If you’ve never been to Tahoe’s Snowfest celebration than you have to come check it out. If you have attended it then you need to come back and see all the stuff you missed last time. Snowfest is that big and there’s so much going on that takes a few years to catch it all.
It’s been around since 1982 and has grown each season, shedding some events to add others that are more fun. This year, some smaller events start before the big Torchlight Parade and fireworks at Squaw on Friday, March 5. But this parade is truly an experience and a large draw. One of the new gigs is an ‘80’s Retro Dance Party at the Cornice Cantina in Squaw’s parking lot right after the torchlight.
The next day it jumps into more downhill action with the Transworld Snowboarding Magazine TransAm and the Sick & Twisted Freestyke Tour / Rail Jam. But my favorite things to attend on that first Saturday are the Pancake Breakfast and Tahoe City Snowfest Parade. Since I’ve been here too long I don’t know how this sounds but: the coolest thing in the parade are the loaders hoisting and moving their huge buckets all over the place – actually the most impressive part to me is that half of them are run by twelve-year-old kids! Also on Saturday is the Polar Bear swim at GarWoods – brrrr!
On Sunday you can watch or sweat your pancakes off during the Great Race from Tahoe City to Truckee. This is for insaniacs with ski poles and my strangest friends usually partake. It’s one of the biggest races of its kind in the West. Then there’s the Dog Pull (ever seen a Chihuahua pull a keg in a sled? I didn’t think so.), Human Bowling and the Sunnyside Luau.
So these are the first three days of the 10-day celebration. For more check out the Snowfest website and especially the event schedule. See you somewhere!!!
This weekend one of Granlibakken’s semi-neighbors plays host to one of the best ski events to hit Tahoe: the Alpine Meadows Telemark & Freeride Festival.
The Buttress at Alpine Meadows - Venue for Day 2 of the telemark steeps contest
This event is great because it includes a classic steeps contest with a great viewing area (you need to be onthe mountain to see it, i.e. have a lift ticket, etc.!). The it has an awareness raising / backcountry skiing component where people race UP the entire mountain using specialized gear then ski down to a simulated avalanche zone to find buried ‘people.’ It concludes with a no-holds-barred winner-take-all downhill race and a big bash. For more info go to Alpine Meadows’ website.
It’s not an outlaw. It’s not a rebel. And it’s definitely not the bad boy. It’s just Homewood.
Accustomed to operating below the national media radar, little ‘Homie’ has the inconspicuous feel of a forgotten prom date wedged between the King and Queen of the class. But while Tahoe’s ‘finer’ resorts try to serve eggs benedict every morning, Homewood’s got its shirt sleeves rolled up to dish out mama’s tasty home fries.
This is not only the closest ski area to Granlibakken (except for The Big G’s own little hill!) but it is the best one for the biggest, closest views of Lake Tahoe. There are some mellow runs where you look up from your ski tips to see piers, mooring fields and mile after mile of big blue lake – it’s awesome. I am not big into resort stickers but I have one of theirs on my rig.
Because Homewood faces east it is sheltered from the high winds that come with Sierra storms. Heavy clouds get hung up on the higher surrounding ridges and unthinkable piles of snow bury this 1260-acre ski area. Also, it is entirely below the tree line and has almost 600 acres of glades so visibility (and conditions) during near-whiteout conditions is actually good.
The great Homewood irony, though, is this. The West Shore of Tahoe lies about 200 yards from its lowest ski runs making for the region’s best lake views. But like a blindfolded sultan at a bellydancing championship, the views for skiers are lost on these epic storm days.
So no matter what day you go to Little Homie chances are it will be the most memorable of your ‘downhill’ days in Tahoe. Check it out and don’t forget to swing into the little shop at the bottom for your sticker…
I hadn’t been on cross countries since I was 12. Then, six years out of college and six hours into a keg party it seemed a good idea to go downhill on these tiny skis with no edges. “See you guys where the road meets up again below.” We pointed straight down from the parking lot and picked up speed steadily. The skis made that queer sound as they accelerated, the plastic scales on the bottom going zip, ziP, zIP, ZIP. Having no idea how to scrub speed, I kept one ski straight and put the other almost completely sideways. I looked back to see my friend Tommy doing the same and laughing madly. Emboldened, we let off the brakes a little bit and started screaming toward the berm that marked a turn in the road and the beginning of the power line run. We hit it at high speed and flew through the air, landing in ridiculously deep pow. As the lights from our friends’ cars approached we stood and waved them down, finished with our cross country ski for the night.
Strapping on freeheel gear is one of the oldest forms of winter transportation. Tahoe has it’s own legacy of telemark skiing that dates back to the mid-1800’s when Snowshoe Thompson carried mail from Placerville to Genoa. The route was a difficult 5-day trudge on 25 pound skis that were made for going across and over mountain passes. But on his return to Placerville the people said he would let the 10-foot long skis pick up speed down the hill, “swaying his balance pole to one side and the other in the manner that a soaring eagle dips its wings.” So cross country led to downhill as it does for many people today who use the sport as cross over training.
Of course, competition is bred from just about anything where humans are involved, and so Tahoe also has one of the most prestigious skate skiing races in the country. Usually attracting over 1000 entrants The Great Ski Race forces hardy souls to start at Lake Tahoe and go over Mt. Pluto then down into Truckee, a distance of 30km (almost 18.5 miles). ”I thought I’d never make it,” said Scott Bevill, a Vermonter, of the grueling 1300’ ascent that greets entrants at the start. The Great Race benefits the Tahoe Nordic Search and Rescue Team and celebrates its 34nd running on March 7.
Granlibakken has one of the most beautiful tracks for XC skiing and it’s expanding the offering to include a little manmade assistance. Cross country skiers can now ride The Big G’s surface lift to the top of the ski hill then continue up to the incredibly beautiful Paige Meadows – incidentally the site of this story’s intro. High peaks, wide meadows and picture-book serenity await - and a beer at the Granlibakken Ski Hut probably does, too….
Touring is something that’s well known throughout the ski world. Usually it requires adapted gear and special skills that help folks reach lofty goals and loftier peaks. Avalanche training, guides and maps are all part of the game. So maybe you don’t have all that stuff nor do you really care about letting a lot hang out just so you can get some fresh air in the mountains. Well, sometimes I feel exactly the same way – like today.
Squaw Valley towers over the Village
‘Backcountry’ is the phrase typically used in the States for going hiking back in the wilds. ‘Sidecountry’ is a newer word used to describe terrain that you can access from a resort’s boundaries. And ‘frontcountry’ is the word we lazier skiers use when talking to those who go after the other ‘countries.’ It makes us feel like we actually accomplished something special – and in front of the right audience it sounds pretty cool. Today my group skied the frontcountry and we did it right.
A classic Squaw frontcountry tour goes from one end of the joint to the other. Squaw (see map) has a ridgeline that’s about 6 miles long with 30 chairs scattered along the way. It starts at the Squaw Creek Resort chair and goes all the way over to Solitude. You must take a lap on Silverado and finally you need to hit Broken Arrow. It takes about 2 hours to get from one side to the other but double that if you want to reinspect some of the gems you find along the way – there are plenty! Just like any classic backcountry tour, this one ends with a Holy Grail at the end of the trail: the Arc Bar at Gold Coast.
Almost 80 inches of snow in December…so far. Almost all Tahoe resorts are open and the skiing is phenomenal. In fact, last Monday (12/7) was one of those rare days when the un-thinkable was sometimes uttered: “is this too deep?!” So Tahoe is doing what Tahoe does best – sucking in big, big storms that roll in and out of this incredibly beautiful lake basin. The last one brought 42” to the top of Squaw in 2.5 days and Granlibakken has one of those picture-perfect white blankets on everything.
Sunny and Snowing...
And that includes the sledding hill which was absolutely ROCKIN’ today! Parents and kids were out in full force to enjoy the best plastic schussing in all of Tahoe. The local Rotary Club and Granlibakken hosted a free sledding BBQ with hot dogs, ice cream, hot cocoa, cookies, hot cider and then we saw the fat man – yes, Santa rode in on a firetruck accompanied by the local high school jazz band. Hundreds of kids and parents gathered at the Ski Hut deck where we had a full concert going while Santa sat on a flatbed and asked the kids what they wanted for Christmas. The whole time there was that ‘Snow-Globe-Snow’ falling from occasionally sunny skies so it was a perfect opener to the season for Tahoe’s coziest resort.
If you want to get in on The Perfection (!), then you should get up here. The midweek ski package is only $109/person for room, awesome breakfast at Granlibakken, and then a full day of skiing at Squaw, Northstar, Alpine Meadows, Sugar Bowl or Sierra-at-Tahoe. Ski packages are available for most of the season, prices vary during holidays/weekends so please call for more info.
You can also spend the holidays here. Granlibakken has a skiing Torchlight Parade with the second-hardest working man in showbiz – Santa Claus. There’s also a Christmas Buffet dinner on the 25th. If you’re booked for that one then get here for New Year’s with dinner and a party plus champagne and dessert. Put it this way: things are happening up here. You can be as active or stationary as you please – the hot tubs are bubbling and the snow is here. See you soon!
Our fingers are crossed for the El Nino winter we keep hearing about. Check out a trailer for the new Warren Miller film “Dynasty”. The Tahoe segment will surely leave you dreaming of snow.
When I was a schoolkid back in Jersey learning about how the US was settled they told us that the ‘crazies’ went to California. I always thought this was a funny idea and that my teacher must never have ventured beyond the Mississippi to come out with a generalization like that. Well having lived here for almost 15 years I would now guess that the guy may have been born in the state and knew it well…
Yes, that is Tahoe. No there's no boat!
Although other parts of Cali let this weirdness come out in all sorts of ways many are social such as scenes you may see in the cities – Bay to Breakers in SF, and Oakland Raiders game, and just about anything that happens in Venice, LA. Well the ‘crazies’ here in Tahoe don’t get too funky out on the streets or at the high school football games. We get weird in outdoorsy ways. One of the stranger ones around is the crew of mutants who surf Tahoe every chance they get.
Powerful Pacific storms and our location high in the mountains can generate pretty serious winds. They can happen on bright blue days when folks are out on the beaches. All of a sudden there’s a rustle in the trees, a subtle wind line appears a couple miles out on the Lake and next thing you know it’s whitecapping just about everywhere. The prime place for surfing on Tahoe is the North Shore. Most of the winds we get are southerly (because of the way storms spin when they approach) so when you let them run rampant over 20+ miles of light water you get an incredible fetch.
Waves here are sloppy in most places although there are some gem spots where it doesn’t even feel windy nor choppy when conditions are right. Generally, though, it’s like a mini-Ocean Beach (SF) with multiple lines of whitewash to contend with while paddling out. There are so many surreal things about the surfing experience on Tahoe and here are a few:
No sharks!
The water is so incredibly clear and fresh that it’s unlike anywhere you’ve ever surfed. You can mistakenly get some in your mouth and doggedly decide to swallow…because you can and it tastes great!
On the coast when winds pick up, it’s over. Here you keep hoping that the wind sustains all day
Even if you surf back east in the snow, it’s even weirder when you look west and catch glimpses of Squaw as it braces for another pounding today which you know means a good pow day tomorrow
When surfing at Sand Harbor on the East Shore you’re directly under the Bear Claw which rises 3000’ out of the Lake. Some of us ski this backcountry-style in the season and seeing it from the water is quite the unique perspective
One of my favorite things about a good surf day at Tahoe (and we had two of them last week) is also one of the elements of a surf break anywhere in the world: people stopping and looking, taking about the swell and how it is there compared to other nearby spots. Some folks living in Tahoe sacrifice things like quality shopping, culture and diversity to be here. For me, not having these regular surf ‘meetings’ is one of the little ‘misses.’ So even if you’re not into surfing but you’re up here when the wind is whistling feel free to pull up your hoodie and get into the chatting circle because having people from out of town ask about conditions is also a part of the worldwide surf meeting….
For many native Californians this may seem a little inappropriate. Heck, even for some Tahoe locals this may be pushing it. I am here to tell you that now is a great time to go boating on the Lake.
Follow That Bow...
True: it’s not even 70 degrees out. True: there’s snow on the high peaks. True: most people have stopped swimming in the Lake. But also true: just about everything goes better with beer…
Well if these things make you absolutely not want to get on a floating craft and make your way across Tahoe, well just give this a read and think of next summer. For the rest of you who are hardy enough, consider hooking yourself up with a day on this incredible, and boat-traffic-free, body of October water.
One of the best things you can do on a boat here at Tahoe is simply cruise around and check out this amazing place. You can mix in other activities like eating and cocktailing at joints where you pull up to their pier. Or you can do boat sports and the like but I enjoy a simple ride to the less-traveled spots. From Tahoe City (near Granlibakken) the most obvious thing to do is head down to Emerald Bay. Although that’s gorgeous let’s save it for next summer…and go where the sun and water are warmer: Tahoe’s East Shore.
The Bear Claw
Point the bow just north of what we call the Bear Claw (long vertical scratches in a huge mountain) and you’ll find yourself at the historic landmark Thunderbird Lodge. This place is a whole essay in and of itself – and actually you’re probably better off ‘touristing’ the place on land. That’s when you get to walk through the tunnels, see the ladder in the pool from a man who had his last fall there, check out the cages for the former owner’s lion and elephant, his waterfalls for unclothed beauty’s, etc. From the water you can marvel at the ‘garage’ which houses the infamous SS Thunderbird.
From the Thunderbird you can putt-putt south along the coastline where the mountains come steeply down into the Lake. The boulders that have bounced down these cliffs rest now in the bottom of the bluest water we have. Snorkeling and swimming around these behemoths makes you feel as though you’re floating among dinosaurs. It’s very cool – and you can get the sensation by swimming for even a minute above them (ie. if it’s too cool to dive in and around). My father-in-law was curious how deep we were at one point. When I told him 25 – 30 feet, he almost laughed at me because it looks like 10. He believed after watching me take a huge breath and dive down, down, down before pushing to come up holding a rock from the bottom and gasping as I broke the surface (and my eardrums).
just another East Shore point
We continued the stroll south and then simply picked a miniature cove and threw out the anchor. We stayed there for over an hour watching osprey fly high overhead and listening to squirrels and small birds rustling in the brush. A simple picnic lunch always tastes best on the water so we feasted on whatever was thrown in the cooler. Oh, and we saw a friend cruising by in his boat so we bummed a couple beers…
Loud motors, shining chrome, tattoos, leather and hair flying in the breeze: sound like a nice way to spend some time in the woods? Heck yeah, it does!
Which is prettier, the Lake or the Harley?
Street Vibrations in Reno has had Tahoe a-hum this week. The bars have been a little rowdier, the roads a little busier, and the poker tables a little richer. This is one of the great things about Tahoe – all kinds of folks can find what makes them happy up here. And for those of us who live at 6200’ it brings diversity the likes of which we haven’t seen since…three weeks ago when we had our regular invasion of Burning Man freaks!
Yes, this is a great time to be on vacation in Tahoe. The sun’s out, the crowds are gone and we have sports back on the boobtube. Also, there are some great acts hitting the bars and especially the Crystal Bay Club. And for you motorcycle-folk, this is prime time because the roads are dry and even though it’s warm, you won’t cook in those leathers.
A father/daughter dance...
The run around Tahoe is 72-miles and although you could buzz the Lake in about 2.5 hours most people make a half-day of it, that is unless they make the mistake of venturing into a casino along the way. Starting in Tahoe City most folks ride until they hit the East Shore where there are some nice pullouts. Along this windy road that traces the shore of a great NV State Park the views are awesome and unlike some other stretches, they aren’t blocked by overbuilt lakefront palaces. A nice stop is Sand Harbor where you can put those toes deep into Tahoe’s unique and fine granitic sand. Continue cruising south and you’ll do the only tunnel on the ride before passing the famous Edgewood Golf Club home of the NBC Celebrity golf tournament. Next you’ll be under the biggest casinos at Tahoe. I recommend stopping at Womack’s BBQ just after you cross the stateline back into California (closed on Sundays). Then you ride the extended South Shore strip before turning north again to hit the gem – Emerald Bay. These are the tightest turns on the route (10mph hairpins) and also the one true knife ridge where a tipped bike could go down either side for 500 feet. There are a few nice parking areas and interpretive signs giving some history of the Lake and its only island. Continue north and you’ll see more of that big blue water before arriving in Tahoma, the farthest south post office on the West Shore. You’ll pass two nice marinas at Homewood then the famous deck of Sunnyside Restaurant, just a couple miles south of Granlibakken. Pull on into the Big G for some rest, maybe a hot tub and you’ve earned yourself just about any sort of dining option you can imagine.
Street Vibrations crowd watching the fireworks
This past week I saw a sleeved (tattoo’ed entirely up one arm) biker giddy as a schoolgirl when he told his mates about the beauty of his circum-ride-ulation of the Lake. This big guy went on to say that he rented a kayak that morning to go back and see the impossibly blue waters of the East Shore. He looked about as likely to ride a kayak as Bill Gates would be burning wheelies on this dude’s Harley – but he did it. And it’s great because while here, he rubbed off on us and the Lake rubbed off on him –I just hope it didn’t rub hard enough to remove any of those tattoos….
Fireworks and Motley Crue - and they say California knows how to party
