Unbelievable

 Where else in the entire world can you go sailing, motorboating, swimming, diving, and parasailing on the purest of high-altitude lakes and still have an entire beach to yourself?!!!

Lake Tahoe History Museum

 In the middle of South Lake Tahoe is the Lake Tahoe History Museum, a fantastic museum devoted to Tahoe history. It has hundreds of cool historical artifacts, many dozens of great displays, books on Tahoe, and much more. I highly recommend that you stop by and plan to spend an hour or two. You will be glad you did.

Want to learn about old Tahoe ships from the early 20th century?

Want to imagine staying at the classic Tahoe hotels from 100 years ago?

Want to learn about Washoe Basket weaving and see actual Tahoe artifacts that go back over 100 years?

It's all there at the museum.

The museum is located at 3058 Lake Tahoe Blvd, South Lake Tahoe.

Because the museum is run by volunteers, the hours are not extensive, typically 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday, Friday, and Saturday.

Visit the website for more information: http://www.laketahoemuseum.org/home.html

Or call 530-541-5458.

I've been in countless museums in my life, and I've rarely enjoyed the experience more than the times I've explored in our local museum.

Classic Western Beauty

In a couple of weeks, there will be vast meadows with millions of wildflowers. On July 4th weekend, we're a bit early. But hiking along the Carson River in Hope Valley is still as pretty as it gets.

Here's a few pics:

That's the east side Steven's Peak. Red Lake Peak is to its left.

We could see lots of minnows in the river. 

Probably large trout, too, as evidenced by multiple fly fishermen.

 

Summer? Or Winter?

 We are just two days from the Summer Solstice. Much of the country is baking in heat.

As I write this Saturday evening, Tahoe is supposed to freeze tonight. There's a 40% chance of precip, and the snow level will drop to 6900 feet, which is our house.

Gotta love summer, right?

Flotation Vests Saved Lives (Again)

Kayaking is such fun.

But even on a sunny day, a flotation vest can save your life.

Last week at Sand Harbor, on Tahoe's East Shore, two kayakers were doing just fine when the wind came up.

Both kayaks capsized. Both kayakers swam to some big rocks that were poking out of the water. Both kayakers were wearing flotation vests (life jackets).

Because Tahoe is so cold, especially in the spring, both kayakers began to suffer from hypothermia. (Which is when you get so cold, your muscles stop working, and you drown.)

Someone saw them struggling and called 911.

The Washoe Sheriff's Office has a patrol boat at Incline Village not far away. They came and rescued the freezing paddlers.

They lived. Why? Because they were wearing flotation vests.

Moral of the story? Stay near shore when you go out on a tippy craft like a paddleboard, a kayak, or a canoe. And ALWAYS wear a flotation vest.

Best Community College In California?

 A company called Niche dot com studies education opportunities across the country. Are they the best there is at this sort of activity? Maybe. Maybe not. Do their rankings matter much? Maybe. Maybe not. But let's just say we wanted to find a good community college for our kid. We might check Niche. 

If so, we'd see that Lake Tahoe Community College is rated #1 in California. And, for a time, #13 in the entire country.

Really? Not some college near Stanford or Caltech? Not some ocean idyll on the Central Coast or next to San Diego? 

Lake Tahoe Community College.

LTCC ( https://ltcc.edu ) is worth checking out. On Tahoe's South Shore in the middle of the town of South Lake Tahoe, LTCC has great facilities a great faculty and is close to everything a kid might love. (Maybe too close.) Boating, skiing, snowboarding, hiking.

Full disclosure: The above photo isn't on the LTCC campus. However it is only a mile away.

As with Sierra Nevada College on the North Shore, we are proud of our educational facilities in Tahoe. Come join us.

18 Tahoe Truckee Reno Athletes At Beijing Olympics!

 We have a surfeit of Olympic athletes from our area. 

Tahoe-area thletes who are currently competing at the Winter Olympics in China are:

David Wise

Luke Winters

Brita Sigourney

JC Schoonmaker

Alice Robinson

Katie Parker

Nina O'Brien

Louis Muhlen-Schulte

Michel Macedo

Maureen "Mo" Lebel

Cody Laplante

AJ Hurt

Hannah Halvorsen

Eileen Gu

Travis Ganong

Keely Cashman

Bryce Bennett

Jamie Anderson

Congrats to these great athletes!

Bald Eagles Soar (And Indicate Environmental Health)

 Back when the Bald Eagle was chosen as our national symbol (Ben Franklin wanted it to be the wild turkey), they were nearly everywhere in the country. 

Bald Eagles always stood out as huge, majestic, gorgeous birds, (up to 14 pounds and an 8-foot wingspan) who patrolled our waterways looking for fish to eat. (Never mind for the moment that one of the eagle's main approaches to obtaining food was to steal it from Ospreys after they'd done the hard work of catching the fish!)

When DDT was first invented in the late 19th century, it became a popular insecticide. As is typical, no one paid much attention at first to potential side effects. Unfortunately, DDT was responsible for decimating bird populations. Bald Eagles were among many species that nearly went extinct. (Not to mention that mosquitos had developed significant resistance to the poison!)

After much argument and hostility toward environmentalists, DDT was eventually banned in 1972. (Why is it always so hard to protect the environment?)

By the time DDT was banned, Bald Eagles had been killed in such great numbers, their survival was touch-and-go.

The first time anyone paid attention to Bald Eagles in the Tahoe Basin, there were only a couple of them.

Fast forward several decades and their numbers began climbing. In 2017, the Tahoe raptor count showed 27 Bald Eagles. In 2021, 42 Bald Eagles! 

Our beautfiful national bird is back. Everyone who spends much time hiking in Tahoe has seen them. 

Hurrah for the eagles!

Awesome Sierra Nevada Field Guide

Last Thursday, I did a book signing at Word After Word books in Truckee. While there, I found a beautiful field guide that I had to immediately buy. I'll explain below in a moment...

But first, we have a sizable bookshelf of field guides, three or four for each of several areas. But it seems that I'm always reaching for certain ones first.

My favorite bird guide is Birds of Northern California by Fix and Bezener. 

My favorite tree guide is Trees of North America by Brockman and Merrilees.

My favorite guide to bugs is the National Audubon Society field guide to North American Insects and Spiders.

The Peterson Guide is great for wildflowers.

Now comes a spectacular guide that, somehow, I hadn't seen before. The Laws Field Guide to the Sierra Nevada is a kind of all-in-one guide.

What's cool about this guide? First, it's got nearly everything in one book. Birds, trees, wildflowers, insects, animals, fungi, fish, reptiles, amphibians and other neat stuff like weather and astronomy information. It's well-indexed and has 2700 color illustrations. The author, John Muir Laws, is an accomplished artist, naturalist, journaler, and teacher with a lot of high-level education from places like UC Berkeley, UC Santa Cruz, University of Montana, and the California Academy of Sciences.

The book is small enough to take on any hike. No longer will I go out into the mountains having left all of my book information behind because I can't carry four or five books.

Does it have everything? Of course not. It's just one book. But it has an amazing amount of useful information.

In addition, the Laws Field Guide has the kind of rich images and information that makes one want to spend evenings reading it.

The book has high-quality paper, printing, and binding. Nevertheless, I imagine I'll wear it out in the coming years.

Are We Inundated Yet?

 Perhaps more than ever before, Tahoe is full. Buried with visitors. Tourists and vacation home owners, hikers, bikers, kayakers, boaters, sailors. Oh yeah, beach-goers. Blame it on the rebound from Covid shutdown.

Wait, considering nearly all of us earn our living from tourists, I said that wrong. CREDIT the rebound from the Covid shutdown.

How to cope with the crowds? Oops, there I go again. How to best ENJOY the crowds?

I've said this before. GET THERE EARLY.

It doesn't matter if you're heading out on a hike or cruise or just going to the supermarket. Getting there early makes the difference between finding what you want and need or not getting it at all.

Yes, I realize that some places don't open early. You could get to the beach early and not be able to drive in until they open. My response is that I'd rather be first in line and wait than come later and be turned away by a 'Parking Lot Full' sign.

The other day, I drove around Emerald Bay at 7:30 in the morning. Nearly all parking spaces were already taken. Solution? Plan to start your hike down to the lake (or up into the mountains) at 6:30. You'll find a parking place, and trail will be much less crowded.

Get there early, you will enjoy our fabulous sights, sites, and weather!

This Earthquake Stuff Is Getting Routine

I was at my computer when the most recent quake hit, two days ago. It was, for us, a whole lotta shakin' goin' on. People who reside near major fault lines would probably scoff at our reaction, considering no building fell down, no tsunamis washed up on shore, no pipelines were severed by shifting land.

The quake was a mile or so below the center of Lake Tahoe. It was close to the location of one of the last significant quakes. Hmmm. Are the Earthquake gods trying to tell us something?

Earthquakes In Tahoe!

 When we moved to Tahoe, we never thought about earthquakes. We knew of course about the major quakes that leveled buildings and freeway overpasses and killed lots of people. But Tahoe was never on the list of places with major risk. So when we experienced our first shaker, we were actually excited. This was what everyone talked about! The lamps teetered, the pictures on the wall went crooked, and dishes "walked" across the counters and shelves.

Since then we've experienced many earthquakes that were significant enough to feel. (For those who don't know, there are hundreds and sometimes even thousands of earthquakes a day across the west, most of which are too minor to feel. We only know about them because sensitive instruments pick up the movement.) 

We've also learned about plate tectonics. The earth's crust is made up of giant plates that are constantly moving. The reason for their movement is not totally understood, but suffice to say that the interior of our planet is a dynamic place, full of movement. And what goes on down below affects what happens on the surface crust.

The main thing is that those crustal plates move in different directions and at different speeds. The intersection of the plates is where the action is. The stresses build up, and, periodically, those stresses are released when the plates suddenly move. Sometimes one plate pushes up against another, and that process builds mountain ranges. Other times, a plate gets pushed down, or sideways. No matter what direction the tectonic plates suddenly move, we feel it as an earthquake.

In the last two weeks, Tahoe has had two dramatic quakes. They haven't caused much damage. But they sure get your attention!

Guaranteed Covid Depression Cure

 I was in the supermarket parking lot and saw one of the employees come out and begin gathering the shopping carts. She was clearly depressed, stooped, bundled up against winter cold, walking with no energy. She looked like it would take a miracle for her not to turn in her resignation in the next five minutes.

She saw a wayward cart over at the far edge of the parking lot and began trudging her way over toward it.

There was a man with a German Shepherd on a very long leash. The dog saw the woman and pulled toward her. The woman saw the dog and veered toward it. The dog and woman met and touched, then hugged, then romped. It took about 60 seconds for the complete transformation.

The woman became joyous and light on her feet. She smiled and gestured, hugged the dog some more. She did a pirouette in her snow boots. She attempted to move away to get the cart, then turned back and went back to the shepherd for another dog fix of love and happiness.

Eventually, she succeeded in separating herself from the dog. As she came a good distance from the dog, she came near me. I couldn't help noticing that the sad woman was now happy. Instead of frowning, she was grinning to herself. She turned for a moment and glanced back at the dog. When she turned back to the cart she was smiling even more. 

It was a profound example of what dogs do for people. A strange dog transformed this woman's life. Maybe for five minutes, maybe for five hours, maybe for five days.

Quiz - Lake Tahoe Volume Compared To Other Lakes

 If you look at lakes on the map of the United States, you'll see five big ones stand out. The five Great Lakes are big by any measure.  Lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, Ontario, and Erie. In addition to surface area, those are the five biggest U.S. lakes by volume as well.

So what lake comes in at number six by volume? A glance at the map shows dozens of possibilities. You know the answer of course, because you're reading my blog.

Lake Tahoe isn't huge by surface area. But it is DEEP, the 10th deepest freshwater lake in the world. And it is the second highest big lake in the world.

As for volume, Tahoe contains 36 cubic miles of water. Nothing compared to Superior. But it's kind of amazing to look at the U.S. map and realize that after the five Great Lakes, Tahoe has more water than any other lake in the U.S.! 

Snow Making Begins

With the nighttime temps dropping below freezing at the lake, it is often much colder at 8000 or 9000 or 10,000 feet. And the November sun is now low in the sky even at noon. So there is little of the sun's heat that reaches northeast-facing slopes. That means that the snow-making machines are being turned on in select parts of the ski resorts. 

As temps, and the sun, drop even further, more of the mountains will be covered in snow. Add in a storm or three and Tahoe skiing will be ready by opening day, which is traditionally Thanksgiving weekend. Just 4 weeks away!

Here's a pic off Heavenly's website. This will rev up your winter-play anticipation!

Sweet Lakeshore Spread, Not Real Cheap

12,000-square-foot house for sale in Incline Village. Includes pretty much anything you would want: 150 feet of lake shore, 1200-square-foot wine cellar, more bedrooms and bathrooms than you could easily count, 35-foot ceilings, 7-car garage, theater, elevator... You get the picture.

As you can see, it's a nice little cottage. 

Oh, yeah, the price is $44 million.

If you're interested, contact Tracy Cutler at Windemere Prestige Properties. (702) 432-4600 

https://traceyallyncutler.withwre.com/

Dame Helen Mirren Steps Out To Vote In Tahoe

There are a good number of actor/rock star/business magnate celebrities in Tahoe. Most of them keep a low profile so that Tahoe remains an "escape" for them. They come and go in vehicles with tinted windows.

Oscar-winning actress Helen Mirren moved here a few years ago, and to many people's delight, she has been vocal about her love for Tahoe. She hasn't hidden herself away. A few days ago, local journalist Kurt Hildebrand caught up with Mirren voting in Minden, Nevada, the town in Carson Valley where East Shore residents go to vote.

Native-born Americans have not always demonstrated the highest voting percentages. Whereas immigrants tend to be more focused on exercising their right to vote (some would say their duty to vote). What a pleasure to have Ms. Mirren step out and join us at the polls!

Here's the link to the newspaper article: https://www.tahoedailytribune.com/news/oscar-winner-tahoe-resident-helen-mirren-casts-1st-american-vote/

Hydrofoil Surfboard? Ultimate Water Toy? Or Serious Water Transportation?

You will see a cool new boat/toy/trend at Tahoe next year.  

It's called an efoil.

Combine a hydrofoil (think under-water wing that supports a surfboard above the water) with a battery-powered prop, which uses the new, techy lithium batteries with their enormous power (think Tesla), and you get an efoil.

The San Francisco Chronicle says Facebook's Mark Zuckerboard has been cruising on his efoil from his West-Shore spread.

Here's the Chronicle article:

https://www.sfchronicle.com/travel/article/This-12-000-electric-surfboard-is-the-latest-15625114.php

There are a few manufacturers. Here are two of them:

https://liftfoils.com/efoil/

https://us.fliteboard.com/

Check out some of the videos on the manufacturer's sites. Very cool.

I'm already imagining a mystery where the killer gets away on an efoil...

Something To Think About Other Than The News

 If you're like me, you go to bed at night and can't sleep (or wake up in the middle of the night), all because our world has been so dominated by constant depressing news, mostly about politicians.

It helps to think of beautiful places. Here are some images to think about in the wee hours...

New High Temp Record?

 South Lake Tahoe is projected to hit 95 today. Ouch. The previous record high for September is 94.

So why is the Basin crammed full of tourists? Because Sacramento and Redding are both looking at 111 degrees. Stockton is 110 degrees. So if you drive up to a mere 95 and go out on the boat or maybe jump in the lake, which, not too far out, could be in the 50s, that'll cool you off!

Enjoy!