White Noise

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White Noise.  No, not the movie.  The type of noise that refers to the random signal with a flat power spectral density. As a normal person you probably know it as the background noise that masks other sounds.  Most people use white noise in order to sleep. If you want the real technical definition, you can check wikipedia.  In that very lengthy description, I found the recent study that finds that white noise improves the cognitive functioning of students with ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) most interesting.  It makes me think of the office staff. . .

In any case, the white noise I’m referring to is the type that comes with spring runoff.  In the mountains, in the spring, we have runoff.  The melting snow hits the creeks and rivers and finds its way to the lake. There are babbling brooks, high water rapids in the rivers, little waterfalls, springs, water everywhere. Also in the spring, the nighttime temperature is warm enough to open the windows.  In Meyers and Tahoe Paradise, at night when it’s quiet, when all the car traffic has died down, one can hear the dull roar of the waterfalls. That’s our white noise.  The sound reverberates throughout the Tahoe Valley.  This year with the snow pack, the waterfalls will last another couple of weeks.  Two years ago with the snow pack, they lasted well into July.

There are two major falls.  One comes down around the Lincoln profile and runs into Coyote Creek.  This one is not really seen, rather it is heard. There are too many trees and boulders in the way. The second is more massive and impressive.  It comes downs from Echo Lake and falls 900 feet to run into the Truckee River.  It can be seen from Highway 50 if you are headed toward Echo Summit.  Once you start climbing up the summit, it disappears from view.

But it’s a cool event that only happens in the spring in all mountain communities.  Lucky us mountains dwellers who get to experience it.

Lake Tahoe Slow Rollers

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Whoo hoo!  It’s time for the Lake Tahoe Slow Rollers Parade.  A combination of Mardi Gras hits the Bike Coalition, the Lake Tahoe Slow Rollers Parade started two years ago in an attempt to 1) build community spirit and 2) get into the Guinness Book of World Records for the longest bicycle parade.  We nearly made it last year, this year there will be better record keeping.

But whether or not we make it into the book, the parade definitely hits the target for building community spirit.  This is one of those events where the community gets involved.  It’s like the old days, when a big storm would hit and businesses would close so skiers could be first on the slopes.  While the Accommodation Station doesn’t close, many other small businesses do, like our plumbers.  We will answer the phone during the parade, but if you need a plumber or an electrician, you may have to wait.

The parade starts at the ‘Y’ on Thursday May 16 at 4 pm, at South Shore Bikes and moves its way to Al Tahoe. The cyclists are accompanied by the South Lake Tahoe Police.  They use the entire right hand lane and they go slow.  Kids of all sizes and ages, parents, adults, everyone in every type of costume cruise along.  And as the Accommodation Station is right on the road, we are right on the route and we get to see just about everyone we know.

So if you want to participate, show up at South Shore Bikes.  And we’ll see you along the ride.

Daffodil Hill

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Last weekend, a couple of us went to Daffodil Hill in Volcano California.  This little gem sits in the Sierra foothills and is about 73 miles from South Lake Tahoe.  It was absolutely beautiful!

Daffodil Hill is a brief event, lasting for a few weeks in the spring when everything is in bloom, usually mid-March through early April.  It’s a great day trip and worth the drive.  Plus you can travel via Highway 88, through Carson Pass and by Kirkwood, which is always fun.

Daffodil Hill is actually a working ranch and has been since the 1870′s. The original daffodils were planted by Dutchman Pete Denzer, in remembrance of Holland.  In 1877, he sold the property to Arthur and Lizzie McLaughlin.  The McLaughlins continued to plant daffodils, as have their descendants, including the children, grandchildren, great, great great, and great great great grandchildren. An average of 16,000 daffodil bulbs are planted each year.  With all those people planting all those bulbs over all those years, the hillside is a visual tapestry during the blooming period.  The planting beds surround the original homestead and there are gold rush era mining equipment and antique farming tools in the mix, in addition to peacocks, two miniature donkeys and a horse, Hannah. Pathways meander up and around, giving a great view to the blooms. The admission is free, along with the parking. Community service groups has concession stands at the entry, food, postcards, etc. Several picnic tables are by the entry for those who want to hang out and eat.

Spring comes alive in the Sierra foothills

Spring comes alive in the Sierra foothills

But when it’s over, it’s over.  We were there on a Saturday. Sunday a big rain and wind storm came through, knocked off all the blooms, and whammo, it closed.  And the next day it went to back to the working ranch that it is.

Daffodil Hill is located at 18310 Rams Horn Grade, Volcano, CA.  During the spring, it is opened Monday through Sunday, 10 am – 4 pm, weather permitting.  If you’re concerned about whether or not it might be open before you make the drive, it’s best to call 209.296.7048.

Daffodils carpet the hillside

Daffodils carpet the hillside

 

U.S. Freestyle Championships at Heavenly Mountain Resort

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For the next two years, with the first year starting this weekend March 29 – 31, Heavenly Mountain Resort in South Lake Tahoe will host the U.S. Freestyle Championships. This is especially important for the locals as Lake Tahoe has so many homegrown kids who end up on the U.S. Freestyle Team, which is a part of the larger United States Ski Team. Of course, the locals from the Tahoe Basin who are participating, have several advantages; 1, they know the mountain, 2, family and friends don’t have far to drive, so the support group is bigger.

These participants have gone through a lot of years getting to this point.  Starting young, interested kids find one of the 425 local, or not so local if you’re quite a distance from a mountain, ski club and join.  Kids can obtain introductory education and training, in addition to competition.  And they grow up through the system from there, going through the regional, then divisional levels.  These levels lead up to the national and international events. The points they earn through this process determines the makeup of the US national teams, which compete at the World Cup and Olympic level.

Although this weekend’s event is about freestyle, aerials, moguls, and dual moguls (you know, the cool and exciting stuff), the US Ski Team includes several types of skiing; alpine, adaptive alpine, cross country, adaptive cross country, ski jumping, and Nordic combined.  The Team operates under the United States Ski and Snowboard Association (USSA).

So, for us in the Lake Tahoe area, it’s really fun to know that the kid next store, who is currently skiing on the Junior Olympic circuit, has a great chance to grow up through the various levels of competition and ultimately, end up on the championship podium and world stage.

 

Ah, the Vernal Equinox!

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Doesn’t quite have the same ring as ‘Ah, Spring’, does it?  But that is what it is. The Vernal Equinox actually means something besides the change of seasons.  For those literal minded types, vernal denotes ‘spring’ and equinox mean ‘equal night’.  So, at least here in the northern hemisphere the length of the day is the same as the night.  And tomorrow, the day grows past the night. So longer days and warming temperatures. We know it will snow on and off through May but for right now, it’s spring.

For the rest of us in and around Lake Tahoe, this time means get out the heavy sunscreen ‘cuz it’s spring skiing time.  Several other signs in South Lake Tahoe herald the first day of spring, besides the date.

The daffodil bulbs shoots grow by about 4 inches.  Didn’t see them yesterday, but they’re  up today.  They should be blooming by tomorrow. . .

The glacier in the front yard moves north by about a foot.

Road repair.  Not the full resurfacing hold up all the traffic type of road repair but the smaller, move over a lane to fill in the cracks and crevices so you don’t break your car type of road repair. This type of repair also includes painting the lane lines back in so you know where to drive.

Officially, it really is the first day of spring skiing.  The days may be getting warmer but there is certainly no shortage of snow up on top of the Heavenly Valley Ski Resort.  Even the trees still have snow on them.  Down at the lake, it’s high 40′s.  Up on top it’s in the 30′s.  A perfect day for a perfect day of spring skiing. Take the sunscreen, sunglasses and light jacket.

And if you don’t want to ski, the bike trails that run through the city of South Lake Tahoe are open.  There are ice skating rinks at the rec center in the midtown or downtown in the Heavenly Village. There are lots of activities in South Lake Tahoe, no matter where your interest lies.

 

 

A Super Sunday

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So this weekend is SuperBowl Sunday.  Needless to say, as this is northern California and we are so close to San Francisco, this is 49er territory.  Many will be gathered around their or their friends tv’s, watching the 49er’s win. And yes, that is the prediction.

It is also, as a friend mentioned, a great day to be on the slopes.  Why?  No crowds.  You can have the mountain to yourself.  And if you are lucky enough to spend this SuperBowl Sunday in South Lake Tahoe, you can have the best of both worlds.  With Heavenly in the middle of town, you can hit the slopes in the morning, get in a few runs, and be at the party for the big game by the afternoon.

Whether you are skiing, snowboarding, sledding or just waiting for the game to start, have a truly super sunday.

Traction

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I have new snow tires and I love them.  I’ve really been able to put them to the test this past week since we’ve had rain, ice, snow, and snow again.  Having a front wheel drive car still means having snow tires on every tire, as it is  much more stable.

So around the first left turn, it’s good.  No fish tailing.  Made it through the 4-way stop at the high school.  The whole intersection turns into an ice skating rink when it snows.  The drive home is several miles with a long shallow incline to a sharper incline and a curve at the top.  Coming down this is trickier than going up.  Making the right hand turn to start the climb and voila! There it is, the first spin-out of the season.  A little white truck had taken the curve too fast.  He did a really impressive set of 360s before going over the ditch, through a fence, and landing in someone’s front yard.  He’s lucky he didn’t hit a tree and go through the windshield.  This type of stunt is best to avoid (unless you’re on the slopes of Heavenly and then that’s a whole different story, which you can see here).  But if you’re on the road, try to stay on the road.  It just makes life easier for everyone.

So after this little adventure in driving, it seems a good time to remind everyone of:

 TIPS for Driving in Snow and Ice!

1.  Get REALLY good tires.  It makes all the difference.

2.  Don’t tailgate.  Leave enough room between you and the car in front of you. Stopping on snow or ice takes longer.  The conventional wisdom is too leave 3 x more than normal. That means car lengths, not feet.  So if you drive a foot away from the car in front of you, you can now relax to 3 feet.  If you slam on the brakes, there is a very good chance your brakes will lock, your tires will slide and you will probably spin out and hit some innocent bystander.  When you’re driving at night in a snow storm, it is really hard to see if you are the lead car.  It’s even more difficult with someone’s headlights shining in the rear view mirror.   So if you are behind a car, give them some room.

3. Give yourself time to stop.  This really goes with the above.  Tap the break gently several times to avoid spinning or your brakes locking.  Start slowing down early so by the time you need to stop, you actually can.

4. Drive the appropriate speed for the conditions.  Snow packed roads are better with speed than ice covered roads.  Snow pack can take 35 miles an hour (if it’s daylight and you can see) but ice, ice is really deadly.  You can spin out in a heart beat.  So slow it down.  Be careful around curves.  20 – 25 miles an hour should be ok.  Don’t think,  ‘oh well, I have 4 wheel drive, I can do anything.’  No, you can’t do anything.  Ice doesn’t respect your 4 wheel or all wheel drive.  You’re going to land in the ditch, or worse, the same as any other car.

At the same time, don’t drive too slow.  That’s dangerous too.  Driving 15 miles an hour is a great way to back up traffic and cause hazardous conditions.  If you’re nervous about  driving in the snow or ice, don’t do it.  Stay home or go with someone else.

5.  Don’t try to beat the berm.  When the main highway through Tahoe gets plowed, the plows put the snow in the middle of the road, or the left hand turn lane.  And then it gets removed later.  I can not tell you how many times we watch drivers trying to beat the berm by driving over it and get high centered.  There they sit, spinning their wheels trying to get off it.   Then they have to be rescued from their stupid decision.  Traffic backs up, drivers get angry, accidents happen.  The plows make an opening somewhere along the middle berm so that people can turn left safely. You may have to scope it out a bit, you may have to back track a bit, but it will be shorter in the long run.

A little Thanksgiving

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As we give thanks on this national day of celebration, let us also think of Sarah Josepha Hale.  Who?  Sarah Josepha Hale was the editor of Godey’s Lady’s Book and the author of ‘Mary Had a Little Lamb’.  She is also the author of the modern day version of Thanksgiving.

When we all were in elementary school, we learned (and acted out)  that the first Thanksgiving was held in the the 1600′s (1621 to be exact) with the Pilgrims and the Native Americans.  While there were sporadic Thanksgivings held after that, there was no official holiday.  There wasn’t even an official country.

In 1777, the 13 colonies celebrated a Thanksgiving, although it was held in October.  President George Washington declared Thursday, November 26, 1789 to be ‘the day of public thanksgiving and prayer’, mostly to give thanks for the opportunity to create a new nation.  But it wasn’t until 1863, under the administration of President Abraham Lincoln, that the annual celebration was created.  It was Sarah Josepha Hale who persuaded President Lincoln to create a national holiday with a specific date.  It must have been a great accomplishment for her, she had been advocating for it for 40 years, seeing it as a way to bring the country together and create an atmosphere of hope.  It’s ironic that it was during the Civil War that her efforts came to fruition.  On October 3, 1863, President Lincoln issued a ‘Thanksgiving Proclamation’.  75 years later, President Franklin D. Roosevelt moved the holiday up a week due to a request by retailers who saw the opportunity to increase Christmas sales.  (And didn’t that work out well for them?!). It created a lot of controversy and confusion at the time, but we’re not going to go into that.

That’s a brief history, now here we are at present.  Thanksgiving is more than the day before ‘Black Friday’.  It really is a time to think about your loved ones and the blessings you have from living in this country.  Some of the things people in this office were thankful for:

Not having to worry about whether or not a ceasefire would hold.

Having a roof over our heads and food on our table.

Beautiful weather.

Good health, family, and friends.

All of our fingers and toes and working parts.

Iphones (and Itunes!)

A family member surviving cancer and chemo.

So think about it.  Take a little time.  Breathe in, breathe out, drop your shoulders, your worries, your load.  Give hugs. Count your blessings and be thankful.

10 things to do in South Lake Tahoe if you don’t ski and/or gamble

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1.  Go for a sleigh ride.  Jingle bells, jingle bells. . . Borges Sleigh Rides have been operating in the south shore for a couple of decades. They offer daily sleigh rides from 10 am – sunset, weather permitting.  As the south shore has been blessed with about 7 feet of snow, the weather is positively permitting!  Borges Sleigh Rides are located next to Montbleu  on Lake Tahoe Boulevard at Stateline. They offer wedding packages,  dinner sleigh rides, and fabulous views from the top of the mountain.  Contact information is 775.588.2953 or www.sleighride.com.

2.  Visit the Haldan Gallery at the Lake Tahoe Community College and get some culture. After several years of fundraising through the college foundation, plus help from the state, the 2500 square foot gallery opened along with the new library.   The library is opened Tuesday through Saturday with rotating exhibits.  The gallery also has a hands-on discovery center so you can get involved in the visuals. Contact info is 530.541.4660, ext.711 or Lake Tahoe Community College Halden Art Gallery

3.  Dogsledding! Yahoo!!  Ok, you get the idea. It is a ton of fun and all you do is sit there! What could be better? The dogs are fast, strong and bred to run, they have as much fun as you do.  There are several options for dogsledding in the south shore.  The first is Running Creek Sled Dogs out at Kirkwood Mountain Resort on Highway 88. Contact info is 775.266.4720 or www.Runningcreek.info.  Another is the Husky Express just a few miles down the road in Hope Valley at 775.782.3047 or www.Highsierra.com.  If you want to visit the north shore, there is Lake Tahoe Wilderness Adventures Dog Sled Tours, based out of Sugar Bowl and the Resort at Squaw Creek.  They offer a journey of a lifetime.  Contact info is 530.550.8130 or www.tahoedogsledtours.com.

4.  Go ice skating!  South Lake Tahoe is fortunate in having two ice skating rinks.  The first one is in the downtown area, close to the movie theaters and behind the Marriott. The recreation center has an indoor Olympic size rink. If you don’t know how to skate,  take a lesson. Contact info is 530.542.6262 or www.recreationintahoe.com.

5. Shop.  Ok, you can do this in a lot of places but we have outlet stores plus a unique combination of shops leading from the outlet stores at the ‘Y’ to the downtown area.  I’m sure you’ll find something.  If you just want to look but don’t need to buy, make sure you get a Tollhouse cookie to keep your energy up.  Or stop at one of the restaurants and people watch. That’s more entertaining and cheaper than shopping any day!

6.  Go for a snowmobile ride!  Or drive one yourself!  Sierra Mountain Sports will rent you one, along with a trailer, maps, safety instructions, and helmets. They have maps for trails all over the Tahoe Basin, including Truckee.  Contact info is 1.800.696.7797 or www.tahoesnowmobiles.com.  If you want a guide, try Lake Tahoe Adventures at 530.577.2940 or www.LakeTahoeAdventures.com.  If you are closer to the Nevada side and want fabulous Lake Tahoe views, try the Zephyr Cove Snowmobile Center. You’ll get a great tour and if you plan it right, you can go to the historic Zephyr Cove Lodge for one of their legendary hamburgers with a chocolate shake.  Contact info is 775.589.4908 or www.zephyrcove.com.

7.  While there are not vineyards in Tahoe, there is a winery.  Go wine tasting at Picchetti Winery Tahoe Tasting room.  The winery itself is located on an historic ranch a short drive from Silicon Valley.  The tasting room in Tahoe is a short walk from the lake, across the street from campground, and is open 11 am – 4 pm daily.  Contact info is 530.541.1500 or www.picchetti.com.

Another option is Apres Wine Company, located in the Ski Run Center, 3668 Lake Tahoe Boulevard.  For a truly unique wine tasking experience, 50 wines can be sampled daily. The wine bar also features tapas style meals and over 300 fine wines.  They can be reached at  530.544.9463.

8.  Sledding!  Something the entire family can take part in. South Lake Tahoe has several snow parks and sledding areas.  There’s a snow park at the top of Echo Summit with a groomed area called Adventure Mountain.  The cost is $15 a car, but with 12 groomed runs, an actual cleared parking lot, a concession stand offering gloves, saucers and snacks, the price is worth it.  A snow park is also located on Emerald Bay Road (Highway 89), just past Camp Richardson.  Sledding is also offered at Spooner Summit, free with an actual parking lot maintained by Nevada Dept. of Transportation.  Sierra-at-Tahoe Resort, Heavenly Ski Resort, and Kirkwood Mountain Resort,  all offer sledding hills.  Prices vary with each resort.

9.  Snowshoe!  If you can walk, you can snowshoe!  One of the best things about snowshoeing is that it is easy and makes many places accessible.  Want an easy stroll?  Rent some showshoes and take a walk along the lake where it’s flat. There are many places along the lake available to the public, Camp Richardson, Pope Beach, the Baldwin Estate, El Dorado Beach. Camp Richardson, rents snowshoes and offers groomed trails.  Then after that little walk, you can stroll over the the Beacon and have one of their famous ‘Rum Runners’.

10.  Get some down time.  Grab a book, a glass of wine, sit by the fire, and listen to the quiet.  Watch the snow fall.  Stare at the fire.  Think deep thoughts.  Have quiet conversations about life and love.  Get a massage.  Relax.  After all, you’re in Tahoe.

Changing seasons

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One of the best things about Tahoe is the changing seasons.  And people come here for the seasons. The most popular are winter and summer, but people are really missing out when they skip the other two. Especially fall.

Fall is most glorious in Tahoe.  And it is one of the locals favorite seasons.  The reason?  The lack of crowds. . . No offence. We like visitors, but sometimes we need to miss you.  Like any relationship, it grows stronger with an occasional separation.

But fall . . . the days are warm, the nights are cool, the hiking and biking trails, restaurants, casinos, shows, whatever, are less crowded.  But the best are the colors.  The colors range from red, to orange, to gold, and sometimes purple.  Pack a lunch, you can pick one up from The Cork n More, the Beach Hut Deli, Raleys, Safeway, a number of places. Cruise on over to Taylor Creek or Fallen Leaf Lake and take a short hike.  Or if you want to see more, drive out over Luther Pass (also known as Highway 89) to Hope Valley.  If you take a right at the stop sign and head towards Kirkwood, you will pass through Faith and Charity Valleys and a virtually flourescent aspen forest.

So come on up. Visit fall and her color cousins.