STATELINE, Nev. – Erinn Coleen Miller appeared in the Tahoe Township Justice Court on Tuesday afternoon for a status conference where the state prosecutor and her defense attorney agreed to have her GPS device removed.
The school board trustee is accused of embezzling $125,000 from two Lake Tahoe parents’ clubs: the Zephyr Cove Parents Club and the Warrior Boosters Club.
On Sept. 8, a $25,000 bond or $3,750 cash bail was set for Miller on the condition that she surrender her passport, wear a GPS ankle monitor, and be under the supervision of the Department of Alternative Sentencing.
Miller’s attorney, Patrick Ferguson, requested the GPS removal. At Tuesday’s court appearance, the state said it did not oppose the request.
However, the state informed the presiding judge, Senior Judge Richard Glasson, that an alleged victim requested to make a statement about the modified bail condition. The state retracted the request when the victim did not identify themselves to the court to make the statement.
Miller’s attorney informed the court that this was his first appearance in the case, that he has not yet received an offer from the state, and that no negotiations have taken place.
The defense also waived the right to a preliminary hearing within 15 days.
The parties and the court scheduled another status conference for Oct. 27 at 1:30 p.m.
Labor Day’s in the rearview, the aspens are thinking about turning gold, and Tahoe folks start doing that little weather-app dance: “Is it really going to dip into the 20s this weekend?” I get it. September still feels like summer on the sand at Pope Beach. Then one night the wind comes off the Sierra Crest and the garden hose you meant to coil up “tomorrow” turns into a copper pretzel.
I’ve crawled under more cabins in October than I care to admit, mopping up what used to be a perfectly good hose bib. The story is almost always the same. Somebody left the hose hooked up just until the petunias finished blooming. Water sat in the line. Overnight freeze. Pipe split inside the wall. Floor soaked. Rental closed. Nobody’s laughing except the ice.
Here’s the part they don’t print on the hose package: water expands about nine percent when it freezes. In a rigid pipe, that expansion has nowhere polite to go. It picks the weakest joint and walks through it. At elevation, that first hard freeze can show up earlier than the calendar says it should — especially on north walls, in crawl spaces, and on anything still connected to the outdoors. September is when you still have a dry afternoon and a little daylight. November is when you’re standing in a dark garage holding a flashlight in your teeth.
What NOT to Do
Don’t leave garden hoses attached to outdoor faucets “just one more week.” That hose traps water against the bib like a cork in a bottle. When it freezes, the break often happens inside the wall, which is a much more expensive place to shop for copper.
Don’t assume a frost-free hose bib is magic if a hose is still screwed onto it. Those fixtures only drain if they’re open to air. A hooked-up hose defeats the whole design. I’ve explained this on more doorsteps than I have favorite fishing spots.
Don’t crank the cabin heat down to 50 and lock the door for six weeks without draining the lines or at least knowing where the main shutoff lives. “We only drop in on weekends” is how a small drip becomes a frozen waterfall behind the drywall.
Don’t wrap a leaking outdoor faucet in a towel and call it winterized. That’s not insulation. That’s a wet bandage waiting to freeze into modern art.
Don’t wait for the first dusting on Heavenly to start looking for your shutoff valve. If you have to shovel two feet of snow to find it in January, you’ve already lost the race.
Smart Plumbing Habits for Shoulder Season
Do walk the house this month with a coffee in one hand and a wrench in the other. Disconnect every hose. Open the outdoor faucet. If you’ve got an indoor shutoff with a little bleeder cap, crack that cap over a bucket and let the line cough out the last of the water.
Do slap a cheap foam faucet cover over the bib when you’re done. They look goofy. They also cost less than a pizza and have saved more Tahoe walls than I can count.
Do find your main water shutoff and the individual stops for outdoor lines before the first real cold snap. Label them. Take a phone picture. Future-you, standing in a crawl space in February, will send present-you a thank-you note.
Do give exposed pipes in the garage, crawl space, and along north walls a foam sleeve. Hot-water lines freeze first more often than people think, which still surprises half the folks I talk to.
Do post a two-line note in the rental: “Hoses off by October 1. Heat stays at 60 if nobody’s home.” Guests are not thinking about your crawl space. You should be.
September is the cheapest month to prevent a winter plumbing story. An afternoon and a bag of foam covers beats a midnight emergency, a ripped-out wall, and a very unhappy property manager. Think of it as leaf-peeping for your pipes: get out there while the weather’s still decent and the ground isn’t a sheet of ice.
Got a hose bib that already drips, a shutoff you can’t find, or a cabin that sits empty half the week? Reach out before the aspens finish turning. We’d rather walk you through it now than thaw it out later. Horror stories welcome. We’ve got a few of our own.
Until next month, keep your pipes happy in the high country.
CBO Plumbing Tahoe is a family-owned residential plumbing company serving the Lake Tahoe Basin. Led by Joe Ortiz, we specialize in high-altitude, winter, and vacation rental challenges with reliable 24/7 service, expert craftsmanship, and a deep commitment to our local community. 530.539.1661 | cbotahoe.com
SPOONER SUMMIT, Nev. – Construction on the Marlette Lake Dam Rehabilitation Project is complete and the Nevada Division of State Parks has reopened recreation access to the West side of the Spooner Lake backcountry.
The historic water system was constructed in the mid-1870’s to provide water to Virginia City. After draining the reservoir, the project removed the existing earthen dam and replaced it with a new one. The project also included upgrades to help the dam better withstand earthquakes, improvements to the spillway, and replacement of the discharge piping and outlet valves. The project started in June 2025 and was completed on schedule this month.
The Marlette Lake Dam is a critical component of the Marlette Lake Water System, which supplies water to Storey County and Carson City. Seepage within the dam was first identified during an inspection in 2017 by the Nevada Division of Water Resources, and it was determined that this seepage could eventually lead to a catastrophic failure. The Marlette Lake Dam Rehabilitation was funded by the FEMA Pre-Disaster Mitigation Fund and improves the overall safety of the 150-year-old earthen embankment dam, ensuring the longevity of the water resource. Environmental and cultural resource surveys were completed in the four-year planning span of the project in coordination with FEMA. Nevada State Public Works contracted Lumos & Associates and Granite Construction to engineer and construct the new dam.
Marlette Lake was drawn down approximately 20 feet, and approximately 20 feet of water remained in the lake during construction. The natural recharge process is ongoing and highly dependent on the snowpack received over the winter months. High-level modeling conservatively estimates it will take four to six seasons for the lake’s water level to return to normal. When conditions allow, the Nevada Department of Wildlife will stock Marlette Lake with Rainbow and Lahontan Cuttthroat Trout. For real-time updates on fish stocking, visit: https://www.ndow.org/get-outside/fishing-stocking-reports/database/?region=all&show_all=false
STATELINE, Nev. – The Tahoe Knight Monsters announced their roster for the 2026-27 preseason and training camp.
Below are the members of the 2026-27 Knight Monsters Preseason roster. The roster includes 13 forwards, 10 defensemen, and three goaltenders.
Forwards (13): Jacob Brockman, Jake Durflinger, Kooper Gizowski, Cam Hausinger, Jett Jones, Cy LeClerc, Casey McDonald, Jake McGrew, Noah Nelson, Tyler Rollwagen, Henri Schreifels, Shane Smith, Keanan Stewart
Defensemen (10): Cooper Jones, Mike Ladyman, Samuel Mayer, Tucker Ness, Chase Pauls, Bronson Ride, Bobby Russell, Kaelan Taylor, Mike Van Unen, Jonathan Ziskie
Goaltenders (3): Pavel Moysevich, Jordan Papirny, Alex Tracy
The Knight Monsters open the 2026-27 season at home on Friday, October 23, as they take on the New Mexico Goatheads at Tahoe Blue Event Center. Season tickets and ticket packages for the 2026-27 season are now available. For more information on becoming a 1645 Club Season Ticket Member, visit knightmonstershockey.com.
LAKE TAHOE, Calif./Nev. – Fall is a busy time for bears in the Lake Tahoe Basin, and wildlife officials are reminding drivers to slow down and stay alert as bears spend more time on the move in search of food.
During hyperphagia, the period when bears consume as many calories as possible in preparation for winter, bears can spend much of the day foraging. That search for food takes them across highways, neighborhoods and other busy roads throughout the Tahoe Basin.
At the same time, shorter fall days mean more drivers are traveling during low-light hours when wildlife can be difficult to see. A collision with a bear can result in serious or fatal injuries to the animal, orphaned cubs, property damage, and potential injuries to drivers and passengers.
Wildlife agency experts respond to bear-vehicle collisions throughout the Tahoe Basin each year, but the total number can be difficult to determine. Not every collision is reported, and animals struck by vehicles may leave the roadway before they are found. Road and weather conditions, carcass removal, and other factors can also make it difficult to consistently track wildlife-vehicle mortality.
Bears in the Tahoe Basin can be active at any time of day or night. During hyperphagia, they may travel farther and more frequently as they search for natural foods as well as unsecured garbage and other human-provided attractants. Bears that regularly find food in developed areas also spend more time around roads, homes, and businesses, increasing their risk of being struck by vehicles. Watch When Bears and Humans Collideto learn more about preventing bear-vehicle collisions.
What Drivers Can Do
Slow down and follow posted speed limits, particularly at dawn, dusk, and at night when visibility is reduced.
Stay alert for wildlife along roadways. Bears can cross roads quickly and unexpectedly.
If you see one bear, watch for others. Female bears may be traveling with cubs, and another bear could be nearby or preparing to cross.
Never stop in a travel lane or along a highway to view or photograph wildlife. Stopping can create dangerous traffic conditions and place both people and wildlife at risk.
Do not swerve to avoid wildlife. Sudden swerving can cause drivers to lose control, leave the roadway, or enter oncoming traffic.
Watch for wildlife warning signs and remain especially attentive in areas where wildlife crossings are common.
Avoid distractions and keep your eyes on the road. Drivers in the Tahoe Basin share the road with wildlife, bicyclists, and pedestrians.
Drivers aren’t the only ones who can help reduce the risk of bear-vehicle collisions. Securing garbage, food, and other attractants helps keep bears from spending time in developed areas and crossing roads to reach human food sources.
To report a vehicle collision involving a bear or a dead or injured bear along a roadway:
(The Center Square) – California Attorney General Rob Bonta is seeking to reassure voters that the Nov. 3 general election will proceed as “business as usual,” while drawing a hard line against potential federal intervention and election interference.
Speaking Monday at a press conference in Sacramento, Bonta emphasized that mail-in ballots are already being distributed across California’s 58 counties. The Democratic attorney general also highlighted the state’s legal victories against the Trump administration, including a U.S. Supreme Court decision protecting mail-in voting after legal challenges involving the U.S. Postal Service.
“Mail-in voting is safe. Mail-in voting is secure. Mail-in voting helps ensure that Californians can conveniently participate in our elections free of unnecessary barriers,” Bonta told reporters.
That assertion, however, is met with sharp disagreement from critics who argue that relaxed mail-in procedures invite vulnerabilities.
Hans von Spakovsky, senior legal fellow at Advancing American Freedom, dismissed Bonta’s claims regarding security.
“Bonta’s claim that mail voting in California is ‘safe and secure’ when the state has no ID requirement, refuses to verify the citizenship of registered voters and has one of the most inaccurate, mistake-ridden voter registration lists in the country is laughable,” said von Spakovsky, chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Public Interest Legal Foundation, a member of the Board of Advisors of the U.S. Election Assistance Commission, and a former member of both President Donald Trump’s Advisory Commission on Election Integrity and the Federal Election Commission.
Von Spakovsky pointed to data from the U.S. Election Assistance Commission’s report on the 2024 election, noting that of the nearly 67 million mail ballots sent out nationwide by states such as California and Oregon, only 72% were completed and returned.
“Bonta and state election officials have no idea what happened to the remaining ballots, whether voters just decided not to complete them or whether they were misdelivered, delayed in the mail or otherwise lost,” von Spakovsky told The Center Square on Monday.
He noted further that nearly 600,000 returned ballots were rejected nationwide, with roughly 18% discarded for missing deadlines — issues that do not affect in-person voting.
Despite those criticisms, Bonta and voting rights advocates continue to push back against federal measures they view as coercive or suppressive. Bonta addressed concerns regarding potential federal election monitors or unauthorized armed presence at polling locations, pointing to strict federal and state prohibitions against the deployment of armed personnel, including U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, at voting stations.
Concerns about ICE agents being at polling places have been raised for months.
“President Trump wants to send armed federal agents into polling places this election,” Orlando Economos, senior staff attorney at Democracy Forward, said in a Sept. 30 video post on X. “That’s illegal, and it breaks 150-year-old statute to do it.”
Democracy Forward is representing a coalition of plaintiffs in challenging the idea in court.
“Over the past year, the Trump administration has repeatedly threatened to send armed federal agents, including ICE agents, to polling places,” said Economos. “When pressed about it, they refused to confirm that they won’t send them to the ballot box this fall.”
Economos went on to state that “this is not about immigration enforcement,” but rather “voter suppression” throughout the country.
Bonta framed civic participation as an active duty, drawing from his own family’s history as immigrants from the Philippines fleeing an authoritarian regime.
“Democracy is not self-executing. It doesn’t just happen on its own. It functions best, and it requires participation, engagement, activism,” said Bonta, who was born in Quezon City, Philippines.
Bonta further criticized federal spending on political messaging, pointing to national ad campaigns funded by federal tax dollars during the voting window.
“This is a shameless administration,” Bonta said about the Trump White House. “Will they follow the law or not of their own accord based on what they’ve done so far, where we’ve had to take them to court 97 times when they’ve broken the law? I doubt it, but that’s what regulators are for.”
The Center Square sought comment Monday from the White House, but did not hear back by publication time.
Meanwhile, state election authorities encourage voters to verify their registration status, utilize secure drop boxes, or mail ballots at least a week prior to Election Day.
Bonta said that voters suspecting irregularities can contact county election officials or the California Secretary of State’s confidential voter hotline, which is 800-345-VOTE in English. Other hotline numbers in various languages are at www.sos.ca.gov.
Summer is over. It’s election season in the City of South Lake Tahoe
When 13 people run for just three city council seats, it suggests a strong interest in local government and a competitive election. It also suggests the community wants new leadership, different perspectives, or change. Ultimately, the large candidate pool indicates that residents are willing to step forward and take responsibility for shaping the city’s future.
With a dozen or so candidates running for City Council, including one incumbent, voters have choices. I’m not going to tell anyone whom to vote for. After being around here long enough, though, I have some thoughts about the qualities this job requires.
First, council members need to see the big picture and think strategically. A decision about housing, transportation, tourism, the environment, or the city budget rarely affects just one group. Second, they also need the patience to work through complex issues and the ability to explain their reasoning clearly. No one council member can govern alone. Listening, negotiating, and finding common ground with colleagues are essential skills for getting things done.
Finally, candidates should understand the city’s major priorities and be willing to make choices among them. That takes judgment and, at times, the courage to lead when an important decision is difficult or unpopular. Some thoughts you might want to consider in casting your ballot.
The lodging industry is going sideways.
One situation worth watching is a growing controversy within the California side lodging industry about tourism marketing on the South Shore. For several years, Gary Casteel, who has an ownership interest in the Village, and Drew Murin, a local special events and entertainment promoter, have been highly critical of the Lake Tahoe Visitors Authority’s (LTVA) effectiveness. In their analysis, they argue that declining room nights reflect shortcomings in marketing, that the South Shore should be attracting more visitors, and that the focus on stewardship is off the mark.
Their concerns are directed in part at the Tourism Business Improvement District board, made up of local lodging industry representatives who represent he broader California lodging industry, which then contracts with LTVA for tourism marketing. They (Casteel and Murin) have advocated withdrawing that funding and establishing a separate marketing effort. This issue is splitting the lodging industry into different camps, and it’s unlikely to be resolved anytime soon. In the meantime, they continue to criticize LTVA.
Such a change would raise substantial questions about funding, coordination, and how two marketing organizations (the LTVA and a possible new organization) would operate in the same destination. This one isn’t over and is worth following.
The tale of two mayors.
It’s a year later…Tamara Wallace resigned as mayor after allegations that she had embezzled money from a local church. She will be arraigned in federal court in October. Cody Bass, who succeeded her, was later convicted of trespassing and harassment in Nevada was found guilty. Judge Richard Glasson sentenced Bass to 45 days in jail, with 10 days to be served immediately and 35 days suspended over two years, conditional on sobriety, fines ($1,127), and staying away from the Stateline casino corridor
Both may have performed effectively in their political roles, but their personal conduct inevitably shapes how the public views their leadership and legacy. Their accomplishments remain part of the record, yet their reputation moving forward will also be influenced by these events. This reminds me of the lighthouse analogy: Two lighthouse keepers may have maintained the light and served the harbor well. But if one was found to have stolen the fuel and the other was convicted of misconduct, sailors might still acknowledge the work they performed, but they would no longer view the keepers, or their judgment, in quite the same way. Their accomplishments would remain, but their personal conduct would become part of the story associated with their leadership. While both have done a good job in their city council role, their behavior will color both. Competence can earn respect, but character determines trust.
It’s a Wrap:
A thought about sidewalks in South Lake Tahoe: Many new residents may take them for granted. It’s wonderful to see individuals and families, residents and visitors alike, walking along South Shore. But longtime residents will remember when sidewalks were scarce and walking often meant stepping into the street.
One politician who was relentless in trying to get Caltrans to build those sidewalks was Councilman Tom Davis. It may be fully appropriate for the city and the community to recognize his contribution. A plaque would be nice.
Carl Ribaudo is a columnist, consultant, speaker, and writer based in South Lake Tahoe. He can be reached at carl@smgonline.net.
Maybe you’ve noticed that your mom or dad keeps asking you to repeat yourself, or you walk into their living room, and the TV is on full blast. Maybe your husband gives you a confused look when you tell him something and then acts in a way that gives off a telltale sign that he didn’t hear what you said.
Since September 2022, Tahoe Family Hearing Clinic, owned by Dr. Jenelle Sandy, Au.D., CCC-A, has been helping patients of all ages improve their hearing through personalized, evidence-based audiology care.
Hearing loss often develops gradually, and many people don’t recognize the changes in their own hearing. Instead, it is often a spouse, child, friend, or other family member who first notices the signs. If someone close to you has mentioned concerns about your hearing or communication, it’s important to schedule a comprehensive hearing evaluation with an audiologist.
Tahoe Family Hearing Clinic sees a wide variety of patients, from those who are proactive on taking care of their hearing to others who may joke stating “they have selective hearing.” Common signs of hearing loss include turning up the TV or radio, frequently asking others to repeat themselves, and struggling to understand conversations in noisy environments.
Research shows that most people wait 5-7 years from the onset of hearing loss before seeking treatment. During that time, hearing loss often becomes increasingly frustrating not only for the individual, but also for their family and friends who struggle to communicate with them. More importantly, untreated hearing loss has been associated with an increased risk of cognitive decline and dementia, while also contributing to social isolation and depression. Fortunately, that trend is beginning to change as more people become aware of the importance of addressing hearing loss early to protect their hearing and overall health.
“People often come in when their family starts noticing changes. They are misunderstanding conversations, can’t hear in certain environments, are responding inappropriately to questions, or asking people to repeat themselves,” Dr. Sandy says.
Individuals who work in occupations where noise exposure is common, such as tree trimming or construction, often develop hearing loss over time. They may gradually lose the ability to hear higher-pitched sounds, including “s,” “f,” and “th” sounds, making conversations more difficult to understand. When the brain no longer receives these sounds clearly, it must work harder to interpret speech, increasing listening effort and reducing the quality of communication.
“The brain does its best to fill in the gaps when it can’t hear certain sounds clearly, but there’s only so much it can do,” says Dr. Sandy. “People often find themselves asking others to repeat themselves more frequently. Over time, many become frustrated with the effort it takes to communicate and begin withdrawing from conversations and social situations. That isolation can contribute to depression and other health concerns.”
When someone points out concerns of hearing loss to their affected loved one, it’s important to bring that communication partner to the hearing evaluation.
“We encourage patients to bring a spouse, family member, or close friend to their appointment because hearing loss often makes it difficult to absorb everything that’s discussed,” Dr. Sandy explains. “Having a companion there ensures someone else hears the information, can ask questions, and helps the patient make informed decisions about their hearing healthcare. It also helps avoid misunderstandings that can delay treatment or require additional appointments.”
Many people are hesitant to involve someone in their appointment because they still associate hearing aids with the large, bulky devices their parents or grandparents once wore. However, hearing technology has advanced dramatically over the past decade.
“Today’s hearing aids are smaller, smarter, and more discreet than ever before,” says Dr. Sandy. “We offer demonstrations and trial periods so patients can experience the benefits firsthand before making a decision. We also customize hearing solutions based on each person’s hearing loss, lifestyle, and budget to ensure they’re getting the right technology for their needs.”
During a comprehensive hearing evaluation, the team at Tahoe Family Hearing Clinic takes the time to understand how hearing difficulties are affecting the patient’s daily life. They discuss where the patient notices communication challenges, as well as situations in which a spouse or family member has observed changes. The evaluation includes a complete diagnostic assessment, measurement of hearing sensitivity, speech understanding, and word recognition in both quiet and noisy environments.
“We review the results with each patient, discuss their treatment options, and, when appropriate, offer hearing aid demonstrations or schedule a follow-up consultation,” Dr. Sandy says.
She encourages patients to bring a companion to their appointments whenever possible. “Having another person there helps ensure everyone understands the results and the recommended next steps. Today’s hearing technology has come a long way and experiencing it firsthand during a demonstration often helps patients realize just how much they’ve been missing.”
“A big part of the human experience is communication. When we hear a person say, ‘I can hear fine but my spouse mumbles’, that is typically a sign they have hearing loss. Communication and hearing loss affects the entire family. In living a happy, fulfilled life, you want to have good communication with those around you,” she adds.
Dr. Sandy encourages people to think about whether others are telling you to get your hearing checked and consider getting tested early, especially if you are over 50.
“One of the most rewarding parts of what we do is seeing how hearing aids can transform someone’s quality of life,” she says. “I had one patient tell me she heard birds chirping for the first time in over 10 years. Moments like that remind us how much people can miss without even realizing it. When they reconnect with those everyday sounds, you can truly see a renewed joy for life.”
There is a buzz about super El Niño coming to us this fall and winter. The word is, it may be super catastrophic like a Noah’s Ark sequel in our Golden State. I’ve weathered storms with neighbors canoeing down flooded streets—so hold on, because here is what’s next for Lake Tahoe.
Researchers note the October–December anomaly are the criteria for a “strong” to a El Niño event. El Niño’s bold winter effects peak January through March 2027. Simply put, El Ninio is a naturally occurring climate pattern known for its odd warm ocean temperatures in the central and eastern Pacific, caused by weakening trade winds. It can trigger high tides, severe rain and floods, notes the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). And it is starting in other regions in California right now.
Here Comes the “Snain”
Brace yourself for unwelcome “snain”—a combo of snow and rain falling simultaneously, often creating slushy conditions to create the El Niño effect, bringing severe winter storms to the Sierra Nevada. These rapid temperature shifts in weather and rugged conditions can take a toll on both body and mind. Here are 5 easy ways to grounded during an adventurous El Niño event:
1. Combat Seasonal Isolation: Heavy Sierra snowstorms can cause power outages, and cabin fever. If roads are closed, follow a daily routine, and enjoy indoor hobbies to manage the mental stress of prolonged confinement during severe weather events.
2. Do Safe Physical Activity Indoors and Out: While El Niño can dump snow at higher elevations, big storms and avalanche risks often make venturing outside dangerous. Shift to indoor exercises, during severe storm warnings to keep your body active, cardio-healthy, and beat stress without risking exposure or injury.
3. Boost Immune Health Through Good Nutrition: Colder, stormy weather often drives people indoors, revving up the spread of seasonal germs. Focus on eating nutrient-dense whole foods and staying clear of processed junk food. Don’t forget anti-bacterial, anti-viral, and anti-inflammatory raw honey in teas and sip water to stave off colds and superbugs. Note: Wash your hands more than less!
4. Guard Respiratory Health: El Niño years can affect mountain homes, leading to indoor mold growth. Get good home ventilation, avoid drafts, use dehumidifiers and air purifiers for safety’s sake. Get Regular Shut-Eye: High winds, heavy rain, with passing El Niño storms can disrupt sleep patterns.
5. Prepare Now: Stock up on foods with a stable shelf life, water, pet food, and medicines. Keep the shove, rain gear, and ice scraper close at hand. This winter, you may need all three.
CAL OREY, M.A., is a bestselling author-novelist specializing in topics such as adventure, health, nutrition, and science. She holds a bachelor’s degree and master’s degree in English (Creative Writing) from San Francisco State University. Currently, her new release The Healing Powers of Honey, Revised is available at all bookstores. Her website is http://www.calorey.com.
Piper Murnane has been selected to go to the 2027 World Jamboree in Poland.Provided / Josh Murnane
SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – 14-year-old Piper Murnane has her sights set on Poland as one of 20 scouts selected to represent the United States at the 2027 World Jamboree.
Troop 979 is part of Scouting America, one of the largest youth organizations in the country, and World Jamboree is where approximately 45,000 Scouts and leaders from over 140 countries around the world come together to camp, participate in merit badges and activities, and create connections and friendships.
Murnane joined the troop when it first formed last year and has been working hard to create lifelong skills, building confidence and embracing outdoor adventures such as skating, canoeing, hiking and more.
“I like to camp, so I really enjoy Scouting because we get to go camping and do all kinds of different activities,” said Murnane.
In order to afford getting to the World Jamboree, Murnane is selling popcorn with goals of reaching $20,000. Current funds raised are just shy of the halfway mark at $9,755 as of October 5.
She’s striving to break the record for most popcorn sold and also aims to earn new badges including Aviation and Mechanics.
“I’m definitely excited about getting to learn about Poland, getting to explore, and learning about all the different cultures, that’s always really fun,” she said.
Gather Botanical Café is a new plant-forward, gluten-free cafe in the Tahoe Keys.Victoria Mastrocola / Tahoe Daily Tribune
SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – Misty McBride harbors a passion for many things – flowers and herbs, sustainability, nurturing the body and mind – and now, she has found a way to share those passions with the community through the opening of Gather Botanical Café.
While Gather Botanical Café provides organic, vertically-sourced coffee and a cozy place to relax, it is so much more than just a cafe. Inside, you’ll find a menu teeming with unique offerings, handcrafted teas, smoothies, juices, gluten-free baked goods, ceramics, and more.
As a Tahoe local for 18 years, McBride is no stranger to owning and operating businesses in the area. In addition to both Ohana Midwifery and Herb & Moon Apothecary, her newest business venture started in January of this year when she took over the Tahoe Keys business space where Gathered and Grown, a homegoods store, previously resided.
“I wanted to do a homage to [Gathered and Grown], and I stuck on the word ‘gather’ because I kept mulling over this idea, ‘From the hands that gather,'” McBride said. “From our flowers to our coffee to our teas, everything we serve. I was just thinking about this reverence and this gratitude for how much goes into a cup of coffee – from the people who plant it to the people who harvest it to the people who get it internationally from there to right here in our little cafe.”
Starting with a blank canvas, McBride was able to bring her vision to life through four months of renovation. While building out the space, she had her sights set on everything being custom-made and reached out to Burman Woodcraft for custom-designed cabinetry and benches. Other parts of her furniture collection come from a small boutique furniture store in Los Angeles where, together with her designer, she created pieces that blend elegance with functionality.
The cafe offers a cozy, intimate ambience while still having plenty of space to host a special event.Victoria Mastrocola / Tahoe Daily Tribune
“I really tried to make it look like nothing anyone’s ever seen,” she said, and if folks are interested in any of the furniture pieces, they’re in luck as Gather acts as a showroom where people can select and order their favorite furniture pieces.
McBride’s intentions were set on creating a place that could host events such as floral classes, baby and bridal showers, knitting and book clubs, mahjong games, and more.
“We wanted to create a living room feeling. You could be here with your girlfriend or with a group of people, but still be a part of the collective while feeling like you’re having an intimate experience,” McBride said.
Most notably, the cafe offers two distinctive commodities you won’t typically find elsewhere. One is a bloom bar where people can create their own flower bouquet using fresh flowers provided daily and a set of clear instructions to help you build the best-looking bouquet. From seasonal centerpieces to flower crowns during a baby shower at the cafe, the array of creations are endless.
The cafe’s second unique offering are their meticulously-crafted mocktails, or as McBride prefers to call them, libations.
“Libation means a drink poured from the gods,” said McBride. “Our body is our temple, right? So we should be bringing in adaptogenic, neurotropic ingredients that are good for us.”
Her elixirs present a nonalcoholic way to enjoy refreshing, invigorating and nourishing drinks while out socializing or having a good time.
“It’s always a little bit of a challenge going places, going out at night or going somewhere to meet friends, because everything includes alcohol,” she said. “I don’t want to go out and drink juice and soda. I’m not five. I want to go out and drink something that’s going to make me feel good.”
Some of Gather’s mocktails include a Rose Spritz which has Abstinence Cape Flora, an award-winning, zero-proof nonalcoholic botanical gin alternative from South Africa, with a blood orange aperitif, and rose syrup topped with Prima Pave Rose Brut. Customers can also enjoy a Pentire Paloma, an Italian Wine Spritz, and Prima Pave Champagne, all with zero percent alcohol.
Clean ingredients are a top priority for the cafe, and along with every syrup being made of organic cane sugar, Gather additionally provides organic dairy and is the only dedicated gluten-free cafe in the area, offering gluten-free bagels, pastries and more, baked fresh daily and delivered to the shop from Cascade Kitchen’s commissary kitchen.
With sustainability-focused practices such as compostable cups, the cafe is also committed to planting trees with every 100 paper cups sold.
“We’ve been composting coffee grounds since the start, and as of October 1, we have totaled almost 1000 pounds of compost,” McBride added.
Looking ahead, Gather Botanical Café is expanding both their food menu and their curated tea menu, offering exotic teas from around the world. McBride is also hoping to, at some point in the future, extend their hours to provide a go-to for folks looking to enjoy dessert and mocktails after an evening spent dining out.
“People are really starting to make this their community hub. I’m just full of gratitude. Even on the slow days, it’s beautiful,” McBride said. “We’re hoping to keep expanding and offering a little something for everyone so that people can continue to find us and make this their favorite community place to gather.”
Gather Botanical Café is celebrating an official ribbon-cutting ceremony on Thursday, October 8 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Stop by for your chance to check out the beautifully-designed space while sipping on a delicious mocktail.
The cafe’s current hours are from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. Find them on instagram: @gatherbotanicalcafe
Gather Botanical Café is located at 595 Tahoe Keys Blvd, Suite A2, in South Lake Tahoe, Calif.
A hui hou Kalei. Aloha ‘oe, Aloha ‘oe It is of great sadness and heavy hearts to hear the passing of Kaleimalamalamaaloha Victoria Anuenue Cofer.
Courtesy photo
Kalei was a very special friend whose roots in our hometown Truckee shaped many lifetime cherished memories. Kalei passed away peacefully surrounded by her family on August 30th, 2026, in Brescia Lombordia Italy.
She was always passionate about traveling and seeing the world. She loved art, graphic design and teaching English. She made a great impact on these following schools: My English School, Wall Street English School, and the famous, Lonati AngloAmerican School (L.A.A.S). She had such an electric personality that was contagious. She was loved by everyone she touched.
Kalei, since childhood, was always full of fierceness and bold intuition, never shielded away from anything she wanted to grasp in life.
She left behind two siblings, Jacob Ikaika and Kris Davi Moana, a husband Isacco Junior Tanghetti. She is the mother of daughter Hokukaipo Vittoria Arielle and a son Kane Makoa Isacco. She also left behind parents, Rob and Vicky Cofer.
We have faith and trust that Kalei is now resting in peace in paradise. We will continue to remember her as a powerful, brave soul who captured our hearts. Puana i’a mai!
Aloha mãkou iã ‘oe e Kalei Remembrance takes place Saturday, Oct. 10, 2026, from 2 to 5 pm; 6250 Valley Wood Drive, Reno, NV 89523.
What does a proposed Olympic heritage and snow sports museum have in common with a 65-year-old empty fire station? Both are on land given by the U.S. government to the public, and both have been taking over a decade to figure out if proposed projects match the zoning. The former is proposed for the Olympic Valley Park, zoned as forest recreation by the US Forest Service; the latter sits on Commons Beach, which was deeded to the people of Tahoe City in 1872 and is zoned recreation.
The question of whether a museum belongs in a public park and what to do with the old fire station building while maintaining the recreational intent of both properties has vexed Placer County and some residents for over a decade. Both projects, however, may soon be moving forward.
SNOW Museum
The nonprofit SNOW (Sierra Nevada Olympic & Winter Sports) Museum and Community Cultural Center moved one step closer to becoming reality after the Placer County Planning Commission unanimously approved it on Aug. 27.
The idea for the SNOW Museum dates back to 2009. Tahoe is one of the only Olympic host cities in North America that doesn’t have a museum to honor the event, which was held in Olympic Valley in 1960. Lake Placid in New York, Park City, Utah, and Vancouver, British Colombia, all have Olympic museums. Other mountain towns, like Aspen and Vail, have museums that pay tribute to their winter sports legacy.
Currently, the museum exists in a small retail space in the Boatworks Mall in Tahoe City.
After conducting multiple site studies and assembling master plans, in 2015 the SNOW Museum Board of Directors settled on a 2.3-acre site within the 26-acre Olympic Valley Park. Although the board considered the property across the street near 7-Eleven, it found that spot was not ideal due to the existence of a power substation, the industrial nature of the site, and a patchwork of land ownership.
Sitting on public land and at the entrance to Olympic Valley, the board believes the park to be the ideal location.
VACANT: The old Tahoe City fire station has been empty since 2012. What to do with the building has troubled Placer County ever since. Photo by Ted Coakley III/Moonshine Ink
“Throughout all the site studies, it’s like, where do we put something that needs to be connected to the milestone event — the ’60 Olympics — and that can represent the culture of our area and still represent all the culture in ski areas up and down the Sierra?” said SNOW Board President Bill Clark. “If you had a dream of where you could put something that recognized the Olympics, welcomed people to our area and our culture, and the rest of the ski industry would feel the connection to it, and it’s on public land so it can never really go away … We almost feel like from our perspective, we feel blessed that there’s that opportunity to do that.”
Other advantages of the park location are that it lies between the North Shore and Truckee and along the Highway 89 corridor, giving it high visibility to motorists, and is not on Palisades Tahoe property. It’s important to the board that the museum represent all Sierra ski resorts and doesn’t sit on private land, which could be taken away.
The museum is currently planned to be a two-level building that would occupy 7,250 square feet on land between the upper and lower parking lots above the pickleball courts. It would have public restrooms accessible from outside the museum, replacing the park’s vault toilets, as well as public meeting rooms.
BLENDING IN: The proposed two-level SNOW museum building in Olympic Valley Park is designed to convey the appearance of a single-story building. Renderings courtesy SNOW Museum
What is driving some opposition to the project’s location in Olympic Valley Park, however, is the question of whether charging admission and having a small gift shop and café as planned violates the deed restriction’s ban on commercial activity.
“What was the intent of the Forest Service even putting on this deed restriction that said no commercial operations? This is where I come down on the other side of the SNOW Museum and Placer County trying to stick it in there is the original intent of what was going on, because I was at those meetings with all the Forest Service people and the Placer County people,” said Olympic Valley resident Ed Heneveld, who helped establish the park in 2004.
Up until this winter, the Forest Service agreed with Heneveld. However, a leadership change in 2025 at the Tahoe National Forest brought a new forest supervisor with a different interpretation.
“So long as the county can implement the proposal in a manner that will not meet the threshold of a ‘private development of a commercial nature,’ then the Forest Service agrees that the museum would not violate the deed restriction,” wrote Forest Supervisor Chris Feutrier in a January 2026 letter to Clark.
Placer County, which has supported the museum with $850,000 in TOT (transit occupancy tax) funds for the environmental impact report, is thus far in favor of the park site for the museum.
VISTA SPECTACULAR: With million-dollar views like this, the old Tahoe City fire station sits on prime property as part of Commons Beach, which was deeded to the community over 150 years ago. Photo by Ted Coakley III/Moonshine Ink
“A lot of studies we did way back, long before I was in the supervisor role, indicated that one of the things we needed to broaden and reduce our dependence on weather and seasonality for outdoor recreation, was to have indoor facilities,” said Placer County Supervisor Cindy Gustafson, who represents North Tahoe. “The original tourism master plan indicated that we needed more facilities to broaden that kind of our offerings. The idea that we celebrate the heritage of our Olympics and the development of the ski industry and snow sports in the Sierra made a lot of sense to me.”
The SNOW Museum would be a public-private partnership, with Placer County owning the land. More details of the partnership still need to be worked out, which will happen if the board of supervisors approves it. The item is expected to go the board on Oct. 20 in Tahoe.
A partnership would bring with it financial and public benefits, since nonprofits are allowed to solicit donations.
“We know we need to replace the playground, and we would love to have permanent restrooms,” Gustafson said. “A partnership with a nonprofit helps us secure more funding to do the infrastructure and bring the water and sewer to the site especially so that we can have regular restrooms … The other thing that we as the county insisted on is that there would be a public meeting room or an event room, so people could take shelter there, or gather. It’s a partnership that we think could be very meaningful to the community.”
Gustafson does not think that a museum gift shop or coffee shop qualifies as commercial. Most museums around the world have these amenities, which help to offset the organization’s expenses.
“If you go to the Gatekeepers Museum, they sell trinkets, right? It’s a museum on state park property. It is a historical museum. They have a gift shop,” she said. “Having visited Mount St. Helens, which is a Forest Service-run visitor center, there’s a commercial shop in there … Most people don’t define gift shops in a museum as an unregulated commercial use.”
One option proposed by the USFS is that the county pay the difference between the assessed value and the fair market rate, since the deed restriction blocking commercial usage reduced the value of the land. If the county did, this would remove the deed restriction, and the issue of commercial use would be moot. This is one possibility Heneveld said he can live with. However, the county stated it is not considering this alternative.
“Our interpretation is that this county museum is consistent with county service operations, so we are not exploring a buyout of that restriction at this point,” said Stephanie Holloway, Placer County deputy CEO for Tahoe.
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FOREST RECREATION: An aerial view of the proposed SNOW Museum. It would sit in a small, semi-forested area between the upper and lower parking lots in the Olympic Valley Park. The location was the site of a ready-mix concrete batch plant in the 1950s.
OLYMPIC HERITAGE: An artist’s rendering of the proposed SNOW Museum, which would be on two levels and encompass a total of 14,500 square feet on a 7,250-square-foot footprint.
The SNOW Museum estimates the project will cost $20 million. It currently has a $1.4 million endowment designated for construction and has its collection of artifacts in place thanks to the Auburn Ski Club, which donated thousands of pieces dating back to the 1930s. The museum will start fundraising when the project is approved.
The museum is not the only organization eyeing the park for possible development. According to Gustafson, Placer County offered a portion of the park behind the sports field to Creekside Charter School in exchange for maintaining the field and keeping it open for public use. If this were to move forward, public meetings would be held, and it would need board of supervisors’ approval. No official proposal from Creekside has been submitted.
Old Fire Station
A bigger headache for the county has been the former Tahoe City fire station — what to do that meets the recreational intent of the zoning, is open to public use, and is financially viable? The building has been vacant since 2012 when the North Tahoe Fire Protection District moved into a new facility.
In 2018, two groups — Siren Arts and Commonwell — submitted proposals, the first for a multi-use community space and the second for a market hall, but Placer found neither was economically sustainable.
“Moving forward, what we’ve really been focused on is trying to find the right mix of community support and a financially sound partner who has assets to bring forward,” Holloway said.
The nonprofit California Wildfire Institute approached Placer County about the space in 2022, but the organization eventually pulled out of discussions.
Through community surveys and public meetings, the county says it has an idea of what residents want in the space. A 2017 survey revealed that residents were most interested in bringing art complexes, indoor recreation facilities, and food and beverage options to the former firehouse. Meeting rooms and gathering spaces came in fifth.
Further community engagement conducted by the county, including focus groups in 2022, found that there was alignment around three guiding pillars for the future use of the site: (1) science and environmental protection; (2) art and community spaces; and (3) public awareness and stewardship education.
In 2023, after the county held small group conversations on the topic, a staff MOU to the board of supervisors stated: “Uniform support amongst all stakeholders interviewed [stated a preference] for a multi-use facility that would provide science research, science meeting and public education spaces, and flexible arts and community spaces open to the public.”
“What we heard from the community is that this is public land. We, as the county, are stewards of the land,” Holloway said. “What we learned was that the community had a strong interest in still having a community connection. That was first and foremost. Secondly, we heard that activating the space in a science-based, educational component to celebrate being stewards of the lake was important. We took all of that to heart.”
Another science-based nonprofit has been in talks with the county for a few years, according to Gustafson, although the talks are still in the early stages — UC Davis’s Tahoe Environmental Research Center, which has been in Incline Village since 2006.
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LEG BONE CONNECTED TO THE KNEE BONE: Moving forward with the SNOW Museum project may make it easier to update both the restrooms and playground at Olympic Valley Park. Construction is planned to take place just above the pickleball courts. Photos by Ted Coakley III/Moonshine Ink
LEG BONE CONNECTED TO THE KNEE BONE: Moving forward with the SNOW Museum project may make it easier to update both the restrooms and playground at Olympic Valley Park. Construction is planned to take place just above the pickleball courts. Photos by Ted Coakley III/Moonshine Ink
LEG BONE CONNECTED TO THE KNEE BONE: Moving forward with the SNOW Museum project may make it easier to update both the restrooms and playground at Olympic Valley Park. Construction is planned to take place just above the pickleball courts. Photos by Ted Coakley III/Moonshine Ink
Gustafson said TERC could be a good match if the design of a new building includes public meeting and event space as well as a visitor center. The nonprofit’s offices, however, may need to be across the street in the Bechdolt building, which the county owns, to satisfy the recreational zoning of Commons Beach.
“I’ve always believed in the idea of a more elaborate visitor center for our community to educate the public on taking care of this lake,” she said. “I think it’s amazing to me that millions of visitors come into Tahoe City and they can’t really learn about the lake other than on interpretive signs outdoors.”
Gustafson points to the Mono Basin Scenic Area Visitor Center, run by the USFS; Washington State Parks’ Mount St. Helen’s Visitor Center, which has a theater that plays educational movies; or the nonprofit Monterey Bay Aquarium, which hosts dinners and after-hour events, as examples of what the TERC facility could become that would benefit the community.
“You can have movies. You can have shared-use facilities where people learn about the history of the lake, the environmental research going on, or exhibits,” she added. “Tahoe City could have a landmark facility.”
TERC said it could not provide details of talks with the county due to the preliminary nature of the negotiations.
“I can confirm that we have been in discussion with the county and we are looking into opportunities to expand our very successful education program into Tahoe City, but we can’t comment beyond that at this time,” said Cara Hollis, TERC communications and marketing specialist.
The key to whatever goes into the fire station is “perpetual funding,” per Gustafson, which likely means a public-private partnership similar to the SNOW Museum.
“Whether that’s TOT or the county or whether it’s TERC or other groups where there could be an event space … we need partnerships coming together because not one group on its own can fund the cost of such a thing,” she said.
If TERC were to take over the building, it would need board of supervisors’ approval.
Robb Olson, who was part of the Siren Arts team, said while he considers TERC a good fit for the former fire station, he thinks that the space should also encompass the arts, which is exactly what the Siren Arts project was trying to do — provide a space for both the arts and sciences and other community interests.
“The thing that Placer County hasn’t been able to connect with is arts,” he said. “We don’t really have a strong advocate for the arts. We need to be more well-rounded … The sun goes down, what do you do? That was what Siren Arts was about.”
Olson is critical of the county for not allowing Siren Arts to prove their project could work financially.
“The county just wanted someone to be like, ‘Hey, I’ve got $20 million. I’m going to make this project happen,’” Olson said. “We just need to try to lift things up and we can’t look to the county to subsidize arts and culture. They’re not there. I think arts and culture is hard for people to understand and to see the value.”
While the Siren Arts fire house project has been put to bed, Olson is trying to implement many of its goals with his new project — a total remodel of the Trading House buildings (across from the old Safeway in Tahoe City), which he and his wife purchased last fall.
“The Siren Arts spirit is very much alive. It’s just in a different form and it’s going through different channels to get there — it’s going through the private sector versus public,” he said.
Over the past 30 years, thousands of volunteers have shown up for the Truckee River Watershed Council’s (TRWC) annual Truckee River Day. I have been among them, volunteering since I could toddle back and forth with a willow branch in hand.
The Truckee River is where I spent countless summer days navigating rapids in inner tubes and playing instruments on its banks. But the river itself is a single part of the much larger network of creeks, lakes, forests, and meadows that make up our watershed.
Everything that makes our home in the Tahoe/Truckee area special can be traced back to our watershed –– from fresh tracks on powder days to the wildflowers alongside our favorite trails. Even the water we drink and air we breathe depend on a healthy watershed.
However, human development and industrial demands have been impacting our watershed since the 1800s. To accommodate cattle grazing and make room for highways, railroads, buildings, and other infrastructure, creeks were straightened, meadows degraded, and essential habitat lost. And despite improvements to environmental regulation and industry standards, the damage of past development can still be observed today.
Without our help, the Truckee River watershed will continue to degrade and its systems will fail to function. That’s where TRWC and its mighty volunteers come in.
Truckee River Day allows our community to come together in an effort to protect and restore the watershed. No matter participants’ age, background, or level of experience, this event welcomes everyone with open arms.
As a result, the legacy of Truckee River Day volunteers runs deep. Some have been coming since its inaugural year in 1996. Others first volunteered side-by-side with their children and, decades later, now attend with their grandchildren. Some return regularly to past project sites to observe changes and reflect on their own, individual role within our landscape.
Many have allowed their experiences as a volunteer at Truckee River Day to shape their lives and livelihoods moving forward. I fall into that category.
Some of my most vivid childhood memories took place at Truckee River Day. As a toddler, I remember helping my mother plant willows as we worked to stabilize creek banks. Years later, I showed up to volunteer with my Girl Scout troop, proudly donning my green vest to release juvenile Lahontan cutthroat trout into the river by the bucketful.
Truckee River Day has undoubtedly shaped both my love of the natural world and my commitment to protecting it, and I’m hardly the only one.
Jeff Glazner volunteered with his preschool-aged children, Ryan and Jessica, in the early years of Truckee River Day. Today, Jessica is completing her PhD in marine biology, and Ryan is approaching four years in Cal Fire’s forestry department. Both return as Truckee River Day volunteers whenever possible, and Jeff still hasn’t missed a year since 1997.
Sam Zabell also grew up volunteering at Truckee River Day with his parents, eventually securing an internship with TRWC. This foundation of environmental work shaped his professional trajectory, first with the Yosemite Rivers Alliance and now with Sierra Foothill Conservancy.
Our shared experiences with Truckee River Day reflect an event bigger than the sum of its parts. By convening our community around the watershed, TRWC transforms a single volunteer event into a lifelong connection to our landscape. Both as a launchpad for the future generations of environmental stewards and an opportunity for volunteers to give back, Truckee River Day continues to heal our watershed and create a more resilient community for years to come.
Learn more about the 31st annual Truckee River Dayon Oct. 18 or sign up to volunteer at truckeeriverwc.org.
~ Addison Wingate was born and raised in Truckee, where she grew up skiing, hiking, horseback riding, and enjoying the mountains she calls home. After six years in Southern California and a summer spent hiking the Pacific Crest Trail, she resettled in Truckee, where she works as the lead storyteller at the Truckee River Watershed Council.
I’ve taught American government at the college level for 20 years. Over time, I’ve made a few observations about my students.
One of them is that of the several hundred students who have passed through my classrooms, I don’t believe I have changed many minds. It’s not a matter of demographics. They have covered a wide age span, ranging from high schoolers to retirees. Nor is it a matter of retention, at least in the short term. Most of them listen attentively enough to do well on tests and papers. But in casual conversations, I’m struck by how many held onto their preconceptions of how government and politics work.
If I had to identify the reasons why this is the case, most if not all can be attributed to how and where we learn our personal values. Our early childhoods are dominated by our families, schooling, and communities of faith. Not knowing any differently, we default to what we learned early in life rather than entertaining any alternatives.
Our values, in turn, influence our attitudes toward events and issues. This is particularly true of controversial hot button topics that polarize the electorate. The goal of partisan politics is “mobilization of bias” –– attracting voters holding strong views on a given issue to your side.
The resulting polarized political climate works against promoting a well-informed electorate. The facts are out there and easily obtainable. Unfortunately, facts alone don’t change minds in a time where “facts” and “truth” have become highly subjective for many of us. (This is not a new thing, really. Kurt Andersen’s 2017 book Fantasyland makes the case that Americans throughout history have tended to live in realities of their own creation.)
One stumbling block is time. The information cost needed to be an engaged and well-informed citizen is simply too great for a lot of people. Many families are supported by two incomes. Families with small children compounded by the necessity of paying bills can overwhelm the mental bandwidth required to educate oneself on candidates, issues, and policies. The complexity of ballots, particularly in primaries under our top-two primary system, can be daunting for even the well-informed and confusing for everyone else.
Complicating matters is the ballot initiative. A legacy of the Progressive movement of the early 20th century, Californians take it for granted that they can enact statutes or amend the state constitution at the ballot box. Some initiatives are easy to understand, both in their intent and their expected outcome. Many are not.
Oftentimes we are confronted with initiatives whose purpose is obscure or at least opaque in their intent. I’ve spoken with people who voted for every office and every ballot initiative on their ballot because they thought they had to. This is untrue. It’s perfectly okay to undervote your ballot. I’ve done it more than a few times when I didn’t fully understand a measure.
There are bright spots here and there. Voter turnout in California, particularly in midterm elections, is improving. In 2014 it was a paltry 30.7%, rising to 49.3% in 2018. The 2022 midterms saw some back-sliding, with a turnout of 42.9%. Presidential election years generally bring greater voting rates, with 68.8% in 2020 and 62.1% in 2024. This should be a welcome development, particularly in the midterms where there is much more at stake than popular perception would have it.
But do these voters make good decisions? Our political culture has long been dominated by candidates’ personalities and often blind identification with one of the two major parties. Voters make decisions based on image and “vibes” rather than on a clear understanding of the issues at stake in an election.
There are a number of theories in my field as to why people make decisions at the polls. The prevailing school of thought is rational choice. This explanation holds that people don’t cast votes as a dichotomous, either/or decision (even though if you asked most people, they would probably describe it this way). Rather, rational choice uses a consumer-based approach. When we buy a consumer item, we rank-order our options to optimize value. It doesn’t matter whether it’s a can of beans, an electronic device, a car, or a house. Each of us is a rational actor in the marketplace.
This theory assumes that each of us has perfect information, when in most cases we probably don’t. A more plausible explanation, in my opinion, is a prospective and retrospective hypothesis. When times are bad, we want to go with whichever candidate or party offers a way out. When times are good, we want to stick with the candidate or party that is in office. Image and vibes may account for more than my colleagues and I may think.
So, how do we improve voter knowledge? I wish I had an innovative, outside-the-box solution.California voters do not lack for information. There is the secretary of state’s guide with its tiny font on newsprint. There are the sample ballots and candidate guides published by the counties. There are lots of third-party resources such as the League of Women Voters. A personal favorite is Ballotpedia. This website covers all the major federal and state political contests, along with notable local elections. Importantly, it discloses major donors and contributions to both candidates and ballot initiatives. (Ballotpedia began as a volunteer-edited wiki but has been professionally edited for several years.)
If I had to make a recommendation, I would suggest first choosing an issue area of interest to you. Then, find a source you believe reputable to research that issue and where candidates at all levels stand on it.
Inform yourself and choose wisely.
~ Scott Parker is an instructor of political science at Sierra College. Raised in Placer County, Scott earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from California State University, Sacramento, with graduate study at the University of Nevada, Reno. He lives in Truckee.
KNOW BEFORE YOU VOTE
November’s General Election is just around the corner. Do you know your local candidates?
Moonshine Ink put together a detailed Election 2026: Tahoe/Truckee Tracker, showing the local agencies with seats up for election this year, who will be included on ballots, as well as the benefits and compensation each seat receives.
Attend one or all the events below to hear from various candidates before the big day, Nov. 3, 2026.
P.S. Our October edition of Moonshine will cover critical races in our region. Stay tuned.
~ AH
North Shore Election Forum (Virtual) | Oct. 6
First Tuesday Breakfast Club is a community forum about news, projects, businesses, and influencers hosted by the North Tahoe Community Alliance (NTCA). The October Breakfast Club will feature local candidates running for election, from 7 to 8:30 a.m. Join on Zoom by visiting firsttuesdaybreakfastclub.com.
Truckee Candidate Forum Oct. 6 and 8
Both forums will be held in the Town Council Chambers at Truckee Town Hall, 10183 Truckee Airport Road and will be broadcast and recorded as well. The events are free and open to the public. Moonshine Ink serves as a partner to the events, and staff will be part of the team asking questions of candidates.
Night One: Tuesday, Oct. 6 | 5 to 8 p.m.
5 to 5:15 p.m.: Measure P
5:15 to 6 p.m.: Tahoe Truckee Unified School District
6 to 7 p.m.: Truckee Donner Public Utility District
7 to 8 p.m.: Truckee Fire Protection District
8 to 9 p.m.: Sierra College Board of Trustees, Trustee Area 2
Night Two: Thursday, Oct. 8 | 5 to 9 p.m.
5 to 6 p.m.: Truckee Town Council*
6 to 7 p.m.: Tahoe Forest Hospital District
7 to 8 p.m.: Truckee Donner Recreation and Park District
* The town council race is uncontested, however, organizers wanted to give community members a chance to hear directly from the candidates who will represent them.
Readers are invited to submit questions to Jessica Penman at jessica@truckee.com by Friday, Sept. 25. Due to time constraints, not all submitted questions may be asked.
Incline Village/Crystal Bay
As of press deadline, no candidate forums have been proposed for the Incline Village General Improvement District board.
If you’ve been following OpenSnow’s Bryan Allegretto for his Lake Tahoe forecasts, you know he’s passionate about accurately predicting what the surrounding mountains will get. He’s the voice of reason when other news outlets and weather services hype up FEET of snow, only for the reality to fall far short. But even for “BA”—as he’s known—the storms in the first week of February 2025 were way off, and by a huge margin. In fact, it was his worst prediction in his nineteen-plus-year career. I had the chance to chat with him to get the inside scoop on what went wrong.
BA’s Soul Crushed
Bryan Allegretto enjoying one of Tahoe’s famous storm cycles when the forecast was spot on.
BA takes his forecasting seriously—so seriously that he’s been keeping a scorecard to track just how spot-on (or not) he’s been. Over the past nine seasons, his predictions for every storm across the Tahoe Basin have been off by just 1.5 inches on average. But during the first week of February, things went way off course. He was off by anywhere from 5.5 to 12.9 inches, with some mountains missing the mark by as much as 2 feet! Normally, when he’s that far off, it’s because the storms delivered more (think: colder, fluffier powder). This time? As far as he can remember, it was the first instance they delivered way less.
Atmospheric Rivers are Tough
One of the many warm storms during the wet n’ wild Jan 2017 season
Lake Tahoe’s weather is infamous for its feast-or-famine cycles, and a big reason is that up to 50% of California’s precipitation comes in the form of an atmospheric river. These intense bands of moisture originate from the tropics and slam into the Sierra. If Lake Tahoe is lucky enough to be on the cold side of it, we get huge snowfall. But if not, it means rain—LOTS of rain. And that’s exactly what happened during the first week of February.
Alarm Bells Ding
As the storms began to arrive in the 5-day window, BA was already mentioning how concerned he was about the forecast. First, the band of moisture was narrow at only 50 miles wide which is tiny in the scope of the globe. If the storm moved even a few miles north or south, the amount of liquid we get would be drastically cut. Then there was the problem of temperatures. It set up a battle royale of two giants – cold air to the north and the warm subtropical air flowing into the northern Sierra. Depending on who wins and when, this “could make a BIG difference in snowfall totals.”
Worst Case Scenario Happened
And that’s exactly what happened. Instead of the storm staying focused on Tahoe, it quickly moved north. While the National Weather Service predicted 30 inches of liquid and BA estimated 22 inches as a conservative forecast for the week, the greater Lake Tahoe area only received a meager 6-12+ inches. The moisture tap shut off before the cold air could move in, and the snow ratios—usually around 10:1—were closer to 7:1. The result? A rude awakening after the storm passed.
“Biggest Temperature Gradients as Far as I Can Remember”
A lot of this came down to how cold it was to the north—a real tease for weather forecasters. It was snowing all the way to the beach in Oregon and even in Susanville. With that much cold air up north, it seemed like it would force its way south, but it didn’t. Instead, the warm air took over. Not just in Tahoe, but across the entire West, where everyone got hit with rain. Jackson Hole was in the 50s, and even Utah saw rain!
Models Aren’t Gospel but a Tool
The GFS model… Snow porn at its finest. For the 1st storm in the larger cycle it predicted nearly 12 inches of liquid! The ENTIRE week only got 6!
The best tool for weather forecasters today is still the weather models. But as BA pointed out, “These are global models. Each micro-climate has its own set of errors. You need to understand these nuances and apply them to your forecast.” Take the GFS, for example. The U.S. model, affectionately known as “snow porn,” always assumes snow ratios are way too high, predicting crazy amounts of snow—and it’s nearly always wrong. Then there’s the Canadian model, which tends to underforecast how much snow places like Mt. Rose will get. The real voice of reason? The European model. Statistically, it’s proven to be the most accurate, and now with A.I. to help fix its errors, it’s getting even better.
OpenSnow Will Learn and Get Better
In the end, BA summed it up best: “It’s hard to forecast storms in the mountains.” But that’s exactly what drew Bryan to this field in the first place—the challenge of forecasting and getting it right. Sometimes, like the week of February 1st, 2025, you get it wrong. But that’s an outlier, and the team at OpenSnow is using it as a learning tool. Instead of taking a back seat, they’re constantly working to improve their product. They’ve even hired a full-time A.I. developer to create their own OpenSnow A.I., which is processing 40+ years of data to correct model errors and improve predictions.
And it’s not all about enjoying the summer for pickleball. The folks at OpenSnow use the “off season” as a chance to reflect and improve. That’s when they discovered the Canadian model’s issue with the Mt. Rose snow forecast. They’re always striving to get better.
We get how tough forecasting can be, and we hope this behind-the-scenes look helps explain the challenges involved. Big kudos to him—and to all of the OpenSnow team—for the hard work they put in!
When looking for a skiing destination, one of the factors that typically comes into everyone’s mind: “Is there more than one ski area to visit?” The answer when talking about the cozy town on the shore of Payette Lake is a wholehearted YES! In fact, McCall Idaho skiing has the perfect amount of resorts big and small to fit everyone’s budget, plans, or vision of what they think a ski town is all about.
McCall Idaho Skiing – Covers All Needs
Photo by: Local Freshies®
Within half and hour from the center of McCall, you have access to three vastly different ski areas. The closest is the Little Ski Hill which is only a few minutes away, offering affordable skiing and schussing under the lights. Less than nine miles away, you have the flagship resort: Brundage Mountain. Not just a ski area but rather a basecamp to outdoor fun such as snowmobile excursions to Burgdorf Hot Springs. The furthest away, but a MUST for all visitors, is Tamarack. This resort is now coming into a renaissance due to a new owner. Both Tamarack AND Brundage are a powder hound’s dream especially during mid-week. You’ll pretty much have each place to yourself. The best part is both of these offer lift-accessed backcountry skiing if you have the gear, knowledge, and fortitude to step outside into the wilderness.
The Little Ski Hill – For 1st Timers & Ski Addicts
Image appears courtesy: Payette Lakes Ski Club
As T.E. Lawrence in Lawrence of Arabia said, “Big things have small beginnings” and the Little Ski Hill in McCall, Idaho is the greatest example of this. Founded in 1937 for local forest workers to recreate during the winter, this quaint area doesn’t have one or two Olympians but SIX who got their start here. Although it may only have a 405-foot vertical drop, it makes sure that every inch of it is maximized. They do this by offering night skiing, a legit terrain park, AND a kid-first attitude that families love. How do you know it’s good? By hearing the laughter and whoops on the slopes. If you’re looking for a fountain of youth or just affordable skiing, this place is it. How affordable? Well, an adult day pass goes for only $30 or hand out $140 and get a SEASON PASS!!!! College students can pick up a season pass for $80 and kids 5-17 can get one for $50.
Compared to other ski resorts throughout the country, the road to Tamarack isn’t treacherous. Heading due south from McCall on Highway 55, follow the massive ridgeline until you pass through Donnelly. We HIGHLY recommend making a pit stop here for breakfast at the Flight of Fancy Bakery. Besides serving tasty pastries and other scrumptious options, their baked oatmeal is the BEST oatmeal you’ll have anywhere.
If you pull into Tamarack’s parking lot mid-week, it will feel as though it’s your own private resort. Although it might have less in-bounds acreage than its cousin Brundage, the 2,800’ of vertical skiing will make sure your legs are screaming especially that you can lap the mountain without stopping. For those that have knowledge about the backcountry, the lift-accessed terrain is MASSIVE since the resort sits on a ridgeline making for easy pickings. That’s just a few of the many reasons you should visit Tamarack Resort.
Brundage Mountain – McCall’s Classic Resort
Photo by: Local Freshies®
Last, but not in any way the least, Brundage Mountain Resort will always be near and dear to our hearts. Looking at the trail map and statistics, you’ll think that it isn’t very big or that it’s pretty mellow. Well, you’d be wrong. Just like all Idaho skiing, you have to look in-between the lines or rather in the glades to find the challenging stuff. For example, from looker’s left, the trails or rather “zones” of the Hidden Valley area holds some amazing steeps you’d find in places like Kirkwood. And if you have a few extra dineros in your pocket, we HIGHLY recommend booking a backcountry guided tour via a snowcat. At over 18,000 acres to explore, the snowcat tours will make sure you find some untracked pow to shred.
Photo by: Local Freshies®
Nordic Skiing
Although we’re focused on the gravity fed version, we have to give a nod to the McCall Idaho skiing version known as nordic skiing. Instead of an afterthought, cross-country skiing here is big. So much so that there are multiple nordic centers that maintain and manage trail networks. The jewel on the crown is Ponderosa Park. It’s located on a 1,000 acre peninsula that splits Payette Lake. Featuring heavily forested trails with rolling topography to ridge tops offering up spectacular views of the lake. The newest edition, opened in 2005, is Bear Basin which contains 30 km of trails to explore. You’ll also find trail networks at Tamarack Resort and the summer activities hot spot for mountain biking at Jug Mountain.
As the throngs of skiers and snowboarders head to busy destinations like Vail, Park City, or Whistler, you may want to consider McCall, Idaho for your next ski vacation. From consistent snowfall, thousands of acres of skiing, and fun winter activities like the McCall Winter Carnival, you’ll understand why we consider not just McCall but ALL of Northern Idaho – the last frontier of skiing. If you want to learn more about McCall like what’s there to do, what places to eat, and even insider tips on how to get there be sure to read our insider’s guide:
Japan. Its snow is so legendary that it has coined its own term: ‘JaPow.’ It has become a part of every skier’s and snowboarder’s lexicon. Ranking up there with Steamboat’s “Champagne Powder” and Bozeman’s “Cold Smoke.” We understand if you want to experience where this term originated at Niseko’s ski resorts. But if you’re like us and want to go where no one else is going, we’ve learned that it might be time to go skiing in Hokkaido and experience its ‘Bonchi.’
A map of Japan might make you think that the northern island of Hokkaido is small compared to the rest of Japan, but you’d be surprised to find out it’s nearly one-quarter of the country’s landmass (~22% to be exact) and roughly the size of the state of New York! And there’s more to skiing in Hokkaido than the well-known resorts of Niseko or Rusutsu. There are over 100 resorts to explore in the Hokkaido region alone! On our trip this winter, we learned about a magical place called the “Hokkaido Powder Belt.”
Hokkaido Powder Belt
On Hokkaido, most of the resorts that people visit are on the western side, surrounding the city of Niseko. The Hokkaido Powder Belt, however, is in the center of Japan’s northern island. Using Asahikawa or Furano as base camps, you can access a variety of different-sized ski areas, each offering something unique.
Bonchi – Another Kind of JaPow
As we mentioned in “10 Things I Wish I Knew Ahead of Skiing in Japan,” the sea effect is what makes Japan’s snow so consistently great. While Niseko, being closer to the ocean, benefits from this effect and stays warmer, Hokkaido’s Powder Belt lies further inland. This means it receives slightly less snowfall than Niseko, but the quality of the snow more than makes up for it.
To set it apart from the rest of “JaPow,” central Hokkaido is now calling its snow “Bonchi Snow.” “Bonchi” means “bowl” in Japanese, referring to Furano’s basin-like topography. It also plays on the word “bon,” which means “good” in French, giving it a playful twist—suggesting that this is the land of the best snow, the kind of powder you crave.
Authentic Japan in Hokkaido
Photo by Jaime Pirozzi – Local Freshies®
From every person I’ve spoken to, the Niseko ski resorts feel as if you could be at a Colorado resort just as much as you’re in Japan. On the other side of the spectrum, you have the Tohoku ski areas, which are located in the northern part of the main island. There’s a high likelihood you’ll be the ONLY Westerner at these resorts, and without someone who speaks Japanese, it can be difficult to get around. The Hokkaido Powder Belt is the perfect medium between the two. It still feels authentically Japanese, yet you’ll probably run into people who speak English, especially at resorts, hotels, and restaurants.
Experience Over Pow
On our trip this winter, what started as one of the coldest and snowiest seasons in Japan turned into something unexpected. When we arrived in Hokkaido, a high-pressure system sat over almost the entire country, providing sunny, warm-ish (still below freezing) conditions for skiing throughout our entire trip. The locals told us that a week without snow is unheard of. Even without fresh snowfall, the rich Japanese culture we experienced and the stunning scenery made the trip worth it.
Tomamu
Overlooking Tomamu Resort – Photo by Jaime Pirozzi – Local Freshies®
Photos and videos can leave quite an impression before you even set foot on the slopes. But I’ll admit, the pictures of those two massive towers surrounded by nature felt so foreign to me. I imagined that with two giant skyscrapers, there’d be a sprawling village beneath them just as big. Turns out, I couldn’t have been more wrong. Rather than creating a massive village that stretched across the entire valley, the resort chose to build up, preserving as much of the natural surroundings as possible.
The Skiing
Like many Japanese ski areas, this mountain spans two peaks. From the base, it looks like you’d need to shuttle between them, but in reality, the trails connect the two effortlessly. Tower Mountain, located next to the Towers, is the more mellow of the two. It’s home to night skiing on certain days and “Hotalu Street.” But no matter what the snow’s like, you’ve got to make sure you at least bomb down “Hotalu Street” once. The snow-covered avenue feels like you’re in the video game Skate or Die, weaving through a charming Japanese village.
But the real skiing is on Tomamu Mountain. Right off the Unkai Gondola, head skier’s left, and you’ll find wide-spaced birch trees on a steep pitch just begging to be shredded.
The Ice Village
John LaConte enjoying ice ramen at Tomamu’s Ice Village – Photo by Jaime Pirozzi – Local Freshies®
I’ve seen countless photos of ice villages in places like Iceland and Norway, but I never had the chance to experience one in person—until Tomamu. It was truly magical and something you need to take in if you visit here. Inside, you’ll find an Ice Post Office where you can send a postcard. An Ice Bar serving Japanese whiskey cocktails in glasses made of ice. And if that’s not enough, there’s even an Ice Chapel where, according to the resort staff, there’s at least one wedding everyday throughout the season!
Oh, and there’s an Ice Ramen Restaurant… and let me tell you, that was an experience. The frozen egg in the ramen was like a ramen-flavored gobstopper—definitely something you’ve got to bite into to understand.
Local Freshies® tip: I can tell you right now, whatever you wear normally snowboarding or skiing, be sure to add a layer if you visit the ice village. After a day of skiing, the ice from the village felt as if cold was emanating from the structures.
Furano
Photo by Jaime Pirozzi – Local Freshies®
Even from a distance, its hulking face is impressive. Out of all the dozen or so ski areas we visited in Japan, Furano stands out with the rowdiest terrain—probably why it’s the most popular in the region. The steep slopes are made for expert shredders. The resort itself feels like a mix of different resorts rolled into one. The Ropeway’s cable car reminded me of Jackson Hole’s tram, while the fall-line skiing following the mountain’s natural topography brought to mind Taos’ classic trail system. A shining example of this is the A-3 trail: a fun, steep, twisty, tight run that bounces down the fall line as if it were trying to reenact how a waterfall would flow if it were made of snow.
Through it all, Furano still maintains its authentic Japanese vibe.
On sunny days, the views are stunning. Across the long valley, you can see the massive, treeless peaks looming over the snow-covered farmland below.
Danger Lurks
With each new angle, the mountain reveals more big lines you didn’t catch from the last perspective—and, at the same time, more danger. From the top of Kitanomine, looking toward the backside of the Furano zone, we saw huge fractures that looked like glide avalanches just outside the resort’s boundaries.
Kamui Ski Links
Our guide to Kamui Ski Links Akihiko Wakamatsu smiling after our 1st dawn patrol lap – Photo by Jaime Pirozzi – Local Freshies®
Some mountains stand tall, practically yelling at you, “You got what it takes?” while others are more comfortable in their own skin. Kamui Ski Links is definitely one of the latter. It wasn’t the first impression that blew me away—it was what we discovered once we got to know the place.
Mom & Pop Feel
Out of all the mountains we visited, Kamui Ski Links was our favorite. Why? It has that “Mom & Pop” ski area vibe we all crave. There are almost no “Gaijin” around, just a true community spirit, with race clinics on the mountain and locals enjoying cheap meals of soba and chicken curry with rice in the lodge.
And then there’s the terrain. From the base, it looks like the slopes are short, but that’s not the case. Turns out, their gondola accesses nearly 2,000 vertical feet of skiing. While the terrain might not be as steep as Tomamu or Furano, what it lacks in steep shots, it more than makes up for with a laid-back vibe (aka fewer crowds), accessible glade skiing, and a relaxed boundary policy.
Other Ski Areas
While we didn’t get to explore every ski area, the region is packed with some seriously unique spots. Asahidake is a one-hit gondola that opens up access to Mt. Asahidake’s epic backcountry terrain. Then there’s Kurodake, another one-lift wonder, featuring cliff bands to huck off, chutes to tackle, and steep fall-line skiing that’ll make experts feel right at home. And let’s not forget about Sahoro, which offers an all-inclusive resort experience along with its tree-lined slopes—perfect for some solid tree skiing. Then there’s Pipu, Canmore (not the Canadian one), and Santa Present Park to round out the list.
Where to Stay
The lobby at Asahikawa – Photo by Jaime Pirozzi – Local Freshies®
Resort Living or City Experiences
Depending on the kind of experience you’re after, that will dictate where to stay. If you’re looking for the all-inclusive resort vibe, you’ve got that option. Staying close to the slopes means you’ll be spending most of your time at the hotel, where nightlife is pretty much nonexistent. But if you’re the type who wants to expand your horizons, staying in one of the nearby cities is a great choice. It’ll give you the chance to sample local cuisine, check out shops, and soak in the local scene. In that case, staying in a city might be more your style.
Asahikawa – City Experiences
The town’s architecture feels like if Milwaukee went full-on Japanese and then got dropped next to a bunch of massive mountains. Staying in a real city means you’re in for an authentic experience—straight-up local vibes. For a general rundown of things to try and do along with some tips, check out our Japan Guide. For Asahikawa, here’s what to expect:
Local Cuisine
The city’s known for its ramen, and you’ll find spots serving it all over. But if you want to do a side-by-side ramen showdown, check out the Asahikawa Ramen Village, where eight of the city’s most famous ramen joints are all in one place. Another regional delicacy? Soba noodles. Made from buckwheat, Hokkaido produces nearly 40% of Japan’s supply. These brownish noodles are a staple in Japanese meals, with a nutty flavor and chewy texture. You’ll find them served both hot and cold—perfect for whatever vibe you’re feeling.
Sanroku gai – Nightlife
The Japanese live that New York lifestyle—work hard, play hard, and trust us, they work HARD. As the sun sets, Asahikawa’s entertainment district, Sanroku Gai, really comes to life. This area is packed with over 1,000 restaurants lining the tiny winding walkways, serving up fresh seafood caught right off the local waters. Plus, you’ll find plenty of drinking spots to keep the vibe rolling into the night.
OMO7 Hoshino Resort
For part of our trip, we stayed at the OMO7 Hoshino Resort in Asahikawa. As the name suggests, it’s a resort right in the heart of the city. The lobby features a “wax bar” stocked with high-end waxes and tools, so you can tune up your skis on the spot. Downstairs, there’s a beautiful onsen with soaking tubs, a cold plunge, sauna, and a giant whirlpool—perfect for easing those post-ski aches and pains. We didn’t get a chance to try breakfast, but friends who’ve stayed rave about it. The iconic dish? Waffles topped with salmon. It might sound odd, but apparently, it totally works.
The resort’s central location made it the perfect spot to dive into the local culture after a day on the slopes. Plus, it’s a great basecamp with Kamui Ski Links, Asahidake, and Kurodake all under 90 minutes by car, and even Tomamu just over two hours away.
Tomamu Hoshino Resort- Resort Living
As part of our trip to hit up Tomamu, we stayed at the towers. If you’re coming with a family and don’t feel like resort hopping, Tomamu Hoshino Resort would be the ideal basecamp. Besides the incredible skiing, the resort offers an insane amount of other activities, such as horseback riding in the snow (Jaime sooo wanted to experience this), snowmobile tours, ice fishing, and even curling, to name a few. Inside the towers, you’ll find rooms that are absolutely massive—even by American standards, let alone Japanese. A standard room includes a separate family area alongside a huge bedroom.
Join Local Freshies® in January 2026!
Photo by: Josh Laskin – Alex riding the JaPow from his trip a few years ago
This trip definitely sparked the itch for some more JaPow, especially after seeing what these mountains have to offer. After our last visit in 2023, where we got to experience Japan’s legendary snow (and got totally skunked on our Hokkaido visit), we’re ready to go back to Hokkaido for round two!
If you’ve ever wanted to experience Japan, come join us for the 10-day Hokkaido Indy Trip. More details will be dropping in April 2025.
Ever since Caldor ravaged Sierra a few years ago, the resort has become a powder hound’s dream. Storms would dump feet of snow, and only a few hundred locals would be out shredding it. The question on everyone’s mind was, ‘Will Sierra-at-Tahoe survive?’ If the crowd on Saturday, February 8th, is any indication, it’s returning to its former glory.
Back to the Good ‘Ole Days?
In town, the roads were eerily empty. But as we turned left at 8 a.m. onto the access road this Saturday morning, the drive up to Sierra became a slow crawl, with hundreds of cars winding their way up the mountain. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d seen so many people heading up to ski. By 10 a.m., all parking was at capacity, with cars waiting at the entrance for spots to open up. Talking to friends in town who have been skiing here for years—long before Caldor and the pandemic, during the busy 2015-2017 seasons—they said days like this used to be the norm. In fact, things would get so crowded that they’d call all the ski shops and hotels to let them know the resort was full, sending out text alerts and the whole nine yards.
The Perfect Storm
Photo by: Local Freshies
Without access to data, we can’t be absolutely sure why it was so crowded but can make some educated guesses. Here’s a list of potential factors that may have contributed to the crowds on Saturday, February 8th.
Drought Winter
For the 2024-25 season, January saw little to no snowfall, leading to a build-up of demand for some fresh, soft turns.
Hype Train For The Storms
The Sierra Nevada mountain range is notorious for the hype generated by media outlets. Social media, news stations, and various other platforms were predicting that Tahoe would receive 6 to 9 feet of snow. While this didn’t exactly happen, it certainly fueled the excitement to get up here.
Super Bowl Weekend
Despite not being an official holiday, Super Bowl weekend is one of the most popular times to visit Tahoe, especially with the opportunity to head to the casinos and bet on the big game.
Multiple Events
In addition to everything else, Sierra hosted several events, including a USASA Boardercross competition and a local snow camp aimed at getting young kids on the slopes.
Sierra-at-Tahoe Joins Ikon
The biggest news of the season is that Sierra has joined the Ikon Pass. But is this something locals wanted? Every local we’ve spoken to has shared a similar sentiment: “It sucks, but if it keeps the lifts running, it’s the lesser of two evils. I just hope it doesn’t ruin Sierra and turn it into another crowded South Shore ski area.”
Unlike Epic, which is owned by a publicly traded company, the Ikon Pass is backed by a privately held fund, so any insights about its impact are largely anecdotal. Was the Ikon Pass a factor in the crowds returning? Everyone we spoke to on the lifts had a Sierra-at-Tahoe season pass or another product, like a three-pack. While this may be true, it’s also like a surf break—people might not always tell the full story.
Is this the New Normal?
While it’s refreshing to see Sierra returning to its glory days, every local is thinking the same thing: Will powder days become as crowded as those at other Tahoe ski resorts? Only time will tell. At the end of the day, here’s hoping Sierra continues its comeback after the Caldor fire.
You’ve packed perfectly for your ski vacation by following a ski trip packing list. The alarm rings and you jump out of bed pushing the shades open. It’s blue bird, and there’s over two FEET of fresh snow. Today’s going to be epic! Quickly scarfing down breakfast, you rush out of the cabin for first chair. Music’s blaring. You and your friends are beyond stoked. Today’s the day! Pulling up to the slopes, you jump out and open the tailgate. Your stomach drops. This is when you realize you’ve forgotten something. If this is your first ski day or one of many, learn from our mistakes and use this quick day of checklist to make sure you have all your skiing essentials BEFORE you rush out the door.
Printable Checklist
Once was enough when I forgot a pair of goggles and had to drop another thirty bucks for a pair because it was storm day. Instead of letting this happen again, we created a checklist to make sure we have everything we need before we step out the door. Learn from our mistakes and download our FREE skiing essentials checklist:
The first and quite possibly most important piece of gear is what you’re going to wear. If you wear the right stuff, you’ll be warm on cold days. Cool on sunny spring adventures. Dry when Mother Nature throws a curve ball, and it’s raining/sleeting. To learn about what features to look for in each type of garment, how to identify waterproofness, and a rundown of what to wear in any weather condition, head over to our comprehensive clothing guide:
There’s nothing worse than having cold feet. NEVER ride with cotton. Instead, pick up a pair of merino wool blend or ones specifically designed to keep you warm and wick away sweat like Primaloft or Thermolite. Whatever you do, don’t double up on them either. Just get a pair of ski socks that are a bit beefier like a mid-weight variation.
Base Layers
Think of this as your second skin. Base layers are designed to be snug so that it keeps you warm, but at the same time easily wicks perspiration from your skin. If you grew up in a colder climate, you’ll know these as “Longjohns.” They’ve advanced quite a bit in their technology over the years and feel less like a piece of chainmail and more like a soft satin covering.
Mid Layer
Image appears courtesy: REI
Being based out of Tahoe, this is the layer we don’t always wear but have in the car just in case. Mid layers are things like a fleece or a puffy. It’s that extra bit of warmth on those cold days. This doesn’t have to be for your upper body only. For some reason, my lower body (i.e. feet) gets colder quicker so I typically wear a mid-layer on the bottom and not on my upper body.
Ski Pants
The barrier between you and the elements. Nearly every pair comes with gaiters on the bottom to make sure snow doesn’t go up your leg but from there things begin to vary. If you’re looking for a touch more protection from the wind and snow on the back but with the freedom of no waistband, then you may enjoy going the bib route.
Ski Jacket
Photo by: Local Freshies®
Instead of a heavy insulated jacket, we prefer to go with a shell and then layer underneath. If the sun does come out or the temps suddenly begin to rise, you can quickly shed layers and stay comfy. For a deeper dive on what features to look for in a jacket and some recommendations, be sure to check out our article: Unzip On What To Look For In The Best Women’s Snowboard Jacket.
Gloves
Like most other pieces of ski equipment, gloves or mittens can get pricey rather quickly. It’s not unheard of to spend upwards of $200. If you’re only going out for a handful of days, you don’t need to spend that much. Invest those $$$ on more critical items like the jacket or pants. A great budget friendly glove is the Gordini Gore-Tex Storm Glove or for a few more bucks the Black Diamond. Gordini’s entire mitten and glove offerings are Snow Joke If It’s Freezing Outside. Founded in 1956 and fiercely independent to this day, their focus is less on marketing spend and more about pushing the envelope on technology, offering them to you at an affordable price.
Neck Gaiter / Face Mask
Normally, we carry two neck gaiters. A warmer one that’s a bit heavier in weight for those cold storm days like the Smartwool Merino 150 Neck Gaiter. And then another that’s incredibly breathable that we could use even on a warm spring day like the Buff CoolNet UV+ line. Note: The Buff CoolNet is so breathable you could even use it in a warm climate like Costa Rica if you wanted to protect your skin.
Skull Cap / Balaclava
Although a helmet has insulation to keep you warm, you’ll be grateful to have that bit of extra wind protection when you have a skull cap. Another option is to skip the neck gaiter and go full balaclava.
Equipment
Out of all the skiing essentials, your equipment has A LOT to do with personal preference and skill level. We have MULTIPLE articles going into how to identify the best equipment for you such as Rocker Vs Camber – Which Is Best For You. We suggest starting on our ski & snowboarding equipment homepage and go from there:
Do a quick once over to make sure each bolt is tight and nothing’s broken. I’ve had a few times where my high back somehow lost a screw. I’ve seen and heard countless times where friends don’t feel comfortable on their snowboard — here’s how to Get Yo Stance Dialed – Snowboard Binding Setup so that you can rip with the best of them.
Snowboard / Ski Boots
Check the laces and latches to make sure nothing’s out of order. Frustrated with your current boots? Here’s 7 Things To Look For In The Best Womens Snowboard Boot based on our findings that will help both men AND women.
Ski Poles
If you’re renting or buying a pair of poles, the easiest way to find the right size is to flip them over and hold them underneath the basket. Your forearm should be at a 90 degree angle to the floor with the upper arms comfortably on your sides.
Helmet
Image appears courtesy: REI
The most expensive item in your entire kit is your brain so it’s a good idea to rock a helmet. I learned this the hard way by getting a few concussions in my youth. At a minimum, a helmet protects you from scratches and bruises from a random tree branch sticking out. At its best, the helmet will make sure that if a stray skier, snowboarder, or boulder hits you or you hit it, your noggin has some extra protection. Jaime LOVES her new Drift Wildhorn Helmet. It fits her googles, stylish, and a fraction of the price compared to some of the others on the market.
Goggles
Photo by: Local Freshies®
While ski goggles are one of the skiing essentials to have, this is yet another example of something you don’t need to drop big coin on if you aren’t spending thirty days on the slopes. Focus on the basics. Do they fit your face and helmet appropriately? At a minimum, you want them to reduce glare and block the wind from making your eyes water. We delve into how to find the best pair for you and review all the brands on the market in Get Your “Eye” On The Best Ski / Snowboard Goggles Out There.
Accessories
While some of these are truly skiing essentials like your season pass, others are not as much. But, you’ll be glad you have them such as sun block on those sunny spring days.
Lift Pass
Regardless if you’re a season pass vet or a day pass junkie, there’s a good chance you have to print out something to bring with you when you get to the resort.
Snacks
When the snow is good, you don’t want to waste your time having to stop for food. Just like the Snickers commercial croons “Hungry? Why wait”, stuff your pockets with jerky and granola bars.
Backpack
Image appears courtesy: REI
We don’t normally ride one with one if we’re only going to be out for a few hours. But on those epic storm days where it just keep snowing and snowing, we can’t bare to pull ourselves from the slopes. You can of course ski with a regular backpack, but there’s a good chance you’ll feel like you have a cat attached to your back attempting to toss you over the handlebars. If you’re going to ride with one, we recommend picking up one that’s light and designed to carry a water reservoir like the Osprey Kamber 20 L Snowpack for men or the Kresta for women. It isn’t bulky, and you won’t even notice that you’re riding with it.
Wax
Image appears courtesy: REI
Not as critical mid-winter, but on those warm spring days we typically carry a bit of warm weather paste wax such as Maxiglide or MountainFLOW quick wax and a tiny bit of citrus base cleaner to fend off any stickiness.
Tool
It is true ski resorts typically have a wrench at the bottom of each lift but normally they’re really a pain to use. Instead, have something like a Dakine Torque Driver Tool in your pocket. It has all the different sized bits and will work WAY better than what’s available on the slopes.
Lip Balm
Don’t let the wind and sun leave you with pain. Protect those speakers from the elements with some lip balm.
Sun Block
You’re most likely going to be up higher in elevation which means closer to the sun. Even if it’s cloudy, make sure to dab on some sun screen. Sure, goggle tans are cool but you don’t want to look like a red panda when you get home.
GoPro
If a snowboarder or skier lands a backside 360 in the park and it wasn’t caught on film, did it happen?
Headphones
Mother Nature is all we need on the slopes, but I know for some music is what makes skiing & snowboarding fun.
Ski Trip Packing List
If you’re planning to go on a ski vacation, you need a lot more gear than what we highlight above. Besides the skiing essentials, you’ll also need other items like beanies, flip flops, toiletries, and even a swimsuit. To make sure you don’t forget all those items, use this ski trip packing list to save a week of misery on the slopes.
In outdoor gear, Gore-Tex membranes are the gold standard for protection against the elements. We’ve hailed this material in many of our articles including our backcountry ski jacket guide. And to this day, there are very few proprietary brands from companies like Patagonia or North Face that can provide that kind of protection. A fabric that has started to bubble up as a competitive alternative to Gore-Tex is Dermizax by Toray. We take a deep dive into Dermizax Vs Gore Tex to see how they stack up.
Verdict
When comparing Dermizax vs Gore-Tex it comes down to what you’re looking for in your outerwear. Personally, for 95% of the time I like the Dermizax material. It offers more flexibility and a soft feel, similar to a softshell. It also provides excellent breathability when I’m sweating on the skin track and performs exceptionally well in most snowstorms. On the other hand, Gore-Tex is what I want on a wet Sierra Cement or Cascade Concrete day when the flakes are instantly turning to liquid as they touch me. Jaime, the Local Freshies® Gal, wants superior protection at all times and so she would never part with her Gore Tex Pro regardless of the conditions.
How We Compared Dermizax vs Gore Tex
Jaime wearing the Norrøna Lofoten with the Gore Tex Pro membrane – Photo by: Local Freshies
We’ve done a side-by-side full season test with Jaime using a Norrøna Lofoten Jacket which comes with Gore-Tex Pro and while I used the Ortovox Ortler 3L with Dermizax NX in the exact same elements. Although it wasn’t a perfect comparison since they both use different fabrics on the exterior, it did give us an idea of how they stack up.
Waterproofing
On paper, Gore-Tex Pro has a whopping 28,000+ mm waterproof rating versus Dermizax NX which is rated at 20,000 mm. In simplest terms that means the Dermizax NX material can withstand 20,000 mm of water pressure before it starts to leak versus the Gore-Tex Pro can withstand up to 28,000+ mm. Just to give you an idea how impressive that is — most ski resort jackets come with a 10-15,000 mm waterproof rating.
The Monsoon Test
They say a 20,000 mm jacket can protect you from rain in a hurricane, and that’s exactly what we did. We had the fortunate (or unfortunate) opportunity to test it during a three-hour monsoon at a New York Giants game. Jaime’s Norrøna Lofoten Jacket with Gore-Tex Pro kept her dry, while my Ortler 3L with Dermizax NX performed well for most of it — though I still ended up a bit damp. In “normal” winter conditions, the Dermizax NX performed just as well as Jaime’s jacket.
Winner: Gore-Tex Pro
Breathability
The next important factor is breathability. When you begin to get soaked with sweat in a cold environment, it can lead to a dangerous situation. One of the easiest ways to solve for this is to wear moisture-wicking breathable materials including your jacket. Gore-Tex Pro has a breathability rating of 25,000 g/m2. This means that 25,000 grams of water vapor (I.e. sweat) can pass through a square meter of Gore-Tex Pro in a 24-hour period. Although Toray the manufacturer of Dermizax NX doesn’t provide a breathability rating, we’ve read that it provides anywhere between 30,000 – 50,000 g/m2.
Testing on the Skintrack
Photo by Jaime Pirozzi – Local Freshies®
Within a ski resort, sweating might not be a big deal but it’s a different story on the skin track. Climbing up a mountain can you get warm pretty quickly. On a spring day with temperatures starting well below freezing and hitting highs in the upper 40s, I was blown away with the Dermizax NX membrane. I believe the breathability rating is spot on. Even though I’m the sweaty type, it kept me comfortably cozy in the full range of activities without having to keep taking it on and off. While Jaime, on the other hand with her Gore-Tex Pro, was constantly going on and off with her shell.
Winner: Dermizax
Feel
The final feature that most don’t talk about is “feel.” We’re not talking about Fernando’s Hideaway “dahling” on how you look but how the material feels when you’re moving on the mountain. Do you feel inhibited? Does the fabric make it sound as if you’re crumpling up a piece of paper? For many it isn’t a big deal, but it’s something to at least consider.
Marketing Hulabaloo or Legit?
Gore-Tex fabrics combined with bullet proof denier are notorious for how stiff they feel hence the name “hardshell.” One of the Dermizax NX fabric’s chief competitive advantages that they market is its multi-directional stretch capabilities. Is it REALLY that big of a deal? Before I tried it, I could really care less about feel. I was chasing the “protection against the elements” bug. I can tell you that Dermizax’s multi-stretch abilities aren’t malarkey but legit. Instead of buying a size up, I’m able to rock a more form fitting jacket and still get the protection I need. Jaime, while she cares about the feel, doesn’t care enough to EVER part with her jacket. In fact, she uses it all year long on EVERY adventure from mountain biking to backcountry skiing.
Winner: Depends
Just a few years ago, I would’ve said that there isn’t any waterproofing material that could compete against Gore-tex. It may still be the #1 brand but as you can see from Toray’s Dermizax offering, it might not be the best tool for all situations. It comes down to what you’re looking for.
One of the things we love about skiing and snowboarding in Idaho is that it’s home to some of the few truly independent ski areas left in the West. Resorts like Magic Mountain and Lookout Pass have a special charm that keeps us coming back year after year. However, a tragic incident at Sun Valley has brought the issue of ski area liability to the forefront. After a skier died, his widow filed a lawsuit against the resort. The Idaho Supreme Court’s ruling in this case is setting a new legal precedent, which could lead to significant changes in the future.
What Happened?
In November 2019, a 65-year-old doctor named Stewart Milus from Boise was skiing at Sun Valley. The resort has two main ski areas: Bald Mountain and Dollar Mountain. Bald Mountain itself is divided into two sections: River Run and Warm Springs. According to court documents, Stewart was skiing down the lower River Run.
Lay of the Land
An example of the snowguns that Steve Milus hit.
We’ve skied this run before—it’s a wide, groomed trail that leads to the River Run Lodge. As the primary route to the base, it can get crowded. On this particular day, it was moderately busy. The court noted that Stewart was skiing “with poor control.” He crossed into the path of another skier, skied across the backs of their skis, yelled, then fell and crashed head-first into a tall, yellow-padded snowmaking tower in the middle of the run. He was taken to Wood River Medical Center where he was pronounced dead.
Lawsuit Puts Law into Question
Afterwards Stewart’s widow filed a lawsuit against Sun Valley. While the lower courts upheld a 1979 statute, as has been the case for decades, the Idaho Supreme Court took a different stance. The court ruled that a jury should decide whether the ski resort could be partially at fault, regardless of the skier’s actions.
What’s Next
Even though Idaho’s Supreme Court has already made a decision, they are set to hear arguments in February about possibly reconsidering their unanimous ruling. This could return the interpretation of Idaho’s law to how it was before the court’s December 2023 ruling.
Eerily Similar to Mt Hood Ski Bowl’s Mtn Biking Case
Alternatively, the ruling could stand. And if it does, it feels similar to what happened with mountain biking at Mt. Hood Ski Bowl a few years ago. In Oregon, businesses don’t have the same legal protections as those in Idaho. As a result of a lawsuit, Mt. Hood Ski Bowl was forced to shut down its bike park permanently. While larger resorts like Sun Valley and Schweitzer are likely safe, it’s the smaller ones we love—like Pomerelle—that are most at risk. In the worst case, this could lead to closures similar to what happened in Vermont when a lawsuit hit their industry in 1978.
There is a Silver Lining
Jaime’s happy place – Magic Mountain Photo by: Local Freshies®
We like to hold a glass half full perspective. So even if the Supreme Court stands, it may not mean the end for Mom & Pops. There are various outcomes from this ruling that could happen. For example, a new bill could be introduced, similar to the one last February that was proposed by Rep. Barbara Ehardt at the urging of the ski industry. Although the bill didn’t receive a hearing, it aimed to clarify the existing law by adding a clear statement that ‘no standard of care’ applies to the duties of ski areas. In summary, stay tuned as this story develops over the course of the month.
Calling a jacket perfect is pretty subjective and hard to defend. And yet it’s the first thing I put in the title. I have a lot of outdoor gear that I like but very few items make it on the love list. But the Mammut Taiss HS Hooded Womens Jacket is one of them covered in crayon hearts and googly eyes.
Jack(ie) of all Trades
Most would argue that being decent or even good at lots of things isn’t a desirable quality. You’d want to be great at something and leave the mediocre part behind. But what if you could be great at lots of things? I know. It sounds like a load of fairy dust. But I say dump it on my head and call me a princess because this coat exceeded any expectations I had about it.
My first thought was I might use it for spring skiing or just throw it over my puffy to stay dry in a rainstorm. And I will wear it for both of those, but it also lines up with hiking, trail running, biking, resort snowboarding, and especially backcountry splitboarding. What I’m saying is, the Mammut Taiss HS Womens Jacket will be a top go-to choice for all the outdoor activities I do. That’s my bold statement… and here’s why.
Final Verdict
If you’re looking for a moderately priced jacket that can cross many seasons and sports, this is a solid choice. When a piece of gear is versatile, that can help with the cost as you’ll get more use and potentially need less gear overall. I put this Mammut Taiss HS Hooded Womens Jacket in the same functional category as my previously mentioned Norrøna Lofoten backcountry jacket. And while they aren’t a 1:1 comparison, the Mammut is half the price of the Norrøna but will get just as much, if not more use across the year.
Preferences on a hardshell span wide when it comes to jackets. This jacket might be named HS and hold the durability, waterproof, and breathability of a hardshell but it is as soft-feeling as you can get. It actually feels silky smooth. No crunchy sounds. No weird creases against your arms when you bend. Just plain enjoyable to wear.
Two is the Right Number… of Pockets
More pockets doesn’t make a jacket better. It just means more zippers. More random places to stuff things, like a junk drawer that’s out of control. For me, where the pockets are and their size are MUCH more important than how many pockets it has as a whole. This jacket’s pocket game is simple. Two pockets on the chest, deep in extending to mid waist and a small interior pocket. That’s it. And that’s all it needs.
In action sports, pockets that sit low on the waist can hamper your stride when loaded, making hinging at the hips uncomfortable and conflicting with backpack waist straps. These two chest pockets sit at a height that won’t constrict breathing if filled or impede a backpack chest strap or chestie mount. For me personally, I need deep pockets to stash cameras. If I’m forced to put my cameras or video equipment in my backpack, I have a higher likelihood of not capturing a moment because I don’t want the hassle of taking off my bag. These chest pockets are deep enough to hold GoPros with sticks, small DSLR cameras and even cell phones with gimbals or handheld grips.
Rolls Up to Travel Size
When outdoor galavanting whether it be on feet, wheels, or snow, you might not want to wear the jacket all the time. That means you need to be able to take it off and stash it somewhere small, either in a pocket or your backpack. The Mammut Taiss HS Hooded Womens Jacket squishes down to a handful that can easily be stuffed anywhere. You never have to choose whether to bring it or not because taking it off won’t be a hassle to carry.
A Hood for a Big Head
Well not a big head, per se. But when you have a helmet on but want to pull your hood over it comfortably so your neck still bends, swivels, and you aren’t choking or feel like you have blinders on, this jacket does it. I tried pulling it over both a snowboard helmet and mountain biking helmet and both were still comfortable to see and wear. That’s a nice bonus if you get caught in a rain storm and want to keep water out of your neck and eyes. One word of caution though. If you have an underneath layer that also has a hood, be aware that it may make the outer Mammut hood too tight or not fit as comfortably as it would with no additional hood fabric wadding up behind your neck. Too many hoods can be a bad combo.
No Throat Zipper Choking
A great jacket can be ruined when you zip it up all the way to the top and the material is so rigid and abundant under your chin that it feels like you’re choking. The ultra soft texture of this jacket helps alleviate that feeling completely. There is enough material under your chin that you could pull it over your lower face to block weather or it can curl under your chin out of the way as if it wasn’t even there.
Two-way Underarm Zipper for Flexibility
Underarm ventilation is mandatory on any outdoor coat, regardless of what you’re doing. Sometimes you just need to let in some air. It’s a nicety to have dual zippers, letting you choose if you want to directly let your armpit breathe or open from the bottom for more side venting. But when it comes to backpacks, you must have the dual option to easily let you vent without having to remove your pack to find a zipper. When my backcountry pack is on, it blocks the lower section of the vent so having the upper zipper as an option makes venting very easy without touching my backpack at all.
A True Year-Rounder with Credentials
Mammut markets this jacket as a hardshell for year-round use. And I fully agree with that description. The flexibility to move allows you to use it for many sports throughout the year. And with performance, it rates the highest at 6/6 by Mammut standards for water impermeability, breathability, and windproof. That’s hard to beat. The Mammut Taiss HS Hooded Womens Jacket also rates high at 4/6 for durability, packability, and lightweight. Since I don’t do rough sports like climbing, I can’t argue durability as I won’t be scraping it across sharp surfaces. But I do think they are being a little hard on themselves for packability and lightweight features when I can roll it up in my hand and it feels like I’m wearing nothing when it’s on. But I know if you count grams and mm for size, they do have jackets that are smaller and lighter.
Layerability
This jacket is stated as Mammut’s Regular Fit. They describe it as “comfortable to wear with plenty of movement… perfect for layering.” They also offer different jackets in another fit called Ski Regular. The difference in description is that the Ski Regular is better for underneath warm layers, helmets, and transceivers. So naturally, I would say I want the Ski Regular instead of just Regular. But that’s not the case. The Mammut Taiss HS Hooded Womens Jacket, with its Regular Fit rating, allows me to do everything the Ski Regular calls out and with comfort. This jacket is comfortable over a helmet, has plenty of space for an underneath transceiver, and I always wear a base layer AND a Patagonia puffy under my shells. I can fit all of this underneath this Regular Fit coat with no complaints.
Sizing
I think it’s a female thing, but I always worry about what size to get. Two-dimensional drawings of measurements never pan out in the real world for me. I always take my measurements as they recommend and then I still worry I bought the wrong size. And many times I do.
For this jacket, I sit right at the upper range of Medium but could technically sit in the Large (on paper more comfortably.) My first thought was to size up and get the Large so I could be more roomy and comfortable. But there’s always that nice feeling when you get the actual right size and it fits just how you want, without feeling like you’re wearing a garbage bag just in case you put on four more coats underneath. I have another backcountry coat, the Norrøna Lofoten, which is very similar in style and function. I went with my real-life example and picked the Medium for the Mammut because the Norrøna is a Medium as well and fits spot on with all my layers and cameras.
The final verdict on size: the Medium was the right choice. I can put all the layers I want underneath as well as my camera equipment and still move freely outdoors. And if I just want to wear it out to the store or on a winter’s day, it looks like it fits and isn’t ridiculously oversized.
Even Perfect isn’t Perfect
As you can tell, I am stoked on this jacket and plan to use it a lot across the seasons. My vote is it’s in the WIN column and a recommended buy. But this review wouldn’t be balanced if I didn’t have something I wish was improved. Nothing is ever perfect-perfect.
More Color Please
When it comes to creating visuals, there’s nothing worse than dark colors, especially black. Nothing black looks good outdoors in photos or videos. There’s no pop. No pizazz. Just blah. Sadly, this coat is Marine Black which is the darkest blue possible before actually being black. Most companies today don’t make bright, electric colorways anymore and that sucks. Nothing like the 80’s. Everything was neon! I will wear this coat a lot, but I will have to think twice when on photo/video shoots because of its dark, un-photogenic color. I can only dream of a bright green, orange, blue, or yellow even!
A Bit Extra Length
With constant movement whether it’s by biking, running, or snowboarding, a little extra length is nice just to keep things from creeping up. If I could just get an inch extra on the back of this coat, I would be beaming with joy. So far in wearing it, it has stayed put with my backpack and when running around in it, but a girl can wish for just one more inch in the caboose to keep things covered 100% of the time.
Not everything is price driven when you buy gear, as warranty, durability, special use, etc. all matter tremendously. But, many times it really does come down to cost. Will it last as long as a jacket twice the price and with a longer warranty period? That’s to be seen, but for now, I will enjoy wearing it as much as I can.
Regardless of whether you’re a skier or a snowboarder, camber and rocker are two terms that have likely been introduced into your vocabulary. We’re taking a close look to define what they are, how they differ, and to help you determine whether rocker or camber is better for you. But first things first: let’s start with what they actually mean.
What Is Camber
Image appears courtesy: REI
Merriam-Webster’s definition of camber is “a slight convexity, arching, or curvature, as of a beam, deck, or road.” In this case, it refers to the curve on a pair of skis or a snowboard. If you lay a board or skis flat on their base and look at them from the side, you’ll see what appears to be a reverse arc.
Why Do They Have Camber?
The reason for this arc is that it provides increased contact against the snow and springiness between your feet. The result is it allows you to make the perfect arc when carving. Another advantage is that it gives the rider or skier a natural “pop” when ollieing.
How Traditional Camber Came To Be
Image appears courtesy: Pixabay
Snowboard technology over the years hasn’t lived in its own bubble but rather looked around at other board sports like surfing and skateboarding. One of the ideas that was influenced by skateboarding was camber. Longboards with camber were designed so that when weight was applied, it created a reverse arc making it easier to carve a continuous “S” path by just leaning left and right.
Skis Adopted Camber
Skier Darin Haworth enjoying the fresh powder at Kirkwood – Photo by: Local Freshies®
Snowboarding may have drawn inspiration from other sports, but skiing’s use of camber dates back much further, all the way to the 1840s. Camber made it possible to create thinner, lighter skis. What skiing did borrow from snowboarding, however, was the concept of camber combined with a more aggressive sidecut, which led to the creation of what were known as “parabolic skis.” This innovation was such a significant leap forward in technology that many at the time claimed it “revived” the sport. Whether or not that’s true, it undeniably impacted skiing, introducing a whole new way of sliding down the mountain that the two-plank crowd hadn’t experienced before.
Rocker – The New Style
Image appears courtesy: REI
For decades, camber was the only shape that dominated the market, and there was no debate over rocker vs camber. That all changed when Lib Tech sparked the “rocker revolution” by introducing the Skate Banana. This was when the flip side of camber—rocker, or reverse camber—was introduced. From the side, a ski or board with rocker will appear to “smile” at you.
McConkey – The Man Who Brought Rocker To Skiing
The rocker shape was introduced by Shane McConkey on the skier side with his Volant Spatula Skis. When they came out, reviewers used terms like “fun”, “easy”, and saviors to the sports of skiing/snowboarding. This “banana” shape made it extremely easy to ride fresh powder when it was deep due to the natural arc already formed.
The Waterboy Argument
These two vastly different ski and snowboard designs had created a passionate debate between rocker vs camber. It’s like the scene from the movie Waterboy where Bobby Boucher has the argument on water versus Gatorade. I’ve heard friends on both sides make statements like:
“You can’t land on the bolts when it’s a rocker. I feel like I’m fighting a wet pig in the park. Camber all the way.”
“Deep pow on a camber? No way! All the board wants to do is dive like a submarine and make me tomahawk.”
What’s Better Rocker Or Camber?
So, which shape is better in the eternal rocker vs camber argument? Unfortunately, it isn’t an easy answer. For those with the money, a “quiver” might be your best option. A quiver is a set of decks or skis that you can pick and choose from depending on the conditions and skill level.
Rocker In Your Arsenal
Image appears courtesy: Diamond Peak – Photo by: Ryan Salm
If you’re going heli-skiing, cat-boarding, or wake up to 3 feet of deep powder, floating in the bottomless snow is VERY critical. A good choice for this is the Rocker. The natural “U” shape allows you to float easily through the snow without having to lean far back to get through it. It will provide effortless float. This includes Lib-Tech’s original banana profile and Arbor’s Rocker Profiles.
The Cons To The Rocker
Personally, a full rocker board feels a little squirrelly at high speeds. Locking into a turn, the board feels “soft” and loose more like a skid instead of a carve.
Locked n’ Loaded For A Camber
On the other hand, if your focus is on carving groomers or shredding through resort powder that’s only a few inches deep, at best a camber deck might be the funnest shape for you. As a purist, the ability to make a perfect carve and explode out of your turn allows you to exit faster than you went in.
World Of Camber Hurt
For friends who’ve started snowboarding for the first time, a bigger camber and/or sidecut could cause you to get frustrated. Think of it like tight suspension on a sports car. The design provides a more responsive ride, which means you could easily catch an edge. In addition, a true camber’s flex will make it a bit more difficult to keep the nose afloat in deep snow.
The Rocker Revolution Brings Hybrid Designs
Luckily, the answer doesn’t have to be one or the other. After the dust had settled with rocker vs camber shapes, there has been an explosion of all kinds of different ways of thinking. Both skiing and snowboarding manufacturers have begun to push the envelope on what’s possible with the arc. Shapes from a “flat” board to all sorts of hybrid combinations coming together into one deck.
Goldilocks Would Like Hybrid
If you’re looking for one board to rule them all, a hybrid is what you want. Is it the best in all conditions? We’ll be honest… when Lib Tech released the “banana” boards, we loved the different surfy feeling to it. Over the years though, we’ve gone the hybrid route for any days with soft snow and a true camber board for groomer days or spring.
Most Popular Hybrid Styles
Image appears courtesy: REI
Despite having an infinite amount of combinations, there are certain styles that are more prevalent than others. Here’s a few of them:
Hybrid Camber
This is when the design is primarily a camber between the feet but rocker at the nose and tail. Snowboarders or skiers that love a camber design but want a little help keeping the board afloat in deep snow will love it. For beginners, this will also help keep you from catching an edge.
Hybrid Rocker
The gold standard in pow slashing – the T.Rice Orca
The opposite of the Hybrid Camber is the Hybrid Rocker profile. Instead, it has rocker in the center and camber on the tips. In addition, both the nose and tail are still off the ground unless the board is weighted (i.e. someone standing on it). Hybrid Rockers still help with float but also ride better than a traditional rocker at higher speeds.
As the name states, these are designed to primarily ride in one direction. The natural binding location is usually setback a bit. The focus is on camber from the tail of the board/skis to the front bindings. The nose is longer with a pronounced rocker uplift. This style provides stability like a classic camber, but the tip allows you to float easier in powder.
Within this category, there are a few different profiles. Overall, the base it flat from tip to tail. At the nose and tail is where the unique flavors come in. Some have minor camber. Others have a few millimeters of rocker on each end. Others are flat for most of it and only have rocker from the front bindings through the nose to help with float. This is an awesome option for those who like to hit park, rails, or tinker around on kickers.
An example of a flat profile is the Capita Ultrafear or for those who want a boost in technology, we recommend checking out the BataleonTBT profiles. Not quite flat. Not a true rocker. They’re their own design that’s been patented.
What To Look For In A Hybrid
As you can tell, picking the type of snowboard you ride is a purely personal preference. For example, Jaime LOVES a board that has WAY more camber than I do but with a bit softer flex. Me, on other hand, for years looked for a camber-rocker-camber design such as the Orca. This allows the board to carve well but at the same time helps keep the nose afloat. Is it perfect? Nope, but it’s a great go-to option on most days.
Consider ALL Snowboard Shapes
A unique snowboard shape is the Weston Revel – Photo by: Jaime Pirozzi – Local Freshies®
As I personally came to realize when picking your snowboard or skis, the rocker vs camber debate is just one factor to consider. You also need to think about all the other shape and technology features, such as “magna-traction,” sidecut, and whether the board is “volume-shifted.” Our detailed article, Shape Up or Ship Out on Snowboard Shapes: Types, Terms, & More, covers all of these factors in depth. Ultimately, there are many choices when it comes to brands. Now that you have a better understanding, get out there, demo some new boards, and let us know what you think!
For more tips about gear from finding the right jacket to a pair of goggles and more, be sure to visit our Skiing & Snowboarding Gear homepage.
