December 9 to 15, 2020

local. independent. fresh.

december 9-15, 2020

entertainment

it takes a (incline) village to run

diamond peak

get outside

food insecurity at all-time high

donner party winter:

does it match the hype?

arts

the gift of

local music tahoe history delivering the fun since 1982

Let’s get back to doing what we love.

And let’s all do our part to ensure we have the longest ski season possible.

• Wear a face covering • Give each other space

• Consider visiting midweek or afternoons • Be patient • Be kind

For details on updated policies and FAQ, please visit squawalpine.com/winter2021

fun. unique. everywhere.

in this issue

12

P.O. Box 154 | Tahoe Vista, CA 96145 (530) 546-5995 | f (530) 546-8113 TheTahoeWeekly.com Facebook.com/TheTahoeWeekly @TheTahoeWeekly

DECEMBER 9-15, 2020 FEATURES Diamond Peak Donner Party Winter

SUBMISSIONS

11

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

Courtesy Mark McLaughlin

TM

Kayla Anderson

Volume 39 | Issue 26

December 9-15, 2020

8 11

GET OUTSIDE Lake Tahoe Facts

4

Sightseeing

6

Events

9

THE MAKERS

Editorial Inquiries editor@tahoethisweek.com Entertainment Inquiries entertainment@tahoethisweek.com

Public Art Tour, Part V The Arts

Cover Photography production@tahoethisweek.com

FUN & GAMES

making it happen

Horoscope, Hocus-Focus & Sudoku

13

Crossword, CryptoQuip & Answers

15

Publisher & Editor In Chief Katherine E. Hill publisher@tahoethisweek.com, ext. 102

TAHOE BUSINESSES NEED YOUR HELP FROM THE PUBLISHER

Sales & Marketing Manager Anne Artoux anne@tahoethisweek.com, ext. 110

With new restrictions looming in the counties in the Tahoe Sierra, now is more important than ever to support locally owned, small businesses.

Art Director Alyssa Ganong production@tahoethisweek.com, ext. 106

These businesses from ski rental shops to your favorite retail store, to toy shops, personal care services, gyms, restaurants and even this magazine are owned by local businesses – our neighbors and friends. The small business owners throughout our community rely on our visitors to sustain our businesses, to support our families, to employ local workers and they are the backbone of the Tahoe economy. Without them, our community would cease to exist.

Ad Production 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

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.

By shopping at local businesses, you are ensuring the survival of our community. These local businesses also support our nonprofits, help to put on the events we all miss so dearly, volunteer at the local schools and food banks, lend a hand when someone is in need, and help you with your rentals, load you on the ski lift, and serve your meals during your visit to Tahoe.

I ask each of you to shop local if possible this season, to book your next facial or get your nails done at a local business, to buy your ski gear from a local outfitter, to order takeout from a local restaurant, to pick up your bread and coffee beans from local purveyors where it’s made in Tahoe, to shop local and to support our community.

During the pandemic, food insecurity is at an all-time high in our community. That means that a lot of people would go hungry without the support of several dedicated community groups that provide food services. Priya Hutner talked to many of these local groups, where demand is growing, and they need funds to continue their critical work. Please consider making a donation or volunteering with one of these organizations featured in our story “Tahoe’s food insecurity at all-time high.”

12 13

THE LINEUP Gift of Local Music

14

Music, Events & Festivals 15

EAT & DRINK Food Insecurity

16

Beef Stew

17

Sobon Wines

18

on the cover A skier on the Village Terrain Park rail at Diamond Peak, one of Tahoe’s independent ski areas. Read about the communityrun ski area, which opens Dec. 10, in this edition. Ryland West, courtesy Diamond Peak. | diamondpeak.com

bears & wildlife BEAR EMERGENCIES

Local musicians are also struggling during this time, as most of their income comes from live entertainment, which ground to a halt during the pandemic. Many have taken this time to create new works and you can help support these locals by purchasing their music. Sean McAlindin profiles many of these artists in our feature “Share the Gift of Local Music.”

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.

Priya has also taken over penning our featured recipe in each edition. She’ll be focusing on easy, affordable and comforting foods, that are also healthy and nutritious. For this edition, she shares her recipe for Beef Stew, an affordable one-pot meal that’s perfect for busy families.

INJURED ANIMALS

WE STILL NEED YOUR HELP I want to thank all of our supporters over the last few months for their donations and many heart-felt notes that have helped us continue to publish Tahoe Weekly during these challenging times. Our fight isn’t over as the challenges of keeping our small business afloat continues and we still need your help. You may donate at PayPal.me/TahoeWeekly or send checks to P.O. Box 154, Tahoe Vista, CA 96148. 

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

E-NEWSLETTER SUBSCRIBE

to our monthly e-newsletter at TheTahoeWeekly.com

3

TheTahoeWeekly.com

lake tahoe facts |

CLAIR TAPPAAN

Donner Summit

Truckee Donner Lake

TRUCKEE AIRPORT

DONNER SKI RANCH

ROYAL GORGE

WEST EAST SOUTH

MT. ROSE

RENO-TAHOE INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT

DONNER MEMORIAL STATE PARK

h Ta

SUGAR BOWL

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

ra Rim T

SQUAW VALLEY SQUAW CREEK ALPINE MEADOWS

Tahoe Vista

TAHOE CITY WINTER SPORTS PARK

Crystal Bay

Dollar Hill

Lake

GRANKLIBAKKEN

Spooner Lake

Tahoe

l

Eagle Rock

Carson City

NEVADA NORDIC

East Shore

o Ta h m Tr a i l

SUGAR PINE POINT STATE PARK

Meeks Bay

Cave Rock

Lake Tahoe sits at an average elevation of between 6,223’ and 6,229.1’.

The top 6.1’ of water is controlled by the dam in Tahoe City and holds up to 744,600 acre feet of water.

Zephyr Cove

Size: 22 miles long, 12 miles wide

CA

at TheTahoeWeekly.com

Age of Lake Tahoe: 2 million years Watershed Area: 312 square miles

Emerald Bay

Fannette Island

Eagle Lake

Average Water Temperature: 42.1˚F

CAMP RICHARDSON

Average Surface Temperature in July: 64.9˚F Highest Peak: Freel Peak at 10,881 feet

South Lake Tahoe

South Shore Ta h oe

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

Stateline HEAVENLY

Cascade Lake

Average Surface Water Temperature: 51.9˚F

Volume: 39 trillion gallons

Natural rim: 6,223’

e Ri

Tahoma

Lake Tahoe is the 2nd deepest lake in the U.S. (Crater Lake in Oregon, at 1,932 feet, is the deepest), and the 11th deepest in the world.

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

Glenbrook

Homewood

HOMEWOOD

Learn about the natural history of the Tahoe Sierra

Maximum depth: 1,645 feet

Marlette Lake

NV

Tahoe City

West Shore

Average depth: 1,000 feet

DEEPEST POINT

TAHOE CROSS COUNTRY

Sunnyside Ta h o e R i m

CASINOS

Lake Clarity: 2018: 70.9 feet avg. depth.

1968: First recorded at 102.4 feet

Incline Village

Kings Beach

Carnelian Bay

SNO-PARKS ai Tr

DIAMOND PEAK

NORTH TAHOE REGIONAL PARK

Olympic Valley

CROSS-COUNTRY SKI AREAS

North Shore

NORTHSTAR

Truckee River

DOWNHILL SKI AREAS

oe

N

SKY TAVERN

il

SODA SPRINGS

Reno & Sparks

TAHOE DONNER

AUBURN SKI TRAINING CENTER BOREAL

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

R i m Tr ail

Fallen Leaf Lake

Average Snowfall: 409 inches

Meyers

Shoreline: 72 miles

BIJOU PARK / LAKE TAHOE COMMUNITY COLLEGE

Lake Tahoe has a surface area of 191 square miles. If Lake Tahoe were emptied, it would submerge California under 15 inches of water.

FREEL PEAK

LAKE TAHOE AIRPORT

ECHO LAKES

Permanent Population: 66,000 Number of Visitors: 15 million annually

HOPE VALLEY

Hope

Markleeville Valley

Kirkwood

SIERRA-AT-TAHOE

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.

KIRKWOOD

HOME

I M P R OV E M E N T

SV Snow Removal

d We only work in Squaw Valley d 12 years experience d Local references d We use shovels & snow blowers Call Bob at (530) 412-2703

SIDESHOW BOB’S Window Cleaning Since 2000

581-2343

4

to be included in Home Improvement.

- Since 2000 -

Rooster to Cricket Maintenance

Serving the

Truckee/ Tahoe Area New Construction Custom Homes Additions & Remodels

Residential & Commercial (530) CA & NV Licensed & Insured

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

775-302-0232 | parraconstructionllc.com Lic # CA: 974622/ NV: 0086046A

• Landscaping • Snow Removal

• Painting/Staining • Window Cleaning

530.412.1105

Advertise in MARKETPLACE

Color

1 col x 2” $60 | 2 col x 2” $100 All ads included in free digital edition.

December 9-15, 2020

Shop tahoe

PLEASE SUPPORT OUR LOCAL ADVERTISERS Ads as low as $100 per issue.

E-mail anne@tahoethisweek.com

HISTORIAN & AUTHOR

MARK MCL AUGHLIN’S NEWEST BOOK - UPDATED EDITION

NORTH TAHOE ARTS

Holly Arts Fair Order books direct at TheStormKing.com or pick up a copy at: • Geared for Games • Alice’s Mountain Market located at Squaw Valley • Donner Memorial State Park

• Word After Word Bookshop • Gratitude Gifts • Mind Play

THROUGH JAN. 7, 2021 11am-4pm, 7 days a week

(530) 546-5612 ¡ Mark@TheStormKing.com

NORTHTAHOEARTS.COM ¡ 380 N. LAKE BLVD. ¡ TAHOE CITY

Steve Schmier’s Jewelry

Available in 5 sizes

Available in 3 sizes

SteveSchmiersJewelry.com • Boatworks Mall • Tahoe City • 530.583.5709

All sales beneďŹ t Tahoe Weekly

NOW AVAILABLE 2nd edition

Purchase your copy at Amazon.

Bulk orders available at publisher@tahoethisweek.com 5

LAKE LEVEL Lake Tahoe Natural rim 6,223’

Readings taken on Saturay, December 5, 2020 ELEVATION :

RESERVOIR CAPACITY

6,225.68 |

IN 2019:

C ACITY CITY:: 40 CIT 0,870 ,8 BOCA 12,362 CAPA

Eagle Rock

West Shore

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

Explore Tahoe

South Lake Tahoe

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

Fannette Island

Emerald Bay

(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.)

Heavenly

South Lake Tahoe

(775) 586-7000 | skiheavenly.com Enjoy a 2.4-mile ride on the gondola to the top with panoramic views of Lake Tahoe and the Carson Valley. South Tahoe

Hellman-Ehrman Mansion

STAMPEDE 19,9661

$10 parking | parks.ca.gov (530) 525-7232 Park | (530) 583-9911 Tours Sugar Pine Point State Park is home to the historic Ehrman Mansion (open for tours in the summer), see boathouses with historic boats, and General Phipps Cabin built in the late 1800s. TART

Find more places to explore

at TheTahoeWeekly.com

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

Tahoe City

North Shore

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

Truckee

253

CAPACITY: C 226,500

6,227.43

225

200,000 AF

175

150,000 AF

IN 2019:

Measured in Cubic Feet Per Second (CFS)

TROA.NET

Measured in Acre Feet (AF)

Lake Tahoe Museum

South Lake Tahoe

Vikingsholm Castle

Old Jail Museum CLOSED Emerald Bay

Parking fee | Tours in summer only (530) 541-3030 | (530) 525-9529 ADA parks.ca.gov or vikingsholm.com Tour the grounds of Vikingsholm Castle, see Eagle Falls and Fannette Island (the Lake’s only island), home to an old Tea House, and explore snowshoeing trails. TART

Watson Cabin CLOSED

Tahoe City

Tours in summer only (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. TART

MUSEUMS Donner Memorial Visitor Center

Truckee

(530) 582-7892 | parks.ca.gov The Donner Memorial State Park features exhibits and artifacts on the Donner Party (184647) at the visitor center, and see the towering Pioneer Monument. TART

Donner Summit Historical Society

200,000 AF

CAPACITY: 29,840 2 PROSSER 11,061| truckee.com truckeehistory.org (530) 541-5458 | laketahoemuseum.org The historic town of Truckee was settled Features Washoe artifacts and exhibits 5 DONNER 4,690 CCAPACITY: 9,500 in 1863, and grew quickly as a stagecoach on early industry and settlers. South Tahoe stop and route for the CentralCCAPACITY: Pacific 18,300 Railroad.

INDEPENDENCE 1,3763 During these early days, many of Truckee’s Museum of Truckee History Truckee CAPACITY: A 20,400 0 MARTIS 1,052 and historical homes buildings were built inThurs.-Mon. | (530) 582-0893 | truckeehistory.org cluding The Truckee Hotel (1868) and the Capitol Building (1868). Stop by the Depot for a walking Housed in the original Depot, built in 1901. Exhi| FLOW FARAD 253 Measured in Cubic Feet Per Second (CFS) TROA.NET Truckee River tour of historic downtown.

PaidAT parking downbits cover different eras in Truckee history.

TART town. TART 175

North Shore

FLOW AT FARAD

6,225.68 |

150,000 AF

Kings Beach

Tallac Historic Site West Shore

|

50

Donner Summit, just west of Truckee, holds the record for the United States’ snowiest April.

On April 1, 1880, a storm dumped 4’ of snow on the Sierra Nevada west slope within 24 hours.

A massive snow slide near Emigrant Gap buried Central Pacific Railroad’s tracks under 75’ of snow, ice and rock. For the rest of the month, storm cycles continued to flow in, dropping a total of 298”.

Truckee River C ACITY CAPA CITY:: 40 CIT 0,870 ,8 BOCA 12,362

ELEVATION :

125

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

RESERVOIR CAPACITY

Readings taken on Saturay, December 5, 2020

125

Donner Summit

75

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

CAPACITY: 18,300 C

LAKE LEVEL A 20,400 0 MARTIS 1,052 CAPACITY: Lake Tahoe Natural rim 6,223’

100,000 AF

INDEPENDENCE 1,3763

Olympic Valley

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.

Truckee

Amazing views of Lake Tahoe from Crystal Ridge at Diamond Peak. | Courtesy Diamond Peak

CAPACITY: 9,500 C 5

50

High Camp

25

East Shore

25

Cave Rock

DONNER 4,690

CAPACITY: 29,840 2

100,000 AF

ATTRACTIONS

PROSSER 11,061

Measured in Acre Feet (AF)

CAPACITY: C 226,500

75

SIGHTSEEING

STAMPEDE 19,9661

6,227.43

225

TheTahoeWeekly.com

Soda Springs

Truckee

(530) 582-0893 | truckeehistory.org One of a few surviving 19th Century jailhouses of its kind in the West used from 1875 until May 1964 (open for tours in summer). 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 symbolic Tower of Nations and Olympic Flame at the entrance to the valley. The Olympic Museum at High Camp features historic memorabilia and photographs. TART

Tahoe Science Center CLOSED

Tues.-Fri. & by appt. | Free (775) 881-7566 | tahoesciencecenter.org University of California, Davis, science education center at Sierra Nevada College. Exhibits include a virtual research boat, biology lab, 3D movies and docent-led tours. Ages 8+. TART

Truckee Railroad Museum

Tahoe City

Daily (530) 583-1762 | northtahoemuseums.org Featuring historic photos, the Steinbach Indian Basket Museum and local historical memorabilia. TART

KidZone Children’s Museum CLOSED

Sat.-Sun. & holidays truckeedonnerrailroadsociety.com Located in a caboose next to the Truckee Depot. Exhibits include the train’s role in logging, fighting snow on the railway, the role of Chinese emigrants and a children’s area. TART

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 Tahoe City 100 N. Lake Blvd. (530) 581-6900

Truckee

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

Truckee 10065 Donner Pass Rd. (Depot) (530) 587-8808 U.S. Forest Service | Incline Village 855 Alder Ave. (775) 831-0914 (Wed.-Fri.)

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

TRANSIT

6

Truckee

donnersummithistoricalsociety.org Museum at the corner of Old Highway 40 & Soda Springs Road. Take the 20-mile interpretive driving tour along Old 40. TART

Gatekeeper’s Museum

Boots McFarland by Geolyn Carvin | BootsMcFarland.com

Incline Village

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

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

GET outside

December 9-15, 2020 GET OUTSIDE

the outdoors | recreation | events | mountain life

More Tahoe ski resorts open Several Tahoe Sierra ski areas opened in November, with more local resorts on tap to open in the coming weeks.

Read Tahoe Weekly’s 20th Annual Downhill Ski Guide for all of the COVID protocols for each resort. As of press time on Dec. 4, all of the ski resorts in the Tahoe Sierra are allow-

Check out the 2020-21 Tahoe Downhill Ski & Nordic Ski guides. ed to continue to operate and were not included in the California restrictions; check before visiting for the latest restrictions as they are subject to change. | thetahoeweekly.com

SKI AREA OPENING DATES

Heavenly | Open

Soda Springs | Open

(AS OF DEC. 4)

Homewood | Opens Dec. 11

Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows | Open

Auburn Ski Club | Open

Kirkwood | Open

Sugar Bowl | Open

Boreal | Open

Mount Rose | Open

Tahoe City Winter Sports Park | TBD

Diamond Peak | Opens Dec. 10

Nevada Nordic | Open

Tahoe Cross Country | TBD

Donner Ski Ranch | Open weekends

Northstar | Open

Tahoe Donner Cross County | Open

Granlibakken | Opens Dec. 18; sled hill open

Royal Gorge | Open as conditions permit

Tahoe Donner Downhill | Opens Dec. 11; Snowplay opens Dec. 18

Sierra-at-Tahoe | Open

Photo Credit | Photographer?

Many resorts require online advance reservations for day tickets, rentals, tubing and other activities, and food ordering. As well, some resorts will also require passholders to make reservations in advance for lift access and parking. Masks will be required for all guests and many resorts are not accepting cash for any services; so carry a credit card.

TheTahoeWeekly.com

Courtesy Heavenly Mountain Resort

The 2020-21 ski season will look different with COVID safety protocols in place, limitations on day ticket sales and several area resorts opening first only to passholders.

Season pass sales are also being limited, as will day ticket availability.

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TheTahoeWeekly.com

I T T A K E S A ( I N C L I N E ) V I L L A G E T OThe view R south UN along

DIAMOND PEAK

the Pacific Crest from Andesite Peak.

S TO RY BY K AY L A A N D E R S O N P H OTO S C O U R T E SY D I A M O N D P E A K

EDITOR’S NOTE: Read about Tahoe’s other independent resorts:

Donner Ski Ranch, Granlibakken, Mt. Rose, Sky Tavern, Sugar Bowl and Tahoe Donner at TheTahoeWeekly.com.

On an uncrowded

sunny day at Diamond Peak Ski Resort shortly before the shutdown last spring, I ride up the Crystal quad with three members of the Cruising Geezers Club, two super seniors and a senior from Reno who follow three rules when they ski: 1) they only ski on sunny days; 2) they only ski groomers; and 3) they pick runs where they can ski right up to the next chairlift and don’t have to walk.

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: Taking a family lesson. | Chris Bartkowski;

That amazing view just never gets old; Diamond Peak’s mascot Penguin Pete: Storm day riding. | Ryland West

This group used to have season passes at other resorts but adopted Diamond Peak in recent years because its quality of snow, lack of crowds and season pass prices.

“We ski midweek and can’t beat this place. This is a neighborhood ski area; come on the weekends and this place is crawling with kids. But as retired super seniors who have time on our hands, Diamond Peak has the cheapest pass in Tahoe,” one of them says.

With that, we all unload the chairlift and take off down the Crystal Ridge run, notoriously known for its incredible views of Lake Tahoe.

Read about what to expect this season in our 20th Annual Downhill Ski Guide at TheTahoeWeekly.com

8

So how does Diamond Peak, which opens Dec. 10 for the season, stay in business when it’s so affordable? Well, Diamond Peak is unique in the sense that it’s not private, independent or managed by a corporation. Rather, it’s owned by the community.

When people purchase property in Incline Village or Crystal Bay, they pay a yearly recreation fee to the Incline Village General Improvement District. In turn, they receive discounts on local amenities including two golf courses, a tennis center, a recreation center and the 655-acre ski area. The revenue that Diamond Peak brings in is then put back into the IVGID Community Services fund for capital improvements and maintenance on all IVGID facilities.

After 36 years at Diamond Peak, General Manager Mike Bandelin says that he is grateful to have the ability to provide a level of service that he says can only be done by being a smaller, communityowned ski resort.

“There are no crowds, you can’t beat the views, and everyone is super friendly.”

–Mike Matteo “I think being small allows me to go out and regularly talk to the lift maintenance crew and employees, and they all know my name. I like being close to our customers and can get direct feedback from them to share with the (IVGID Board of Trustees) to be able to manage the resort appropriately,” he says.

What has kept Diamond Peak alive all these years, Bandelin believes, is always adjusting to the demands and wants of its daily skiers and passholders.

“People tell me it’s the price (to ski at Diamond Peak), but I disagree with them. I think it’s the amenities we provide – the quality of snow, friendliness of the staff, safety. Plus, by being small we can refine season pass perks to cater to our passholders,” he says.

However, Bandelin adds that it helps having the support from the District to get through any lean or low-snow years.

“Because this ski area is community owned, we have access to capital expense funds to maintain Diamond Peak’s infrastructure and equipment. The District, and community, provides ways to maintain it,” Bandelin says. The District’s control has allowed the resort to make upgrades to facilities, provide snowmaking enhancements and perform regular maintenance no matter what Mother Nature decides to do.

Everything that Diamond Peak stands for is what Incline Village resident Mike Matteo loves about his local ski area.

“I live 60 seconds down the road and when I’m bored, I can get here so fast. It takes me 10 to 15 minutes to get my boots on and be on the chairlift, whereas at other resorts it can take 10 to 15 minutes just to park my car and wait for the shuttle to come.

“There are no crowds, you can’t beat the views, and everyone is super friendly. You can tell that they’re out here to have fun, not just putting in their time to move up the corporate ladder. They built a big park this year and changed it up a few times, it’s really cool that they do that,” he says.

“Diamond Peak is my favorite resort in Tahoe and the most underrated. A bunch of us rode another resort for 10 years, but now we all come here,” Matteo says. | diamondpeak.com 

December 9-15, 2020 GET OUTSIDE

eve nts Truckee Community Storytime Facebook | Truckee | Dec. 9, 16

Join Truckee Library on Facebook Live for extra special Storytimes with local local community leaders. 10:30-11 a.m. Free | (530) 582-7846, madelynhelling.evanced.info

Holly Arts Fair North Tahoe Arts | Tahoe City | Dec. 9-16

Shop local for holiday gift items. Jewelry, fabric art, bags, knitted items, mosaics, sculpture, ornaments, wall art and more. 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Free | (603) 942-5177, northtahoearts.com

Virtual Story Time Facebook | Incline Village | Dec. 9-16

Videos will remain available during our closure. Join the Washoe County Library Virtual Story Time group on Facebook. 11 a.m. Free | events.washoecountylibrary.us

Virtual RUFF (Read Up For Fun) TR Facebook | Truckee | Dec. 9, 16

Volunteers tell a story to one of the therapy animals on Facebook. 4-4:30 p.m. Free | (530) 582-7846, madelynhelling.evanced.info

Art Attack Virtual Art Club Zoom | Truckee | Dec. 9, 16

This Zoom event is especially for teen and tween artists, ages 10 to 18. There will be an activity demonstrated, drawing, painting, collage, etc. 4-5 p.m. Free | (530) 470-2695, madelynhelling.evanced.info

Santa and Mrs. Claus Heavenly Village South Lake Tahoe | Dec. 9-16

Join Santa and Mrs. Claus to sing Christmas carols and light the Heavenly Village Christmas Tree. Masks and social distancing highly recommended. 5 p.m. Free | theshopsatheavenly.com

Far West Nordic 2020 Auction & Raffle Virtual | Truckee | Dec. 9-12

Starting on Dec. 2, there will be auction items to bid on, from gift cards to restaurants, private lessons, sport psychology coaching, to US Ski Team apparel. A special livestream guest, Kikkan Randall on Dec. 12. | farwestnordic.org

“Shop Local” Scavenger Hunt Downtown Tahoe City | Dec. 9-16

“Shop Local” Scavenger Hunt, via the Goosechase App, will feature shopping and dining districts throughout North Lake Tahoe, Tahoe City will be featured.

Tahoe Big Year 2021 registration Area venues | South Lake Tahoe | Dec. 9-16

Hosted by Tahoe Institute for Natural Science, the year-long event cultivates a thriving community of nature and wildlife enthusiasts.

With two categories to compete in -- Adult and Youth -- the whole family can join in. Free | tinsweb.org

Light up the South Shore: Holiday Lights Contest Area venues | South Lake Tahoe | Dec. 9-16

Enter your home or business in the holiday lighting contest. Judging will be from Dec. 18 to 21. $0-$25 | business.tahoechamber.org

Backcountry Film Festival Virtual | Tahoe City | Dec. 9-16

Winter Wonderlands Alliance offers this screening to benefit Tahoe Backcountry Alliance. $15-$30 | winterwildlands.org

CONTINUED ON PAGE 10

Tahoe trails

endowment created The nonprofit Tahoe Fund has launched a new effort to create a $3 million endowment to generate enough funding to pay for annual trail work in the Tahoe region. The campaign, started with a $100,000 contribution from trail enthusiasts Chris and Viktoria McNamara, represents a longterm commitment to caring for Tahoe trails.

The COVID-19 pandemic dramatically increased the strain on Tahoe’s trail system as people began spending more time outdoors. Despite stay-at-home orders, use of Tahoe’s trails exploded, with one trail counter at DL Bliss State Park recording higher usage in April 2020 than in July 2019. Since then, things have not slowed down.

Increased use puts stress on both the natural environment and land managers as trails and trailheads fill up. By generating a constant stream of funding to pay for ongoing trail work, Tahoe’s trail network will benefit from regular maintenance designed to ensure the trails are fun and erosion free.

Tahoe Fund is also working with its trail partners at the Tahoe Rim Trail Association, Tahoe Area Mountain Biking Association, Truckee Trails Foundation and public land managers to develop a Trails Master Plan that will outline priority ranking for trail work and allow everyone to think and plan long-term.

To help grow the endowment, an anonymous donor has offered to match every dollar donated up to $100,000. | tahoefund.org

Forest Service offers

winter access map

Visitors to California’s National Forests should plan ahead before visiting and recreate responsibly once there. To aid that, the U.S. Forest Service has developed a web map to help visitors find out which recreation areas are open on nearby forests, including campgrounds, day use sites and trails on National Forests in California. View the GIS map for winter updates at go.usa.gov/xwurX. Please follow posted campfire, parking, and camping restrictions. Be prepared to find alternative areas if your trail or campground is full. Restrooms will likely not be available and pack out all trash from trails and parking areas. Wildlife will be harmed by any trash left on trails or in parking areas. Information on local Forest district offices is available on the Sightseeing page in this edition.

Edgewood

opens ice rink Edgewood Tahoe Resort has opened an ice skating rink open daily until April 18.

Reservations are required with two sessions available daily. Rentals are also available.

Visitors may also order chili, pretzels, flatbread, sausages and other small plates, as well as cocktails at the ice rink. | edgewoodtahoe.com

New tubing center opens Leon Abravanel and Mark Budgell are opening a new tubing location in Meyers on Dec. 19. TubeTahoe is located at the Tahoe Paradise Golf Course on Highway 50. TubeTahoe will feature more than 500 feet of machine-groomed tubing lanes and is open daily. Tubes are provided at the resort; no personal equipment is permitted. | tubetahoe.com

Enjoy holiday light contest Tahoe Chamber is hosting Light Up the South Shore: Holiday Lights Contest to help spread holiday cheer. Homes and businesses can compete for prizes and bragging rights in the contest. Awards will be given for Best in Show, The Clark Griswold Award for most lights, Best Window Display, The Neighbor that SLEIGH-d Award (residential) and People’s Choice Award.

All entries will be included on a Holiday Trail of Lights map of the South Shore.

All participants should be willing to share their home and/or business address (private residents will not have their names listed).

Homes and businesses submitted for the competition will be judged by the Merry & Bright Ambassadors between Dec. 18 and 21. | business.tahoechamber.org

Winter Fun Everyone! for

CROSS COUNTRY SKIING

No walk-ups will be permitted.

SNOWSHOEING

Face mask/covering is required at the park this season.

ICE SKATING SLEDDING

ADVANCE RESERVATIONS ARE REQUIRED FOR THE ‘20-21 SEASON

RESERVE ONLINE AT

TCPUD.ORG/WINTER Visit tcpud.org/winter for more Know Before You Go tips, details on sessions, health and safety protocols, season passes, and reservations.

530.583.1516 | 251 NORTH LAKE BLVD. TAHOE CITY

9

TheTahoeWeekly.com

events

Help with Skier Michelle Parker. | Courtesy Alpenglow Expeditions

Christmas

Tahoe Backcountry Safety Awareness Week launched A coalition of avalanche safety, nonprofit and winter back-country organizations have established Dec. 14 to 18 as the region’s first back-country safety awareness week. The unique collaboration is an effort to amplify back-country safety and avalanche education opportunities and encourage people to know what they’re getting into before they venture out unprepared.

After ski resorts closed last spring in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, backcountry touring exploded in Tahoe and across the nation. This season, back-country gear sales and avalanche course registration suggest there will be an increase in back-country recreation this winter, with some being first-timers. Organizers of Tahoe Backcountry Safety Awareness Week want attendees to come away with a better understanding of how dangerous the back country can be and why training is imperative before accessing unpatrolled, uncontrolled terrain.

“The Tahoe Sierra back country is just as dangerous as it is appealing,” said Tahoe Backcountry Alliance executive director Greg Garrison in a press release. “Reducing risk in the back country is critical not just for your safety, but for the safety of others who are put at risk when you make a mistake.”

A week-long educational video series will lead up to a live, virtual panel on Dec. 17 from 7 to 8 p.m. composed of local professional athletes Cody Townsend, Jeremy Jones, Elyse Saugstad and Amie Engerbretson who will provide learning opportunities and resources for the public to encourage proper training before heading into the back country. The panel will discuss their own experiences in the back country and answer questions from attendees. To register for this free event, visit takecaretahoe.org/backcountry.

“Back-country travelers need to recognize avalanche hazards and be prepared for self-rescue as outside help is unlikely to arrive in time,” says Sierra Avalanche Center director David Reichel. “Every time rescue personnel respond to calls in the back country, not only are they risking their own lives when they enter hazardous, sometimes avalanche-prone terrain, they also now risk contracting COVID-19 on any given rescue.”

The educational series will introduce attendees to topics including avalanche safety equipment, back-country etiquette, what training is needed, where to get trained and motorized back-country tips and safety. Local guides and outfitters will also have special offers available to attendees, such as coupon codes for AIARE course sign-ups and free airbag testing. Videos will be released each morning at 7 a.m. on takecaretahoe.org and will remain available for the duration of the winter. | takecaretahoe.org/backcountry

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Bird Count

The Christmas Bird Count is the largest and oldest citizen science project in the world, with tens of thousands of volunteers help count local bird populations from Dec. 14 to Jan. 5. Locally, Tahoe Institute for Natural Science co-founder Will Richardson has coordinated event since 2004, but Tahoe data goes back to 1975.

This year’s South Lake Tahoe Christmas Bird Count has been scheduled for Dec. 15 with changes to how this year’s count will be conducted. Volunteers may help with counts in self-selected pods or help with conducting counts on their own in their own backyard. Visit the website for details and to volunteer.

This year also marks the 10th anniversary of the Institute. Since 2010, the organization has engaged with more than 56,000 students through in-school natural history programs, field trips and nature camps, hosting presentations and conducing biological research. In fact, TINS researchers have banded more than 6,500 birds as part of local, regional and worldwide migration studies. TINS has also launched a website. | tinsweb.org

Frog Lake back-country access opens

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 9

Preschool Storytime Instagram | Truckee | Dec. 10

Get ready to read, dance, sing, and play.

10:30-11 a.m. Free | placer.ca.gov

UC Davis Fall Speaker Series Zoom Webinar | Incline Village | Dec. 10

Dec. 12 is “Local Renewable Energy Transition Planning & Climate Resilience.”

12-1 p.m. Free | tahoe.ucdavis.edu

Feel Good Friday Boreal Mountain | Soda Springs | Dec. 11

Buy a lift ticket online for $25 and $5 goes to High Fives Foundation and other local nonprofit organizations. $25 | rideboreal.com

Breakfast with Santa Fire + Ice | South Lake Tahoe | Dec. 12

Bring the family to mingle with Santa, take photos and enjoy a hearty breakfast.

Tickets on sale now. 8:30-10:30 a.m. $20 | facebook.com

Sierra Speaker Series: Forlorn Hope Expedition Interview Facebook | Truckee | Dec. 12

Join state park interpreter Jeremy as he interviews Bob Crowley and Tim Twietmeyer, who will travel the deadly path of the Forlorn Hope members of the historic Donner Party of 1846. 5-6 p.m. Free | sierrastateparks.org

Mountain Minds Monday Virtual | Truckee | Dec. 14

A monthly networking group for people that live, work or vacation in the Truckee/Tahoe/ Reno area. Most of our members are involved in the tech industry or are small business owners. 6-8 p.m. $5 | tahoesiliconmountain.com

Tahoe Backcountry Safety Awareness Week Virtual | Dec. 14-16

Each day, a series of short videos will provide detailed information on specific backcountry safety topics and avalanche education opportunities, including a Q&A with professional athletes. | takecaretahoe.org

The Truckee Donner Land Trust announced that Frog Lake, along with neighboring properties, are open to the public to enjoy this winter. However, the Trust is not yet ready to accept overnight guests to the new back-country huts.

Art Explorations w/Diana

Back-country skiers, snowboarders and cross-country skiers will have a few different ways to access Frog Lake.

Break with Baby

Frog Lake may be accessed through the Castle Peak Trailhead, 7 miles roundtrip with 1,500 feet gain; Johnson Canyon Trailhead 9 miles roundtrip with 1,900 feet gain; Donner Summit Rest Area, 6 miles roundtrip with 1,450 feet gain; and Alder Creek Adventure Center, 12.5 miles roundtrip with 1,600 feet gain (trail pass required).

All the routes have some degree of avalanche hazard, requiring proper avalanche education and equipment.

Check conditions with Sierra Avalanche Center before heading out and adhere to local parking restrictions. | truckeedonnerlandtrust.org

Live on Facebook South Lake Tahoe | Dec. 15

Join Diana as she shares her favorite art activities for toddlers and preschoolers, as well as showcase some simple drawing exercises.

10:30 a.m. Free | facebook.com

Facebook | Incline Village | Dec. 15

Parents and caregivers, tune in for book recommendations, early literacy tips and fun bounces, rhymes and songs for. 11 a.m.

Free | events.washoecountylibrary.us

Christmas Bird Count Area venues South Lake Tahoe | Dec. 15

Participants can either search for birds in specific areas or they can record bird sightings from their back yards. Register online. Free | tinsweb.org

December 9-15, 2020 HISTORY

Donner Party Winter: D O E S I T M AT C H T H E H Y P E ?

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

F

or nearly 175 years, historians, authors and educators have claimed that the winter of 1846-47 – the year of the Donner Party entrapment – was the snowiest in California history. But does that assertion stand up to close scrutiny?

In my book, “The Donner Party: Weathering the Storm,” I reviewed the pros and cons of its veracity based on eyewitness accounts and physical evidence from the scene.

The Tahoe Sierra is a region of microclimates where snowfall accumulations vary widely and are closely tied to elevation and proximity to the Sierra Crest.

There is no one spot that represents average snowfall for the region. The bulk of the Donner Party spent the winter at Donner Lake, while a group of 15 snowshoed out over Donner Pass in a desperate, suicidal effort to get help before everyone starved.

At Donner Memorial State Park, the pedestal of the monument is 22.5 feet high, which purportedly represents the maximum snow depth at Donner Lake in 1847. Was the snow really that deep?

There are at least six historic photographs of tree stumps allegedly cut by members of the Donner Party, but I have yet to find an image showing a stump exceeding 20 feet in height. Despite the lack of photographic evidence, there are reliable accounts that corroborate the belief that some stumps cut by the stranded pioneers were about 20 feet high.

In the 1870s, Charles McGlashan, a scientifically-inclined Truckee businessman, measured one stump at 22 feet, 6 inches in height. That assessment was used to construct the monument’s pedestal. McGlashan wrote: “The tall stumps which surround the site of the GravesReed cabin [at Donner Lake], and which are particularly numerous around the site of the Donner tents at Alder Creek, are of themselves remarkable relics. Many of them were cut by a person who stood on the top of very deep snow. They are frequently ten, fifteen, and twenty feet in height.” However, there is also compelling evidence that the snow never actually reached those depths at Donner Lake.

Eyewitness accounts by rescuers suggest that the peak snow depth was less than 20 feet, probably somewhere between 15 to 18 feet deep at Donner Lake.

Donner Party member Patrick Breen kept a diary from Nov. 20, 1846, until March 1, 1847. In it he gave a first-hand account of the weather at Donner Lake and some of the daily events. It is one of the most remarkable documents of the American West. On Jan. 13, Breen wrote, “Snow higher than the shanty, must be 13 feet deep.” Heavy snow fell later in the month and on Feb. 1, Breen observed, “The snow has not settled much.” From Feb. 4 to 6 Breen says about 6 more feet of snow fell. His comments suggest that for a brief time before consolidation of the fresh snow, a peak depth near 20 feet may have been reached at Donner Lake.

Using cut stumps, however, as evidence indicating snow depth is problematic.

A pioneer standing on a platform of branches in the snow to fell a tree would

Tree stumps cut by the Donner Party. | Courtesy Sutter Fort Museum

Read Mark’s account of the Snowiest Places in California at TheTahoeWeekly.com have struggled just as much in a normal Sierra winter, when game is always scarce and travel difficult. In reality, the winters of 1890, 1938, 1952, 1969, 1983, 1995, 2011 and 2017 have generated as much snow as in 1847 — depending on where you measure it.  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.

be sawing or swinging an axe at waist level, adding more height to the stump.

Another issue is that pines create a high cone of packed snow encircling the tree trunk as snow constantly sheds from the outer branches.

In the 1870s, Charles McGlashan, a scientificallyinclined Truckee businessman, measured one stump at 22 feet, 6 inches in height.

Augustus Burbank visited the Donner Lake campsites on Sept. 10, 1849. In his journal he wrote: “The stumps of fallen trees near the front of the cabins, stand at the height of 5 & 10 feet, some probably over the latter, showing the depth of the snow when the trees were fallen for firewood. The Donner cabins stood 200 yards above the road & some distance from the Lake. Their remains or ashes & the bottom logs are the only [evidence] to be seen to designate to the passing traveler the spot where the painful sufferings occurred.” In his classic book “The Big Bonanza,” Dan De Quille noted: “The stumps of the trees cut by the [Donner] party still stand, and are from fifteen to eighteen feet in height, showing the great depth to which the cabins and all in the camp lay buried.”

Beyond the controversy over the actual snow depths at Donner Lake, there is plenty of evidence that the winter of 1847 generated a substantial snowpack.

Many contemporaries made observations on the severity of that year’s weather, but it’s important to remember that most

of them had only been in California for a few years at most – and never in the mountains. In a letter written by Daniel Rhoads, a member of the first rescue effort to save the Donner Party, he wrote: “This last winter [1846-47] is the coldest ever been known in California. We walked on snow shoes over the snow it was from 5 to 25 feet deep.” It’s important to remember, however, that the “25 feet” that Rhoads mentions was in the highcountry approaching Donner Pass, a zone of extreme snowfall and not representative of Donner Lake.

None other than the famous mountain man James Clyman crossed Donner Pass on May 1, 1847. He wrote: “On the first day of May we succeeded in crossing the main summit of the California mountains or the Sierra Nevada the snow being from 3 to 8 feet deep on the western slope, but on turning down the eastern side it was perhaps from 8 to 20 or even 30 feet deep owing to the wind being always from the southwest when the snow is falling and carrying large quantities from the western side which is deposited on the east side.”

Five weeks after Clyman, Utah-bound John Craig made his way over the pass and observed: “On June 7 we crossed the peak of the California mountains and had to travel about 35 miles over snow varying from 5 to 20 feet deep and rode over numerous mountain streams on arches of snow whilst we could hear the water roaring and dashing under our feet.” Once again, these remarks are based on higher elevation climate zones.

In summary, it seems unlikely that snow depths at Donner Lake exceeded 20 feet in 1847. The critical issue was that the emigrants were trapped with insufficient supplies and unable to hunt. Odds are that the pioneers would probably

ALL RIDES ARE FREE! Just hop on the bus.

TART Daily Regional Routes TART Night Service TART Truckee Local Route

Covid-19: Social distancing and safety precautions are in place to keep riders and drivers safe.

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THE makers

creative awareness | arts & culture | makers’ movement

Tahoe Sierra Public Art Tour, Part V W E S T S H O R E , TA H O E C I T Y & O LY M P I C VA L L E Y S TO RY & P H OTO S BY K AY L A A N D E R S O N

EDITOR’S NOTE: This is the final part in our five-part

series on public art in the Tahoe Sierra. Read the first four parts at TheTahoeWeekly.com.

O

n your next drive around the northwestern side of the lake, be sure to keep an eye out for these photogenic pieces of art along the way from Carnelian Bay to Meek’s Bay and back up to Highway 89 heading toward Truckee.

North Shore Sierra Boat Company mural 5146 N Lake Blvd.

In Carnelian Bay, one may notice a full-size mural on the side of the Sierra Boat Company. Owner Herb Hall says that they hired local mural artist Susie Alexander to do it about 20 years ago when she came along at the right time.

“I remember the TRPA was requiring us to change the color of our building, so we were looking at different siding options and right around that time Susie came in and said she’d love to do a mural on that wall. We had that whole wall done in a stucco material with acrylic, and she sketched up a quick rendering and off she went. She is this small woman and ran a scissor lift and had an assistant; it was amazing at the speed that she moved,” Hall says.

Share your favorite public art @TheTahoeWeekly on Facebook or Instagram #tahoepublicart

Tahoe City “Ursa Mater” aka Penny Bear 570 N. Lake Blvd.

Back in 2018, Tahoe Public Art commissioned Robert and Lisa Ferguson to bring their “Ursa Mater” sculpture to the Tahoe Sierra. It is comprised of 200,000 pennies (some of them Canadian ones) and it stands at 12 feet tall with 6-foottall bear cubs and stands in Heritage Plaza. It’s a popular place to take pictures with friends and family.

Tahoe Cross Country Center totem

“Big Tree” sculpture

925 Country Club Drive

560 N. Lake Blvd.

About a quarter mile up the main trail at the cross-country center, a colorful friendly totem pole lets people know they’re on the right track. The Center also has a small wooden Doug Read arrow hanging on a tree near its entrance.

Use our Public Art map to create your own art tour

at TheTahoeWeekly.com

For more than 125 years a gigantic pine tree stood over the main street of Tahoe City. However, the tree’s health began to decline severely due to the pavement encroaching into its space and reckless drivers running into it and in 1998 the dying tree was cut down. But its memory lives on thanks to the Rotary Club of Tahoe City commissioning artist Randy Oertle to carve a timeless rendition of the tree in 2008. The sculpture now stands near Watson Cabin on the lakeside of the street.

Doug Read Arrow

The Cobblestone Center Mural

2923 Lake Forest Road

475 N. Lake Blvd.

Over in Lake Forest, the Sugar Pine Cakery also has a Doug Read arrow, this version being a large metal one that looks like it was shot straight from the sky.

As you drive in the parking lot, look down at the pavement, Sugar Pine painted bright red hearts on the ground back in April as social distancing markers.

12

Built in 1966, The Cobblestone Center in the middle of Tahoe City is reminiscent of a Bavarian village complete with a clocktower. Owners Dan and Joan Hauserman had spent some time in Europe and made their quaint outdoor shopping mall come to life. As you pull in, look at the mural on the wall above Scraps.

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP:

Blue Agave totems 425 N. Lake Blvd.

The bright staunch totem poles that stand in front of Blue Agave date back to the 1930s when the movie “Rose Marie” was shot at Emerald Bay. Tahoe Inn Owner “Pop” Bechdolt catered the food for the cast and brought back these props, which remain in front of the Blue Agave today. For more information go into the restaurant and look at the pictures and read more of the story on the wall.

North Tahoe Arts scarecrow 380 N. Lake Blvd.

In front of the North Tahoe Arts Center, a wooden sculpture beckons visitors inside to gaze and shop for art pieces made by local creators. The sculpture was created at least a decade ago by a resident participating in a Scarecrows on Parade event sponsored by the Tahoe City Downtown Association.

Truckee River Raft Company mural 185 West River Road

Driving into Tahoe City from Highway 89 heading eastbound, a full size mural on the side of the Truckee River Raft Company shows a scene of people having fun on the water on (likely) a hot summer day.

There are rumors about how long it’s been there and who painted it, but what we do know is that Nick Fuller bought the building in the 1970s and converted what was once the 76 Station into the popular rafting company. He died in 2008 and his three children now run it. One of them can verify that it’s been there since at least 2002.

Tahoe Cross Country Center totem; Penny Bear; Truckee Rafting Co. mural; Tahoe City Big Tree sculpture; Totem poles in downtown Tahoe City.

Bridgetender Tavern Gatekeeper 65 West Lake Blvd.

The Bridgetender Tavern originally opened in 1977 and moved across the street to its current location next to the Truckee River bridge in 2002. The tavern’s general manager, Patty, says that she always remembers the wooden sculpture being around, and at least during the last 36 years that she’s been there.

The bridge tender/gatekeeper “definitely tended the bridge and always had his pipe and fishing pole,” she says. Bridgetender staff gives him a new coat of paint every year but I think his fishing pole has been retired.

West Shore Galis Dungals Sugar Pine Point & D.L. Bliss

On a visit to Sugar Pine Point State Park in Tahoma, be sure to stop by the Visitors Center and climb into the traditional Washoe winter shelter otherwise known as the galis dungal. Shelters were made by stacking poles, brush, bark and animal hides into a tent formation to keep Indian Americans safe from Tahoe’s blizzardy winter weather. A galis dungal is also located at the start of the Balancing Rock trail at D.L. Bliss State Park, which reopens in late spring.

December 9-15, 2020 THE MAKERS

C R O S S WO R D P U Z Z L E , C RY P TO Q U I P A N D A N S W E R S A R E L O C AT E D O N PAG E 15 .

Truckee River

Horoscopes

Truckee River Sewer Pipe 1 mile from the Lake Tahoe dam

Sagittarius (Nov 21-Dec 21) An enthusiastic and expansive cycle continues. Things have probably been pretty tough these past months. Positively, you are coming around a corner which will inspire your commitment to the future with a whole new attitude of determination.

Themes of truth and justice will play a major role. Be on the watch for a reversal of previously held views.

Capricorn (Dec 21-Jan 19) Taking some time out is a good idea right now as much as you can. There are indications that your social network is quite stimulated and that you are also extra busy close to home. As well, this is generally an expansive time that requires extra energy. So, do what you can to surrender to the need to recharge your batteries.

Sierra Valley Barn Quilts

Olympic Valley The Village at Squaw Valley The Village at Squaw Valley has fountains, statues and sculptures all around, some easier to find than others. Next to Rocker restaurant and across from The Slot, a Snowshoe Thompson statue pays homage to the Tahoe’s original Sierra Viking. Walk toward the tram and next to it you’ll see a tall wooden sculpture of kids playing carved out of stump. Head toward the KT-22 chairlift and at the top of Eagle’s Nest, the rock formation that juts out from the top of its peak, there’s a large metal eagle that was created by Hansi Standteiner. It is accessible to view year-round and was built as a memorial to the late Shane McConkey.

Le Chamois is also a popular place to hang out after spending the day on the slopes. Sit in the Adirondacklooking chairs made of snow skis around a fire pit that has metal sculptures in it to help distribute the heat.

In the grassy area behind the bar sits a retired bullwheel from the Squaw Peak lift used to help transport skiers and riders up to the top of the mountain. Weighing 10,000 pounds of cast iron steel, it used to be the largest bullwheel of its kind in North America in 1949. 

AIR

WATER

Gemini (May 21-Jun 21) Looking back over the past few years, you will probably notice that you have changed a lot. These changes include specific relationship dynamics. Yet, it is your perceptions and attitudes in particular that have shifted. You will notice that you are more sober and perhaps less patient with people and circumstances that you feel are no longer in alignment.

Cancer (Jun 21-Jul 22) You have been dealing with more than your share of challenging people and circumstances over the past many months. At worst, you feel confused and frustrated without a clear sense of direction. Positively, you are committed to making the changes you feel you must do to succeed. Yet, you will have to dig deeper than you have for some time to do so.

Aquarius (Jan 19-Feb 19)

Eddy partners with Airblaster Airblaster apparel has partnered with Tahoe artist Hannah Eddy to feature her artwork on their clothing and gear.

Eddy uses colors and a lighthearted illustrative style to evoke playful interactions with nature.

Bullwheel sculpture in front of Chamois.

EARTH

Michael O’Connor, Life Coach Astrologer | SunStarAstrology.com

Those who’ve ever rafted the Truckee River years back may remember the piles of sticky gum that was stuck to bottom of the sewer pipe just outside of Tahoe City as they floated toward River Ranch. In 2015, the Tahoe City PUD decided to do something about the eyesore and enlisted the help of Tahoe Public Art and artist Stephane Cellier from Virginia City to repaint the pipe depicting something much more pleasing. Now rafters can enjoy the view of what looks like an aquarium filled with fish on the 38-ft. pipe.

Spread throughout Sierra Valley from Sattley to Loyalton, one may notice the beautifully rugged barn quilts that add a touch of color to homes, restaurants, businesses, barns and more while honoring Sierra Valley’s history. Barn quilts are generally 2’x2’ but can be customized in any size or any design; visit svbarnquilts. org for more information or to download a barn quilt tour map.

FIRE

Eddy’s “Everybody Surfs” print created for Airblaster can be found in the Classic Ninja Suit and Hoodless Ninja Suits for men and women, as well as the Stretch Freedom Suit for men and women, the Youth Freedom Suit, the Hoody and Tech Jogger Pant, Bruiser Jacket, Air Goggle, and multiple face masks and headwear. | hannaheddyart.com, myairblaster.com

“Once Upon A Quarantine”

Contending with a steady flow of new information is in the spotlight. This has likely been true all year. And it has been extra challenging to feel confident about it, all the while. In short, progress has probably now been quick, steady, and straightforward. However, that is about to change. Jupiter and Saturn entering your sign within days will serve to catapult you forward.

Pisces (Feb 19-Mar 20) The focus has shifted to your public and professional life. This includes getting the attention you want and feel you have earned and deserve. It is extra important that you initiate projects now; those that you want to continue working on for the coming years, let alone months. Hesitation now could prove costly in more ways than one.

Aries (Mar 21-Apr 20) You are in an enthusiastic mood. Taking pioneering leads implies a venturesome approach. Government imposed blocks and delays continue and must be contended with, making things hard for many the world over. While this will continue, there is a revolutionary reaction rising. Safeguarding your financial interests is a top priority as realism vies with philosophical reflection.

Taurus (Apr 20-May 21) Keeping things practical, circumstances have and continue to push you to purge all non-essentials.

Taking this streamlined, pragmatic approach is a feature of a steadily emerging ambition to expand your professional front. A big charge of energy is building and will directly support your resolve to succeed.

Leo (Jul 22-Aug 23) This creative cycle you are in is building momentum. It does involve a learning curve process that does require your full attention. Fortunately, you are in the mood to forge ahead, confront whatever obstacles necessary, and breakthrough. The most basic and important measure is to begin and, thereby, establish a momentum. Doing so will increase your chances of success, measurably.

Virgo (Aug 23-Sep 22) Noticeable shifts and changes on the home front are underway and keeping you busy. These may not so much be on your residence specifically so much as where the activity is occurring. The emphasis is upon both completing projects started in the past and redirecting your efforts to result-oriented activities. New financial ambitions are a core motivating factor.

Libra (Sep 22-Oct 22) Securing your financial future is extra important. To this end, you are ready and willing to take calculated risks. Of course, you are hardly alone regarding the stress factor. Contending with others is also posing its own challenges. Rather than oppose them, try to engage their energy to make use of it.

Scorpio (Oct 22-Nov 21) Diversifying is a central theme now and this will probably, yet not necessarily solely include financial interests. Circumstances are pushing you to pull some stops. This may amount to a process of reinvention.

Doing so will require you to make extra efforts and to pay your dues, one way or another.

released

South Lake Tahoe author M.C. Behm has released the new kids’ book “Once Upon a Quarantine” to benefit the Boys & Girls Club of Lake Tahoe. It was written early on during the author’s 2020 home isolation “amidst a backdrop of schoolwork-hostage negotiations, toiletpaper-maximization tutorials and deeppantry-diving dinners,” according to the author. The book was illustrated by Swapan Debnath.

“Once Upon a Quarantine” is a story about a virus monster, superhero scientists and everyday heroes. It gives parents and educators a child-centered storyline for discussing the Covid-19 pandemic. | behmbooks.com

13

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THE lineup live music | shows | nightlife

festivals | entertainment

SHARE THE GIFT OF

Local Music S TO RY BY S E A N M c A L I N D I N

Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival returns in 2021

Even in the darkest of days, music can shine a light. South Lake crooner Miki Rae’s debut EP, “Of Myself,” was released in June. It is an uplifting mix of sunshine reggae and acoustic indie folk reminiscent of surfy songwriters like Ingrid Michaelson and Jason Mraz. Her simply blissful music offers a vision of hope during confusing and complex times.

“Music is love, so we have to keep going,” says Rae. | mikirae.com Find more local music

at TheTahoeWeekly.com

GARY LYNN FLOYD For some, music provides a purpose for being. Spiritual artist Gary Lynn Floyd of Tahoe Vista put out an album of new songs, “My 88 Keys Vol. 2: Quarantined,” in July as a follow-up to the strippeddown voice and piano bliss of “Vol. 1: Unplugged”.

“When I sing what I sing, it’s about uplifting music that reminds people who they are,” says Floyd. “Now more than ever we have to remind ourselves that we are human beings.” | garylynnfloyd.com 14

MIKI RAE

Songwriting troubadour Darren Senn of Stateline, Nev., shared two excellent folk compositions this summer, “Gone are the Days” and “Winnemucca.” The exquisite story-filled songs deal with innocence lost, good times remembered and world that’s ever changed.

“What makes a good song is a very subjective question,” says Senn. “But to me, if it’s relatable and hits you in the abdomen, then you done good.” | darrensenn.com

The Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival has announced that it will return in July 2021 with performances of “Much Ado About Nothing” and the musical “Mamma Mia!” with performances from July 2 to Aug. 22 at Sand Harbor.

Tickets are on sale now. | laketahoeshakespeare.com

SIERRA BOHNET

DEAD WINTER CARPENTERS

Truckee native Sierra Bohnet is one of our most prolific recording artists. She released her debut EP, “Ëradøn,” in May, followed by provocative singles “Machine,” “Walls Down” and “Monster.”

Her self-produced emo-indie pop evokes other young independent female artists of day such as AURORA, Grimes and Allie X. A slew of professional music videos created by her father, Stephen, represent a high-water mark for the art form in our region. | sierrabohnet.com

Tahoma’s Americana darlings Dead Winter Carpenters put out their latest EP “Sinners ‘n’ Freaks” in April just as the reality of coronavirus was fully setting in.

While they weren’t able to promote the album with a national tour, the new music spread their acoustic love to fans spread far and wide while exploring vulnerable themes of family, fate, love and loss. Of their five studio albums, it’s easily the most honest and authentic work to date. | deadwintercarpenters.com

ERIC LUNDHOLM Folk rocker Eric Lundholm of Northstar dropped his debut EP, “Broke Ass,” in November. The eclectic assortment of alt-rock, traditional Hawaiian and ambient music represents the life’s journey of fanatical snowboarder who learned to play ukulele as a young boy growing up on Oahu. | Eric Lundholm Music on Facebook

MELTING ELK

MIKI RAE

DARREN SENN

SIERRA BOHNET

hile the Tahoe Sierra is worldrenowned for its natural beauty, it is the special culture of the mountains that often turns frequent visitors into full-time residents. Over time, what first appears to be a region of small towns full of hardcore outdoor enthusiasts reveals a tightknit community of dedicated creatives.

Nowhere is this truer than within the medium of music.

As local musician that’s a member of The Space Heaters and owner of Tahoe City Kayak, Andy Laughlin, noted in our November issue, “Honestly, I’d pit our music scene against any small town of our size in America and I think we’d stack up pretty well.”

Surrounding our beautiful mountain lake are scores of dyed-in-the-wool musicians who spend their hard-earned time outside of work writing and recording original compositions. Some are professional or semi-professional, but for many it is simply a passion they can’t ignore. It makes sense in a region known for attracting those who choose to follow their muse and live the life they love.

As the holidays near, we wanted to feature a handful of local artists who have released new music in 2020. While these folks used to earn extra income performing at our once-plentiful live venues, this revenue stream has all but shut down due to the ongoing pandemic. In that light, consider supporting a local artist by purchasing their music online as a way to share some of the astounding creativity that helps make the Tahoe Sierra so exceptional.

Courtesy Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival

W

MELTING ELK Genre-bending trip-hop trio Melting Elk of Kings Beach released “Quarantine Dreams: Live from the Shibuya Underground” in September. Their singular style is anchored by Collin Wright’s lucid, bizarre and ingenious lyrics full of nonsequiturs, obscure pop culture references and endless visions of cosmic hypocrisy.

“We definitely have a little bit of political angst to us,” says Wright. “We get frustrated about the state of affairs and we feel like [music is] a really nice way to speak on it. … It’s about paying attention to the spaces in between.” | meltingelk.com

The original music of these local artists is available to purchase of most major streaming platforms including iTunes, Amazon Music and others.  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.

DEC. 9-31, 2020 EDITION

December 9-15, 2020 THE LINEUP

T A H O E

Puzzles

These events listed below are being held as of press time, but events may be still be canceled, so check in advance for schedules. Distancing guidelines remain in place and masks are still required in Nevada and California.

For the most up-to-date information, visit the Events calendar at TheTahoeWeekly.com.

“Purple Mountains” film

Reno Santa Pub Crawl

Ongoing | Virtual | purplemountainsfilm.com

Dec. 12 | Area venues | Reno, Nev. renosantacrawl.com

Until Dec. 12 | Virtual | farwestnordic.org

Run with Rudolph

Home for the Holidays with Reno Phil

Dec. 12 | Western Nevada College | Carson City, Nev. | ascentruns.com

Until Dec. 25 | South Lake Tahoe business.tahoechamber.org

Truckee Tahoe Community Chorus “Here We Come A-Caroling” Until Dec. 31 | Virtual | truckeechorus.org

Santa and Mrs. Claus Until Dec. 31 | Heavenly Village | South Lake Tahoe | theshopsatheavenly.com

AVA Ballet’s “The Nutcracker” with Reno Phil Until Dec. 31 | Virtual | avaballet.com

Griswold Challenge Holiday Light-Decorating Contest Until Dec. 31 | Area venues | Sparks, Nev. 39northdowntown.com

Tahoe Backcountry Alliance’s Backcountry Film Festival benefit Until Dec. 31 | Virtual | winterwildlands.org

Shop Local Scavenger Hunt Until Jan. 3, 2021 | North Lake Tahoe venues | Goosechase app

Holly Arts Show Until Jan. 7, 2121 | North Tahoe Arts | Tahoe City | northtahoearts.com

Lake Tahoe Dance Collective’s “Tahoe Nutcracker”

Christmas Craft Fair Until Dec. 23 | Carson Mall | Carson City, Nev. | Carson Mall on Facebook

Reno Wind Symphony “A Holiday Celebration” Dec. 12 | Virtual | renowindsymphony.com

Sierra Speaker Series: Forlorn Hope Expedition Dec. 12 | Virtual | sierrastateparks.org

Joyful Noise Dec. 13 | Virtual & Carson City Community Center | Carson City Symphony on Facebook

Jagged Live in NYC: A Broadway Reunion Concert Dec. 13 | Virtual | pioneercenter.com

Tahoe Backcountry Safety Awareness Week Dec. 14-18 | Virtual | takecaretahoe.org

Tahoe Institute For Natural Science Christmas Bird Count Dec. 15 | Area venues | tinsweb.org

Reno TubaChristmas Mid-December | Virtual | tubachristmas.com

Nevada Gay Men’s Chorus Holiday E-Xtravaganza Dec. 18 | Virtual | nevadagmc.org

Santa’s Workshop’s Got Talent

Dec. 10-25 | Virtual laketahoedancecollective.org

Dec. 18-19 | Virtual Santa’s Workshop’s Got Talent on Facebook

Fa La La Fridays

Reno Jazz Orchestra Holiday Variety Shows

Dec. 11 & 18 | Downtown Carson City, Nev. downtowncarson.org

Santa’s Drive-Thru Christmas Dec. 11-24 | V&T Eastgate Depot | Carson City, Nev. | vtrailway.com

Zooming Through the Holidays with Tintab Chamber Ringers

Dec. 19, 20 | Virtual | renojazzorchestra.org

Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival’s “The Snow Must Go On” Dec. 20 | Virtual laketahoeshakespeare.com

Ten Days of Magic

Dec. 12, 13 | Virtual youtube.com/tintabulations

Dec. 24-Jan. 2, 2021 | Ritz-Carlton, Lake Tahoe | ritzcarlton.com

V&T Candy Cane Express

Full Cold Moon Snowshoe Tour

Dec. 12, 13, 19, 20 | F Street | Virginia City, Nev. | virginiatruckee.com

Dec. 30 | Area venues tahoeadventurecompany.com

Hocus Focus differences: 1. Earring is missing, 2. Box is closed, 3. Doll’s dish is missing, 4. Cabinet handles are added, 5. Mom’s collar is different, 6. Girl’s shirt is stained.

Light Up the South Shore: Holiday Lights Contest

CryptoQuip

Until Dec. 25 | Virtual | renophil.com

I suppose you might call the person in charge of a robbery the commanderin-thief.

Far West Nordic 2020 Auction & Raffle

15

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EAT &drink

Tahoe Bloody Mary Festival

food & libations | recipes | delicious events

coming in June

The first Tahoe Bloody Mary Festival will take place in June 2021 at the Heavenly Village to celebrate the most beloved brunch cocktail. The festival will bring together the best Bloody Marys made by local bartenders from Reno to Tahoe, and attendees will taste them all before voting for the coveted Tahoe Bloody Choice Award and the $1,500 prize. There will also be awards for Best Local Beer and Best Local Jerky.

The festival will also feature tastes from local food and beverage companies, music, photo ops and a panel of expert judges add to the day’s festivities. | Tahoe Bloody Mary Festival on Facebook

Takeout Tahoe launched

Tahoe’s food insecurity A T A L L- T I M E H I G H S TO RY BY P R I YA H UT N E R | P H OTO S C O U R T E SY S I E R R A C O M M U N I T Y H O U S E

A

s the COVID pandemic lingers and moves into the winter, food insecurity in the Tahoe Sierra is at an all-time high.

Coupled with increasing job losses, illnesses and the rising cost of food, the need to feed families is greater now more than ever.

According to the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, 35.2 million people lived in foodinsecure households in 2019. Due to the pandemic, more than 50 million people may now experience food insecurity in 2020, 17 million of which are children, according to Feeding America, a hungerrelief organization.

The North Lake Tahoe Resort Association recently launched Takeout Tahoe, an initiative designed to support and promote local restaurants through fall, winter and beyond. The campaign includes a downloadable guide to help visitors and locals alike navigate restaurant options in the region, a North Tahoe EATS Facebook Page and a contest element that will award winners with restaurant gift cards to further support eating local.

Bagged lunches for distribution.

“ Since mid-March, Sierra Community House’s Hunger Relief Program experienced a 216 percent increase in the number of community

Remember to Leave No Trace by:

members served.”

• Using proper trash receptacles and make sure all garbage ends up inside.

If a trash bin is full, find another bin.

• Packing it in, pack it out — bring a reusable bag to store your waste.

• Being mindful of food storage — don’t store food in a car • Adhering to trash regulations. Use bear boxes and make sure to lock it.

The NLTRA will also be giving away $150 in North Lake Tahoe restaurant gift certificates to one lucky winner in December.

Take the receipt from a local purchase to the Tahoe City Visitors Center to be entered to win. | gotahoenorth.com

Restaurant group launched The new North Tahoe EATS! group on Facebook recently launched to provide a resource for North Lake Tahoe restaurants and eateries and food connoisseurs.

The group is open to everyone and is part of an initiative by the North Lake Tahoe Resort Association to promote local eateries. | North Tahoe EATS! on Facebook 16

–Laurel Howe A volunteer wraps a pumpkin pie for the holidays.

The Tahoe Sierra has also seen an uptick in people experiencing food insecurity, and several organizations are working tirelessly to help feed people in need and ensure they have access to nutritious food.

“Since mid-March, Sierra Community House’s Hunger Relief Program experienced a 216 percent increase in the number of community members served,” explains Laurel Howe, Hunger Relief Program coordinator of Sierra Community House. “Before the COVID-19 crisis, we were serving approximately 180 households per week through our food assistance programs. The initial stay-at-home order and subsequent economic closures resulted in 600 community members registering for our home delivery program. Many of these community members were seeking our services for the first time.”

Each week volunteers help pack and deliver meals to community members. The meal delivery service before COVID was only a small part of their program and intended for people that couldn’t make the in-person distribution, but since COVID they’ve expanded their delivery services.

“We’re running around l00 to 200 percent increase in services. I think that shows a lot of the issues in our community and our reliance on the service industry.

When tourism, restaurants and ski resorts shut down, it is a huge impact,” says Howe. “We expect registration numbers to increase substantially as we enter the next peak of COVID-19 and begin to see further economic restrictions for local businesses and ski areas.”

Sierra Community House manages 122 volunteers for its Hunger Relief Program.

Drive-through distributions are available Mondays in Tahoe City, Tuesdays in Truckee, Wednesdays in Kings Beach and Thursdays in Incline Village and no one is turned away.

The Truckee North Tahoe Emergency Warming Center in Truckee is another resource for the food insecure. Currently operating out of the Veterans Hall in downtown Truckee, the center offers day programs year-round and is open most nights when the weather is severe during the winter months. Providing nutritious meals is one of the services it offers.

“There’s plenty of crappy food available, like cookies and chips, but we’ve made it a point when we were preparing meals and serving food in the warming center that we wanted to provide, a home-cooked meal using nutritious ingredients,” explains Cathie Foley, program director of the Emergency Warming Center. She acknowledges that organizations like Sierra Community House,

the Boys and Girls Club, and the Sierra Relief kitchen have been instrumental in feeding people in the community.

The Warming Center also gets support from Sierra Senior Services, which provides warm, nutritious lunches on the days the center is open and also helps with frozen meals for some of the evening meals.

The Sierra Community House also provides boxes and bags of non-perishables.

There is also currently a fundraising campaign for the Warming Center that is in need of donations.

“We serve Truckee, Tahoe City, Kings Beach, in addition to a sliver of El Dorado County, and Washoe County, Crystal Bay and the edge of Incline Village,” says Foley.

Sierra Relief Kitchen of Truckee also supports the food insecure. The husband and wife team of Danny McCabe, owner of The Station, and Rachel Graf, owner of Tremigo Restaurant, mounted a largescale operation to feed people that needed support in the early months of COVID and at one-point were feeding 1,000 people twice a week. According to Graf the need is tremendous. They’ll be providing meals during the holidays and continuing to prepare meals for individuals in the community. They also support the warming center. The Tahoe Food Hub is another organization supporting efforts and host a program to encourage its clients to buy a Giving Box to donate to those in need.

Sierra Senior Services is also providing meals to seniors in North Lake Tahoe and Truckee, and El Dorado County provides meals to seniors through the South Lake Tahoe Senior Center.

On the South Shore, the Tahoe Coalition for the Homeless provides a Warm Room for people in crisis that is open for 3 to 4 months during the winter. The organization provides food and shelter and a myriad of social services. The shelter operates on a first-come, first-served basis and generally serves a maximum of 30 individuals.

December 9-15, 2020 EAT & DRINK

“South Lake had a significant population of residents experiencing food insecurity before the pandemic started and has seen that need grow over the last year.

As folks experience job loss, housing insecurity, and changing family dynamics, their access to healthy and affordable food has changed,” says Emma Neville, operations director for the Coalition for the Homeless. “Our clients now have additional access to healthy food options throughout the week. Many of our medically frail and elderly clients rely on these community meal and meal delivery options throughout the week. These amazing partner agencies haven’t let the pandemic slow them down and continue to ensure our South Lake families are fed in a safe and healthy way.”

Bread and Broth is a South Lake Tahoe nonprofit organization that provides food for families in need. According to Carol Gerard, director of Bread and Broth, the organization feeds 380 children weekly, distributes food bags to more than 600 people, and provides 108 bags of foods that don’t require preparation for people that don’t have kitchen facilities. Food bags are filled with vegetables, proteins, fruit, milk, eggs and butter. Bread and Broth also provide staples like canned goods and non-perishables.

“That’s over 1,000 people a week that receive food,” explains Gerard. She acknowledges that the number of people the organization serves has increased exponentially since the pandemic started.

“We are touching people’s lives with three to four days’ worth of food,” explains Gerard.

The need is great. Donations are critical to these local organizations now more than ever and volunteers are always welcome.  Priya Hutner is a writer, personal chef and workshop facilitator. She is the owner of the Seasoned Sage, which prepares organic artisan meals for dinner parties and events. She also offers in-home cooking classes, parties and local pop up dinners. As a breath meditation teacher and long-time yogi, she facilitates workshops and classes that focus on gaining a deeper awareness of self. Send story ideas to priya@ tahoethisweek.com. | (772) 913-0008, pria78@gmail. com, seasonedsage.com

RESOURCES Bread and Broth breadandbroth.org Sierra Community House sierracommunityhouse.org Sierra Relief Kitchen sierrareliefkitchen.com Sierra Senior Services sierraseniors.org Tahoe Coalition for the Homeless tahoehomeless.org Tahoe Food Hub Giving Box tahoefoodhub.org

Truckee North Tahoe Emergency Warming Center Truckee North Tahoe Emergency Warming Center on Facebook Fundraiser: truckeeewc.networkforgood.com

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

Beef Stew EST. 1985

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

THE SOULE DOMAIN

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CREATIVE AMERICAN DINING

eef stew is a hearty, affordable and delicious dinner that is perfect for winter. It can be prepared on the stove or in an Instant Pot or slow cooker. What I love about this stew is you can add additional ingredients not listed in the recipe.

Vegetables like kale, turnips and string beans, for instance, are a great addition to this recipe. This stew is also great served over rice or egg noodles. 

Open from 5:00-7:30 TAKE OUT SPECIAL

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Valid through Fri., Dec. 18.

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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 re-strictions. She is also working on a series of cookbooks. Visit her website at TheSeasonedSage.com or contact her at priya@theseasonedsage.com.

BEEF STEW Serves 4-6 2 3-lb. boneless beef chuck, cubed in 1½-inch pieces 3 T olive oil 1 large yellow onion, rough chopped 2-3 cloves garlic, sliced 3 large potatoes, cubed into 1-inch pieces or 2 cups small red potatoes quartered 3 carrots, peeled & cut into 2-inch pieces 2 stalks of celery, sliced into ½-inch pieces 3 parsnips, peeled & cut into 2-inch pieces 1 C of mushrooms, wiped off & cut in half 3 C beef broth ¼ C red wine 1 can diced tomatoes 1.5 t salt 1 t pepper 1 bay leaf 1 rosemary 1 t thyme ¼ C fresh parsley 1 C frozen peas (optional)

Sear the cubed beef in olive oil in Dutch oven or large pot. Sear the beef in batches and do not crowd the pot.

Remove the seared beef and set aside.

Sauté onions for 5 minutes, add garlic and sauté for another minute. Add wine and beef stock and stir to scrape bits from bottom of pan. Add spices and tomatoes, return the beef to the pot and cook for 45 minutes.

Add all of the vegetables (except peas if using) and cook for another 30 to 45 minutes or until vegetables are tender yet al dente. Turn off heat, add defrosted frozen peas and parsley at the end and let sit in stew and steam cook for 5 minutes.

Salt and pepper to taste.

INSTANT POT Set on sauté. Sear beef and then remove from the pot and set aside. Add onions and sauté for 4 to 5 minutes, add garlic

Sierra Community House Food Distribution We’re delivering perishable food bags weekly in Truckee & North Lake Tahoe.

and sauté for 3 minutes. Add beef broth and red wine and cook and scape the brown bits from bottom of pot. Put beef back in the pot and add the remaining ingredients (except for peas) and use either the stew function or slow cook for 2 hours.

Add peas and parsley at the end after natural pressure release and let steam cook. Salt and pepper to taste. 

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.

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eon and Shirley Sobon gave each other what must be one of the most unusual 30th wedding anniversary gifts ever – a second winery. This winery, now known as Sobon Estate, joined their holdings in the Shenandoah Valley of Amador County and added not only vineyards and vineyard land for further grape growing, but also added lots of history to the family-owned Sobon wines enterprise.

In 1989, when they purchased the historic D’Agostini Winery, the Sobons knew it was one of the oldest in the state of California. The winery, founded in 1856, is designated as California State Historic Landmark #762. The vineyards contained oldvine Zinfandel and a lot of potential. This was the acquisition that launched the Sobon Estate label, featuring the best wines from its own grapes: Rhone varietals, vineyarddesignated Zinfandels and dessert wines that can only be purchased in the tasting room.

Sobon Estate is located a mere 3 miles from Shenandoah Vineyards where Leon and Shirley got into the winemaking business in 1977. Shenandoah Vineyards was one of the first wineries established in what is now the well-known Amador County appellation that lies between the forks of the Cosumnes River and Big Indian Creek, the Shenandoah Valley AVA. The Sobon’s decision to enter the grapegrowing and winemaking business was well researched. Leon was an established senior scientist with Lockheed Research Lab in Silicon Valley. He’d discovered his gift as a winemaker through home winemaking and yearned for a career doing what he loved most. He and Shirley did their homework on the Shenandoah Valley area and sensed that on this terroir they could grow rich, intensive fruit that would produce unique wines.

When the family, which included six children, made the move in 1977 it was to the old Steiner Ranch outside of Plymouth.

They planted the vineyard and converted the old, stone garage of the ranch into the Shenandoah Vineyards winery. There were some rough patches.

“We were six kids in a big, old ranch sharing a bath and a half,” remembered Paul Sobon, the current winemaker. “Dad did a lot of things himself: managed the vineyard, sold wine, fixed the plumbing, fooled with electrical wiring.” In the first year, they produced 1,200 cases of wine, and the sales strategy was to load up the station wagon and not come home until it was all sold.

Paul saw the winery grow and its strategy change over the years. He started working in the family business as a teenager. When

he graduated from high school in 1980, he decided to travel extensively in wineproducing regions in Europe and Australia studying Australian, Burgundian and Bordelaise techniques of winemaking and grape growing.

He was tutored in situ by some of the best in the Paul Sobon. business: Vincent Fabre of Chateau Lamothe Cissac in Bordeaux, France, and Stuart Anderson of Balgownie Winery in Southeastern Australia. In 1983, he started full time in the family business, with coursework at UC Davis’ Enology and Viticulture Extension programs under his belt. Production was 22,000 cases at the time.

Other family members joined the business they’d grown up around and have grown to love. Robert Sobon applies his college degrees in accounting and business applications as the manager of the accounting and computer operations for the wineries and Tasting Room and oversees other day-to-day operations. Tom Quinn, son-inlaw, handles sales and marketing. Leon has taken on the role of consulting winemaker and Shirley guides business operations.

Paul’s daughter Camille joined her father in opening a nearby winery, Paul J Wines.

Sobon and Shenandoah Vineyards now produce 55,000 cases of wine yearly.

Another 72 acres of vineyards were added in 2013 with the acquisition of a property in Jackson Valley located in nearby Ione/ Buena Vista.

Sobon Estates is known as a premier Zinfandel producer in the area, and its fruit-forward, low-tannin wines are made with Sobon’s own sustainably grown grapes.

The single-vineyard Zins use some fruit from vineyards 70 and 100 years old and feature an earthy, peppery, spicy quality that is reminiscent of Old World wines.

There is something for everyone at Sobon and that is purposeful.

“We want to de-mystify wine,” said Paul.

“There are no wrong answers when it comes to enjoying wine. We tell our tasting room guests to take an extra second and enjoy the aroma of the wine and enjoy the wine with food or as an aperitif.”

The tasting room is open by appointment only. | (209) 245-4455, sobonwine.com  EDITOR’S NOTE: This is an excerpt from the

second edition of the popular guidebook “Wineries of the Sierra Foothills: Risk-Takers & RuleBreakers” available now on Amazon.

All sales support Tahoe Weekly.

the tahoe foodie

December 9-15, 2020 EAT & DRINK

Dine-In

Outdoor Seating

Take-out

Delivery

Catering

Happy Hour

Private Parties

Disclaimer: Due to Covid and changing regulations please check with restaurant for hours and dining options.

This could be YOU

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Anne Artoux (530) 546-5995, ext. 110 anne@tahoethisweek.com

10089 West River St. | Truckee, CA (530) 582-5000 | morganslobstershack.com

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Morgan’s brings you the freshest seafood and produce available. With fresh fish arriving almost daily and locally grown produce when in season you’ll be sure to find something new and delicious. We love traditional East Coast fare; lobster rolls, fried clams, and haddock, and wanted to share these tasty treats with our friends out west. Named Top 24 Lobster Rolls in American on Yelp!

“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. Enjoy pristine lake views from our Tahoe City location or the excitement of the bustling downtown in Midtown Reno.

599 North Lake Blvd, Tahoe City. | 530) 583-3355 1401 S. Virginia St, Reno, NV | (775) 453-2223 fatcatrestaurants.com *Delivery only offered at our Midtown location.

LAKE TAHOE

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

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

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, you simply cannot go home hungry. 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

22 Highway 28 | Crystal Bay, NV (775) 831-3663 | parsleyfresh.com

Sommelier Services

Lou Phillips is a Level 3 Sommelier offering Sommelier Services to a variety of clients including establishing wine collections, representing your collection sale, staff training and more.

Tahoe & Truckee (775) 544-3435 | wineguru123@gmail.com

The Seasoned Sage

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.

TRUCKEE

KINGS BEACH

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.

Lanza’s Restaurant

Global-inspired fresh eats

Parsley, a new meal experience for North Lake Tahoe, is rethinking how you dine. Mouthwatering meals to go! Order food for now and later. Ready to eat or easy to heat. Online ordering is a cinch and pickup scheduling a breeze. We use organic chicken, produce, EVOO and more; wild caught salmon and shrimp, gluten-free soy, eco-packaging.

Louis Phillips

Fine Mexican

Jason’s Beachside Grille KINGS BEACH

CRYSTAL BAY

400 Brassie Way | Kings Beach, CA (530) 546-2191 | spindleshankstahoe.com

Las Panchitas

KINGS BEACH

Parsley

American Bistro

Tantalizing every taste bud from breakfast to dinner, Spindleshanks has been serving loyal diners on the North Shore of Lake Tahoe for 20 years.

Owner and Head Chef Steve Marks sources the freshest ingredients for his American dishes and draws upon the flavors of Asia, Europe and south of the border to make his dishes memorable.

Meal Delivery

The Seasoned Sage is available to prepare dinners for your family, host your next dinner party or cater your special event specializing in themed-dinner parties, Ethnic cuisine, simple elegant meals, healthy organic dinners, or diet-conscious cuisine. We design and create dinners for all occasion and take the stress out of entertaining.

Specializing in Asian Fusion, Vegetarian, Vegan, and Mediterranean.

Truckee, CA (772) 913-0008 | theseasonedsage.com

CRYSTAL BAY / KINGS BEACH

KINGS BEACH

Spindleshanks

Soule Domain

Creative American

Soule Domain’s intimate restaurant deliciously combines style & romance in the cozy dining room. The Soule Domain proudly uses natural, free range, and organic meats and poultry whenever possible. Our local, seasonal produce offers the highest quality of ingredients in our dishes. Chef and owner Charlie Soule brings passionate culinary skills to create twists to traditional dishes while infusing them with influences from around the globe.

9983 Cove St. (Stateline Dr.) | Kings Beach, CA 530.546.7529 | souledomain.com

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