“Posting the list to the county’s website is part of the ongoing effort to increase transparency in our county government,” Harn said. “The best government transparency involves placing all financial information online in a readily understandable manner. Government transparency allows taxpayers to see how our county is spending tax money and gives El Dorado County residents the ability to hold us accountable.
As always, the county’s mental health medical director was the county’s highest compensated employee with salaries and benefits totaling $513,889. A psychiatrist, the sheriff, undersheriff, district attorney and chief administrative officer are also in the top 10.
“The cost of each employee’s CalPERS benefit is included on the list, but the reported retirement cost should be reviewed with some skepticism,” Harn shared. “CalPERS has intentionally understated the actual cost of its retirement programs statewide. Undoubtedly, higher costs for the county’s retirement program and retirees’ health stipend will need to be paid in the future.”
CORTINA D’AMPEZZO, Italy – After AJ Hurt’s promising start to the first run of the giant slalom competition at the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics on Sunday, Feb. 15, the event took a turn for the Carnelian Bay resident before she crossed the finish line.
Hurt was up about a tenth of a second on the leader’s time and through the toughest section when her arm hooked a gate about two-thirds of the way through the course.
Thrown off balance, Hurt could not recover and skied off course, acquiring a DNF (did not finish) for the event.
Following the second run, teammates Mikaela Shiffrin finished 11th, Paula Moltzan finished 15th and other Tahoe athlete Nina O’Brien finished 20th.
It was Italy’s Federica Brignone that claimed gold. Sweden’s Sara Hector and Norway’s Thea Louise Stjernesund tied for silver.
A second-time Olympian, Hurt joined teammate and best friend Keely Cashman in the team event on Tuesday. Hurt skied the slalom portion and is expected to ski in the slalom individual event on Wednesday, Feb. 18.
INCLINE VILLAGE, Nev. – Children gathered excitedly as they headed to the buses just outside of Incline Middle School. They seemed eager to start their weekly Exploratory classes as Principal Dan Lediard greeted his students with a fist bump. For a group of 6th and 7th graders, today’s destination: Pet Network Humane Society.
Incline Middle School students get hands-on experience during their Exploratory classesVictoria Mastrocola/Tahoe Daily Tribune
The Exploratory classes, originally dubbed “teacher passion projects” by Lediard’s predecessor, Carrie McDonald, were first introduced as a means to get students back into school after COVID-19.
“I applaud [McDonald] so much for starting this. First, she changed the bell schedule, which requires approval from the district, but then she tasked teachers with bringing their own passion projects, like their hobbies and interests, into the school and showing the students,” Lediard said.
Lediard took over as principal the following year, and with his science background as a biology major in college and his experience as a 6-12th grade science teacher, he realized that Incline Middle School was meeting most, if not all requirements to be a STEM school. They just didn’t have the designation yet.
“When I got to the [passion project] piece, I thought ‘Wow, this is really cool! This could be the bread and butter of our STEM’. So we changed the name, and called it the Exploratory class.”
Lediard began reshaping the classes by blending education with community while harboring hopes of giving his teachers a much needed break. “They were burnt out after COVID,” added Lediard. “I recognized that feeling on my teachers’ faces. So I thought, ‘Let’s bring the community members in as much as possible.'”
Thus the Exploratory program, funded by Incline Education Fund, now had a multifaceted undertaking as each of the classes were separated into categories such as Arts and Environment, Technology and Entrepreneurship, as well as Athletics or College and Career.
As students entered the Pet Network Humane Society to learn about Veterinary Science under the College and Careers umbrella, it was clear their interests were peaked.
Maddie, a seventh grader who recently transferred to Incline Middle School, said she enjoys learning about animals when she comes to the Pet Network. “I think [Exploratory classes] are really good for being able to learn more about other things,” Maddie said. “It definitely gives people more opportunities than most schools do, and I think they should incorporate it more in other school districts.”
Maddie and her classmates were given a chance to practice performing intake observations for dogs currently residing inside the nonprofit.
With clipboards in hand, they approached each dog room with curiosity and elation.
“We’re looking at body posture – their ears, eyes, face and mouth, to see if the dogs have fear, anxiety or stress,” said 6th grader, Hudson.
As they analyzed each dog’s behavior, they discussed with fellow classmates whether the dog had a wagging tail, pinned-back ears, or wide eyes.
Students doing intake observation at Pet NetworkVictoria Mastrocola/Tahoe Daily Tribune
Christina Mackey is the Admissions Manager at Pet Network, and what the students are learning is just a sliver of what Mackey does on a daily basis.
“I’m the one who works with the other shelters and rescues to plan transfers. I bring cats and dogs in, and help evaluate them, behaviorally and medically,” said Mackey, and with a smile on her face, she added, “I get to name them as well,” noting that she always has baskets at the front desk for name suggestions.
“I really enjoy explaining what I do,” said Mackey. “Educating the youth on the shelter experience, letting them know that careers in animal welfare are an option.”
When asked whether they saw themselves working with animals in the future, every student said yes.
Moving on from the intake observation task, the children were split up into groups. One group stayed with the dogs, and the other went into kitten kennels where they learned how to put together a comfortable and habitable environment for kittens.
The students took turns adorning the kennel with things like a water bowl, blankets, a cat-scratcher and toys.
Students were taught how to dress a kitten kennel using the 5 Freedoms gold standardVictoria Mastrocola/Tahoe Daily Tribune
Exploratory classes offer kids a chance to engage in hands-on activities such as these, and through these experiences, they take home knowledge or newfound interests they wouldn’t otherwise typically receive until later in life.
Avalanche training, robotics, mountain biking, financial literacy, civic engagement – these are just a few of the many hands-on pursuits offered through the program which has received positive reception from community members and organizations alike, including Pet Network.
“I love the middle school age,” said Aria Overli, Volunteer and Foster Manager at Pet Network. “It’s such a fun age. They’re really starting to get a lot more independent and interested in the world and what their future is going to look like. It’s such a great opportunity for them to learn how to care for animals, to learn about these kinds of careers, to become future adopters, future volunteers, future donors, and possibly veterinarians or animal welfare workers. Seeing their excitement is really incredible to watch.”
SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – It’s a busy time on the slopes for the Heavenly Ski Patrol members, but the Ski Patrol still made time to host two Bread & Broth Monday Meals since the beginning of 2026. Their first Adopt A Day of Nourishment (AAD) in 2026 took place on January 5th and their second AAD sponsorship was last week on February 9.
“As ski patrollers, we spend our days working with the sector of the community that frequents the ski slopes,” shared Lucie Gaw, one of the six Ski Patrol members representing the Heavenly Ski Patrol team. “Our job is gratifying, bit it’s easy to forget that there is far more socioeconomic diversity in the community than what we see on the mountain. I think it’s a great experience for us to come volunteer with the Bread & Broth volunteers to bridge that gap and connect with our neighbors.”
Joining Lucie at the Heavenly Ski Patrol’s sponsorship meal on Monday, February 9 were fellow Ski Patrol members Ellie Gard, Matt Graber, Callie Kellackey, Brian McGauley, and Zoe Storaasli.
Arriving at 3 p.m., this enthusiastic and helpful team of sponsor volunteers was a welcome addition to the Bread & Broth volunteers as they packed bags with fresh fruit and vegetables and set up the giveaway tables which were loaded with meat, breads, pastries, dairy products, and various food staple items. These food ‘giveaway’ items are very much appreciated because they help supplement the dinner guest meals for later in the week.
Brian McGauley, Callie Kellackey, Elie Gard, Lucie Gaw, Zoe Storaasli, Matt Graber.Provided
Starting at 4 p.m., some of the Ski Team members transitioned to the serving line to happily greet the dinner guests and dish out the evening’s meal of taco casserole, salad, chips, and dip. After receiving their meal from the serving line, the dinner guests head to the dessert/drink table and then move on to the food giveaway tables. From there the dinner guests settle down enjoy the hot meal and socializing with fellow dinner guests.
With the funds generated by the Adopt A Day of Nourishment fee ($350), monetary donations made to B&B’s General Fund, and Grant awards, B&B prepares full-course, hot meals for up to 130-140 dinner guests and also purchases $2,100 of fresh fruit, fresh vegetables, and dairy products (milk, eggs, and butter) every week. Since its inception over 37 years ago, Bread & Broth has improved the nutritional quality and quantity of food that is served and distributed every Monday Meal thanks to increased donations by generous donors.
Bread & Broth would like to sincerely thank the Heavenly Ski Patrol for its many years of hosting two to three Monday Meals annually and for sending team members that are so generous with their kindness and personal time. Their dedication not only benefits those enjoying Heavenly Mountain Resort but also extends to those in need. Bread & Broth is grateful for their ongoing partnership and the meaningful difference they continue to make.
To learn more about Bread & Broth or make a donation, please visit www.breadandbroth.org or follow Bread & Broth on Instagram or Facebook.
People have been relying on essential oils to help take care of aches and pains for thousands of years. And with good reason. These oils—whether used solo or in a blend—are the same way our mothers and grandmothers did. Here are a timeless trio of essential oil remedies—straight from my book, The Healing Powers of Essential Oils (Kensington) for what ails you.
Got the Sniffles? Whiff Lavender
During the winter months when the temperature drops and snow showers hit, we huddle inside, and colds are common at Tahoe if for no other reason than we’re closer to people and their germs. Everyone knows this. What’s less known is that there’s an essential oil that can help bolster your immunity acting as a natural remedy to help keep the common cold at bay.
What Scent-sational Rx to Use: Take a lavender-scented bath. Mix 3 drops of essential lavender oil with ¼ cup of jojoba or almond oil. Put the concoction into a tub filled with water.
Why You’ll Feel Essentially Fine: Lavender is a calming bacteria-fighting essential oil. Its anti-inflammatory compounds can help to keep you safeguarded against germs.
Coughing & Hacking? Go See Rosemary
What’s more irritating than that tickle in your throat that makes you cough? Not much, except maybe a hacking cough that brings an unhealthy dollop of pain along for the ride. Don’t worry. There’s an oil that can help.
What Scent-sational Rx to Use: Combine 4 drops of rosemary essential oil into a diffuser or vaporizer. Or simply put the oil onto a handkerchief and take a whiff or two.
Why You’ll Feel Essentially Fine: Rosemary can be an aid to lessen the need to cough with due credit to a compound called 1,8-cinole. It may calm the muscles in the respiratory system, preventing coughing.
Sore Throat? Lemons To Ease The Pain
A sore throat is an unwelcome misery that makes itself known whenever you talk and swallow. It may be a sign you’re coming down with a cold or flu (think lavender) or it could be a byproduct of seasonal allergies or simply talking too much. Whatever the cause, thankfully there is an essential oil remedy.
What Scent-sational Rx to Use: Try putting 1 drop of lemon oil in 8 ounces of hot water. Add 1 teaspoon raw honey for taste. Repeat twice daily.
Why You’ll Feel Essentially Fine: The oil has antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. This popular oil also may trigger saliva, which can keep the throat hydrated. The combined impact will help ease the pain.
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. Her books include the popular Healing Powers series. The new, revised 2nd ed. of a popular Healing Powers book, 2026 is ready for pre-order, and The Healing Powers of Olive Oil, 3rd ed. is in progress. She is a South Lake Tahoe local. Her website is www.calorey.com
Nina O’Brien’s second run of the giant slalom put her in 20th place Provided/US Ski and Snowboard – @emily_tidwell_photo // @usskiteam
CORTINA D’AMPEZZO, Italy- Eight-time national champion, Nina O’Brien competed in the 2026 Milano Cortina Olympics on Sunday, February 15, and came out in 20th place in the giant slalom, just behind her USA teammates Paula Moltzan (15th place) and Mikaela Shiffrin (11th place).
O’Brien finished her first run at 1:05.81 and her second run in 1:09.50, totaling a two-run time of 2:15.31, just 1.81 seconds behind Italy’s gold medal winner, Federica Brignone.
Compared to her last giant slalom race in the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, where O’Brien suffered a compound fracture of her left leg after a shocking crash, she made out in great shape this year with the fastest second run tied with Asja Zenere of Italy.
Through the Mighty Mite program out of Palisades Tahoe, O’Brien’s beginnings on Sierra Nevada terrain has helped shape her style and skillset as she went on to win a gold medal in the 2023 World Championship, along with securing eight national championship titles across multiple disciplines throughout her career.
Her resilience in representing Team USA once again in the 2026 Winter Olympics is a testament to what she’s capable of. In an interview with Olympics.com, O’Brien said, “I think [what helped me] it’s just the feeling of making one turn that felt like my best turn. And so if I made 59 terrible ones and one good one, that was like this addicting little thread that I could pull on and say, ‘okay it’s still there. I know I still have the speed within me, and we’ll find it again.'”
Editor’s note: Club Tahoe Association’s hiring of Grand Pacific Resorts has been updated below.
Club Tahoe Resort, a nearly 50-year-old timeshare tucked away off Northwood Boulevard in Incline Village, is going through a cannibalization of sorts:
Two boards, neither of which recognizes the other; a legal complaint (submitted by resort owners against “old” board members) working its way through Washoe County’s Second Judicial District Court; a transition in management companies that ended with the previous company, Tricom Management, being ordered by a judge to relinquish control; and legal fees being paid for by those who are litigating in the first place.
As the infighting continues, many owners are worried a larger goal is at hand: the purposeful deterioration and ultimate sale of the resort, shades of which have recently happened to neighboring timeshare resorts.
“It seems to be the same trajectory in all these places,” said Mona Ogden, an owner at Club Tahoe and the mind behind a “Save Club Tahoe” effort. “They just stop doing maintenance and let it fall into such a state of disrepair that owners give up … We’ve tried everything, reports [and other ways of notifying various state and local agencies], and the resounding response is, not my department; you need to go hire a lawyer.
“In a timeshare model, how are you going to hire a lawyer? How are you going to coordinate thousands of people to pitch in money toward a one-week thing they own? They’ll just give up. They’re not going to invest money in it. We are unprecedented and highly unusual in getting as far as we’ve gotten.”
The kindling to that success stems from emotional as well as financial investments, according to those who spoke with Moonshine.
Illustration by Sarah Miller/Moonshine Ink
“I like to say it’s a home away from home,” said owner Dina Fitch, whose parents were original owners at Club Tahoe, purchasing a unit in 1978. “It’s a generational resort. My family’s on technically our third generation … When I had gone up as a teenager I had made friends with some people, and I am still friends with one of the guys. I met him when I was 16. He’s one of my oldest and dearest friends.”
Brian Arnold is another owner whose parents were original purchasers; he began visiting Club Tahoe when he was 8 or 9. “I’ve basically been going up there once a week for 50 years,” he said. “Ultimately, I feel I’m being screwed out of a financial asset that my family has owned. It’s not as much of [an asset] because, at the end of the day, it’s not a lot of money. But it’s just not being able to use it. If we don’t have this, if we don’t have Club Tahoe for my family, we likely won’t be going back up there because of the cost of other nearby units or hotels or anything else.”
Fitch and Arnold are both part of Club Tahoe’s recall board, president and treasurer, respectively. Meanwhile, the original board — the one the Save Club Tahoe group considers replaced — also remains active.
The dual existence of boards, which neither of them acknowledges, is causing a paralysis of Club Tahoe Resort operations. The current management company, Grand Pacific Resorts (GPR), stated in a Feb. 4 notice to all owners that it is committed to remaining neutral amid board confusion. Without a formal 2026 budget, GPR is utilizing the association’s 2025 operating budget numbers in the interim. Amid all the red tape, no clear answer exists as to what the next few months, let alone year and a half, will bring. A possible 50-year termination of the resort is outlined in the original bylaws.
Jason Gamel, president of the American Resort Development Association (or ARDA), called what’s happening with Club Tahoe an “unusual situation.”
“It’s rare to see an actual effort to recall the entire board and elect a new one or have another one in place,” he said. “It’s rare to see that.”
WELCOME TO THE CLUB: A timeshare resort born in 1978, Club Tahoe Resort is undergoing a significant change on the heels of replacing property management companies, legal battles, aging infrastructure, and more. A portion of owners have formed a Save Club Tahoe group and recalled the association’s board to move the needle on progress. “Our goal is to regain control of Club Tahoe,” said recall Board President Dina Fitch. “The resort didn’t get this way overnight. It is not going to be repaired overnight in any way, shape, or form. But as [recall Board Treasurer Brian Arnold] puts it, we need to get the keys first. And then we have to take a very hard look at things. But how that happens, when that happens, there is no do-or-die date.” Photo by Nina Miller/Moonshine Ink
Timeshares still timely?
The concept has been around in the U.S. for 52 years, yet timeshares have not gone the way of the dodo bird.
The standard model allows the purchase and utilization of a recurring interval, usually a specific week each year, at a vacation resort. The average price in 2024 for a timeshare transaction was $23,160, per ARDA, with an average $1,260 in annual maintenance fees.
At Club Tahoe, the last interval sold (week 2 of each year) went for $3,367.80 in 2021. The 2026 annual maintenance fee (based on 2025 numbers) is $830, with the possibility of rising if/when this year’s budget is finalized.
In the U.S., timeshare occupancy returned to pre-pandemic levels for the first time in 2024; ARDA reported that sales volume saw $10.5 billion, with the average occupancy at 80%.
“We’ve had a lot going on in the industry,” said Gamel, who’s served in his position for six years now. ARDA, he told Moonshine, has been “involved in almost every law that’s been written on the books on timeshares. We’ve helped every state in one way, shape, or form along with some other regulatory agencies.”
While timeshares back in the early days were born on the wave of independent developers buying a resort or two and sustaining their own sales and marketing, the ’80s and ’90s are when major brands started joining the fray.
“Hilton, Disney Vacation Club [were] the early ’90s, for instance,” Gamel said. “You had Marriott, who entered the game in the ’90s, and when that happened, all of a sudden, they started acquiring resorts … As time has gone on, and the cost of real estate has gotten really expensive, which really started in the 2000s and maybe even the 2010s. If we look at what was happening then, people weren’t doing as much development of their own properties, but a lot more corporate acquisitions, then consolidate.”
Today’s landscape has only a handful of major “active sales” developers, including Marriott, Westgate Resorts, Disney Vacation Club, and Holiday Inn Club.
George De Laurentis is a licensed real estate agent with Coldwell Banker Select Real Estate. He’s lived in South Lake Tahoe since 1977 and has worked in real estate and timeshare sales for over two decades.
“I worked for every company in South Shore that has sold timeshares, from the Ritz Tahoe to the Stardust to the Americana to the Marriott properties, Wyndham properties,” he said. “That’s the nature of the game. When one resort opens, all the agents go to the new resort [until] they get low on inventory.”
Now, De Laurentis works in independent sales for Coldwell, with clients who want to resell their Marriott timeshares. “I rep people who’ve bought [their timeshare] from the developer or inherited it, or they were given to them. Those [last two groups] tend to not have paid anything for it and therefore they’re in a position to get rid of it … [and] price it cheaper than anyone.”
SINCE 1974, timeshare resort growth has mostly plateaued. 2024 was the first year since the Covid-19 pandemic that timeshare occupancy returned to pre-2020 levels — at 80%. Courtesy graphic
The younger generations have gained their own footing in the industry, helping maintain momentum since the initial heyday of timeshare growth (36% from 1974 to 1984; see the ARDA graph above). In 2022, ARDA reported that Gen Z and Millennials accounted for 57% of all timeshare owners, and 53% of new sale purchasers.
De Laurentis gave perspective on today’s timeshare pitches, describing an oft-used approach of the time and energy put into planning vacations. “It’s spring break — how far in advance did you make those reservations?” he asked. “A smart person who goes during prime time, you’ve got to make the reservation 8 to 12 months in advance … Once you can get someone to admit that’s something they do, then a timeshare works.
“Somebody wants to come to Tahoe this Fourth of July and they don’t have a reservation right now; there’s nothing for them. Yes, you can reserve timeshares spur-of-the-moment … if you can jump on a plane and pay high airline tickets and run up to the resort three weeks in advance, you can do that, but I wouldn’t plan a major vacation that way.”
The oldest timeshare resorts tend to be the smallest in size, have the lowest occupancy, and the lowest billed maintenance fees, per the ARDA’s State of the Vacation Timeshare Industry 2025 study.
“The industry is currently undergoing an accelerated phase of winding down older and dysfunctional timeshare resorts, which has caused the overall resort and unit counts to decrease by about 5% since 2020,” the report stated. “This may ultimately serve to improve the overall health of the timeshare ecosystem.”
The legacy of Club Tahoe
Club Tahoe Resort opened its doors in 1978, four years after the U.S. timeshare industry’s inception. The resort consists of 93 units (with 51 interval weeks per unit), tennis courts, a pool area, parking, and a main clubhouse. In the past, owners have enjoyed discounted passes to Diamond Peak and access to Burnt Cedar, a residents-only beach in Incline Village.
Club Tahoe is known as a legacy or independent resort, meaning it’s not owned or represented by a known hospitality brand (like Marriott or Disney, for example). Up until 2014, it was self-managed, with various operations stayed in-house — like rental revenue, association dues, and accounting.
Tera Taylor began her Club Tahoe connection as a staff member before becoming a member over a decade later. In 2008, she started working in the resort’s office as a satellite office manager for a different timeshare exchange company. After about a year, the then-general manager for Club Tahoe offered her the position of on-grounds clubhouse manager.
“I took on that role,” she said. “I worked there and then I moved my way up to general manager. I worked there for about 16 years, up until March of 2024.”
Taylor grew up watching her mom manage a timeshare resort in Kings Beach. Post-Club Tahoe, she still works in the business, though in Sacramento.
In 2014, Club Tahoe Resort Association’s board of directors hired timeshare management company Tricom Management, based in Anaheim, to take over operations. This move shifted some responsibilities for the on-site staff like Taylor — no more accounting department, no more handling rentals, or invoicing, though she says her job as a manager day-to-day stayed the same (checking people in, quality control inventory, and so on).
As a direct and proximate result of Counter-defendants’ intentional interference, the Association has suffered and continues to suffer damages, including operational paralysis, vendor confusion, exposure to contractual liability, reputational harm, and increased administrative and legal costs.”
~ Defendants’ answer to amended complaint
While the shift to a corporate, bottom-dollar-driven mindset was challenging, Taylor said the first years under Tricom went well. Then, Covid-19 happened.
“They laid off a bunch of employees at Tricom [across the country], and I felt like things started really circling the drain and we weren’t getting the attention that we needed at the property,” she explained. “I was working a million hours, and the board wanted things done and they were telling the management company, and they were telling me, and I was working above and beyond. When things didn’t get done, I felt like I was kind of the pawn in the middle that was left holding the bag.”
Owners also noticed the pandemic impacts, specifically a “decline and lack of repairs,” Arnold said. “As simple as the blinds; they have these vertical slats and one or two would break and fall off. People — me and other owners in that same unit — submitted a maintenance request. Then a year later you go back up and it’s still there.”
Various complaints have been collected: rodent infestations, broken appliances, crumbling stairs, flooding, the closure of amenities like the racquetball court and sauna.
This awareness has led to concern over the possibility of a timeshare trend: Independent timeshare resorts faced with rising maintenance costs and aging owner bases often opt for termination and sale.
“What appears to happen is the physical properties are allowed to deteriorate, and they’re not maintained until there’s a point to which owners can’t afford a special assessment,” Ogden said. “If you can’t afford the special assessment, what is there left to do? These properties, they’re all worth a lot of money. And Incline Village is the premier location in Tahoe itself.”
South Lake Tahoe’s Tahoe Summit Village timeshare owners faced a version of this situation. In October 2024, owners received letters from the board informing them that a special assessment of $56,236 per interval week was due by each association member. Such an assessment was intended to “cover anticipated carrying costs through Dec. 31, 2024,” per the letter. Alternatively, owners could relinquish their intervals without having to pay the special assessment. Ultimately, the timeshare resort closed.
Taylor and others interviewed assert that while old, Club Tahoe had healthy financial reserves up until Tricom entered the picture and the pandemic hit. “It’s almost like they were just holding us back,” she said.
During the years of the pandemic, Taylor added that delinquent units re-obtained by the Club Tahoe association via Tricom weren’t being resold. In reviewing Tricom’s contract, section 3.9 required the company “to find purchasers for no less than fifty (50) Intervals per year.” Failure to meet the quota meant a penalty charge of $500 per interval from Tricom to the association.
“We asked the [old] board multiple times to confirm whether Tricom reimbursed Club Tahoe for any quota shortfall, and [board member] Marc Pearl cited the lack of reimbursement (along with other reasons) as a basis for [eventually] terminating Tricom,” Arnold explained in an email. “If those payments were owed or received, they should be reflected in the association’s accounting records and financial statements, but I do not see any corresponding income in the 2023 or 2024 audited financials.”
According to county records currently available, Tricom did not sell any interval weeks after Oct. 21, 2021. The sole (partial) exception was two peak weeks (one summer, one winter), which original board member Marc Pearl acquired in summer 2023. According to owners, Pearl said he only paid transfer fees for the intervals. This move, as was explained by Pearl in a later owner call, was meant to be the impetus of a larger movement to transfer unused association weeks back to owners free of charge, to then turn them into dues-paying weeks. But per owners, such a policy has never been implemented.
In late 2024, Club Tahoe’s board terminated the Tricom contract, on the basis of poor performance. The company then turned around and sued the association for improper termination.
Judge Scott Freeman of the Second Judicial Court of the State of Nevada denied Tricom’s motion and dismissed its complaint in August 2025. Shortly after, Grand Pacific Resorts (GPR), which had been hired in February 2025, began actively managing Club Tahoe’s operations.
As recently as January 2026, one Club Tahoe owner was told by GPR staff at the front desk that Tricom’s relinquishment of the association included leaving bills unpaid.
SIGNED, SEALED, DELIVERED: On Oct. 25, 2025, Club Tahoe Resort owners gathered to recall the association’s acting board. Pictured is the master petition. In total, 641 owners unanimously called for the recall of the original board. Photo by Dusk Bennett
Team ‘Save Club Tahoe’
Save Club Tahoe is a movement of 600 to 800 of the roughly 4,600 possible owners.
Ogden lit the proverbial match after she experienced a series of frustrations: an application to become a board member that she was told “must’ve been lost,” aggressive actions toward a Club Tahoe staff member, the association’s hiring of unlicensed contractors who caused a sewage leak, and board members unwilling to rectify or address various situations.
There was also talk of the then-board, made up of the original board minus three, using their positions for special favors — such as Pearl’s obtaining peak weeks in July 2023.
After a particularly contentious April 2024 meeting with two board members, Ogden said, “I went home and just started calling and emailing every owner I could think of and launched this group.”
The first true organized attempt to “save” Club Tahoe took place in April 2025, when, Ogden says, there was “enough critical mass to decide that we were going to come again to Club Tahoe for this annual meeting, and we were going to do an in-person recall, because the bylaws stated that if we had a certain amount of participation there, we would prevail.”
To formally recall board members, the bylaws require a “duly convened regular or special meeting” and “the affirmative vote of the voting members casting no less than two-thirds (2/3rds) of each class of votes present at said meeting, and a successor may then and there be elected to fill the vacancy thus created.” This first recall effort failed because it was procedurally invalid and violated the resort’s governing documents and Nevada state law.
At the same time, the Tricom litigation was taking place. The management company would normally assist with general election notification, hosting, and oversight, but that did not happen. The original board is claiming by way of counsel that “any alleged procedural irregularity in that election” would have occurred because of Tricom’s undermining of the association’s ability to hold the election.
This was part of the reason the board chose to change voting from in-person to online. Others, as claimed in a June 2025 email from the board to Club Tahoe owners, were for safety in light of violent threats, and better accessibility for voter engagement.
From the election emerged the following board members, expanded from four to seven: Keith Wilson (incumbent), Gloria DeAlba (incumbent), Donald Wall (incumbent), Robert Vermeltfoort, Marc Pearl (incumbent), Keith Ogden (married to Mona Ogden), and Christine Becker. Vermeltfoort resigned from his position in October 2025.
It is against these board members, and the Club Tahoe Resort Owners Association itself, that Club Tahoe owners Lawrence Garvey and Robert Payton (a member of the October 2025 recall board) filed a complaint. They include claims of breaches of governing documents, of duty of good faith and fair dealing, of fiduciary duties, the improper transfer of reserve funds, and more. As of press deadline, there is no specific timeline for the case.
The most critical claims in the Garvey and Payton complaint center around how the April 2025 election happened, which includes reference to a timeshare association’s voting power. For Club Tahoe, when it comes to electing a board member, as an example, there is one vote per interval week owned. If an owner has two interval weeks, they get two votes.
The rub comes when an interval week is returned back to the association for whatever reason (delinquency, deed-back, etc.). They become association-owned weeks. In some timeshare associations, such weeks can be used at the discretion of the board to establish a quorum or for voting purposes. In this practice, it is possible for boards to obtain substantial voting control.
Garvey and Payton allege that, based on freely accessible Simply Voting records (the electronic system used), “the Former Board used [two] voter IDs to cast 1,790 weighted votes, or 24% of the total 7,506 total votes cast in the 2025 Annual Election, in favor of the Former Board-recommended candidates. These two voter IDs were later acknowledged by the Former Board to represent Association-owned, non-dues paying weeks.”
The referenced acknowledgement is from the June 2025 email, which stated that using association-owned weeks is not an anomaly and has been done before, and “there is no provision of NRS 119A or the governing documents that requires an exclusion of association-owned units … Consistent with industry practice, the association-owned units were used for quorum and voting purposes and did not violate any known state statutes.”
By October 2025, tensions were running even higher, and plans to hold a formal recall had been set in motion. After back-and-forth notifications between the various owners, the board, and the association’s legal counsel, a special meeting was held by the Save Club Tahoe group on Saturday, Oct. 25.
PETITIONS, PLENTY: The Save Club Tahoe group encouraged owners to sign petitions to recall the Club Tahoe board at multiple meet-and-greets over summer 2025. Photo by Mona Ogden
“At the Special Meeting,” the legal complaint states, “a quorum was established, and a unanimous recall of the Former Board by 641 Member votes of the Association was certified. There were no votes in favor of keeping the Former Board of Directors in place.”
Brian Arnold, Dusk Bennett, Daniel Doss-Grinstead, Dina Fitch, Keith Ogden, Robert Payton, and Tera Taylor were elected to the recall board.
Taylor, who left her position as general manager a year and a half prior, became an owner in exchange (she purchased her interval from another owner rather than through Tricom, which still wasn’t selling any). “I became an owner so that I could continue the good fight to help all of my owners and my previous staff,” she said.
A Nov. 3, 2025, letter emailed out to owners from the association’s general counsel, the LKG law firm, cited the special member meeting as unlawful because of semantics: the action taken was done under what the recall group called a “special member meeting,” but proceeded with under the rules of a “special board meeting,” which are not the same.
“Because the requirements of the Bylaws were not met, however, the special member meeting for an Oct. 25 recall election was unlawful, and any and all action taken at said meeting invalid,” the letter stated in part.
The original board members engaged in litigation did not respond to Moonshine Ink’s requests for comment.
Sands of time
What’s happening at a neighboring time share, Tahoe Sands Resort (TSR) in Tahoe Vista, serves as what multiple Club Tahoe owners see as a possibility should their efforts to save Club Tahoe fail. Especially since TSR is also managed by Grand Pacific Resorts.
TSR is actively dissolving after financial challenges, particularly a high percentage (55%) of defaulting owners, which equates to about 1,500 timeshare segment owners not paying maintenance fees each year. By the end of 2024, TSR accumulated negative retained earnings of $537,956.
“While the financial situation has been a challenge, we also have the burden of an aging facility,” noted an early 2025 letter from the board of directors to TSR owners. “The reserve fund simply cannot keep up with the amount of capital work needed to maintain a thriving resort. The fund currently has $200,000 in savings and we forecast needed capital improvements in the amount of $1,220,000 over the next three years.”
Owners were given two options: to pay an annual assessment of approximately $3,000 to $5,000 to help continue the resort’s operation indefinitely, or to dissolve, selling the resort and possibly receiving between $15,000 and $20,000 based on market factors. The clear preference, according to survey results, was for the sale of the property.
Kerri Countess has been an owner at Tahoe Sands since 2017. She’s a full-time resident in Spanish Springs (the northern portion of Sparks), Nevada, and fondly refers to Tahoe Sands as a “blue-collar beach club.”
She says the presentation of options was disingenuous.
“[We can either] triple your dues … fee [to] $4,500 a year and that would not allow us to do any upgrades to the property … Or, we could sell the property, and you could net anywhere from $10,000 to $30,000. What do you think people voted for?”
VIEW FROM THE SANDS: Kerri Countess, parent and grandmother to those pictured, has been a member at Tahoe Sands Resort since 2017. As the resort goes through dissolution due to financial struggles, Countess is frustrated by what she sees as disingenuous methods of communication, like board members claiming voter majority to sell the resort by using association-owned weeks for that very vote. Photo by Kerri Countess
Similar to Club Tahoe’s voting methods, TSR’s bylaws state, “The Association Board shall cast votes which arise from suspended Memberships or for Memberships deemed held by the Association.”
Countess pointed out that under such a rule, what the owners want might be moot if the board has enough votes to make a majority.
She told Moonshine she wishes there had been more of an effort to salvage the resort through piecemeal efforts. “At no time was our property ever very active on hotels.com … We have eight buoys on that property. We could’ve [rented out] those eight buoys alone … They didn’t say, ‘We own five parcels, we could potentially investigate selling off one parcel.’ Each one of those parcels has five to seven units on it.”
The Tahoe Sands Resort board did not respond to Moonshine’s request for comment.
As of press deadline, TSR remains for sale; it was listed in April 2025 for $30 million. Owners were able to use their weeks through 2025, but no longer can as of Jan. 1, 2026, though they’re required to pay the annual maintenance fee at half-cost ($485.17 for a studio, $597.33 for a one-bedroom, and $687.05 for a two-bedroom).
“As owners,” proclaimed an April 2025 president’s address to TSR owners, “we are all sellers in this process.”
The San Diego Country Estates in Ramona, California, (also managed by GPR) recently underwent a similarly laid-out vote and is actively undergoing dissolution. After such financial hardships as delinquency (59%) and deferred maintenance, the timeshare association’s board of directors held a survey on owner preferences for how to proceed with the future of the resort. The results, according to an email sent to owners in March 2025, “showed that 84.5% of owner responses, representing 85.5% of the total owned intervals, chose … to dissolve the association and sell all the resort property.”
Just like Tahoe Sands, San Diego Country Estates association incurred new costs to implement the dissolution, “reducing the eventual payout for all participating owners. As a result, owners who wish to fully participate in the final payout will be expected to continue paying their quarterly maintenance fees.”
According to the association website dissolution FAQs (which are almost identical to Tahoe Sands’ dissolution FAQs), owners in good standing could receive between $5,000 and $10,000 per interval once the resort is sold.
Fifty years and counting
As of press deadline, the two boards of Club Tahoe continue to function — though the original board claims operational paralysis and has not moved to finalize the association’s 2026 annual budget, which is required through bylaws to be sent to owners “not less than 60 days before the beginning of the fiscal year,” which started Jan. 1.
“As a direct and proximate result of Counter-defendants’ intentional interference,” posits the defendants’ answer to the complaint, “the Association has suffered and continues to suffer damages, including operational paralysis, vendor confusion, exposure to contractual liability, reputational harm, and increased administrative and legal costs.”
Without clear guidance, owners are paying their annual assessment based on the 2025 amount of $830. Some owners of summertime intervals have been contacted directly by GPR’s financial arm, Advanced Financial, asking for maintenance fee payments. Owners of shares during earlier months, including those who have already visited, were not contacted.
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Club Tahoe condos in Incline. Photo by Nina Miller/Moonshine Ink
Club Tahoe condos in Incline. Photo by Nina Miller/Moonshine Ink
Club Tahoe condos in Incline. Photo by Nina Miller/Moonshine Ink
The recall board has held two meetings over Zoom since its creation, with directors openly acknowledging their lack of access to the association’s finances, full owner roster, and other information. They are planning for the annual meeting on April 25, at which new board directors will be elected.
GPR is operating in its own type of silo with Club Tahoe. Whether the company will facilitate any upcoming elections is unknown. Jeff Brock, regional vice president of resort operations for GPR, told Moonshine in an email that his company is not “in a position to comment or participate in an interview.”
To date, Club Tahoe is not selling interval weeks to new timeshare owners. Rather, short-term renting options are available.
The recall board members and supporters remain wary of GPR’s recent history of dissolving timeshares.
Keith Ogden, a Club Tahoe owner in a particularly interesting spot, as he’s currently functioning as a member on both boards, claims that before he was “shut out” of the original board for aligning with the recall one, he viewed the GPR contract with Club Tahoe (which the recall board has not been able to access).
“They [GPR] are completely in control of finances, and they can starve the resort by mismanaging it,” he said. “And once they starve the resort, it goes bankrupt, then they get 25% of the sales proceeds gross — gross, not net sales — proceeds for being there and running it into the ground.”
Say the “Save Club Tahoe” group does manage to meet its goal of regaining control of the association — there’s still the bylaw-sanctioned possible termination of the resort after 50 years. On Aug. 24, 2028, a meeting will be held with all interval owners and board members. Unless 75% or more of those gathered vote for termination, Club Tahoe Resort’s declaration will continue another 10 years and again 10 years thereafter until termination is agreed upon.
“If we even get that far,” Mona Ogden said. “I honestly don’t think we will. I think they’re actively bankrupting us at the moment, and that will force a sale before we even get to ’28. But in a perfect world, the ’28 vote would’ve been a fair and ethical situation where owners did indeed vote and association-owned weeks were not voted by these people who had hidden them and stockpiled them for years in order to control the place. It all comes down to an ethical board. If you have an ethical board, ’28 shouldn’t be anything to be concerned about because you would feel good about it.”
The original board members, meanwhile, most recently responded to the legal complaint by requesting a preliminary injunction — essentially a pause button on any action for the resort — through the court.
But until there’s an official order that comes down, Save Club Tahoe continues to operate. “We have a lot of intelligent, a lot of competent people,” Fitch said. “People who have different skills, different strengths, and so you draw upon all of that in order to achieve this goal.”
The Lift Workspace, a coworking organization in Truckee, is likely here to stay — for at least another 10 years — after submitting the only lease proposal for its building within the Truckee Tahoe Airport District (TTAD). Now, it must contend with the building’s increase in rent to fair market value per Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) standards. And Lift is not the only tenant of the airport reckoning with raising rent. It comes as yet another hurdle for the district in its yearslong balancing act between mandates on the aviation side and its commitment to its taxpayer base.
According to TTAD Board of Directors President David Diamond, the airport is making corrections to other past leases that fell short of fair market value.
“In the past, the airport has not always made sure that its leases were market value,” Diamond said. “In some cases they were below, and in some cases they were way below market value. This board under the guidance of our general manager, we’re basically trying to clean everything up.”
As a Public Regional General Aviation airport, the TTAD is obligated to comply with the FAA and its regulations. The airport owns 2,350 acres of land, which serve both aeronautical and nonaeronautical purposes, leading to gray areas in compliance. Furthermore, as a California Special Airport District — one of only nine— TTAD receives around $9 million in taxpayer money from Placer and Nevada counties.
“The alignment of these three policy bodies (federal, state, district) to address the use of public funds and airport revenue is unique with different requirements based on a number of involved public policy and legal factors,” the airport’s general manager Robb Etnyre said.
Contrary to FAA desires, the TTAD board believes taxpayer money should serve some community benefit. Additionally, Diamond said the state of California requires the property taxes the airport receives to be invested or spent in a way that supports the public. Consequently, the TTAD and its publicly elected board walk a fine line between conforming to FAA regulations and the public purpose of an airport to serve the community.
“What’s a fair rate for a nonprofit?” Horvath wondered. “Or what’s a fair rate for maybe a for-profit organization, but one who has a lot of impact in the community?”
“Though the FAA wants airports to self-sustain, the current TTAD Board of Directors believes the taxpayer money should be spent on projects that benefit the public,” Diamond explained.
Regardless of the airport’s mission, Board Vice President Greg Horvath acknowledged how much influence and authority the airport district has because of all the land it owns and manages. Even with FAA guidelines, the board has discretion in the way it manages its property, though the FAA has shut down past TTAD initiatives.
“There’s this natural tension here where it’s the fiduciary duty of the board and the airport district to manage our budget, manage our finances as responsibly as we can,” Horvath said. “I ran on a platform of trying to do so in a way that had the most impact for the community at large, not just people who utilized the airport’s direct services. But these are the types of challenges that come out from the airport having this much authority over property and over space.”
In 2024, following an FAA inspection, the TTAD’s hand was forced. A letter of noncompliance was sent regarding the airport’s below-market price hangars and their usage. Additionally, the FAA deemed some rents to be insufficient, like that of the Truckee Donner Recreation and Parks District Bike Park. Per FAA requirements, the TTAD must charge fair market value in order to not compete with the private sector and to self-sustain its operations with minimal FAA grants. As such, the TTAD began reassessing the lease terms of its tenants.
THE LIFT coworking space occupies the former Clear Capital building just off Truckee Airport Road. After a Request for Proposal process, the Lift was awarded the lease with the airport district. Photos by Ted Coakley III/Moonshine Ink
“There is at a minimum, a sort of general effort to move rents closer to market value,” Horvath said. “Exactly how that’s going to shake out for nonprofits and other, even for-profit community impact organizations is unclear.”
While many organizations are obliged to the airport district as its tenants, the airport district is in turn under obligation to the FAA and its assurances. Etnyre addressed the FAA’s Revenue Use Policy, which instructs airports to create a self-sustaining structure through the business they conduct.
“We cannot use aviation money to subsidize non-aviation facilities. The grant assurance says you can’t do that,” Etnyre said. “The board’s very cautious, as they should be, about the use of public, tax-collected funds as subsidized business operations in our non-aviation facilities.”
Part of the TTAD’s nonaeronautical budget, however, goes toward benefiting the community, including assistance to nonprofit tenants and the allocation of $2 million for fire mitigation projects. The California Special Districts Association provides guidance to the airport district on any public funds it gifts.
TRUCKEE BIKE PARK is one of several TTAD tenants with leases increasing to fair market value per FAA regulations.
Previously, TDRPD received such community benefit with a license agreement originally priced at $1 a year for the Truckee Bike Park. The fair market value hunt has changed its terms. After the FAA land inspection, the general manager for the recreation district, Sven Leff, said the airport informed them the rent for its bike park would have to change.
In April 2026, the district will begin paying $5,796 per year for the park. It also leases the land for the Ponderosa Golf Course from the airport for a nominal fee, since that acts as an open-space safety zone for the airport.
Leff said the agreement for the golf course included a clause acknowledging that as a nonprofit with community benefit, the parks district was eligible for rental credit payments that covered the full market cost of what was valued at $166,000 per year in 2008.
“What’s a fair rate for a nonprofit?” Horvath wondered. “Or what’s a fair rate for maybe a for-profit organization, but one who has a lot of impact in the community?”
This was just the question the TTAD board has asked when leasing to nonprofits, as well as when the Airport Office Building rented by the Lift was reassessed. Several nonprofits housed in TTAD’s warehouse such as Truckee Roundhouse, Tahoe Food Hub, and Sierra Community House, are the subject of in-kind discounts. According to Etnyre, those nonprofits pay discounted rent, equivalent of about a 50% decrease from fair market value.
“From a business perspective, maybe we’re not being as smart as we could be in terms of revenue opportunities,” Diamond said. “But we are offsetting that loss of revenue in terms of benefit to the region.”
The in-kind discounts are considered community benefit programs that result in foregone revenue. TTAD Director of Finance and Administration Liza Smith estimated the foregone revenue from its warehouse nonprofits for 2026 to equate to around $102,000 as their leases are reassessed for fair market value.
“We’ve got $9M of property tax coming in and I want to make sure that it is used on behalf of the people who are paying it,” Diamond said. “Because that, to me, is general good governance.”
Diamond added, as a pilot himself, he doesn’t think public funds should subsidize his hobby. On the aviation side of things, Etnyre said the TTAD is working on adjusting aeronautical rents and fees to fair market value, as well as introducing landing fees, enforcing hangar rent, and exploring a partnership with JSX, a private jet charter service. JSX was the other primary party interested in the Airport Office Building, but it ultimately didn’t submit a proposal.
Additionally, for-profit organizations like the Lift face higher costs, even though the Lift offers community benefit by serving nonprofits at discounted rates. The assessment commissioned by the airport for the facility valued rent at $2.25 per square foot for a total of $24,300 per year. The Lift is currently paying $1.67 until July 31, 2026, and counter-proposed $1.85 per square foot for its new lease.
THE WAREHOUSE is home to three nonprofits — Truckee Roundhouse, Tahoe Food Hub, and Sierra Community House — as part of a community benefit partnership with the TTAD.
In the TTAD Board of Directors’ Jan. 28 meeting, when it disclosed it would lease to the Lift, its staff report acknowledged any capital improvements for the Lift would require taxpayer money to complete, leaving some uncertainty about the Lift’s future.
“As a California Special District, TTAD’s use of property tax funds must meet the public purpose of the district,” the staff report stated. “Because TRV [Truckee River Ventures is the parent company of the Lift] is a for-profit enterprise, funding tenant-specific improvements could be perceived as subsidizing a private business.”
The airport district continues to have to strike a balance between the communities it serves and the regulations it abides by. Due to its allocation of funds to wildfire mitigation, it has shifted its community benefit funding toward a focus on community-wide benefit. However, Etnyre said it will continue to provide in-kind discounts to nonprofits.
While the TTAD works to manage its rentals, entities such as the Town of Truckee have expressed interest in some airport parcels of land, which the district may be willing to part with. If it disposes of the land, the FAA will be involved in how that money is used.
“I think that brings up good questions for the community at large,” Horvath said. “What kind of role do we want the airport to have? … These organizations […] have huge impacts in our community but are sort of beholden to the airport district as their landlord.”
I was at a party a while back when the conversation turned toward AI. A financially well-off fellow I’d just met told me how he’d given thank you letters to his best clients. He went on to boast that, while he handwrote out and signed his name to each of those thank you letters, he had ChatGPT write the actual words to the letters for him.
That didn’t sit well with me.
One-hundred fifty years ago, on March 10, 1876, Alexander Graham Bell made the world’s first ever telephone call, but it took 75 discerning years for his invention to reach 100 million users. When the automobile came out, it took 33 years to gain 100 million users. The cell phone took 15 years for its first 100 mil, and the internet conquered the feat in seven years.
It took ChatGPT 60 days.
That mark was reached three years ago this month. And now the thing is everywhere, with about a billion users (and growing) relying on it for more and more things with greater and greater devotion. In three years — out of the 300,000-plus years of us homo sapiens walking on two legs around this word — that thing has changed the way we live and think and do.
And I don’t think that’s good.
It is 2026, and there’s no iota of a shred of a doubt that we are in the AI Era. It’s here, and it’s here to stay. But while it took thousands of years for us to go from stone to bronze to iron, it is precisely the quickness of the adoption of AI that should give us pause. Things are happening like a lightning-strike and only getting faster. It is 2026, and we all wake up and brush our teeth in a technological arms race of instant, instanter, and instantest without any idea if what is being shoved down our metaphoric throat is good for us or bad for us or just for the profit of the few.
What was wrong and what needed fixing? What’s the AI end-game? What, in 2026, does it mean to be human?
In so many facets of our human lives that weren’t broken four years ago, we are now being told (even forced) to “leverage the power of AI” in order to do things faster. But if everyone in a race starts speeding up at the same pace, everyone in that race is still going the same relative speed. Nothing is gained.
And when we start going faster just for the sake of going faster, things get lost. Learning gets lost. Texture gets lost. Wisdom gets lost. Where this seems most troublesome for our humanity, to me, at this stage, is with our written words.
Less than three years since the unveiling of large language models (LLMs), our culture now uses the machines to write (or “improve”) everything from our emails to our essays to our web copy to our songs to our books; our lesson plans, grocery lists, workout regimens, text messages, and, yes, thank you letters.
And let us not forget that true writing is rewriting — that it is in our editing, our reworking, our drafting, our human honing where we really get to know what it is we are trying to say and how we are trying to say it.
It is 2026, and I encourage us human beings to return to writing our own writing. Because if we don’t, like any language that is no longer practiced, we will one day lose the ability to do so. And when we human beings lose our ability to write, it is our ability to think, to figure out problems, to find creative solutions, to be human, that will wither and fade.
AI is here and it’s not going to go away. It will grow more astronomically powerful and more absolutely pervasive within our everyday existence. With access to it in our pockets, we human beings have essentially become cyborgs. Yet we are not meant to live as cyborgs, but as human beings.
So let us live like human beings. And a good way to make sure we do that is to get back to writing our own writing.
As I begin my year as mayor of Truckee, I do so with deep gratitude and reflection. This year is especially meaningful as it marks both the start of my term as mayor and my final year on the town council after seven years of service. It feels like a fitting way to close this chapter of public service.
Over the past seven years, we have taken on big challenges, made difficult decisions, and laid critical groundwork to ensure Truckee remains a resilient, welcoming, and thriving town for generations to come. I am incredibly proud of what we have accomplished together.
I am especially proud of our commitment to sustainability and climate action. The town council designated annual funding for environmental initiatives, turning values into action. We helped establish the Climate Transformation Alliance to advance regional carbon neutrality and adopted single-use food ware and plastic water bottle ordinances. We developed a Building Decarbonization Roadmap that positions Truckee as a leader in environmental protection. We are transitioning the town fleet to electric vehicles where practical, expanding fare-free and reduced-fare transportation options like TART Connect and vanpool programs, and supporting year-round bicycle and pedestrian mobility through BCycle and trail plowing.
Truckee was designated a Clean California Community this year, one of the first 30 cities statewide. This achievement highlights Truckee’s leadership in reducing litter, enhancing public spaces, and fostering community pride.
We have also invested in people, strengthening staff capacity to address housing, sustainability, engagement, communications, and inclusion, while rightsizing our organization to better meet community needs, including adding critical public safety positions. Public safety and preparedness have remained a top priority with the creation of the Emergency Management Division and expanded wildfire mitigation efforts.
The adoption of the Truckee 2040 General Plan was one of the most consequential efforts of my time on the council. This robust public process incorporated the Town’s first Climate Action Element, people-focused mobility policies, strengthened community character, and included a robust safety element addressing wildfire risk.
Housing remains one of our most urgent priorities. The town has secured 800 deed-restricted units and created, preserved, or converted housing for over 860 locals.Innovative programs like Lease to Locals are now being replicated across the country.
There is more to do, and so we also advanced funding mechanisms to support more housing programs, transportation, and emergency services. I am equally proud of our thriving small business community, the opening of DEWBEYÚMUWE? Park, and the investments we’ve made in trails and roads, including the renewal of critical tax measures that support this work.
We could not do all of this without the volunteers advancing special projects like the River Revitalization Steering Committee, the Chief’s Advisory Committee, the Planning Commission, Public Art Commission of Truckee, and many more.
The Tahoe Truckee Homeless Action Coalition has made meaningful progress addressing homelessness, leading with compassion and collaboration as we move toward opening a pilot navigation center.
Looking ahead, key milestones include Housing Element decisions, improvements to the Homegrown Housing Program, groundbreaking for Edmunds Lofts, completion of a town-wide evacuation study, a new heat pump incentive program, public art installations, and rollout of Cloudpermit to improve transparency and efficiency. We also look forward to building our bilingual communications, supporting the Truckee Library, the restoration of Donner Lake, and the continued care of our trails through the renewal of the existing sales tax.
None of this happens without the tireless work of town staff, my fellow councilmembers, committee members, and the passion of this community. Truckee is strongest when we work together.
My hope for Truckee is record snow, ambitious agendas, and thoughtful, spirited conversations that move us forward.
~ Anna Klovstad was elected to the Truckee Town Council in 2018 and 2022. She cofounded the Climate Transformation Alliance as mayor and now leads TTUSD’s Facilities Department. As a certified construction and energy manager with an architecture degree, she champions energy efficiency and sustainability projects in the Tahoe/Truckee region.
Tahoe is facing a workforce housing crisis. A recent community survey led by the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA) revealed that two-thirds of Tahoe Basin residents struggle to afford housing. These are the workers who keep Tahoe running year-round: staffing our hospitals, maintaining our infrastructure, educating our children, responding to emergencies, and supporting our tourism economy.
When workers are priced out of the Basin, daily commuting becomes unavoidable. That influx of vehicles worsens congestion on already overburdened roads and degrades the quality of life for residents and visitors. More cars also means more pollution and more runoff from roadways flowing into the lake.
On its surface, it can seem like this is a simple housing supply problem. While it’s true there is a lack of access to affordable housing for many people who work in Tahoe and others who live here with limited incomes — like seniors and people with disabilities — the reality is more nuanced. Tahoe doesn’t have enough affordable housing to accommodate our local workers; too many existing units are used by tourists or as second homes that sit empty.
The numbers are dramatic. Of the 49,000 housing units in the Tahoe Basin, roughly half are occupied year-round, while the other half sit empty or are used as vacation rentals. And of all the housing in the Basin, only 707 units are deed-restricted — apartments, townhomes, and condos guaranteed to be rented below market rate to qualifying tenants. Building more housing without deed restrictions is most likely to support additional luxury housing, not the workforce housing we need.
Another reason simply increasing housing supply will not work in Tahoe is the lake itself. More density without stringent water-quality protections results in more runoff flowing into the lake. Loosening development standards to accommodate more construction will create more problems for the lake, a national treasure that deserves protection.
TRPA just kicked off an environmental review to examine policies to increase workforce housing. That process may sound technical, but its implications are anything but abstract. The decisions made now will determine not only where and how people live here, but also how well we protect the lake in the effort to meet our workforce housing needs.
The last time TRPA conducted a full-scale environmental review of development impacts in the Basin in 2012, it set a hard growth cap on the number of housing units that could be built here without compromising lake clarity. Of the 52,000 potential units, only about 3,000 remain unbuilt. That’s why it’s critical for the environmental review process to examine not only which types of units can be built and where, but also how the housing we already have can better serve year-round residents.
By focusing on adaptive reuse and programs like downpayment assistance to help people access existing homes, TRPA can address housing needs without sacrificing the lake. Most importantly, TRPA must narrowly focus its incentives to make it less expensive for developers to build housing that meets the needs of our workforce through deed restrictions and other tailored policies and programs.
TRPA will examine a wide range of issues as part of the environmental impact statement, and the scoping period just kicked off. The agency’s decision-makers need to hear from the community to understand priorities and concerns. To learn more about the issues and to add your voice, go to mountainareapreservation.org/the-housing-tahoe-needs.
~ Alexis Ollar is the executive director of Mountain Area Preservation, an environmental and workforce-housing advocacy organization based in Tahoe/Truckee, working since 1987 to advocate for the environment and community.
Venus entered Pisces on February 10 and will move through the sign for the whole month, working to soften our hearts. Mercury joins the North Node in Pisces on February 12, bringing intuitive, impactful messages. February 14 marks a major threshold as Saturn joins Neptune in fiery self-confident Aries, signaling a cycle reset around will, identity, and how spiritual vision becomes embodied action. This is also Valentine’s Day — try to use the extra sparks for fun and connection rather than reacting defensively.
With Saturn and Neptune now together in Aries, we experience both completion and initiation. Interestingly, this event closely coincides with the Chinese New Year on February 17, when the collective shifts from the Chinese astrological energies of Wood Snake (shedding and release) to Fire Horse (action, boldness, and momentum). That same day, the Aquarius new eclipse moon occurs and will be paired with Venus conjunct the North Node in Pisces. February 23 carries volatile energy as Mars will square Uranus. These few days will be electric and a little edgy, so watch out for impulsivity. And when Mercury goes retrograde in Pisces on February 26, aim to trust your intuition while also being on the lookout for misunderstandings.
The Virgo full moon on March 3 brings discernment and a connection to practical concerns. Venus enters Aries on March 6, sharing the sky with Saturn and Neptune and asking us to check in on what desires are truly worth committing to.
NATURAL MAGIC
For this month’s wild mashup of the Chinese New Year and the new eclipse moon in Aquarius with Venus conjunct the North Node in Pisces, create a simple water manifestation ritual. Fill a bowl of spring water with rose quartz, a seashell, or moonstone (or all three!). Before bed, name one desire you are ready to receive (if you can do this outside, under the dark, starry sky, that is wonderful, but if it’s too cold then do it in your cozy home). Next, dip your fingers in the water and touch your heart and temples while naming your desire. Then place the water near your bed and go to sleep, letting your dreams and the water magic work overnight. In the morning, once again dab the water on your heart and temples. Journal your thoughts and emotions on what you received in your dreams.
In honor of the Virgo full moon eclipse on March 3, engage in a practical purification ritual by cleaning your altar, desk, or closet. As you organize and clear out what’s no longer needed, also speak aloud which habits or obligations are no longer sustainable for you. This full moon rewards discernment, and its magic looks like clarity, action, and devotion to what truly works
On a cold, gray day in Truckee, 40 years ago, what could you do for warmth and comfort? You could light your wood stove, enjoy seeing the flames through the window, and cook a yummy meal in an iron pot on top.
Even if the power went out, as it often did in winter months in those days, no problem. You could be warmed and cheered by the fire from the stove, along with smelling a delicious recipe your mom used to cook.
A CLASSIC COVER for the classic wood-stove cookbook that could. All photos/images courtesy Laurel Lippert
In 1977,I moved to Truckee into a house that was built in 1878, learning in time that people chose to move here because of the surrounding natural beauty. In 1974, my husband Tom and his friend Tim Ward had bought the house on main street, a block from the downtown businesses, for $11,400.
Our friends also lived in inexpensive old houses, worked hard, and cooked at home. The simplicity of the “good old days” offered us time to share our beautiful outdoor setting and the stories of our pasts.
Tom and I were raised in the 1940s and ’50s in the Midwest, by people whose lives were simple and only survivable through hard work. Our parents lived on what they earned, and eating well (not expensively, but well) was always a priority. Recipes passed down from parents and grandparents were an important part of living and enjoying food.
When Tom and I decided to write The Woodstove Cookerybook in 1980, it wasn’t for money. Tom taught skiing in the winter, and I worked at a local downtown store and restaurant, so we had the time and thought it would be fun to create a cookbook and test recipes to choose which ones to include.
HANDWRITTEN: The original letter from San Francisco Chronicle columnist Merle Ellis to Laurel’s husband, Tom.
Our house, in the heart of downtown, 100 feet from the railroad tracks, had a ground-level to store old stuff, a main level with a small living room, kitchen, bathroom, and a room we converted to Tom’s office. The top level was two bedrooms and a bathroom that we had installed. Back in the old days, people bought the old houses because of the low prices. We were never allowed to remodel the exterior, due to the historic preservation code for our 100-year-old town.
Other than the frequent train whistles, old Truckee was quiet, and the warmth came from feeling safe and having nature’s beauty and good friends nearby. A popular store downtown, Robert’s, provided useful and unique household items, some of which we bought for cooking on our wood stove. In December 1980, the owner of Robert’s agreed to sell The Woodstove Cookerybook and displayed it at the checkout counter.
Soon, the book gained popularity. Reviews were published in the Sierra Sun (twice), Tahoe Daily Tribune, and Lodi News Sentinel. (Tom was raised in Lodi.)
But the real fame came in December 1981 when we received a call from a man who said he recently bought a copy of our book at Robert’s while visiting Truckee. “My name is Merle Ellis,” he began, “and I write the food column for the San Francisco Chronicle. I would like to write about The Woodstove Cookerybook. Is that okay?” he asked.
I was stunned. “Of course!” I answered.
On December 29, 1981, his story appeared in the Chronicle, titled Old-Fashioned Cooking on a Wood Stove, and featured two of our recipes, one entitled Montana Beef Stew and the other Tom’s Never Twice the Same Beans.
Oh, and Ellis had ended our phone conversation with the comment, “My column is syndicated in 130 newspapers.”
After the article ran, checks poured in, and, over the years, we sold thousands of copies of our little cookbook, always for $3.95, plus 70 cents for shipping. An obsessive bookkeeper, I wrote down the number of letters I sent to libraries, museums, prospective dealers, magazines, book clubs, and distributors. I also kept Merle Ellis’s handwritten letter to Tom, “I’m glad you’re getting some results from the column,” it read. “Hope it continues. Neva and I are going to try to take advantage of your offer to do a little skiing before the snow melts. We’ll be in touch.”
The 1981 San Francisco Chronicle story by Merle Ellis that really helped spread the word about The Woodstove Cookerybook.
In April 1983, The Woodstove Cookerybook was also included in another column in the San Francisco Chronicle, titled Cooking with Wood by Jane Benet, a food editor, with our address and phone number included.
The story goes on from there, but I’ll just end with this — cookbooks never get old, nor do most good books. Keep reading, keep cooking, and keep enjoying the past and the future in your present.
The 44th annual North Lake Tahoe Snowfest returns Feb. 26 to March 8 for all its activities, events, tomfoolery, and fun.
What started out in the early ’80s as a winter festival to entice tourists to continue taking ski trips into March (visits dropped way off after February) and to throw a party has evolved into 10-plus days of the community getting together for good times.
It all commences in grand fashion Thursday, Feb. 26, with Gar Woods’ annual kick-off party, where local legends The Blues Monsters (with Kendall Naughton) will get the dance floor going, the Wet Woodies will be flowing, and the Snowfest scholarship candidates — two local high school seniors recognized for their contributions to area nonprofits — will be introduced.
LE CHAMOIS’ Valley Throwback Party means different things to different people. Photos by Wade Snider/Moonshine Ink
Philanthropy is a crux aspect of the festival. “Snowfest raises an extraordinary amount of money for local nonprofits and student scholarships,” said Catherine Cooper, board member of Snowfest, with its every happening, sponsorship, and vendor giving back to Tahoe/Truckee in some way. “It’s an honor to work on this event for, and with, the community.”
On the 27th, everyone heads over to Olympic Valley from 2 to 5 p.m. as Le Chamois unleashes the Valley Throwback Party, its après-ski hootenanny humdinger of huge proportions.
Attendees are encouraged to don retro garb and come ready to party like it’s the early ’80s — when Snowfest was founded and both it and The Chammy got their share of screentime in the now cult-favorite ski comedy Hot Dog … the Movie. (Remember that snowball fight where the locals fire down from the rooftops onto bigheaded Rudi Garmisch and his gang?)
After The Chammy it’s on to the Tahoe City Winter Sports park from 5 to 8 p.m. for a fireworks show and live music by the local classic rockers The Nomads. The nearby Sierra Surf Club at the Evo Hotel is the spot for the afterparty.
THE TAHOE CITY STREET FAIRE has a little bit of everything for anyone and everyone, big and small, yound and old.
From 8 to 11 a.m. the next morning (2/28) the annual North Tahoe Firefighters Association pancake breakfast takes place at the T.C. Fire Station, leading attendees right into the extravagant Tahoe City Street Faire, which takes place from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
“I love how the Tahoe City Parade has morphed into the Tahoe City Street Faire,” Cooper said. “The first Snowfests held in the 80s had street dance parties, and that tradition is retained now as the street faire … for adults, families, kids. It’s a huge celebration.”
Saturday’s good times keep snowballing with the Tahoe Tap Haus BlizzardFest Brewfest in the Cobblestone, which — with its ear-catching lineup of DJs and Burning-Man-art-car Edna the Elephants’ laser light show — has become a rocking party that last year alone also raised over $10K for the Shane McConkey Foundation.
Sunday, March 1, sees some time devoted to our four-legged pals, with the dog pull in Tahoe City (ever seen a canine pull a keg?). After the quadrupeds pave the way, the next few days lend a bold bipedal sport theme; Monday, March 2, features the Tahoe youth figure skating recital at the Winter Sports Park, and Tuesday brings Pete ‘n Peters Bar Olympics (a triathlon of pool, shuffleboard, and darts). Wednesday, the 4th, holds opening day of the Town Race League at Palisades Tahoe in the afternoon and a night of qualifying rounds at the Sports Park ice rink for milk jug curling.
What in the heck is milk jug curling? Well, per tahoesnowfest.org, “A Snowfest original and modern Tahoe tradition … a hilarious and competitive twist on a winter classic” where, instead of stones, competitors (often outlandishly costumed) push milk jugs across the ice, aiming for their target.
“If you like playing bocce but want to up the level of stoke and risk,” longtime North Tahoe local and event attendee Rick Hengel said, “milk jug curling on ice is definitely something to consider.”
That said, on March 6, among other events, attendees can watch or compete in ice sculpting at Alibi Ale Works in Truckee, a hot-wing eating contest at Tahoe Tap House, Bridgetender’s Fat Friday 3-Point Jam, and/or Tahoe National Brewing Co.’s Gelande Quaff.
Gelände quaffing [ɡəˈlɛndə kwæfɪŋ], noun: an athletically inclined drinking game founded unintentionally in the mid-80s by original members of the Jackson Hole Air Force (the mountain’s legendary band of hard-charging skiers) when a beer mug sent gliding down the Bear Claw Café bar top overshot its intended target, fell off the edge, was somehow caught mid-air by a quick-reflexed patron and promptly chugged. In short time rules were established and a game was invented, with points awarded for successful catches (one point for a mug catch, two points for a handle catch) and successful chugs.
Yet if gelände quaffing isn’t your thing, that’s really no thing at all. Because the point of this article is that Snowfest has something for everyone. I mean, we haven’t even talked about the Rock & Roll Prom, the Alaskan Open Snow Golf Tournament, the Kings Beach parade, Incline Village’s Winterfest, the clam bake, the polar swim, the FreeHeel Fest, The Great Ski Race, River Ranch’s annual ice sculpture contest, or about a dozen-plus other events.
The thing is, Tahoe/Truckee is still, at its core, a weird, removed, eclectic, zany, music-loving, dog-loving, game-loving, sports-loving, sometimes crazy, sometimes party-hardy, milk-jug-curling good-time-quaffing mountain-town that enjoys coming together every once in a while to celebrate our awesomely unique culture.
Snowfest 2026 is that opportunity to do so. See ye out there.
For the full calendar of events, ticketed events versus free (most) events, nonprofit benefacts, scholarship awards, further details on milk jug curling or gelände quaffing, or general info, visit tahoesnowfest.org.
Feb. 4 was a day that rattled the world of journalism. Amazon billionaire Jeff Bezos, who purchased the Washington Post in 2013 — the 149-year-old storied newspaper that was home to Woodward and Bernstein, the famous reporter duo who broke the Watergate story in 1973 — announced that he was laying off 30% of the entire workforce, around 300 people, due to financial losses over the past two years. The Post will shutter its sports desk, same with the Books section, and it will suspend its podcast that this reporter enjoys and listens to for accurate news and analyses, Post Reports. The international desk will shrink — the paper’s Ukraine bureau chief and correspondent, as well as the entire Middle East desk, were let go. Not like anything of note is happening in those regions, right? Interestingly, the reporter who covers Amazon for the Post was also fired.
Journalism has often been called the fourth estate, or the fourth branch of government, because of its important role in holding up a light to what our elected and business leaders are doing. A society cannot hold its leaders accountable if we don’t know what they are up to. That is one reason the Post, in 2017, adopted the official slogan, “Democracy Dies in Darkness.” This highlights the dangers of government secrecy and the importance of a free press.
Bezos, like many billionaires, has sought to cozy up to President Trump. He paid $40 million for the Melania movie and spent another $35 million marketing the film (so far, the movie has only made $7 million). Imagine if he had used that money instead to save the Washington Post? Or the $500 million he spent on a yacht? Or the $55 million for his wedding?
Bezos showed his true colors when, in an unprecedented move, the FBI raided the home of Washington Post reporter Hannah Natanson last month, taking her phone, two laptops, and her Garmin watch in an investigation of a government contractor’s handling of classified material. Bezos stayed silent.
Whether or not you like the Washington Post, it has played an essential role in our democracy for the past century and a half, exposing important stories about our leaders, our government, and the world that many of us would not know about otherwise. The decimation of the Post is yet another example of democracy’s pillars crumbling under the Trump administration.
Former Post executive director Martin Baron said, “This ranks among the darkest days in the history of one of the world’s greatest news organizations … Bezos’ sickening efforts to curry favor with President Trump have left an especially ugly stain of their own. This is a case study in near-instant, self-inflicted brand destruction.”
That is one reason Sen. Bernie Sanders coined a new slogan for the Post — “Democracy Dies in Oligarchy.”
Don’t let our democracy die. Please continue to support newspapers, both local, regional, and national. A democracy without a free and fair press is no democracy at all.
Shoulder-Season Playbook: Big Impact, Better Value in South Lake Tahoe
Timing is everything for your next event.
When you’re mapping out a leadership retreat, incentive getaway, or multi-day meeting, timing can make all the difference. In South Lake Tahoe, shoulder season is where savvy planners find the sweet spot. Fewer calendar constraints. Less hustle. More options. And a destination that still delivers that unmistakable lake-and-mountain wow factor.
Why Shoulder Season Works
Shoulder season is the quiet achiever of Tahoe event planning. It’s when the destination feels open, adaptable, and ready to work with you.
With fewer competing bookings, hotels and venues have greater availability and flexibility. That means meeting rooms configured to fit your flow, smoother load-ins, and easier coordination across multi-day programs. It also means your stakeholders see a stronger return on investment without sacrificing experience.
And make no mistake, the experience still delivers. You’re meeting where North America’s largest alpine lake meets the Sierra Nevada peaks. Crisp air fuels clear thinking. Big views inspire big ideas. Your attendees still get the awe, and then some.
Sweet-Spot Weeks to Know
And make no mistake, the experience still delivers. You’re meeting where North America’s largest alpine lake meets the Sierra Nevada peaks. Crisp air fuels clear thinking. Big views inspire big ideas. Your attendees still get the awe, and then some.While Tahoe’s shoulder seasons shift slightly year to year, two planning windows consistently deliver the best mix of value, flexibility, and seasonal appeal for meetings and group activities in South Lake Tahoe.
Late April through early June marks spring’s transition on the South Shore. The lake begins to shine, the mountains hold onto their final traces of snow, and the destination feels refreshed. Golf courses reopen, lower-elevation trails become accessible, and lake cruises, kayaking, and paddleboarding begin to ramp up. Longer daylight hours and clear air support productive meeting days paired with outdoor receptions, scenic breaks, or casual team-building.
During spring, indoor venues remain plentiful and adaptable, while outdoor activities can be layered in as conditions allow. It’s a smart choice for incentive programs and strategy sessions that benefit from a sense of renewal without committing fully to summer logistics.
Late September through earlyNovember delivers one of Tahoe’s most focused and visually rewarding seasons. Fall color arrives in nearby valleys, temperatures settle into a comfortable range, and the lake takes on a calm, reflective tone. Hiking remains accessible, lake cruises continue into early fall, and cooler evenings naturally lend themselves to fireside networking, private dinners, and relaxed social gatherings.
Fall shoulder season also brings consistency. Weather tends to be stable, days are still bright, and leaf peeping is in its prime.
A quick planning note: Tahoe is a mountain destination, and shoulder seasons come with character. Spring may include lingering snow at higher elevations, and fall evenings cool quickly. The upside is choice. South Lake Tahoe’s walkable meetings district, flexible indoor venues, and experienced local partners make it easy to build programs that stay smooth, comfortable, and compelling regardless of what the weather decides to do.
The Value Equation
his is where shoulder season delivers its strongest planning advantage.
Planners often see more favorable room rates and added concessions during these windows. That can translate into additional breakout space, enhanced AV support, or flexible food and beverage minimums. Venues have more room to accommodate special requests and last-minute adjustments, making programs easier to fine-tune.
Many groups choose to reinvest those savings into experiences that elevate the agenda. A hosted welcome reception with lake views. A guided outdoor activity between sessions. A surprise guest speaker or team excursion. Value extends beyond the hotel stay. Group dining and off-site experiences often avoid peak-season premiums and rigid requirements, allowing budgets to stretch further across the full program. Add in Visit Tahoe’s helpful event value tips, and you’ll discover just how affordable your lakeside retreat can be.
Let’s Plan (Without the Headaches)
Shoulder season planning in South Lake Tahoe is refreshingly straightforward.
Start by browsing a wide range of venues, from large-scale, flexible spaces like the Tahoe Blue Event Center to boutique and lakefront options designed for more intimate groups. The destination offers a mix of casino resorts, luxury lodges, and eco-conscious properties, making it easy to match the stay to your program’s tone.
Detailed room and venue specs help planners align space with session needs from the start. Access through Reno-Tahoe International Airport keeps travel simple, with convenient shuttle options and a scenic drive that sets the tone before attendees even arrive.
A Smarter Way to Meet
Shoulder season in South Lake Tahoe isn’t about scaling back. It’s about meeting smarter. With timing on your side and the lake as your backdrop, these windows create a clearer path to meetings and incentives that deliver on every level. So let’s start planning your event. Browse South Shore venues, explore room and meeting specs, and send us your RFP. We’ll help you turn smart timing into an even better experience.
Whether you’re unwinding after an outdoor adventure or simply seeking a moment of calm, South Lake Tahoe’s day spas offer restorative experiences inspired by mountain landscapes and crystal-clear lake views. From luxe bodywork to unique cultural rituals, there’s a way to pamper your body and mind in every season.
Perched within the serene grounds of Edgewood Tahoe Resort, this Forbes Travel Guide 4-Star Spa invites guests to relax in a refined mountain setting with treatments designed to soothe both body and spirit. Signature options include restorative gemstone and specialty massages, body rituals, and facials that marry luxury with the natural tranquility of Lake Tahoe. The spa lounge area features a hot tub that is for clients of the spa only. Learn more.
Waterfront and restorative, The Spa at The Landing blends the calming influence of the lake with a menu of body therapies, facials, and restorative treatments featuring organic products and natural botanicals. With its focus on alignment and overall renewal, this spa provides a peaceful complement to lakeside adventures and relaxation. Learn more.
Serenity Spa at the Marriott Grand Residence Lake Tahoe
Located inside the Marriott Grand Residence Club, Serenity Spa offers a warm and tranquil setting for guests to indulge in full-service massages, facials, and wellness treatments. It’s an easy way to unwind after a day on the trails or slopes, with customizable spa packages and a welcoming retreat atmosphere. Learn more.
Reflections Spa provides a serene escape within one of South Lake Tahoe’s most iconic properties. With rejuvenating treatments designed to melt away stress and melt into mountain views, this spa experience pairs well with a day of gaming, dining, or live entertainment. Learn more.
Rooted in the Japanese tradition of healing and renewal, Onsen Spa at Bally’s combines thermal features like hot baths with a selection of massage and bodywork offerings. It’s a soothing complement to the energy of nightly entertainment and gaming on the South Shore. (Note: Onsen details are informed by local listings and spa hotel guides.)Learn more.
More Ways to Restore in Tahoe
South Lake Tahoe’s wellness scene extends beyond traditional day spas, inviting you to explore experiences that engage body, mind, and nature:
Tahoe Forest Baths offers a rare Japanese cedar enzyme bath experience, one of only two of its kind in the U.S., promoting detoxification, stress relief, and relaxation through warm, natural cedar and active enzymes.
Bliss Experiences provides curated classes and workshops — from forest bathing to mindful movement — that connect visitors with nature and deeper personal renewal.
OMNI Tahoe Wellness Center in the heart of South Lake Tahoe focuses on holistic well-being with a variety of fitness and wellness offerings beyond traditional spa services. Guests can enjoy infrared-heated yoga in the Solar Studio, non-heated classes like aerial hammock and TRX in the Lunar Studio, and other movement-based experiences designed to enhance strength, flexibility, and recovery. It’s a great complement to outdoor adventure and post-play relaxation in Tahoe’s mountain environment.
From deep-tissue massage to cedar enzyme baths and bespoke healing workshops, South Lake Tahoe’s spa and wellness offerings are as varied as the landscape itself. Whether you’re seeking recovery after sledding, skiing, or biking — or simply craving a tranquil retreat — there’s a restorative experience here to suit every traveler.
Perfectly positioned at more than 6,200 feet above sea level, Lake Tahoe is an ideal place for Olympians to live, train, and explore.
Here is a list of Olympic athletes who call Lake Tahoe and the surrounding area home, as well places to visit and take in Lake Tahoe’s Olympic legacy. Looking for somewhere to watch the Olympics while you’re in town? Check out Sports Bars here.
Jamie Anderson is a two-time Olympic gold medalist and South Lake Tahoe local. Anderson competed in her third Olympic Games in Beijing, after winning gold in the slopestyle competition in 2014 and 2018. Jamie Anderson may be known for long, cerebral runs, but she has plenty of big air tricks in her bag as well.
Anderson swept the slopestyle and big air events at the 2021 X Games in Aspen and won the slopestyle events at the Mammoth World Cup 2022. Considered a favorite by many, this South Lake Tahoe local is certainly deserving of a few cheers.
Maddison Michelle “Maddie” Bowman is an American freestyle skier who quickly made her mark on the sport with a breakout performance at the Winter X Games in 2012. She captured a silver medal in the superpipe. From there, Bowman established herself as one of the most dominant halfpipe skiers of her era, claiming X Games gold medals in 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, and again in 2018.
Her career reached its pinnacle at the 2014 Winter Olympics, where she delivered a standout performance to earn the gold medal in ski halfpipe. Bowman returned to Olympic competition in 2018, finishing 11th against a highly competitive field. Known for her consistency, technical skill, and competitive drive, Bowman remains one of the sport’s most accomplished athletes.
Hannah Teter is an American snowboarder and Olympic champion known for her smooth style and consistency on the halfpipe. She rose to international prominence at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Torino, where she captured the gold medal with a standout performance. Four years later, Teter proved her staying power by returning to the Olympic podium with a silver medal at the 2010 Games in Vancouver.
Beyond the Olympics, Teter built an impressive competitive résumé, including a bronze medal at the 2005 FIS World Championships in Whistler, British Columbia, and six World Cup victories throughout her career. Recognized for both her talent and longevity in the sport, Teter remains one of the most accomplished and respected figures in women’s snowboarding.
David Wise is an American freestyle skier and one of the most decorated athletes in men’s halfpipe history. A two-time Olympic gold medalist, Wise captured back-to-back titles in 2014 and 2018, cementing his reputation as a dominant force on the world stage. His breakthrough moment came at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, where he made history by becoming the first Olympic champion in the debut of the men’s freeski halfpipe event.
Wise’s success extends well beyond the Olympics. He is a five-time X Games gold medalist, earning top honors in 2012, 2013, 2014, 2018, and 2023. Notably, he entered the Sochi Games with strong momentum after securing his third consecutive X Games gold in Aspen earlier that year.
A 2022 Olympian and eight-year member of the U.S. Ski Team, Cashman returns to the Winter Games driven by a desire to continue challenging expectations in alpine skiing. A technically focused racer specializing in Giant Slalom and Super Giant Slalom, she has built her career on determination, consistency, and a belief that elite performance is possible without following a traditional development path.
O’Brien began skiing at Palisades Tahoe through the Mighty Mite program before starting her racing career with Team Palisades Tahoe. She later attended Burke Mountain Academy, where her performance led to selection for the National Training Group and, in 2016, a spot on the U.S. Ski Team.
Since joining the team, O’Brien has built an accomplished career, including winning the NorAm overall title in 2019, earning eight national championship titles, and competing at the 2022 Winter Games. She was also a member of the U.S. Team Event that won gold at the 2023 World Championships. Growing up in a family of ski racers helped shape her lifelong connection to the sport.
With what has to be the coolest last name of any Winter Olympics athlete, Sugar Bowl Ski Team & Academy’s Luke Winters officially punched his ticket to Beijing after securing a career-best 10th place in Slalom racing. In 2019 Luke won his first national championship title at the alpine combined at Sugarloaf, Maine. He followed that performance up with a second national title in slalom at Waterville Valley, New Hampshire.
A member of the United States cross-country team, North Lake Tahoe’s JC Schoonmaker is entering his first-ever Olympics with a full head of steam after securing a pair of top-10 finishes and a national title at Soldier Hallow, Utah.
A California native and Alaska resident, Hannah Halvorsen is headed to her first Winter Games two years after suffering a traumatic brain injury from a crash. Halvorsen is hoping her comeback story ends with a gold medal win. Halvorsen recently posted a career-best seventh place at a World Cup event in Dresden, Germany.
Hailing from Truckee and growing up in a family of skiers, the multi-talented athlete, Maureen Lebel has competed in all ski disciplines and finished third overall at the North American Cup.
Hurt has two World Cup podiums and made her Olympic debut in 2022. She recently spent the offseason training at home in Palisades Tahoe and is coming off a breakthrough season, with a strong focus on mental preparation — an area she describes as non-linear but essential to high-level performance.
Tahoe’s Olympic Legacy
1960 Winter Olympics Games
The Squaw Valley Winter Olympics | Photo: Craighton Miller
The Squaw Valley Winter Olympics in 1960 are remembered by many as the last of the small Olympics. Originally standing a “snowball’s chance”, the Olympic event near Tahoe’s north shore could have arguably never happened if not for a tie-breaking vote by World War II hero, Jo Marillac.
The legacy of the 1960 Olympics continues into the present. When officials were unsure if a skier had missed a gate in the men’s slalom, they asked CBS-TV if they could review a videotape of the race, giving CBS the idea of inventing “instant replay”.
Champions Plaza
Spirit of Competition Sculpture | Photo: Lake Tahoe News
Next time you’re driving through South Lake Tahoe, be sure to visit the Champions Plaza, located on the corner of U.S. 50 and Lakeview Avenue across from Lakeview Commons and take a selfie with the 11-foot bronze sculpture inspired by local Olympic athletes.
Start Your Own Winter Olympics
You might not be good enough to qualify to represent your country during the Olympics, but your family can start their own Olympic Games in South Lake Tahoe each winter. With thousands of acres of skiable terrain at local ski resorts and a massive backcountry with never-ending progression, and even ice skating rinks, you don’t have to look far to find a worthwhile and memorable experience along Lake Tahoe’s south shore.
Whisk your Valentine away somewhere magical! Plan the perfect dinner with our Valentine’s Day Restaurant Guide in Lake Tahoe. The Jewel of the Sierra offers breathtaking views and a refreshing change of pace. With a whole host of activities to suit any couple’s passions – whether you’d like to cruise the lake, carve some powder, or refresh at a resort – South Shore Lake Tahoe has it all. Below, we’ve included a list of the most romantic restaurants, so you can pair your daytime adventures with a dinner to remember. While reservations aren’t always necessary here, for Valentine’s Day in Lake Tahoe, we strongly recommend reserving your table in advance.
Romantic Restaurants on the South Shore of Lake Tahoe
Friday Station Lakeview restaurant inside Harrah’s Lake Tahoe
For couples who want to get fancy, may we suggest:
The Chart House | Perched atop a hill near Kingsbury Grade, overlooking exquisite Lake Tahoe, Chart House is a legendary seafood restaurant known for its excellent cuisine. Make your reservation now: (775) 588-6276
Evans American Gourmet Cafe | Their menu features a blend of cuisine styles from around the world. Make your reservation now: (530) 542-1990
Gordon Ramsay’s Hell’s Kitchen| Caesars Republic Lake Tahoe | You can count on any Gordon Ramsay restaurant to deliver! From the lobster risotto to Gordon’s famous Beef Wellington to his favorite dessert (Sticky Toffee Pudding), savor the flavors of this world-famous chef’s menu. Make your reservation now: (775) 588-2411
For couples seeking elevated cuisine in a casual atmosphere, we recommend:
Kalani’s | Kalani’s restaurant, first opened in 2004 and featured in Bon Appetit, creates unique dishes by blending the fresh ingredients of Hawaiian regional cooking with Asian and European techniques and influences. Make your reservation now: (530) 544-6100.
The Loft at the Heavenly Village | Taste At The Loft wants to make your Valentine’s Day date feel special. Celebrate Valentine’s Day with an intimate, upscale dinner at Taste at The Loft. Enjoy artfully prepared cuisine in an elegant atmosphere. Perfect for couples looking for a refined and romantic experience in the heart of Heavenly Village. Make your reservation now: (530) 523-8024.
Riva Grill | Riva Grill features beautiful, wooden boat-inspired decor, lake views and an amazing cocktail selection. Give your date what they really want this year, a Wet Woody® on the water + dinner you can’t say no to. That’s unforgettable. Celebrate love with our dinner specials, cozy lakefront views, and the perfect setting for a romantic evening. Make your reservation now: (530) 542-2600.
For couples who are seeking something only to be found in Tahoe…
Gastromaniac – Homemade Pasta & Pizza | At Gastromaniac, you can get a classic pie to go, or you can also pick up some handmade pasta to cook back at your rental cabin or suite. Make your reservation now: (530) 600-2110.
The Grove on the Lake at Camp Richardson Resort | Celebrate love lakeside with a romantic Valentine’s Day dinner at The Grove. Enjoy a cozy alpine atmosphere and stunning lakeviews. Perfect for couples looking to toast the night with great food, wine, and mountain charm. Make your reservation now: (530) 314-4650.
MacDuff’s Pub | A local’s favorite, MacDuff’s Pub is a great choice if you’re seeking a casual, cozy, and unique atmosphere and a menu with no bad choices. Be forewarned; the truffle mac’n’cheese is habit-forming! Make your reservation now: (530) 542-8777.
Naked Fish Sushi | If sushi is your go-to for dates, check out Naked Fish. Featuring specialty rolls like the Tahoe Crunch and Surf’n’Turf, and a chef’s sashimi plate that is hard to beat, Naked Fish stands out. They pick up their fish from 200 miles away to ensure that it is of the highest quality. Make a reservation now: (530) 541-3474.
For couples who love a good steak, check out:
Ciera Steak + Chophouse| Bally’s Lake Tahoe. Stateline’s only AAA Four-Diamond restaurant serves perfectly prepared cuts of meat, including pistachio-encrusted rack of lamb and the incredible 30-ounce Wagyu “Tomahawk” rib steak, complemented by a selection of 300 premium wines and champagnes. Enjoy delicious food and impeccable service. Make your reservation now: (775) 588-3515.
Friday’s Station Steak & Seafood Grill | Harrah’s Lake Tahoe. Lake views at every table, and a 1,000-bottle display wine cellar make this restaurant special. Make your reservation now: (775) 588-6611.
SaltgrassSteakhouse | Golden Nugget Hotel Casino. Discover the superior flavors of Saltgrass while enjoying menu favorites like our massive Silver Star Porterhouse, our homestyle Country Fried Steak, and our slow-braised BBQ Pork Ribs. Make your reservation now: (775) 588-1010.
Sage Room & Steak House | Caesars Republic Lake Tahoe. An elegant steak house, The Sage Room is popular with locals and guests alike. Make your reservation now: (775) 588-2411.
JWB Prime Steak and Seafood | Margaritaville Lake Tahoe Resort. JWB Prime Steak and Seafood delights both resort guests and locals with a laid-back luxe dining experience. Offering a contemporary menu of prime steaks, fresh seafood, and a raw bar, all paired with world-class wines and hand-crafted cocktails. Make your reservation now: (530) 544-5400.
Many hotels are offering Valentine’s Day deals as well. Whatever your plans are for Valentine’s Day in Lake Tahoe, we hope you and your sweetheart make some fond memories to last a lifetime!
Special Events
This Valentine’s Day, fall in love with wine all over again. Love at the Lakefeatures more than 20 premium wineries, curated bites from our award-winning restaurants, and live music – creating an unforgettable Valentine’s celebration at the Golden Nugget Lake Tahoe.
Saturday, February 14, 2026, 5:00 – 8:00 pm, Valentine’s Day Dinner Cruise aboard the M.S. Dixie II Paddle wheeler. Celebrate Valentine’s Day with a special, romantic dinner with Lake Tahoe Cruises aboard the MS Dixie II. A unique and special way to celebrate. Live music, dinner, and a night you won’t forget.
Valentine’s Day Dinner at the Idle Hour. Saturday, February 14, 2026, 6:30 pm. Celebrate Valentine’s Day with a curated food and wine pairing dinner, thoughtfully crafted to complement each course and elevate every moment. Set against the glow of candlelight and lakefront ambiance, this is a night meant to be savored—one course, one sip, one memory at a time.
Check out Valentine’s Day at Lake Tahoe on Instagram
Lake Tahoe is an outdoor lover’s playground year-round, but there’s something especially magical about winter, when the landscape is blanketed in snow and perfect for getting outside together. You don’t have to be a skier to enjoy it, either. Sledding and snow tubing are some of the easiest (and most fun) ways for families and groups to embrace the season. Throughout the Tahoe area, you’ll find plenty of free sledding and tubing hills that are great for casual snow days, last-minute adventures, and travelers hoping to keep things budget-friendly. These spots tend to appeal to families with older kids, laid-back explorers, and anyone who doesn’t mind putting in a little extra effort for that classic, DIY winter experience. Prefer something a bit more polished? Tahoe’s paid tubing parks feature groomed runs, tow lifts, and on-site amenities that make the day smoother and less physically demanding. An ideal option for families with younger children, first-timers, or visitors who simply want to show up and slide. No matter your style, sledding and tubing offer a welcoming, laughter-filled way to experience Tahoe in winter.
Winter Fun For Everyone
Sledding and snow tubing are the kind of winter traditions that make everyone smile, whether you’re traveling with little ones, big kids, or a mix of both. As you pick your hill, think about comfort levels—gentle slopes are perfect for toddlers and first-timers, while older kids will love spots with a little more speed; groups with varying ages often appreciate tubing parks that offer options for everyone. Need rentals or an easy, ready-to-go experience? Head to a managed location. Hoping for a quieter outing? Smaller public hills and off-peak times can make all the difference.
Tubing and Sledding Locations
Tahoe’s snow tubing parks are ready to roll for the season, offering fun for all ages and skill levels. From groomed lanes to laughter-filled runs, tubing is one of the easiest ways to dive into winter play.
Situated on top of Echo Summit on forty acres, Adventure Mountain is perfect for all sorts of snow play, including snow tubing. With up to fifteen machine-groomed sledding runs and a base elevation of 7,350 feet above sea level, this family-owned & operated resort guarantees affordable fun for the entire family. Learn more.
Blizzard Mountain at Sierra at Tahoe Resort:
Blizzard Mountain at Sierra at Tahoe Resort
Sierra-at-Tahoe has always been a fun, family resort, and it comes as no surprise that they have an entire dedicated area called Blizzard Mountain. They have two rope-tow tubing lanes, so you can get even more runs in. Whether the kids are into snow tubing in Lake Tahoe or just some simple winter fun, Blizzard Mountain has it all. Snowball kits, outdoor fire pits, and picnic tables are provided. Blizzard Mountain will be Open (weather permitting) Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays + Sundays.Learn more.
Hansen’s Tubing Hill:
Hansen’s Tubing Hill
For those looking for a bit of seclusion but not too far from the hustle & bustle of Stateline, Hansen’s Resort & Tubing Hill is right up your alley. After dropping off the skiers/snowboarders at Heavenly, take the little ones to Hansen’s for their own fun & excitement. There’s even an easy to view area where parents can watch their kids sliding down. The tubing runs are groomed daily, with high “walls” and a well-planned small hill below to stop you. Learn more.
Tubing at Heavenly Mountain Resort:
Tubing at Heavenly Mountain Resort
Combine the fun of a gondola ride with a bit of tubing at the top of the world. Heavenly Mountain Resort’s tubing hill is located at the top of a scenic ride from the center of Heavenly Village. Their park has four lanes that are 500 feet long and have a 65-foot vertical drop. In addition, their tubing hill has a magic carpet that’ll help whisk you up to the top for another run. Please visit www.skiheavenly.com/explore-the-resort/activities/winter-activities.aspx for updated operational information. Learn more.
Tahoe Snowmobile Track & Tubing Hill:
Tahoe Snowmobile Tubing Hill
Looking to create the ultimate winter-time experience for the entire family? Well, for those that want to try their hand at snowmobiling along with hillside tubing, Tahoe Snowmobile is perfect for you. Located next to the Tahoe Blue Event Center, you can experience it all without having to drive anywhere. Learn more.
Tube Tahoe:
Tube Tahoe
The newest edition to the list of amazing snow tubing locations is Tube Tahoe in Meyers. Located at the Tahoe Paradise Golf Course off US Highway 50, it’s focused on providing a safe, family-friendly environment. Their goal is to become “Tahoe’s Family Tube Hill”… in other words, everyone returns home with positive memorable experiences. Tube Tahoe is aiming to have the longest “resort-quality,” machine-groomed tubing lane in the area. Learn more.
Safety, Etiquette, and Leave-No-Trace
A few simple habits can make your sledding day safer and more enjoyable for everyone. Stick to the far edge when hiking back up, move out of the run out zone as soon as you finish a ride, and keep a close eye on little ones, or better yet, have an adult stationed at the bottom to guide them; most importantly, never sled toward roads or parking lots. Before you head out, do a quick sweep for trash and pack out everything you brought so these hills stay beautiful, following Leave No Trace and doing your part to Keep Tahoe Blue helps ensure the next family gets the same postcard-worthy experience.
Free Sledding Spots
Want a classic Tahoe snow day without the added cost? South Lake Tahoe is home to several dependable sledding spots where there are no lift tickets or tubing fees, just bring a sled (or rent one in town) and enjoy the sweeping mountain views. These laid-back hills are ideal for travelers who prefer a simple, go-at-your-own-pace kind of adventure. If choosing to visit unofficial areas, be sure to park only in safe, legal parking spots with all four tires on the inside of the white fog line, pay attention to and heed “No Parking” signs and avoid blocking gates.
We also recommend purchasing a sturdy, reusable sled instead of plastic which can easily break apart in cold temperatures. Please be sure to pack out all trash and everything brought in and used including broken sleds and plastic pieces.
Taylor Creek Sno-Park: With its beautiful alpine scenery and wide-open play areas, Taylor Creek makes it easy to turn sledding into a full winter outing. A Sno-Park permit is required for parking, but the payoff is good access and plenty of room for everyone to enjoy the snow. It’s a solid pick for mixed-age groups that want space to roam.
Echo Lakes Sno-Park: If you have a Sno-Park Pass, you can utilize this plowed parking lot to access hills by Echo Summit to sled at.
As you can tell, there are a whole plethora of places to try your hand at sledding and snow tubing while in South Lake Tahoe. From magic carpets whisking you to the top of quaint slopes for your little ones to play on, to open hills surrounded by snow-covered pine trees. You’ll find it here in Lake Tahoe.
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.
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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!
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