s incredibly and thousands important work,” says Habicht.

“There’s a lot of satisfaction in looking at some shiny new bolts and of user days.” knowing they will last for 20 years plus and thousands of user days.”

Any climbers who come across –Michael Habicht suspect or dangerous hardware can report their finding on the Bad Bolts section of the coalition webpage.

Tahoe Climbing Coalition also hopes to reopen its mentoring and outreach programs, which introduces underserved kids to climbing both at Blue Granite

way, they plan to work on other climbing areas such as Spaulding Campground, The Emeralds, Rainbow and Bowman Valley.

“How many climbing gyms are there today versus 20 years ago?” says Scott. “That growth translates to more people outside and we have to figure out a way to mitigate that. We’ve got to have established trails.

We’ve got to have bathrooms. It’s not feasible to bury your feces anymore because a hundred other people are doing the same thing. We have to make sure there are safe routes. That may mean new bolts, anchors, scrubbing parties and making sure there are enough resources to go around.”

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Who owns the water from Lake Tahoe & Truckee River? P A R T

III

BY M A R K M c L AU G H L I N

T

hroughout the 1870s, diversion dams and canals sourcing the Truckee and Carson rivers were built in western Nevada to provide domestic water for Reno and Carson City, irrigation for agriculture and ranching, as well as mining operations and hydroelectric power generation.

Before the Nevada Supreme Court formerly approved the Silver State’s adoption of the Doctrine of Prior Appropriation in 1885, state courts supported the riparian doctrine along Nevada’s streams, which more freely allowed the use of surface water. Under prior appropriation, however, these rights became more restrictive with proof of first use required.

One ingenious operation that diverted a feeder stream from Lake Tahoe was completed in 1873 when water from Marlette Lake, located in the Carson Range portion of the Tahoe Basin, was piped and flumed via gravity 21 miles east to Virginia City. At its outset, this engineering marvel delivered 2.2 million gallons of pure mountain water to Virginia City every 24 hours.

Additional pipelines increased that volume over time and still supply Nevada communities today.

Irrigation advocate Robert Fulton was no fan of politicians, but he needed meaningful political muscle if he was to tap the Tahoe Sierra water supply. In a stroke of good fortune, on March 3, 1877, the U.S. Congress passed the Desert Land Act that offered citizens up to 640 acres of federal desert land for irrigation purposes at $.10 an acre. With irrigation the value of the land would skyrocket to an estimated $40 per acre, thus its appeal to farmers and investors. This legislation was inspired by the 1875 Lassen County Desert Land Act, which had determined that the 160-acre limit permitted by the original 1862 Homestead Act was insufficient for the economic development of arid desert country.

Fulton recognized a good opportunity when he saw one and together with well-heeled, Reno-based investors formed Washoe Land and Water Company. Their intent was to ditch Truckee River water north to Prosser Valley and Dog Valley and then east to Lemmon Valley in Nevada.

The financial, political and marketing obstacles were formidable, however, and without government support the project languished. Other entrepreneurs were also stymied in efforts to seize Lake Tahoe water. In 1887, the Nevada and Lake Tahoe Water and Manufacturing Company proposed to bore a 4-mile tunnel through the Carson Range to connect the lake with the Carson Valley. (This same scheme would be pitched as late as the 1950s.) Rivalries among potential water users in Nevada prevented any effective cooperation on this project, as well.

In 1888, Fulton’s springboard to success arrived with Francis G. Newlands, a San Francisco resident who moved to Reno with plans for a future run for election to Congress. He would serve in both the House and Senate where among his accomplishments he sponsored legislation for the United States’ controversial annexation of the Republic of Hawaii in 1898.

14

ABOVE: Proposed Donner Lake reservoir, circa 1888.

| Courtesy Nevada Historical Society.

LEFT: Nevada Senator Francis G. Newlands.

| Courtesy Nevada Historical Society

Fulton recognized a good opportunity when he saw one and together with well-heeled, Reno-based investors formed Washoe Land and Water Company.

Their intent was to ditch Truckee River water north to Prosser Valley and Dog Valley and then east to Lemmon Valley in Nevada.

As a lawyer and son-in-law to former Nevada Sen. William Sharon, Newlands was affluent and well connected in both business and political circles. In 1889, Newlands began construction of a new house near the Truckee River on the bluffs west of town, opposite and upriver of Fulton’s home. Like Fulton, Newlands supported a greater federal role in the funding of Western irrigation projects and proposed a network of reservoirs to serve the future development of Nevada. According to Newlands, Lake Tahoe afforded the “cheapest reservoir space in the West.”

The goals and interests of Newlands and Fulton were strategically aligned and they soon became close allies. Now the pace quickened.

Newlands cultivated a friendship with the supervising civil engineer for the U.S. Geological Survey, William H. Hall. After he left the agency, Hall continued to confidentially inform Newlands on surveyed lands with irrigation potential. In January 1890, Hall reported his choices for the best storage sites: Lake Tahoe, Independence Lake, Donner Lake and Webber Lake within the Truckee River system and Long Valley and Hope Valley in the Carson River drainage. In response, Newlands spent $100,000 on sites near the Tahoe Dam, at Donner Lake where he had built a dam in 1889 and other promising locales mentioned by Hall. He purchased 300

acres along the Truckee River just north of the outlet, but control of the dam operations remained in the hands of Donner Boom and Driving Company.

In April 1890, Fulton finally persuaded property owners with riparian rights at Lake Tahoe to sign an historic agreement allowing Nevada to store water behind the dam for downstream farmers during the dry summer months. Many of these lakefront tracts were popular tourist resorts on the California side that relied on lower water levels for piers and beaches. West Shore resort owner John W. McKinney was the sole holdout who refused to sign the Lake Tahoe Agreement due to his concern that water would flood his property, especially since there was still so much snow in the mountains due to the preceding heavy winter. The Lake Tahoe Agreement basically absolved the Donner Boom company from any liability for damaged property inflicted by the increase in water, a financial commitment backed by Newlands’ control of a trust he managed for the uber wealthy, but now deceased, Sharon. The Tahoe Dam gates were shut that spring in 1890 and the water rose 6 feet, but no damage occurred.

A similar battle was being fought at Donner Lake, where Fulton was buying parcels of land that would be flooded when water behind Newlands’ new dam was impounded. Donner Lake property owners pushed back by refusing to sell or raising the price to buy. A new road would also need to be built above the high waterline.

When Truckee residents got word of the plan to store water in Donner Lake for

Nevada farmers, they protested with a petition to block the project. Local fishermen, fearing the loss of spawning trout, threatened to blow up the dam.

In 1891, Fulton successfully lobbied the Nevada Legislature to pass an assembly bill that along with a Constitutional amendment permitted state money to be invested Read the first two parts & more about the Virginia City pipeline

at TheTahoeWeekly.com in district water bonds. By the following year, the Fulton-Newlands irrigation project had acquired nearly 40,000 acres of desert land that the men had decided to manage as a private corporation. Meanwhile, California politicians were agitating over these audacious plans to appropriate state water resources for use in Nevada.

President William McKinley had not supported large-scale, federally financed irrigation projects in the West, but after his assassination in September 1901 Vice President Theodore Roosevelt assumed command. Roosevelt signaled his approval for the idea and Congressman Newlands took advantage of the change in leadership to successfully push his agenda in the passage of the 1902 Reclamation Act. Stay tuned for Part IV in the next edition or at TheTahoeWeekly.com.  Tahoe historian Mark McLaughlin is a nationally published author and professional speaker. His award-winning books are available at local stores or at thestormking.com.

You may reach him at mark@thestormking.com.

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Everyone ages 35 years and younger who operates a boat must have the card; this includes non-residents. californiaboatercard.com

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Closed for the season to motorized vessels due to low water.

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45 mph speed limit. No launching fee. $10 parking. Subject to closure during low water levels. Mandatory inspections.

2 boat lanes, fish cleaning station, restrooms.

Restricted to on-site watercraft: kayaks, tubes & small motor boats available on first-come, first-served basis. No outside craft.

10 mph speed limit strictly enforced. No fees for parking or launching.

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PUBLIC PIERS Public piers are free, but have limited space; often limited to loading and unloading.

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YOUR BUSINESS COULD

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Horoscopes Puzzles Michael O’Connor, Life Coach Astrologer SunStarAstrology.com

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Aquarius (Jan 19-Feb 19)

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A cycle of change and transformation continues and deepens now. Your deepest needs associated with a sense of stability and security are featured. These may refer to your home and living situation. Yet, the emphasis may be directed to realizing a sense of security beyond the material.

FIRE

EARTH

AIR

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Virgo (Aug 23-Sep 22)

The Sun in your sign is a strong indication that you are in the mood to take new leads and initiatives.

These probably began back in July and have been active ever since. A discernment process revealing who you are and are not, based on what you want and do not, and are willing to do, or not, are all featured in this sifting and sorting process.

Libra (Sep 22-Oct 22)

You have entered a contemplative cycle. Stepping back to think carefully regarding your priorities is likely. Yet, you also feel inspired to express yourself in new ways. Thus, your imagination is probably fully activated. Creative inventiveness is part of this plot. However, you may be contending with health issues or feel distracted by worry due to personal and social instability.

Scorpio (Oct 22-Nov 21)

Pisces (Feb 19-Mar 20)

For a peace-loving dreamer, you sure can be a warrior at times. Success now depends on your ability to think critically and creatively. As well, your ability to accept and embrace change and transformation and to take an active lead to realize it without injury to yourself and others is the mastery you are meant to realize now.

Aries (Mar 21-Apr 20)

Although summer only officially ends at the equinox in later September, Virgo time tends to redirect our focus to more practical matters and away from the fun-in-the-sun aspirations of Leo. Your focus has shifted to fix, repair, improve and refine. This may apply to your home, health, relationships or lifestyle.

Taurus (Apr 20-May 21)

You have entered a creative cycle. The early signs of this began when Venus entered Virgo weeks ago and then followed by Mars and Mercury. The main issue is that you may have to give more than you would like. The solution may be to hire out or at least seek inspiration able to activate your resolve.

Gaining a more accurate understanding of where you are at now in your life in light of both larger cycles of personal and social/collective changes is a central theme now. Either way, you feel determined to take action. One of the main obstacles is your own imagination. At worst, you may feel overwhelmed. This is the time to ‘feel the fear and do it anyway.’

Gemini (May 21-Jun 21)

Digging deep close to home has been an active theme for some weeks now. Depending on your situation, the focus may be external, but it may also be directed internally as with a cleansing process. The focus may also be directed to your perceptions, interpretations, attitudes, habits and emotional attachments.

Sagittarius (Nov 21-Dec 21)

Changes in your public and professional status and outlook are underway. You may be undergoing a process of critical analysis and review. Making improvements is featured and may include some form of reconstruction. Either way, your social network is likely to be extra active of late. Expect this social dynamic to continue, increase and deepen in complexity.

Capricorn (Dec 21-Jan 19)

You are in a rather philosophical mood. You want to better understand the human condition and the complexities of the current and ongoing social and global crisis. Assuming a more balanced and diplomatic posture is contributing to pushing you to break free of assumptive conclusions. In the deepest reaches, you will review why you believe what you do.

Cancer (Jun 21-Jul 22)

Desires to create a more beautiful, healthy and satisfying home environment is a motivating factor currently. Your focus is strong and your energy levels are high in this regard. Returns from prior efforts have been coming in steadily all year. Invest your energies as creatively and constructively as you can.

Leo (Jul 22-Aug 23)

Establishing a more realistic foundation in your overall lifestyle is underway. How you interpret realism depends on you, your life circumstances and your dreams and goals. Either way, your sights are set on the future and you are feeling both inspired and pressured to make changes, especially in your public and professional life.

A local tavern has this motto in its advertisements: “Thirst come, thirst served.”

CryptoQuip

Hocus Focus differences: 1. Bow is larger, 2. Hedge is missing, 3. Pants are differenty, 4. Base is missing, 5. Arm is showing, 6. Fence is shorter.

16

August 25-31, 2021 THE MAKERS

THE makers

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Tahloha Serape Ponchos FOR PEOPLE AND PETS

BY K AY L A A N D E R S O N

O

n an afternoon with the blazing sun shining down, Tahloha brand creator Eileen Allen and I are sitting at a picnic table in a pet-friendly enclosure at Hot Diggity Dog and Cat pet store in Kings Beach. A stout and happy dog named Virgil lays sprawled out under the picnic table where it’s a bit cooler. Just inside the pet store’s side entrance, a display shows off matching Mexican-style woven ponchos that fit both an owner and his or her pup or cat.

These serape ponchos from Allen’s Tahloha brand, which has been around since

“The Summer Deal” reissued “The Summer Deal” from New York Times bestselling author and Truckee resident Jill Shalvis was reissued on Aug. 24. The novel is part of The Wildstone Series.

Shalvis also announced pre-orders are now open for her “Holiday Ever After” anthology, being released on Oct. 26. Her new novel, “The Family You Make,” will be released on Jan. 11, 2022. | jillshalvis.com

th e art s Kids Art Camp Exhibit 2021 North Tahoe Arts Tahoe City | Aug. 25-Sept. 5

LEFT: Eileen Allen and Pepita. | Kayla Anderson;

“ [Tahloha serape poncho] is the perfect texture. Dogs can swim in them or, even when the sun goes down and

11 a.m.-5 p.m. | (530) 581-2787, northtahoearts.com

they’re all wet, it keeps

“Reading Forest” exhibit

them nice and warm.”

Taylor Creek Visitor Center South Lake Tahoe | Aug. 25-Nov. 1 nationalforests.org

TAL Summer Exhibit 2021 TAL Art Center South Lake Tahoe | Aug. 25-Sept. 5 11 a.m.-4 p.m. | talart.org

Children’s Art Classes Tahoe Art League Center South Lake Tahoe | Aug. 26-Sept. 2 11 a.m.-1 p.m. | talart.org

Chickadee Art Collective Artisan Market Tahoe Backyard | Kings Beach | Aug. 28 3-8 p.m. | facebook.com

Eric Christensen~Meet the Artist Marcus Ashley Gallery South Lake Tahoe | Aug. 28-29

12-5 p.m. | (530) 544-4278, facebook.com

Saturday Public Tours Truckee Roundhouse | Aug. 28-Oct. 30 1 p.m. | truckeeroundhouse.org

–Eileen Allen 2014, was spurred by the COVID-19 pandemic. She got the idea from time she spent in Mexico when most businesses were closed worldwide. Before the pandemic, Allen had been a hairdresser for about 20 years; she owned Shag Hair Studio in Truckee. Within the hair salon, she incorporated a boutique called Closet Cowgirl where she sold locally made jewelry, art and clothing. Many of the artists who sold their goods at her boutique went on to expand their own lines.

“The premise was to promote women and local artists,” Allen says.

She also travels a lot and sometimes picks up budding artists and featured creators in her time abroad. As an avid surfer and standup paddleboarder, she’s regularly giving SUP lessons, tours and yoga clinics. She was conducting a teacher training at a surf camp in Panama in February 2020 when the global lockdown occurred. She ended up coming home early and contracted Covid.

“I was sick as a bumkin,” she says.

With everything shut down, Allen couldn’t keep her business open. Fortunately, she had a friend in Rosarito, Mexico; she decided to go down there to wait out the pandemic.

“I walked down the main street of Rosarito every day and met all the local businessowners. Even though everything was closed, people would set up some of their goods outside and I got to know them,” she says.

Allen tried to rent a place in Rosarito last September, but the deal fell through, so she came back to Truckee. Like many others, her housing situation in the region became just as volatile; she ended up going back and forth between Truckee and Rosarito. She just recently found a permanent place to live.

In December 2020, with the help of her newly found Mexican manufacturers and embroiderers and designers in Truckee, she started producing woven serape ponchos with the Tahloha logo on them and brought them back to Tahoe.

Allen went from making adult ponchos to baby ones and found she couldn’t keep them in stock. Then one day, she put one on her dog Pepita and amazingly her peppy little pup didn’t mind.

“It’s the perfect texture. Dogs can swim in them or even when the sun goes down and they’re all wet, it keeps them nice and warm,” Allen says.

Soon after, she took a few of them to her friend and owner of Hot Diggity Dog and Cat, Michelle Okashima, and sold the majority of the Tahloha dog jackets/puppy ponchos within a week.

“The way they fit, dogs are happy in them,” Allen says.

RIGHT: Michelle Okashima’s dog Virgil in a Tahloha

poncho. | Courtesy Michelle Okashima

Even Okashima’s cat Boudicca put one on and went inside and curled up in a dog bed with it.

Hot Diggity Dog & Cat was the first place in Tahoe to carry Tahloha dog ponchos.

“I’m excited about female-owned local businesses and investing in the Tahoe economy this way,” Okashima says.

But given their success Tahloha serapes are starting to branch out into other places.

Scraps Dog Bakery in Tahoe City carries them and they’ll be in Mountain Hardware & Sports in Truckee starting in September.

Other Tahloha goodies such as clothing, bags, blankets and accessories are also sold at Adrift Tahoe and The Crown Motel & Family Resort in Kings Beach; West Shore Market, Tahoe City Visitor Information Center and Trunk Show in Tahoe City; PlumpJack Inn in Olympic Valley: Tahoe Sports Hub in Truckee and at all locations of Tahoe Dave’s.

Explore Tahoe’s vibrant arts scene

at TheTahoeWeekly.com

“My motto is ‘Tahoe Grown, Aloha Inspired.’ I had an opportunity to pursue this, and I think between Tahloha and my standup paddleboarding business I can provide great, fun stuff for the community, as well as support small, locally owned businesses in the Truckee-Tahoe region,” Allen says. “We’re going to grow this together; Tahoe healthy living is my dream.”

Her website will go live in late August. | livetahloha.co 

17

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Becoming Mark Twain

l i ve

MCAVOY LAYNE’S HUMOROUS, HISTORICAL CALLING

AUGUST 25 | WEDNESDAY

BY S E A N M c A L I N D I N

The Truckee Historical Revue | Sep. 5 | 2 & 7 p.m. | Piper’s Opera House | Virginia City, Nev. | truckeechorus.org

Music in the Park Truckee Regional “Salty” Gebhardt

M

Ampitheater, Truckee, 6:30-8:30 p.m.

cAvoy Layne boarded a chairlift at Diamond Peak Ski Resort 38 years ago and struck up a conversation. After explaining that he worked in radio on Maui, he was offered a job producing radio on Tahoe’s North Shore.

“I went from surf bum to ski bum in three weeks,” he says. “If I’d been 5 seconds earlier, I would have missed that opportunity.”

He’s lived here ever since. Yet, it was another “miraculous, serendipitous moment” in Tahoe when he discovered his true calling: to impersonate and educate people about America’s best-known author, Samuel Langhorne Clemens, better known by his pen name Mark Twain.

–McAvoy Layne It all started when a massive snowstorm trapped Layne in a Tahoma cabin for five days. There happened to be a copy of “The Complete Essays of Mark Twain” sitting on the coffee table.

“I had cabin fever so my brain was soft and ready,” he says. “It took me 10 more years to read the 18,000 pages he left us.”

Layne got his big break as a Twain impersonator when Carol Piper Marshall of Piper’s Opera House in Virginia City, Nev., asked him to perform two shows a day, six days a week in the summer of 1988.

Watch a performance of McAvoy Layne at TheTahoeWeekly.com

“That gave me 200 times to practice new material,” he says. “That’s the kind of lucky break anybody in performing arts would dream of.”

Decades earlier, Layne had visited Piper’s while traveling as a youth. He fell into a mysterious reverie while standing beside the stage, so much so that his father had to grab him by the arm to pull him away.

18

McP’s Taphouse, Stateline, 8 p.m.

AUGUST 26 | THURSDAY Peter DeMattei Mourelatos Lakeshore Resort, Tahoe Vista, 5:30 p.m.

Live music McP’s Taphouse, Stateline, 8 p.m.

Rustler’s Moon Bar of America, Truckee, 8-11 p.m.

Karaoke The Grid, Kings Beach, 10 p.m.

AUGUST 27 | FRIDAY Patrick Wilkes

“I don’t think I have a problem slipping in and out of Mark Twain, but my friends say I do. He gets under your skin and inside a conversation where you’d least expect it. He was limitlessly human and that’s what I love about him.”

Live music

“I still get chicken skin when I walk into that building from the memories,” he says.

“I knew at 10 years old that box would have something to do with my life.”

The following year, in 1955, Layne had the chance to attend the opening of Disneyland with his Uncle Bill, an animator on some of Disney’s first films. With a Brownie camera, he took pictures, one of which he still has today: a black-and-white image of the stern of the paddle wheeler, “Mark Twain.”

Over the years, Layne specialized in school programs, which led him to travel across the United States, Europe and Russia. He would often stand trial as a student jury tried him for alleged racism in his writing of “Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.”

“When I was visiting 10 schools a week, I worked mostly with secondary students,” he says. “Then I’d visit an elementary school to see fresh faces. On Friday, I’d schedule a middle school just to keep from getting soft. Then I’d come home on a gurney. I don’t feel like an actor. I’m an educator in a costume.”

Over the past 30 years, Layne has performed Twain more than 4,000 times.

In talking to him, it’s hard to tell where the artist ends and the author begins.

“I don’t think I have a problem slipping in and out of Mark Twain, but my friends say I do,” says Layne. “He gets under your skin and inside a conversation where you’d least expect it. He was limitlessly human and that’s what I love about him.”

Layne’s favorite Twain novel is “Roughing It,” the author’s semi-autobiographical account of his travels through the Wild

Incline Village performing artist McAvoy Layne has impersonated and educated the world about Mark Twain for more than three decades. | Courtesy Patrick Wilkes

Summer concert series Lake Tahoe AleWorkX, South Lake Tahoe, 5:30-9:30 p.m.

Summer Live Music Series Village at Northstar, Truckee, 5:30-7:30 p.m.

Music on the Beach

West between 1861 and 1867. During this time, he began a literary career at the Territorial Enterprise daily newspaper in Virginia City and made several trips to Lake Tahoe of which he wrote: “As it lay there with the shadows of the mountains brilliantly photographed upon its still surface, I thought it must surely be the fairest picture the whole world affords …

The air up there is very pure and fine, bracing and delicious. And why shouldn’t it be? — it is the same the angels breathe.”

On cold, windy days, Layne sometimes wanders down to Burnt Cedar Beach where alone on the shore he imagines what Twain must’ve experienced, a majestic mountain lake devoid of people or modern civilization.

“I think he speaks to us with an immediacy, a manner that transcends the ages” says Layne. “With his humor and insights into human nature, he was so ahead of his time.”

Layne, as Twain, writes a regular column in Sierra Sun called “Pine Nuts.” On Sept.

5, he will become Mark Twain once more at Piper’s Opera House when he narrates The Truckee Historical Revue alongside Truckee Tahoe Community Chorus. | ghostoftwain.com  Sean McAlindin is a writer and musician living in Truckee, who loves a secret powder stash just as much as a good jam. You can reach him at entertainment@tahoethisweek. com. Other writings and original music are available at seanmcalindin.com.

Kings Beach State Recreation Area, Kings Beach, 6-8:30 p.m.

Danny Horton The Peak, Graeagle, 6-9 p.m.

Heavenly Village Summer Concert Series Heavenly Village, South Lake Tahoe, 6 p.m.

Eric Church Lake Tahoe Outdoor Arena at Harveys, Stateline, 7 p.m.

Hot August Pipes St. Patrick’s Episcopal Church, Incline Village, 7-8:30 p.m.

Shang Crystal Bay Casino, Crystal Bay, 7:30 p.m.

Chris Costa Tahoe Biltmore Lodge & Casino, Crystal Bay, 8 p.m.

Rock Hard Burlesque Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, Stateline, 8 p.m.

Live music McP’s Taphouse, Stateline, 8 p.m.

Dueling Pianos Harveys Lake Tahoe, Stateline, 8:30 p.m.

Magic After Dark with Robert Hall The Loft, South Lake Tahoe, 9 p.m.

August 25-31, 2021 THE LINEUP

Live music McP’s Taphouse, Stateline, 8 p.m.

Dueling Pianos Harveys Lake Tahoe, Stateline, 8:30 p.m.

Andre Nickatina & Nef the Pharoah

Summer Saturdays

Bally’s Lake Tahoe, Stateline, 10 p.m.

McP’s Taphouse, Stateline, 8 p.m.

Diggin Dirt Bally’s Lake Tahoe, Stateline, 11 p.m.

Un-Ophishal Phish Afterparty Xhale Nightclub, Stateline, 11 p.m.

Mountain Lotus, Truckee, 12-2 p.m.

Sunsets Live Music Series

AUGUST 29 | SUNDAY

SEPTEMBER 1 | WEDNESDAY

Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows, Olympic Valley, 5-7 p.m.

Music in the Park Markleeville Park, Markleeville, 5 p.m.

Summer concert series Lake Tahoe AleWorkX, South Lake Tahoe, 5:30-9:30 p.m.

Matt & Buddy Mourelatos Lakeshore Resort, Tahoe Vista, 5:30 p.m.

Wine Down Sundays Revive Coffee & Wine, South Lake Tahoe, 2 p.m.

Concerts at Commons Beach Commons Beach, Tahoe City, 4-7 p.m.

Live music

Eric Church Lake Tahoe Outdoor Arena at Harveys, Stateline, 7 p.m.

The Grid, Kings Beach, 10 p.m.

AUGUST 30 | MONDAY Women’s Singing Group Commons Beach, Tahoe City, 4-5:30 p.m.

Live music McP’s Taphouse, Stateline, 8 p.m.

Live Music Glasses Wine Bar, Incline Village, 8-10 p.m.

AUGUST 31 | TUESDAY

Asleep at the Wheel Crystal Bay Casino, Crystal Bay, 8 p.m.

Chris Costa

Rock Hard Burlesque Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, Stateline, 8 p.m.

Harveys Lake Tahoe, Stateline, 7:30 p.m.

- Since 2000 -

Rooster to Cricket Maintenance

Live music McP’s Taphouse, Stateline, 8 p.m.

Spafford Bally’s Lake Tahoe, Stateline, 11 p.m.

• Landscaping • Dump Runs

• Painting/Staining • Window Cleaning

530.412.1105

Tuesdays Bluesdays Village at Squaw, Olympic Valley, 6-8:30 p.m.

Phish Harveys Lake Tahoe, Stateline, 7:30 p.m.

Sierra Community House Food Distribution

SIDESHOW BOB’S Window Cleaning Since 2000

We’re delivering perishable food bags weekly

Residential & Commercial

581-2343

(530) CA & NV Licensed & Insured

in Truckee & North Lake Tahoe.

Delivery staff and volunteers are following best practices and wearing masks. Please follow social distancing and NOT interact.

To sign-up or cancel, e-mail food@sierracommunityhouse.org or call 775-545-4083; Provide full name, address, phone number, birthdate and number of people in the household.

GRAY SQUIRREL TREE SERVICE

OR

N

Crystal Bay, 8 p.m.

to be included in Home Improvement.

Phish

HO

Tahoe Biltmore Lodge & Casino,

Call (530) 546-5995, ext. 110,

Karaoke

Heavenly Village Summer Concert Series Heavenly Village, South Lake Tahoe, 6 p.m.

I M P R OV E M E N T

McP’s Taphouse, Stateline, 8 p.m.

Big Mable & The Portholes The Brewing Lair, Blairsden, 6-9 p.m.

HOME

T

AUGUST 28 | SATURDAY

Live music

EN

The Grid, Kings Beach, 9 p.m.

M

Post Music on the Beach w/Chango

•

CO

URAGE • COM

M

IT

Daniel E. Jimenez, OWNER (530) 251-6435 GRAYSQUIRRELTREESERVICE.COM

Restrictions may apply. See website for details.

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TheTahoeWeekly.com

EAT &drink

food & libations | recipes | delicious events

Lulu’s Lebanese Kitchen S TO RY & P H OTO S BY P R I YA H UT N E R

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“Food is a gateway to understanding a culture that is often misrepresented and not associated with what people see on the menus.

I want to give people a cultural experience.”

–Kayla Elias Her family is passionate about food.

Elias recalls her father talking about his mother’s cooking and how it was an event around the dinner table.

“Food is how they show you they love you,” she said.

The cuisine on Lulu’s menu is as colorful and fresh as her passion for sharing her love of her heritage and cuisine. She came to my house to teach me how to make muhammara, a red pepper and walnut dip, and mena’eesh flatbread (try the recipe in this edition). Muhammara means reddened.

Mena’eesh is prepared in Lebanon, Syria, Palestine, Jordan and Iraq.

Watch Kayla Elias on how to eat mena’eesh

at TheTahoeWeekly.com

Elias began our evening with a sour cherry gin drink with fresh mint, the perfect summer cocktail. Sour cherry syrup is a Middle Eastern condiment.

“Sour cherries have a brief season in Syria. Because of this, locals extend that flavor by making juice, jam, syrups and liqueur with the fruit so they can enjoy it throughout the year,” said Elias.

She prepped the dough before arriving, so it could rise. She used flour, water, sugar and yeast. Once the oven was set to

20

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Click on Events; then the blue Add Event button.

COOKING WITH

Enjoy Tastes of Incline Courtesy P.E.O.

iddle Eastern cuisine is rich with flavorful warm spices such as cumin, harissa, cardamon and za’atar and fresh fragrant herbs such as parsley, mint and oregano.

Kayla Elias, the owner of Lulu’s Lebanese Kitchen, is of Middle Eastern descent and has transformed her passion for cooking and her family’s recipes into a new catering business based in Truckee.

Elias’ father was born in Aleppo, Syria, where the spice Aleppo is grown. Other family members settled in Lebanon. The food Elias creates is taken from her heritage.

She went to school in Beirut, studied abroad in Syria, and learned Arabic and the art of Middle Eastern cooking from her great aunt. Her business is named after her aunt.

SUBMIT YOUR EVENTS FOR FREE

LEFT: Kayla Elias with a bowl of dough; RIGHT: Platter of mena’eesh, with muhammara and condiments.

400 degrees F, she turned her attention to the muhammara.

The first step was putting the walnuts in the food processer, pulsing them and setting them aside. She said she likes the dip to have a chunky texture instead of blending it to a smoother consistency. Next, she added roasted red pepper and bread crumbs (she makes her own using her homemade pita bread). Aleppo pepper, pomegranate molasses, lemon juice, salt and cumin and a good extra virgin olive oil rounded out the ingredients. Aleppo pepper and pomegranate molasses are available online or at Aladdin’s Market and Kitchen in Reno, Nev. Once the dip is blended, Elias added the walnuts and sets it aside. She said she likes the muhammara to sit overnight so the flavors have time to marinate.

Elias poured a bit of the Aleppo pepper in my hand to taste. It was not hot spicy but had a delightful sweetness and warmth to it.

Next, Elias pulled out the dough and made six round balls. She turned them into large flat rounds akin to pizza and laid them out on a baking sheet. She added a mixture of za’atar (available in the spice section at most major supermarkets) and olive oil on top and popped them in the oven to bake.

“In Beirut, there is someone on every corner selling mena’eesh. It’s in every bakery.

It’s served with akawi cheese and za’atar, vegetables, pickles or minced lamb,” she said.

She pulled out some pickled vegetables and Moroccan olives, fresh mint, sliced tomatoes and labneh, a thick yogurt dip to serve with the mena’eesh and muhammara. Before enjoying the bounty of beautiful food Elias prepared, she raised her glass and said, “Sahteyn,” which means twice your health.

“It’s what people say when they break bread together and is a loving word with a lot of emotion,” Elias said.

The warm flatbread smelled of herbs and spices. I layered on the dips and condiments and ate muhammara open-faced.

Clearly, Elias’s passion for her culture is evident in every delicious bite.

“Food is a gateway to understanding a culture that is often misrepresented and not associated with what people see on the menus. I want to give people a cultural

experience,” she said.

For her, it’s not just food on the plate, it’s a way of eating and enjoying food.

In addition to the dips, flatbread and pita bread, Elias offers a variety of Middle Eastern entrees for private parties. | Lulu’s Lebanese Kitchen on Instagram 

Try the recipe for Mena’eesh Flatbread in this edition Priya Hutner is a food writer, personal chef and owner of The Seasoned Sage, a local meal delivery and catering company. Priya has been creating and preparing meals from an early age. She has worked in the restaurant industry in New York City, attended catering school, and was the head chef and executive director of a nonprofit spiritual community in Florida. Visit her website at TheSeasonedSage.com. Send your comments, story ideas and food tidbits to priya@tahoethisweek.com.

MUHAMMARA From the kitchen of Lulu’s Lebanese Kitchen 6 red bell peppers ½ C chopped walnuts ½ C breadcrumbs 3 T pomegranate molasses

P.E.O. Chapter AC is holding its 20th Tastes of Incline on Aug. 26 from 4:30 to 7 p.m. with great food and wine featuring more than a dozen local restaurants at the Chateau in Incline Village, Nev., as a fundraiser for the group’s Premier Scholarship. P.E.O. (Philanthropic Educational Organization) is a women’s sorority, with the chapter in Incline Village formed 30 years ago.

Tickets are $75 and are available at The Potlatch in Incline Village or at the event.

Salmon Buying Club offered Slow Food Lake Tahoe is bringing an Alaskan salmon buying club to the area with the opportunity to purchase sustainably caught Alaskan sockeye salmon at a significant discount. The nonprofit Slow Food will receive 5 percent of the proceeds to support its programs including the Food Bank Garden, providing organic produce for Sierra Community House.

Ordering closes on Aug. 31 and boxes will be available for pickup on Oct. 9. | slowfoodlaketahoe.org

2 T extra virgin olive oil 3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped 1 T lemon juice

tasty tidbits

2 t cumin 1 t salt 1 t Aleppo pepper

Roast bell peppers on a tray in the oven at 375 degrees F for 30 to 40 minutes, rotating every 10 minutes. You’ll know they’re ready when you see the skin bubble.

Place peppers in a bowl with a lid to steam for 10 to 20 minutes. Remove skin and seeds from peppers and set aside to cool. Cool, dump out any liquid from the peppers and add it to the food processor along with all the ingredients, except for the chopped walnuts. Blend ingredients together until mixed. If you prefer the dip to be smooth, add the walnuts when you blend everything together. Pour into a bowl and fold in the chopped walnuts. If your dip is too thin and watery, you can add more breadcrumbs.

It holds for up to a week in the fridge and tends to be better the next day after the breadcrumbs have a chance to soak up all the flavors.

Serve in a bowl, topped with olive oil and Aleppo pepper, along with one whole walnut in the center.

Heavenly Village Wine Walk Shops at Heavenly Village South Lake Tahoe | Aug. 25-31

4:30-7:30 p.m. | theshopsatheavenly.com

Meyers Mountain Market Tahoe Paradise Park Meyers | Aug. 25, Sept. 1

3-7:30 p.m. | meyersmtnmarket.org

Incline Village Farmers Market Incline Village Library | Aug. 26

3-6 p.m. Free | (775) 832-4130, laketahoemarkets.com

Tahoe City Farmers Market Commons Beach | Tahoe City | Aug. 26

8 a.m.-1 p.m. | tahoecityfarmersmarket.com

CONTINUED ON PAGE 22

August 25-31, 2021 EAT & DRINK

F RO M T H E S E AS O N E D SAG E

Mena’eesh Flatbread S TO RY & P H OTO S BY P R I YA H UT N E R

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ena’eesh is a popular flatbread from the Levantine cuisine, which is from Lebanon, Syria, Palestine, Jordan and Iraq. It is usually topped with za’atar, a mix of spices such as thyme, sumac, sesame seeds and olive oil. It can also be topped with cheese or ground meat.

Za’atar is available in the spice section at most major supermarkets.

Mena’eesh came from the Arabic word manqushah, which means carve out, to stamp or decorate. It refers to the indentations made with fingers while flattening the dough for the toppings. Most neighborhoods and towns in Beirut have a small bakery or oven where you can get mena’eesh, as well as other doughy snacks, like spinach pies.

Find more from The Seasoned Sage

at TheTahoeWeekly.com

When you walk through the city, the smell of the warm bread and za’atar is intoxicating. The little bakeries are fun places to hang out, where locals come to gossip and socialize while they wait for their food.

Traditionally, mena’eesh is a breakfast/ brunch food, but is also great after a night

EST. 1982

Authentic Mexican made from scratch daily

Kings Beach

Full Bar

Indoor & Patio Dining 12:00pm-8:00pm

(530) 546-4539 - 8345 North Lake Blvd. - Across from the State Beach in Kings Beach TAKE-OUT, INDOOR & OUTDOOR DINING

Fine Italian Food & Spirits out in Beirut served as part of a mezze, a small selection of appetizers, or as a snack with salads and dips.  Cooking is a meditation for Priya, it is from that place she curates her menus and recipes to create delicious and nutritious meals for The Seasoned Sage, her company catering to client’s culinary preferences and dietary restrictions. She is also working on a series of cookbooks.

Visit her website at TheSeasonedSage.com or contact her at priya@theseasonedsage.com.

Locals Love Lanza’s!

(530) 546-2434 7739 N Lake Blvd - Kings Beach

LanzasTahoe.com

BREAKFAST DAILY 9AM-2PM

LUNCH DAILY 11:30AM-3PM

DINNER 5PM CLOSED MONDAY EVENINGS

spindleshankstahoe.com 400 Brassie Ave. · Kings Beach · (530) 546-2191

Mena’eesh Flatbread From the kitchen of: Lulu’s Lebanese Kitchen

1 sachet or 2 t yeast

3 T olive oil

3 T sugar

4¼ C plain flour

1½ C warm water (warm, not hot)

Extra virgin olive oil

A pinch of salt

Za’atar

Add yeast and sugar in a large mixing bowl and pour warm water over it. Allow it to rest for 5 to10 minutes until the yeast starts bubbling. If the yeast doesn’t react, discard it and start another batch. After the yeast is ready, add in salt and olive oil and whisk together.

Cup by cup, begin incorporating the flour, mixing with a wooden spoon or stand mixer.

After about 3 cups, the dough will begin to form.

Once the dough is somewhat solid, clean the counter surface thoroughly and dust generously with flour; transfer the dough onto the counter. Add the rest of the flour, while kneading until you get smooth, soft dough that is pliable.

Place the dough in a bowl greased with extra virgin olive oil, rub olive oil all over dough and cover bowl with a damp cloth. Set it aside for 1 to 1½ hours or until it has risen and has doubled in size. Knock down the dough — punch it with your fist — to release all the air that would have collected. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Divide dough into equal-sized balls. Eight balls make 8, roughly 10-inch flatbreads, but you can make 10 to 12 dough balls if you want more, smaller flatbreads. Place the dough balls on a floured surface, cover and let it rise a second time for another 10 to 15 minutes.

While the dough balls are rising, make your topping by mixing together olive oil and za’atar. Some like it to be lighter on the za’atar, I prefer it to be heavy. Either way, be generous - you’ll likely use close to a cup of EVOO and 3/4 cup of za’atar. I also like to add a pinch of salt. Mix until the za’atar is incorporated into the olive oil and has a thick, soup-like consistency.

Working with one portion of dough at a time, flatten it with the palm of your hand into a disc. On a floured surface, using a floured rolling pin, begin to roll out, flipping and rotating every few rolls.

Once the dough is the size/thickness you like, use your fingers to push small holes on the dough like dimples. Place it on a baking sheet. With a large spoon, add olive oil and za’atar spice mix and rub on the flatbread using the bottom of the spoon to spread the mixture.

Bake for 8 to 10 minutes each, or once you see the base turning slightly brown. Enjoy with your favorite dips and fresh cucumbers, tomatoes, mint and olives.

Patio Lakeview Dining OPEN DAILY 12-8PM

FEATURING: Slow-Roasted Prime Rib | Baby Back Ribs | Full Bar

Steaks | Seafood | Pasta | Gourmet Hamburgers | Kid’s Menu

jasonsbeachsidegrille.com

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(530) 546-3315

8338 NORTH LAKE BLVD., KINGS BEACH, CA

NOW AVAILABLE 2nd edition

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tasty tidbits

FIVE STEPS TO THE

Wine Bargain Bin

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 20

Tastes of Incline

S TO RY & P H OTO S BY L O U P H I L L I P S

The Chateau | Incline Village | Aug. 26 4:30-7 p.m. | (775) 832-0363

Winemaker Tastings

Famous for our Mexican Dinners (530) 587-3557 10186 Donner Pass Rd - Truckee

The Idle Hour Lake Tahoe South Lake Tahoe | Aug. 26

5 p.m. | (530) 600-3304, theidlehourlaketahoe.com

Meet the Winery Uncorked Truckee | Tahoe City | Aug. 27

6-8 p.m. | (530) 550-5200, uncorkedtahoe.com

Romano’s Certified Farmers Markets Sierra Valley Farms Beckwourth | Aug. 27

10 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Free

Ski Run Farmers Market Ski Run Boulevard South Lake Tahoe | Aug. 27

3-8 p.m. Free | (530) 314-1444, skirunfarmersmarket.com

Blairsden Community Market Blairsden Garden Center | Aug. 28

9 a.m.-1 p.m. Free | facebook.com

Meet the Winery Uncorked | Tahoe City | Aug. 28

6-8 p.m. | (530) 581-1106, uncorkedtahoe.com

Tahoe Brewfest Lake Tahoe Community College South Lake Tahoe | Aug. 28

12-4 p.m. | tahoebrewfest.com

Truckee Saturday Farmers Market Truckee Railyard Parking Lot | Aug. 28

8 a.m.-12 p.m. | truckeefarmersmarket.com

South Lake Tahoe Farmers Markets American Legion Hall South Lake Tahoe | Aug. 31

8 a.m.-1 p.m. | eldoradofarmersmarket.com

Truckee Farmers Market Truckee River Regional Park | Aug. 31

8 a.m.-1 p.m. Free | truckeecertifiedfa. wixsite.com

LEFT TO RIGHT: Lodi gem Klinker Brick Winery;

A

lright, show of hands: Who doesn’t like getting really good wine for a really good price? With that established, let’s get on to the how-to portion of the program.

Knowing that pretty much everyone has his/her own take on, well, everything, it is probably best to specify just what we are calling a bargain. Here are the five steps: No. 1 | Even at the lowest price points, the wine must taste good or it is not a bargain.

No. 2 | There has to be a ceiling. As much as I love me some DRC (Domaine de la Romanée-Conti) or Screaming Eagle wines, once we get into four- and five-digit bottles, Elvis has left the bargain building.

That being said, I am all for the extremely high-net-worth posse disagreeing with me on this one.

No. 3 | Let us remember that even a broken clock is right twice a day, but if a producer isn’t consistently kicking out the good stuff at a good price, it does not count as a bargain.

Explore more wines with Lou

at TheTahoeWeekly.com

U N Ridge Winery C O AUG 27 @ TRUCKEE R AUG 28 @ TAHOE CITY K E D PETRA@UNCORKEDTAHOE.COM

22

T A H O E

Eat at Petra Restaurant & Wine Bar in Northstar

F O R R E S E R VAT I O N S

No. 4 | As they say in the worlds of sports or business, the most important ability is availability. While the most amazing bargain wine experiences I have ever had were when I got lost on a lonely road in wine country and had a plastic milk jug filled for the equivalent of a few bucks by a winemaker crafting a barrel or two of mind-blowing vino from the vineyard his family has owned for decades or centuries, that really does not qualify here.

No. 5 | Your perception is the most important. Despite my writings on price limit or my perception of quality, it is your taste and your price point that matters.

New Zealand’s Jules Taylor Wines; South of France La Vieille Ferme.

Ok, you say, what about specifics? The easiest way to unpack this is to highlight regions that overdeliver for their cost.

Again, consistency is key, as is the current

Despite my writings on price limit or my perception of quality, it is your taste and your price point that matters. state of affairs. I state the latter because some of our previous wine-value leading regions have either gone up in price or down in quality and can no longer be in our lineup.

In 2021, the regions that consistently and across the board, deliver bang for your buck includes regions in the Sierra, Mendocino and Lodi in California; Chile; the south of France; old favorite New Zealand; lesser-known regions of Italy, such as Puglia and Sicily; and Jumilla, Bierzo and Penedes in Spain.

Obviously, this is not a comprehensive list, but a conversation with your trusted wine purveyor will certainly reveal more and that, combined with your newfound knowledge of areas that excel at value, will make for some great drinking.  Lou Phillips is a Level 3 Advanced Sommelier in Tahoe and his consulting business wineprowest.com assists in the selling, buying and managing wine collections. He may be reached at (775) 544-3435 or wineguru123@gmail.com.

August 25-31, 2021 EAT & DRINK

the tahoe foodie Dine-In

Outdoor Seating

Catering

Happy Hour

*

Take-out

Delivery

Private Parties

Lakeview

TAHOE CITY / RENO

Fat Cat Bar and Grill All-Natural American “The local’s AND traveler’s favorite, Fat Cat Bar & Grill offers the best in fresh, quality ingredients from local and thoughtfully-sourced purveyors.

The restaurant boasts Niman Ranch all-natural beef, multiple protein options and premium craft cocktails in a relaxed ambience for the whole family. Daily happy hour specials, a vibrant nightlife and weekly events make Fat Cat the year-round choice for good fun and great food.

599 North Lake Blvd, Tahoe City. | 530) 583-3355 1401 S. Virginia St, Reno, NV | (775) 453-2223 fatcatrestaurants.com

be kind be calm be helpful

*Takeout at Tahoe City location. **Delivery at our Midtown location.

KINGS BEACH

Chub’s Subs

Sandwich Shop

With a beautiful Tahoe lakefront view and 82 all-natural, uniquely crafted hot and cold subs, Chub’s Subs has become a new local favorite!

Open for lunch and dinner, Chub’s offers a variety of options, including gluten-free, vegan, & vegetarian-friendly subs! All ingredients are natural & come on a freshly baked, Rounds Bakery soft sourdough roll. Stop by to try your tasty sub inside, on our outdoor patio, or to-go.

8421 N Lake Blvd. | Kings Beach, CA (530) 553-1820 | chubssubs.com Through GrubHub

TAHOE CITY

Christy Hill

Modern American

Tahoe’s premier dining experience, the restaurant sits just 100 feet above the shoreline of Lake Tahoe offering diners a panoramic vista. Using the freshest and finest seasonal ingredients, Christy Hill offers Modern American cuisine with refined Mediterranean influences. Diners enjoy a chance to explore fine wines from around the world with an extensive list that has received a Wine Spectator “Award of Excellence” since 1982.

KINGS BEACH

American

Jason’s Beachside Grille located in the heart of King’s Beach in North Lake Tahoe is a family-friendly American restaurant offering lake views on our scenic lakefront deck and grassy sandbar area.

Savor American classics like prime rib, steaks, baked chicken, baby back ribs, salads, and more. Full bar and kid’s menu.

8338 North Lake Blvd. | Kings Beach, CA (530) 546-3315 | jasonsbeachsidegrille.com

Las Panchitas KINGS BEACH

ChristyHill.com 115 Grove St., Tahoe City CA 530-583-8551

115 Grove St. | Tahoe City, CA (530) 583-8551 | christyhill.com

Jason’s Beachside Grille

Authentic Mexican

Las Panchitas is a family-owned establishment serving traditional Mexican food to locals and visitors to Lake Tahoe since 1982. From tacos and fajitas to a long list of house specials, Las Panchitas serves up meals that are satisfyingly delicious and easy on the wallet. Wash your meal down with a frosty margarita. Made from scratch daily.

STORAGE • SERVICE • SALES

Getting it right since 2001

Paying too much for winter boat storage?

Allow TAHOE BOAT MANAGEMENT to quote and compete for your business

8345 North Lake Blvd. | Kings Beach, CA (530) 546-4539 | laspanchitas.com

Lanza’s Restaurant KINGS BEACH

EARTH TO TABLE

Italian

Lanza’s is a family-owned Italian restaurant located in Kings Beach/Tahoe Vista in North Lake Tahoe. Known for delicious, traditional, Italian dishes and huge portions. With a kid’s menu, gluten-free menu and full bar, it’s no wonder Locals Love Lanza’s.

7739 North Lake Blvd. | Kings Beach, CA (530) 546-2434 | lanzastahoe.com

Call Steve at (775) 287-1089 for our full service, low rate guarantee.

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