No Matter How Bad, Some places Always Have It Worse

Everyone has seen the photos of the fire approaching Tahoe. It's bad. And living with the choking smoke and uncertainty of whether or not we'll have to flee is difficult. 

Yet Hurricane Ida is hitting New Orleans. 

The wind and water destruction is coming to the Gulf Coast. It can be every bit as bad as fire. I'll try to keep a broad perspective. 

The photos remind us that we're not the only people under assault from Mother Nature. Then again, some people would point out that Mother Nature has been under assault from us for a few hundred years...

Forest Fire Burns Houses And Closes Highway 50 To Tahoe

 It's a very sad day when wildfires burn houses. So far, I haven't heard of anyone dying in the Caldor Fire. We should be glad about that. However, nearly 245 houses and other structures have burned. It's a dangerous and destructive fire. 

The Caldor Fire started near Grizzly Flat, southeast of Placerville, and it is slowly moving northeast toward Tahoe. The smoke is affecting Tahoe and making life difficult for people a long way from the flames.

No fire authority is saying that Tahoe is currently in danger from this fire, although all forest areas are always at some risk.

This isn't just happening in California. In Minnesota, where we are originally from, the northern two-thirds of the state have fire restrictions very much like Northern California, and there are several fires burning in that state. Ten years ago, Northern Minnesota had the Pagami Creek Fire at the Boundary Waters near the Canadian border. That fire burned 100,000 acres, which is more than the current total for the Caldor Fire.

Fire has always been present in the forest. In fact, it's considered an essential part of the forest ecosystem. Many species of plants require fire to open seed pods and pine cones and clear the forest floor to let in sunlight and take out choking underbrush. Many species of animals require those plants that require fire.

When white men began fire suppression in the late 19th century, they put out both human-caused and lightning-caused fires. When I was a kid, "Smoky Bear" was often featured on Saturday-morning cartoon stations. He always warned us, "Only You Can Prevent Forest Fires." 

I grew up learning a clear message: Forest fires were all bad. All evil. They destroyed life. They always needed to be put out.

Thus began the slow buildup of forest fuel that now chokes the forest and practically explodes when a fire is started. (For what it's worth, I wrote my second book about this very problem. TAHOE BLOWUP, which is visible on the left side of this blog.)

Adding to the problem of fuel buildup is the increasing number of houses built in the forest. Unfortunately, when the forest burns, which it always has and always will, some houses will burn as well.

A range of evidence suggests that prior to fire suppression, the Tahoe forest was open enough that one could gallop a horse through the forest. Now, any hiker can tell you that Tahoe's forests are often so dense you would have a hard time walking through them if not for maintained hiking trails.

Takeaways?

There are no easy answers. 

Many fire experts say we need to let forests burn to some extent in order to begin to restore the natural processes in the forest. Where fires would be too damaging to people, we need to clear out excess wood and brush. And that has to take priority over environmental concerns about soil compression and other damage from logging. (A reality check is this simple observation: Protecting the soil from catastrophic burning that turns the soil to ash, which washes away into streams and lakes is more important than protecting the soil from compression and other physical damage.)

And once an area has been cleared of excess fuel, we need to encourage regular low-intensity burns to maintain that low-fuel state.

For ten thousand years or more, the Miwok and other native tribes regularly burned the land, mimicking small lightning-caused fires. They knew that, in addition to producing a healthier forest, regular fires produced greater fire safety. We could benefit by learning from their example.

 

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.

Horses Or Dogs...

 I was giving a talk about my new book TAHOE JADE at Shelby's books in Minden, NV. A woman who is a favorite of mine had come. I knew she worked with horses. So I told her that my new book had a horse theme. She immediately said, "Horses or dogs. Either one does the trick."

As soon as she said it, I knew she was right. We don't all love all people. But it's hard not to unconditionally love a good horse or a good dog.

The fact that they are the most gorgeous of animals doesn't hurt, either!

The Best Way To Enjoy Tahoe Is Not What You Think

Everybody wants to know the best place to stay, the best place to eat, the best beach, the best hike, the best boat excursion, the best view. All good questions. But there is one decision you can make about Tahoe that will affect your experience more than any other.

 

That single choice is this: Don't come in July or August.

Everything you might want to do in Tahoe is available from September through June. Great weather, great experiences, great exploration. But without such a crush of tourists.

On Thursday, I made a bookstore/gift store circuit around the lake, including Truckee. I was checking in at the places that sell my books. As a 31-year local, I know how to go everywhere with right turns for ease of getting through intersections. I know the back roads, and I know where to find parking when all the lots are full. I know the best times for driving.

I've done this more times than I can count. But this trip, I noticed a change. The lake is still gorgeous. The lakeshore communities, especially Tahoe City, Tahoe Vista, Kings Beach, Truckee, and a few sections of South Lake Tahoe are still as charming as any Hawaii beach town.

But there are more people than ever. 

There aren't more hotel rooms. That number is largely capped by the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency. The difference is that the vacation homes and cabins that used to have low occupancy or were vacant are now full with Airbnb rentals. In my neighborhood, for example, we used to have 5 out of 35 houses occupied full time. Now it's closer to 25 or 30 houses occupied full time. 

The pandemic is probably to blame. People who couldn't go to their jobs or their favorite restaurants in the city realized that they had to stay home. In that case, why not make home up in the beautiful mountains?

Add to that the post-pandemic swell of visitors in July and August, and you have gridlock. A visitor who makes the mistake of trying to drive someplace between 9 am and 7 pm will run the risk of running out of gas on the road, waiting in a long line of stopped traffic. And if that visitor gets to their destination, they will absolutely-guaranteed be frustrated that they are fighting hundreds of thousands of other visitors, none of whom can find a parking place, a restaurant that can seat them, a deli counter that doesn't have a line that will last until tomorrow.

Bottom line? If you want to visit Tahoe, you will be much happier doing it from September to June. 

Don't Take Festivals For Granted - Mountain View Was Just Canceled/Moved/Shortened

 We've all done it. We walk through an art & wine festival, look at the art, listen to a band or two, marvel at the crowds, and maybe sip a glass of wine. Maybe even buy a book by a local author.

But we never stop and think of what it takes to organize hundreds of exhibitors, coordinate with the town's chamber of commerce, the police and fire departments, trash collectors, the health authorities, and yes, even the porta-potty companies.

It's a huge job, often thankless, and after months or years of planning, sometimes the permission gets yanked.

For many years, I've exhibited at the Mountain View (where Google headquarters is) Art & Wine Festival. It's been a hugely successful show for 5 decades, drawing monster crowds to Mountain View's downtown the second weekend every September. Apparently, the show was canceled at the last minute.

The organizers scrambled and managed to put together a smaller show over at the CalTrain station and only for one day instead of the usual two.

Like many exhibitors, I wouldn't be able to make a one-day show in a new location work, so I didn't sign up.

Maybe they'll get back to normal next year?

So sorry for any of you who wanted to make the show. The closest I'll be on the peninsula this year is the San Mateo Harvest Festival November 12-14.

Thanks for your patience!

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!

Hot? All Is Not Lost

 Saturday afternoon in Sacramento: Air temperature is 107, heading to a forecasted 111.

Despite the heat, all is not lost if you can get up to the lake.

Saturday afternoon at Lake Tahoe: Water temperature near the shore is 66 - 70 degrees. Water temp in the middle of the lake is in the mid-50s. Jump in and swim down 10 feet, you'll likely hit water in the upper 40s. Do a deep dive the way "free divers" do, you might hit 39-degree water.

Bottom line: If you're boating well out into the lake, it's a good idea to just appreciate the cool air blowing over the water's surface. If you fall in, you will definitely cool off. Maybe too much... Probably too much...

Enjoy!

Plant-Based Burger Grill Test

 Like many people, I think there are few foods tastier than a grilled cheeseburger (or a grilled steak). But when I read an article about how the ranchers who are cutting down vast swaths of the Amazon rain forest are doing it so they can raise cattle, I thought I should consider the alternatives. I'm going to pass on our experiences.

This isn't meant to be a screed about how the world's agriculture business is like the world's oil business, a giant contributor to climate change. After all, I still own gas-powered vehicles, and I heat my house with hydro-carbon fuel. But I imagine that it won't be long before I buy electric vehicles and consider a heat pump to replace the furnace. Likewise, I wondered if I could make a tiny difference by switching to the new plant-based burger substitutes.

Two popular products are Beyond Burger and Impossible Burger. They are 100% made with plants (soy beans and such).

We bought some of each. And we've now cooked multiple variations.

First impressions? They are both quite oily and hard to form into patties that don't fall apart. The Beyond Burger has a less attractive aroma before it's cooked. Although, after it cooks, it's much better. Both Beyond Burger and Impossible Burger stick to whatever they touch (wax paper, frying pan, plastic wrap), and the effort to release the burger for unwrapping or flipping once they are cooking tends to break the burgers apart. 

We added several ingredients, mixing in chopped green peppers, chopped, cooked onions and other vegetables. Another time, we mixed in a scrambled egg to help hold the burger together, and that seemed to help.

We learned that if you put the burger directly on the grill, it tends to break up and fall through. So we cook them on the type of grilling pan that is filled with holes. And we use olive oil on the pan to help keep the burger from sticking.

We cooked the burgers thoroughly enough to get a singe on the surface even though the hole-filled grilling pan makes that difficult. But the pan makes it easier to turn the burgers without them falling apart. We topped the burgers with sharp cheddar cheese, and serve them up with fresh tomatoes and spinach. Along with the Plant Burgers, we grilled corn on the cob with the husks on until the husks are burnt nearly black, which gives the corn a golden quality. Sometimes we grill slices of small zucchinis to add to the combo.

The results? A tasty treat that is absolutely enjoyable. We really like them. After several meals of Plant Burgers, we no longer wonder if they're good enough. They are!

But the key is... Don't think of them as hamburgers! They simply aren't similar enough to taste the same. If instead, you think of them as a new kind of grilled treat, they are very tasty. 

Which is better, Beyond Burger or Impossible Burger? We both thought the Impossible Burger tasted better, and it also smells better before it's cooked. (No small thing, that.)

In addition, knowing that our Plant Burgers don't add to global warming is a real plus. Knowing that one of those charming cute cows we drive by in Carson Valley didn't die for us is also reassuring. 

And there are other small benefits. Whenever you work with animal meat, you have to be extra careful about cleanliness and how thoroughly you cook, for salmonella reasons or otherwise. That concern is largely gone considering Plant Burgers are basically a new type of veggie. We also like knowing that plant burgers don't give us blast of cholesterol in our diet.

Will we abandon beef as a result? We already have. Again, plant burgers don't taste the same as beef. But they're a good substitute with lots of advantages.

Sure, It's Toasty, But Look At The Temps In The Valley

 As Tahoe approaches 90, locals get bent out of shape. Yes, we can always jump in the icy lake. But still... 90 degrees?!

But it's good to remember why thousands of tourists are streaming into Tahoe. It's always 10 or 15 degrees hotter "down there." Maybe even more.

I guess we can't complain.

Come up the mountain, and you won't complain, either.

Back From The (Pandemic) Brink

 The world is slowly getting back to normal. Yay. Book events are coming back as well. The South Lake Tahoe library scheduled me to talk about my new book, Tahoe Jade, on Tuesday August 10 at 6 p.m. As in the past, it will probably be smart to arrive early (5:30?) to get books signed. My talk and Q & A will begin a little after 6.

South Lake Tahoe library audience.

Is this an interesting reading? Or am I droning on and on...?

I've also scheduled several festivals, Harvest Festivals in San Mateo and Sacramento, and the Mountain View Art and Wine Festival. The Candy Dance is pending. Judging from interest, I'll have several bookstore events as well.

I'll post more about my events as they take shape.

Little Free Library

 For writers, libraries are sacred. A really cool development in the world of libraries is "The Little Free Library," an attractive neighborhood display where you can help yourself to a book at no charge and with no obligation. You can also donate a book for others to enjoy. There are no rules and no requirements.

Little Free Libraries are put up by volunteers everywhere. There are now over 100,000 Little Free Libraries around the world.

There are a dozen Little Free Libraries on Tahoe's South Shore, and also two on the North Shore.

If you'd like to find locations or learn about how to put up one of these great attractions in your own neighborhood, visit the website: 

https://littlefreelibrary.org/

Enjoy!