SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – South Lake Tahoe Fire Rescue announces the return of its beloved Christmas Fire Engine tradition. Once again, the festive engine will cruise through the City streets this holiday season, spreading joy and giving candy canes to all.
Residents can get an up-close look at the Christmas Engine on December 12 and 13 at the City’s Festival of Winter Lights near the Rec Center. The engine will be available for photos from 4 PM to 5 PM on both days.
Please keep in mind that we make every effort to make sure the fire engine runs on schedule, but sometimes bad weather or big incidents could change the schedule.
STATELINE, NV – The Tahoe Knight Monsters fell to the Rapid City Rush for the second-straight game 4-1.
In the first period, neither team could find the back of the net as fans were treated to a goaltender’s duel between Cameron Whitehead and Arsenii Sergeev.
In the second period, it was Adam Pitters striking on the power play for Tahoe to give the Knight Monsters a 1-0 lead heading into the final 20 minutes of play.
The third period is where the Rush took control of the game. It took Rapid City just 19 seconds to tie the game off a goal from Rasmus Ekström, which made it 1-1. At the 9:25 mark of the period, Xavier Bernard found the back of the net for the second consecutive game to put the Rush up by 1. After empty-net goals from Ryan Chyzowski and Cameron Buhl, the Rush walked out of Stateline with a 4-1 Friday night victory.
Rapid City’s Sergeev played lights out in net, stopping 38 of 39 Tahoe shots. Sergeev picked up his team-leading fifth win with his effort.
The Knight Monsters return home on Saturday, December 6, to take on the Rapid City Rush at Tahoe Blue Event Center for Teddy Bear Toss Night presented by Richard Harris Law Firm. Puck drop is at 7:00 pm, with pregame coverage on the Knight Monsters broadcast network beginning at 6:50 pm. Ticket packages for the 2025-26 season are now available. For more information, visit www.knightmonstershockey.com
In 2023, the American Psychological Association uncovered these shocking numbers about stress during the holidays:
· 89% of American adults feel stress.
· 41% reported higher stress levels!
· Even worse, 64% of those living with mental illness felt their stress worsened!
If humans are so stressed out during the holidays, imagine how our sensitive pets feel!
How Human Stress Affects Dogs
Whether we realize it or not, dogs take their cues from us in good times and not-so-good times. Dogs – and other pets – can immediately pick up on how their human is feeling by detecting the odors of stress from the chemical changes in our sweat and breath. In fact, research has shown that our dogs’ cortisol levels (aka the “stress hormone”) usually mirror those of their owners.
In other words, if you are stressed, chances are your dog is too.
While our dogs and pets don’t have to worry about buying the perfect gift or making Grandma’s holiday dinner with all the trimmings, holidays can mean disrupted routines, strangers, decorations, unfamiliar sights, sounds and smells, resulting in a pet becoming anxious or destructive, excessive barking, hiding or hyperactivity (or worse, such as a bite).
What Pet Stress Looks Like
· Dogs: trembling, pacing, panting, hiding, whining, barking, destructive behaviors or trying to escape.
· Cats: Hiding, withdrawing, changes in appetite or litter box issues.
In addition, both dogs and cats may exhibit excessive grooming, excessive vocalizing, or changes in body language, such as tucked tails, ears pinned back, or dilated pupils.
How to Help Your Dog this Holiday Season: 5 Tips
1. If you live with pets, monitor your emotions during the holidays and make time for self-care to reduce your anxiety and stress.
2. Regularly check on your pets and watch for signs of overwhelm or stress.
3. Stick to your pets’ regular routines for exercise, eating and potty breaks. Hire a dog walker or pet sitter if you need help; it will go a long way in keeping your pets calm and happy.
4. Add extra walks or enrichment activities to engage your dog’s mind and body to help them stay calm and happy.
5. Create a quiet and safe space for them (a crate or separated room) to relax with their favorite blanket, bone or enrichment toy during busy holiday celebrations.
Other Common Risks at the Holidays
In addition to monitoring your pets for signs of anxiety or stress, also protect them against other typical holiday risks:
· Dangerous or toxic holiday foods such as grapes, raisins, fatty foods, skin and cooked bones, chocolate and cocoa, spices, alcoholic drinks, raw bread dough, and more.
· Decorations like tinsel, ribbons and bows may cause your pet to choke or create life-threatening blockages from swallowed items.
· Pet-proof your home, putting any dangerous, risky, or toxic items high out of reach of all pets for their ultimate safety to ensure the holidays are merry and bright!
Millions of people across the globe love to ski. Unofficial Networks Ski & Mountain News reports that the 2024-25 season recorded 61.5 million skier visits, the second-highest on record, which suggests the popularity of skiing and snowboarding shows no signs of slowing down.
With so many active participants, those who plan to ski for the first time may be eager to hit the slopes. But it is important for new skiers to heed some beginner tips.
· Get a ski pass. If possible, find a ski resort nearby and purchase a pass in advance. Once you have the pass you can visit the mountain and ski whenever you have available time. Plus, the expense of the pass can be incentive to get out and use it, ensuring you get your money’s worth.
· Expect to fall. On a first day out, it is likely you will fall down quite often, and it can be challenging to get up. Knowing this will occur in advance can help you avoid embarrassment. Also, expect people to be more skilled than you, even young children who have been skiing for quite some time.
· Protect your feet. Novices may feel that their feet get too cold, wet or sore. It is important to get boots that are comfortable and fit well. Harvard University suggests boots that enable you to wiggle your toes, but not allow you to turn your foot side-to-side within the boot. Try several boots when renting, and eventually purchase your own boots with a custom fit.
· Take lessons. A private lesson can be very helpful for novices, teaching them form and instilling confidence. The instructor also can help you avoid bad habits.
· Wear thick ski pants. Ski pants insulate against the cold and wet snow, and when falls inevitably occur, the thickness of pants can offer padding.
· Layer on top. Wear a waterproof jacket and layers so you can add or remove layers as needed. A zippered jacket is easier to take on and off or simply loosen when you’re hot.
· Rent skis. Bearfoot Theory suggests renting skis at the resort before investing in your own so you get an idea of what you like. Skiing clothing and gear goes on sale at the end of the season, which enables you to save money when it comes time to invest.
· Ski with those better than you. Skiing alongside those who are more advanced than you can help. Find people you trust to be patient and invite you along. Chances are you will learn a little more quickly because you’ll be compelled to keep up. It’s also perfectly alright to ski solo once you gain some measure of comfort on the slopes.
· Start with groomed runs. As a beginner, focus on getting a strong foundation on groomed runs. Then move on to powder to test out something a little more intense.
· Build up leg strength. Focusing on workouts that involve strengthening your calves and quadriceps can lead to greater endurance when it comes time to hit the slopes.
Skiing is an entertaining recreational activity that draws scores of enthusiasts each year. Beginners are urged to start slowly and develop the skills necessary to become competent and confident skiers.
Meet Blue, a 9-month-old, super-sized puppy who’s convinced he’s still small enough to fit in your lap. (Spoiler: he is not. But he will try. And honestly? You’ll probably let him.)
Blue is the kind of dog who can take any normal moment and turn it into a wholesome comedy show. Drop your keys? He’ll help you look for them. Open the fridge? He’ll be right there offering “quality control.” Sit down for one second? Prepare for a full-body cuddle attack.
Blue is this week’s Pet of the Week. Provided / HSTT
This big-hearted pup is playful, goofy, and absolutely bursting with personality. He loves chasing toys, exploring new places, and flopping over for belly rubs like it’s his full-time job. With other dogs, he’s a total charmer, wagging his tail like a helicopter and immediately offering up a sweet, submissive belly display as if to say, “Hello, I come in peace…and wiggles.”
Blue is also an adventure buddy in training. He loves the beach and will happily sprint after toys along the shore. Deeper water? Well, he’s working on it. Let’s call it “building confidence while splashing adorably.” He’s also a superstar in the car, plopping down like, “Okay, where are we going and will there be snacks?”
He’s a quick learner, thrives on positive training, and is eager to show you just how clever he can be. Cats, however? Hard pass. Blue politely requests a feline-free home.
With his gentle nature, silly antics, and cuddle-centric lifestyle, Blue is ready to bring endless joy, laughter, and love to his new family. If you’re searching for a loyal companion who can brighten even the gloomiest day, Blue’s your boy!
If you are interested in meeting this sweet, goofy guy or learning more about him, please reach out to one of HSTT’s Adoption Specialists at 530-587-5948 or adoptions@hstt.org. Blue is neutered, vaccinated, and microchipped. To view more adoptable pets or to learn more about the Humane Society of Truckee-Tahoe, please visit www.hstt.org.
In my last column I wrote about bonds and their usefulness in investment portfolios. Today, I want to talk about how to position bonds within your portfolio.
This is really the art in portfolio design as it relates to bonds. You need to determine what percentage of your portfolio should be composed of bonds, and what types of bonds you want to buy. Even within a bond category—say, corporate bonds—there can be quite a bit of variability. Apple, which I used as an example in my last column as paying a 4% hypothetical coupon rate, is a massive, financially healthy company that can offer a fairly low rate of interest on their bonds. After all, you’re not worried that Apple will go bankrupt in the next 5 years, are you? Meanwhile, a company with weaker credit quality might have to offer a bond paying a 7% coupon rate to attract your investment. Remember, you should be paid more for taking on a riskier investment.
How much of your portfolio should be made up of bond investments depends a lot on how risky you want your portfolio to be. Generally, I believe that the longer your money will be invested before you need it, the higher the percentage you should have in equities, with less in bonds. As your “use it” date gets closer, you likely want to progressively increase your bond holding. This helps to steady the portfolio as you’re getting ready to tap in to your investments. It would be a shame if the market dropped 25% just before you retired, and then you had to sell stocks at a discount to fund your retirement.
On the other hand, stocks tend to dramatically outperform bonds over the long run. If you can stomach the risk and have a long enough timeframe, an ideal portfolio will tend to have a higher percentage of equities versus bonds. For reference, a “classic” portfolio model for folks nearing retirement is 60/40, meaning 60% equities and 40% bonds. That doesn’t work for everyone, but it is fairly popular.
In addition to determining the allocation of bonds you need, you should think about which kinds of bonds you want in your portfolio. Do you want individual bonds, or bond funds? Bonds from businesses, or government bonds? Short duration bonds, or long duration? Investment grade, or high yield (“junk” bonds, as they are sometimes called). Each of these types of bonds can serve a purpose, and the larger your portfolio, the more likely you are to have slices of each of these.
My third and final article on bonds will get into the risks of bond investments, but for the moment, let me leave you with this: the longer the duration of your bond, the more volatile its value will be. A 30-year bond’s price will fluctuate much more than a 3-year bond’s price. If you are using bonds to dampen the volatility in your portfolio, this is an important consideration.
How ever you choose to use bonds in your portfolio, invest smartly and invest well!
Larry Sidney is a Zephyr Cove-based Investment Advisor Representative. Information is found at https://palisadeinvestments.com/ or by calling 775-299-4600 x702. This is not a solicitation to buy or sell securities. Clients may hold positions mentioned in this article. Past Performance does not guarantee future results. Consult your financial advisor before purchasing any security.
SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – Throughout December, the Kiwanis Club of Lake Tahoe is holding a sock drive for its 5th year in a row, with drop boxes located at South Tahoe Refuse, El Dorado County Library, South Tahoe Public Utility District, Guild Mortgage Realtors, and two new sponsor locations at Ernie’s Coffee Shop and BMO Bank.
Drop boxes for Kiwanis Club Sock Drive can be found at El Dorado County Library and other locations around South Lake TahoeVictoria Mastrocola/Tahoe Daily Tribune
“These businesses that do the sock drive really enjoy doing it,” said Rich Barna, member of Kiwanis Club of Lake Tahoe. “It’s really been a lot of fun for them, and it’s been a lot of fun for me. I’ve been in charge of it the entire 5 years.”
The sock drive has been averaging 2000-3000 pairs of socks every year, and after collection, they transport the socks to places like Catalyst Community, previously known as Choices for Children, Boys and Girls Club, Vista Rise Collective, previously known as Live Violence Free, Sierra Family and Child Services, Tahoe Coalition for the Homeless, and local churches upon request.
“We started in the beginning of November, and we’ve got a little ways to go,” said Barna. “We’ve probably collected over 400 pairs right now, but December seems to be when the majority of socks come in.”
The Kiwanis Club of Lake Tahoe has been providing children with winter coats for many years now, and when the sock drive concept came to fruition, Barna said, “This particular thing, when we started it five years ago, I have a small confession to make: even though I’m the one that started it for Kiwanis Club of Lake Tahoe, it wasn’t my idea, it belonged to my wife. I was president of the year, five years ago, and usually most presidents come up with a project and she made the suggestion to me. So I started it and it just took off.”
Barna and his wife, Tina, worked together with other Kiwanis members to make the sock drive a successful and beneficial donation program for the community.
Now that it’s reached its 5th year, the drive’s main challenge is making sure there’s enough socks for little feet. “The smaller the better,” added Barna. “Ratio wise, we don’t get a lot of smaller ones for the babies and the toddlers.”
Drop boxes will be accepting socks until the new year, and folks are asked to donate new, store- bought, warm socks.
SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service is seeking comments on the draft environmental assessment for the Caldor Fire Restoration Project on the Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit. Public comments will be accepted for 30 days after the legal notice is published in the Tahoe Daily Tribune on Friday, Dec. 5, 2025.
This environmental document will guide restoration activities on approximately 11,700 acres of national forest lands in and around the Caldor Fire area. Proposed actions are intended to improve watershed health, forest resilience and wildlife habitat.
“Without assistance, the Caldor Fire area could take decades to recover,” said Forest Supervisor, Erick Walker. “The activities we are proposing will help re-establish forested areas, reduce hazardous fuels near neighborhoods, improve wildlife habitat and restore ecological function of streams and meadows impacted by the Caldor Fire.”
Proposed restoration activities include:
Removing fire-killed and damaged trees
Removing live trees with active insect and/or disease infestations
Preparing areas to plant native seedlings
Thinning surviving tree stands and nearby unburned trees
Potential use of approved herbicides to support reforestation
Implementing prescribed fire
Restoring stream channels, aquatic habitat, and meadows
Improving wildlife habitat, including Protected Activity Centers
Restoring aspen tree habitat
Due to the critical and time-sensitive nature of the proposed action and the continued deterioration of the forest stand condition in the Caldor Fire area, an Emergency Action Determination under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act will be used to expedite implementation and site preparation actions starting January 2026. Under this emergency authority, the decision notice is not subject to pre-decisional administrative review (Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2012, Pub. L. 112-74; 36 CFR Part 218, Subparts A and B).
The draft environmental assessment can be reviewed on the project webpage or on Pinyon Public. All comments must be submitted through the comment form on the project webpage or through the U.S. Postal Service.
The U.S. Geological Survey is investigating the cause of a false alert sent out reporting a 5.9 earthquake that never occurred Thursday morning.
An automatic detection system triggered cell phone alerts to a large earthquake near Dayton. The alerts were reported as far away as the Bay Area and central California. The alert reported “strong shaking expected” and advising “drop, cover, hold on.” But no seismic activity ever took place, according to Christie Rowe, director of Nevada Seismological Laboratory at the University of Nevada, Reno.
Yaareb Al Taweel, a USGS geophysicist, told the Appeal the USGS conducts local checks and detects earthquakes according to waveforms, which capture the vibrations that travel through or along the Earth’s surface.
“We checked the seismic stations within the region and we didn’t find anything,” Al Taweel said. “That’s how we determined the event was not accurate.”
An earthquake of a 5.9 magnitude would have been felt on the other side of the world, he added.
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Earthquake alerts are automated, and the USGS does not release any automated events, Al Taweel said.
“Because our office does not release any automated events, everything we release is reviewed by a live person,” he said. “The early warning system is an automated system. Usually if a mistake is being made, the magnitude is inaccurate or the depth is an inaccurate location.”
Al Taweel said he’s never seen any false alerts go out as it did with this instance.
“There was no earthquake,” he said.
The USGS posted the 5.9 event shortly after 8:06 a.m. and then within 30 minutes deleted the event. Nevada Appeal staff witnessed the USGS website also report three people feeling the alleged quake on its “Did you Feel It?” page. Those reports were removed when the event was deleted from the USGS page.
“The ShakeAlert earthquake early warning system was activated for a magnitude 5.9 earthquake near Reno and Carson City,” according to the U.S. Geological Survey website as of noon Thursday. “The event did not occur and has been deleted from USGS websites and data feeds. USGS and our partners are currently looking into why the warning was issued to a broad region of California.”
Many people come to Lake Tahoe in the winter to go skiing or snowboarding, but there are plenty of others who have no interest in that aspect of mountain life, preferring to tuck away in front of a fireplace with a good book and/or glass of wine while it’s a winter wonderland out there. Therefore, no matter what you come to Tahoe for, there are plenty of cozy spots for non-skiers.
Best Places for Views
The Idle Hour. Located on 3351 South Lake Tahoe Boulevard Ste 5, this two-story wine bar sits right on and above the shores of Lake Tahoe and is a must-visit if you are a wine lover. Serving small bites, fondue, charcuterie, and more along with a nice selection of varietals, this wine bar’s inviting atmosphere will make it so you never want to leave (especially if you start sipping on its signature mulled wine). https://theidlehourlaketahoe.com/
The Idle HourMaya Duhl / Tahoe Daily Tribune
The Tahoe Bleu Wave. As one of Tahoe’s only yachts giving year-round boat cruises, the Tahoe Bleu Wave sails from the Tahoe Keys into Emerald Bay six days a week in the winter. The 70-ft. long boat fits 47 people and has a fully stocked bar with a fireplace, stateroom, private lounge, and restrooms inside giving guests plenty of room to walk around and explore, but most people hang out on the party bow to try to spot bald eagles in the Rubicon if the weather’s nice. www.tahoebleuwave.com
Edgewood Tahoe. Many people come to this Forbes four-star resort to play golf or try to catch the American Century celebrity golf tournament in the summer, but Edgewood Tahoe offers “luxury beyond limits” (as its tagline suggests) year-round. Lodge guests not only can indulge in complimentary wine tastings, live music, and movie nights, but Edgewood’s expansive lounge has plenty of seating and gigantic windows that stare right out onto the lake. Consider eating at the newly remodeled Edge restaurant to add an indulgent culinary experience to your visit. https://edgewoodtahoe.com/
Best Places for Relaxation
Cuppa Tahoe. For those who want to sip on a cup of brew and cozy up in a nice chair, Cuppa Tahoe at the Y on Highway 50 and Highway 89 has got you covered. The bookstore/coffee shop/coworking place has a ton of books to borrow and/or purchase; complemented with a cup of its signature hot chocolate, chai, and pastries, you can waste an entire day here. https://cuppatahoe.com/
Cuppa TahoeMaya Duhl / Tahoe Daily Tribune
Tahoe Forest Baths. Offering the first and only Japanese cedar enzyme detox baths in Lake Tahoe, Tahoe Forest Baths appeals to athletes, couples, and those who just need an hour or two to soak in a quiet warm forest-scented tub. As the pure cedar living enzymes work to improve circulation and relieve joint pain, your mind melts into stillness and ease. https://tahoeforestbaths.com/
The Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe’s Stillwater Spa. On the northeastern shores of Lake Tahoe nestled in Incline Village, the Hyatt’s Stillwater Spa offers a range of wellness services that are inspired by the surrounding natural environment. Along with offering various treatments such as cryotherapy and deep tissue massages, Stillwater has a dry sauna, steam room, fitness center with Peloton bikes, and fireplaces throughout in case you want to fall asleep next to one in your robe. www.hyatt.com
Best Places for Food and Entertainment
Heavenly Village. With an an ice skating rink, restaurants, shops, magic shows at The Loft, and the Heavenly gondola all right in one central location (and a Yosemite Axe Throwing and Tipsy Putt in close vicinity), there is something for everyone at the Heavenly Village. Start your day off with a glass of bubbly and truffle or two at Champagne & Chocolate and see where your day goes from there. https://theshopsatheavenly.com/
Heavenly VillageMaya Duhl / Tahoe Daily Tribune
The Incline Lodge. Guests, locals, and even visitors who aren’t staying at this cozy, yet ultramodern spot in Incline Village tend to gravitate here to meet friends in front of its 1,000-sq.-ft. lobby to plan their Tahoe adventure, grab a refreshment, or simply get a little work done. Then at the end of the day, people tend to gather in the Concierge Lounge to unwind with a glass of wine, watch live music on some nights, and recap the day. https://theinclinelodge.com/
Iron & Wood. For those looking to keep their golf skills intact year-round, Iron & Wood in the Country Club Centre (just down the street from The Incline Lodge) allows people to play one of the hundreds of courses loaded onto its Trackman golf simulator no matter what the weather is doing outside. Hit real golf balls in its one bay—and even if you don’t golf, it’s still fun to hang out and watch your friends or family swing some clubs. https://www.ironandwoodgolf.com/
SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – Dani Rudinsky, a Tahoe local, mountain guide and avalanche instructor, is bringing the ladies of South Lake together for a night of connection and community by hosting Ladies Avalanche Night on December 12 at PT Revolution. The event offers attendees a chance to win a 3-day accredited avalanche education course through Alpenglow Expeditions, avalanche safety equipment, ski clothing and gear, as well as an amazing opportunity to meet other women skiers to partner with for fun days on and around the mountain.
Rudinsky is hosting Ladies Avalanche Night, taking place on December 12 at 6:30 p.m. Provided/Dani Rudinsky
Rudinsky moved to South Lake from Colorado several years ago, and worked as a kayaking guide on Lake Tahoe. In the winter, she’d travel to Argentina and do mountain guiding on Aconcagua, one of the Seven Summits and the tallest mountain in the Andes. “I came to Tahoe with those jobs and the mindset of traveling for the work I do, but also building roots here and building some community.”
With guide courses for certified area instructors ranging from $1,000- $4,000 per course, and only 20% of certified area instructors being women, Rudinsky’s passion for outdoor careers and activities sparked an idea to not only help her afford her certifications, but also close the gap on women finding other women ski partners for back country and downhill skiing while raising money for the Sierra Avalanche Center.
“I was inspired by other guide friends I’ve had, seeing how they’ve afforded their certifications and what fundraising endeavors they’ve done. I loved all the things I saw them do that were very community focused,” said Rudinsky. ‘Once I started having the idea of putting on my own event, and thinking of other events I’ve been to in the area, I realized that none of them have been in South Lake. They were always in Reno, or in Truckee or in other parts of the lake.”
This season, it’s South Lake’s turn for some female camaraderie, and Rudinsky put a lot of thought into making Avalanche Night entertaining and engaging.
She designed an activity that is similar to speed dating, but for ski partners. When women show up, they’ll fill out an ID card providing prompts which encapsulate information about themselves regarding what kind of a rider they are, why they’re there and what they might be looking for in another partner.
“I’m going to pair people up, you’ll get to use your little ID cards as your reference point to get to know each other and see if you’re compatible ski partners, if it’s going to be a good resort partnership, if you’re interested in similar back country objectives, or if you just want to hang out after this,” Rudinsky said. “Skiing regardless.”
All attendees will receive a unique discount code to be used toward any Alpenglow Expedition course, and a raffle will take place with donation prizes from brands like Ortovox, TREW Gear, and Coalition Snow.
A ski film will be shown at the event called “Advices for Girls”. “Not only is it a film about rippin’ female skiers, it’s got an all-female film crew, production, editing — everything,” added Rudinsky. “Everyone who touched it was a woman, so it not only showcases the communal experience of women working together, but makes for very authentic storytelling.”
Rudinsky aims to make Ladies Avalanche Night an occasion designed by women for women, creating a means to connect with each other in ways that leave them feeling supported, educated and excited for this upcoming winter season.
Ladies are invited to come and join the fun this Friday. The event has a $5 admission fee and will be going from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at PT Revolution, located at 2038 Lake Tahoe Blvd in South Lake Tahoe.
STATELINE, Nev. – The Tahoe Knight Monsters announced the following change to their schedule for the 2025-26 ECHL season.
The Knight Monsters game originally scheduled for Friday, December 26, on the road against the Rapid City Rush at 6:05 pm PT has been rescheduled for Sunday, December 28. The new puck drop time is 3:05 pm PT.
The Knight Monsters return home on Friday, December 5, to take on the Rapid City Rush at Tahoe Blue Event Center. Puck drop is at 7:00 pm, with pregame coverage on the Knight Monsters broadcast network beginning at 6:50 pm. Ticket packages for the 2025-26 season are now available. For more information, visit www.knightmonstershockey.com
LAKE TAHOE, Calif./Nev. – Declines are so far marking inbound travel and tourism spending in the U.S. this year and the story was been no different for regions of Lake Tahoe this summer.
“As of the latest quarter, our tourism sector has experienced significant revenue declines,” Andy Chapman said, president and CEO of Travel North Tahoe Nevada, which monitors tourism numbers for the Incline Village and Crystal Bay regions.
Within those regions, total room revenue is down by 30%, with total rooms occupied falling by 18% and average daily rates down 14.5% compared to 2024.
Travel North Tahoe Nevada attributes those numbers to a decrease in overall hotel room capacity due to several units going offline for a variety of reasons, including renovations. Ongoing global disruptions may have played a role as well, which have impacted international visitation to the U.S.
Industry leaders point to geopolitical and policy-related concerns as a driver. A report in August revealed Canadian visitation to the U.S. was down 25.2%. Overseas arrivals dropped down 3.1% in July.
Travel North Tahoe Nevada has also seen international tourism spending down 11%, though domestic visitor spending remains stable. More day trips and shorter visits have also characterized the summer, according to the organization.
Shorter visits are something the North Tahoe Community Alliance has also seen on the California side of North Tahoe with the average stay around 2.6 days. Of those who do stay overnight, nearly 40% of them are staying for 6-plus days. That number is averaged out by the number of people who do not stay overnight.
Although the NTCA data reveals on average shorter visits, the total amount of trips has increased (8.36%) as well as visitor days (3.12%).
Similar to national trends, the NTCA has also seen reduced tourism spending.
“People are still getting out and about,” NTCA marketing director, Kirstin Guinn says, “but they are tempering the impact on their budget.”
In the South Lake region, June and July saw a downturn in hotel occupancy compared to last year, while spending remained flat, according to monthly destination reports. In contrast, August brought a surge in occupancy as well as spending. Despite the initial decline in occupancy, the average daily rates continued to increase June through August.
Tourism dollars directly fuel taxes and other funds for the region. A downturn signals a concern for the industry that Tahoe heavily relies on.
“While we recognize the challenges these declines represent, we are prepared to respond,” Chapman says. Travel North Tahoe Nevada is implementing cost reductions to ensure continued local investment and stability amid the challenges.
It has recently launched a new consumer brand, called Lake Tahoe Travel, that prioritizes sustainability. The organization believes the value will resonate with both domestic and international audiences.
Despite the tourism slump, this year’s American Century Championship golf tournament in Stateline saw record attendance.
Carol Chaplin, president and CEO of the Lake Tahoe Visitors Authority, the destination marketing organization for the South Shore, says their “Awe and then Some” summer marketing campaign helped drive occupancy, especially midweek.
2026 travel forecasts predict a slight increase in tourism. The World Cup is expected to bring more international travelers to the U.S. with 11 of the 16 host cities in the U.S. The closest host city to Tahoe is San Francisco.
Dolly Tillman passed away peacefully on August 22, 2025. She was born in Napa, California, in 1965. From a young age, Dolly had a strong desire to help others and pursued a lifelong dream of becoming a nurse. She began her medical career as a Licensed Vocational Nurse and went on to earn her Registered Nurse certification.
After relocating to South Lake Tahoe, Dolly joined Barton Memorial Hospital, providing compassionate care to her patients. Her professionalism, empathy, and commitment to the well-being of others left a lasting impact on all who worked with and were cared for by her.
Dolly is survived by her children, Kesslyr, Spencer, and Indiana, and by her five grandchildren, Harleigh, Cashten, River, Dev, and Juniper. She will be remembered with love and gratitude by her family, friends, and the many lives she touched throughout her career and life.
Stacy was born on July 12th 1979, in Seattle, WA to Dawn Marie (Rene’) Hicks, of Olympia, WA, and Michael Hicks of Gardnerville, NV. She passed away on November 14th 2025 in Olympia. She was 46 years old. A memorial service was held on December 2nd, at the Washington Center for the Performing Arts.
Stacy is survived by; her son, Caine A. Pickett, and partner, Matt Wohletz, both of Olympia, a sister, Keri M. Hicks and a niece and nephew all of Seattle, her parents, a large extended family and so many friends.
Stacy worked for four years at Strawberry Lodge located on Hwy 50, Kyburz, CA. Her father Michael Hicks owned and operated Strawberry Lodge from 2003-2021.
When Sean Regan posted on the Tahoe Truckee People Facebook page last month about Palisades Tahoe’s new Apex Club, a bougie members-only club that offers premium amenities like priority lift line access and private lounges, his phone started lighting up with text messages and phone calls.
The number one question he got was: “Is this real?”
One friend texted him, “We should start a refund-our-passes campaign.”
Like his friends, Regan, who lives along the Highway 89 corridor and has been a Palisades Tahoe passholder since 2010, is most upset about the Apex Club’s members-only lift lines at both Palisades and Alpine Meadows.
“It’s a fraud to sell me a $1,000 pass and tell me you are going to have a great experience and then turn around and tell me I am going to have a terrible experience unless you pay $12,000,” he said.
The old adage “you get what you pay for” has never been truer. For those willing to pay, the opportunity to enhance their experience in many industries has been around a long time. Sports stadiums have private luxury suites and corporate boxes. Airlines offer first-class tickets and the chance to pay extra for priority boarding or upgrading one’s seat. Disneyland has the Lightning Lane Premier Pass (formerly called FastPass) that lets guests skip long lines at rides. And air travelers can pay extra for Global Entry or Clear+ to expedite their journey through customs or security lines.
Ski resorts jumped on this bandwagon years ago, offering guests the opportunity to fork out extra cash for valet parking, access to exclusive lounges, and members-only lift lines. But the recent news that Palisades Tahoe is joining the trend has some longtime skiers bristling, saying it devalues their pass by allowing others to cut lines and is being launched at a time when the wealth disparity in the country is growing. Palisades Tahoe, along with other ski resorts that offer premium services, says the Apex Club is was created in response to what a segment of their guests want, and that it caters to all economic levels of skiers.
Apex Club Amenities
Palisades Tahoe launched the Apex Club this fall “to offer an elevated experience for guests seeking premium amenities,” Palisades spokesperson Patrick Lacey wrote in an email to Moonshine Ink. “Our guest base is incredibly diverse, from families to first-timers to experts to weekend visitors, and many guests are looking for new experiences when they come to the mountain.”
Membership in the Apex Club is limited to 200 members for its inaugural year and starts at $12,000 for one person (in addition to an Ikon pass). Apex Club Daily Tickets are also available for $800 but can go up to $1200 during peak holiday periods. Day tickets are capped at 33 per day.
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APEX LOUNGE: The Plaza Bar in the Olympic House at the base of Palisades was extensively remodeled to be the new Apex Lounge. It includes a private bar, dining room, and work area. Images courtesy Palisades Tahoe
APEX LOUNGE: The Plaza Bar in the Olympic House at the base of Palisades was extensively remodeled to be the new Apex Lounge. It includes a private bar, dining room, and work area. Images courtesy Palisades Tahoe
APEX LOUNGE: The Plaza Bar in the Olympic House at the base of Palisades was extensively remodeled to be the new Apex Lounge. It includes a private bar, dining room, and work area. Images courtesy Palisades Tahoe
APEX LOUNGE: The Plaza Bar in the Olympic House at the base of Palisades was extensively remodeled to be the new Apex Lounge. It includes a private bar, dining room, and work area. Images courtesy Palisades Tahoe
APEX LOUNGE: The Plaza Bar in the Olympic House at the base of Palisades was extensively remodeled to be the new Apex Lounge. It includes a private bar, dining room, and work area. Images courtesy Palisades Tahoe
APEX LOUNGE: The Plaza Bar in the Olympic House at the base of Palisades was extensively remodeled to be the new Apex Lounge. It includes a private bar, dining room, and work area. Images courtesy Palisades Tahoe
APEX LOUNGE: The Plaza Bar in the Olympic House at the base of Palisades was extensively remodeled to be the new Apex Lounge. It includes a private bar, dining room, and work area. Images courtesy Palisades Tahoe
Club benefits include premium parking near the kids ski school, concierge service, two private member lounges, and priority lift lines at select lifts. Two spaces at Palisades have been converted into lounges — the Plaza Bar in the Olympic House has been extensively remodeled and is now the Apex Lounge, which offers a private bar as well as work and dining areas, and the former ski patrol office at the mid-mountain Gold Coast is now the Oro Bar.
Although the Plaza Bar was an iconic part of the Olympic House and the mountain’s history, Lacey said it had fallen out of popularity with skiers and had not been consistently used for a while, with guests preferring to après at outdoor spaces like the KT Base Bar. To this end, Palisades has invested more in the base bar, expanding last year’s 24 free concerts to 52 this winter. The loss of the Plaza Bar was further compensated by investing in Bar One as well as in the Olympic House, “bringing back a revitalized public space that hadn’t been actively used for years,” wrote Lacey.
But the Apex Club amenity that is most ruffling feathers among Palisades skiers is the priority lift lanes. These will be in place this winter at seven lifts at Palisades — including Red Dog, the Funitel, Siberia, and Shirley Lake — and four at Alpine (Summit, Roundhouse, Sherwood, and Treeline Cirque), as well as the Base-to-Base Gondola.
“With Apex, the membership is intentionally small, which means the effect on lift lines will be very minimal,” wrote Lacey. “We are also being intentional about which lifts are included.”
As Mark Fisher of Unofficial Alpine wrote on his website in October, “They smartly avoided starting a riot by not including KT-22.”
Priority lift lanes are not new to Palisades. They already exist for ski school, race programs, adaptive lessons, and the North Face Mountain Guides program, where up to four people can book a private guide for $699.
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ORO BAR: The Apex Club’s mid-mountain lounge, which is located in the former ski patrol office at Gold Coast. It was remodeled to include a private bar and outdoor dining area. Photos courtesy Palisades Tahoe
ORO BAR: The Apex Club’s mid-mountain lounge, which is located in the former ski patrol office at Gold Coast. It was remodeled to include a private bar and outdoor dining area. Photos courtesy Palisades Tahoe
ORO BAR: The Apex Club’s mid-mountain lounge, which is located in the former ski patrol office at Gold Coast. It was remodeled to include a private bar and outdoor dining area. Photos courtesy Palisades Tahoe
ORO BAR: The Apex Club’s mid-mountain lounge, which is located in the former ski patrol office at Gold Coast. It was remodeled to include a private bar and outdoor dining area. Photos courtesy Palisades Tahoe
ORO BAR: The Apex Club’s mid-mountain lounge, which is located in the former ski patrol office at Gold Coast. It was remodeled to include a private bar and outdoor dining area. Photos courtesy Palisades Tahoe
Skiers’ Concerns
Nevertheless, some Palisades passholders find the priority lift lines the most egregious of the Apex privileges, made worse by an Apex Club promotional video showing an image of a crowded KT line on a powder day where a narrator says, “The lift lines are intimidating, and that’s a terrible thing for our guests to feel. It’s an opportunity to have an easier parking situation, to have a priority line in our lifts, and within the context of that, to really have the best day you can have on the mountain.”
“I worked for marketing for Aspen, the ultimate place where people pay to cut the line, but they do it with class,” Regan said. “They sell you a club at the top of the mountain and parking, they don’t sell it as ‘plebes are in line and it sucks, give me $12,000.’ They [Palisades] just stuck a finger in the eye of every die-hard skier.”
Adam Pilger, who lives in Marin County and has been a Palisades passholder for seven years, agrees with Regan.
“This doesn’t feel like fair treatment to me,” he said. “The way it was marketed is incredibly foolish. They are soliciting my pass purchase by saying ‘Palisades is awesome, this is the place to ski,’ then three months later send out a video saying, ‘it’s pretty awful here, parking is horrendous and the lines are the worst we have ever seen’ … They have effectively devalued my pass.”
Pilger went so far as to call Ikon and ask for a refund. He was told he needs to reach out to Palisades directly. “I suspect they won’t give me a refund,” Pilger said. “If that’s the case, it will be my last year skiing at Palisades … If they had been forthcoming earlier in the season I would not have purchased a pass.”
Andy Hays, an avid Palisades skier since 2005, skis every day of the season with a target of 200 days a year. He worries that the Apex Club’s priority lift line will have a negative impact on his own skiing experience.
“With airlines, if you buy a first-class seat, you are getting an elevated experience, you are more comfortable, but it doesn’t come at a direct expense to other passengers. We all get to the same destination at the same time,” he said. “But here, someone’s elevated experience directly impacts the rest of us … [Palisades] is notorious for how quickly it gets tracked out. But when we’re creating a system where someone can buy three runs for every one that is coming out of my pocket, it’s diminishing the experience I have, it’s diminishing the value of the pass I buy because I’m still paying the same for my pass, but it’s now worth less.”
Hays is also concerned that creating line-cutting abilities for a small, exclusive segment of Palisades skiers harms the culture, where on a powder day the early birds — those passionate skiers first in the KT line — get the worm, as in, the best snow.
“I don’t think the purpose is to price anyone out. I think it’s more recognition that the guests have different wants and needs and you try to offer products to meet those. If you truly are guest-focused, you’re listening to all ends.”
~ John Rice
“I think it’s a commodification of a culture that, frankly, I don’t know that they have the right to sell,” Hays said. “This feels like they’re somehow monetizing something that used to be the best part of [Palisades] — the showing up early, just putting in the work — and it’s just been turned into another product to be exploited. I think that for people who have invested their lives into this [powder skiing at Palisades], that’s hard to see just go away.”
Pilger notes that this move by Palisades is coming at a time when the wealth disparity in the U.S. is growing, when the difference between the haves and have-nots is only widening.
“It’s also tone deaf,” he said. “We are living in a time where there’s a growing divide, there’s disparate classes in terms of wealth, and it seems like more and more there’s just this … if you can get away with it, do it. And the rules don’t apply to the wealthy.”
Fisher of Unofficial Alpine agrees.
“It’s not just Palisades,” he wrote to Moonshine Ink. “The world is becoming a playground for billionaires.”
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BAIT AND SWITCH: Sean Regan was livid when he saw the Apex Club promotional video that lamented the resort’s long lift lines. “It's almost like they forgot that three months ago they were luring us with promises of how epic the mountain is. Now the mountain sucks unless we pay $12,000 more.” Photo courtesy Sean Regan
LACK OF TRANSPARENCY: Adam Pilger was so upset when he learned about the Apex Club and its priority lift lanes that he called Ikon and asked to refund his pass. “It’s mainly the fact that I wasn’t told this was going to happen. It really does devalue the pass,” he said. Photo courtesy Adam Pilger
JOHN RICE, the president of Ski California, said that ski resorts have been offering premium services for more than 20 years in response to customer demands. Courtesy photo
CONCERNS: Avid Palisades skier Andy Hays is irate about the Apex Club, especially it’s priority lift lines. “This is the thin edge of the wedge. This doesn't include KT, it doesn't include Headwall, it doesn't include Silverado. I fear that that'll be the case this year to get people used to it. And then next year that will change very quietly.” Photo courtesy Andy Hays
Palisades Late to the Game
Yet premium services are not uncommon at ski resorts. In 2010, Mammoth Mountain launched the Black Pass, which this season costs $11,000 for individuals and $18,000 for families. Members receive access to exclusive events, VIP areas, premium parking, front-of-line ski passes, and members-only fine dining on the mountain. There is already a substantial wait list for this season, according to Mammoth Communications Manager Emily van Greuning.
“Many guests were requesting a premium experience at the resort and Mammoth Black Pass was created to satisfy demand,” she wrote in an email to Moonshine.
Similarly, Northstar California Resort opened the Clubhaus, formerly called the Platinum Club, 15 years ago. Membership includes similar perks to the Apex Club and the Black Pass, one of the most valued being private access to the Big Springs Gondola, according to Cole Zimmerman, senior communications manager for Vail Resorts. Seasonal membership, which is $3,700 for individuals and $4,700 for a family of four, is already sold out, but guests can purchase day memberships for $150.
“We believe that ski resorts are always looking to adapt to best fit the needs of a variety of guests,” wrote Zimmerman. “Northstar provides a range of products and opportunities for our guests to best cater to the experience they are looking for. The Clubhaus is one example.”
Alterra Mountain Company, the parent company of Palisades Tahoe and Mammoth Mountain, introduced the Reserve Pass at many of its properties this year. It offers skiers and riders the opportunity to upgrade their season pass or daily lift ticket to get priority chairlift access at select lifts. Palisades’ Apex Club is the resort’s own version of the Reserve Pass.
“We regularly conduct guest surveys, and a number of skiers and riders are looking to save time and want ease of access,” wrote Kristin Rust, vice president of communications at Alterra. “[This] may be ideal for a family that is coming for a week’s vacation or a quick weekend to help them get the most out of their experience.”
“It’s not just Palisades. The world is becoming a playground for billionaires.”
~ Mark Fischer
In Washington, the Crystal Mountain Reserve Pass, which costs $199 for the day or $1,499 for the season on top of a lift ticket or Ikon pass, grants access to dedicated express lanes on all high-speed lifts on weekends and holidays. This caused such an uproar among skiers that a petition called “Stop the Crystal Reserve Pass at Crystal Mountain” was started in mid-November and now has almost 5,000 signatures.
“The introduction of the Crystal Reserve Pass at Crystal Mountain is set to create an inequitable experience for skiers and snowboarders,” states the change.org petition. “This pass … effectively creates a class-based system on the slopes. Implementing such a system threatens the community atmosphere and will pit skiers and boarders against each other.”
Rust said that like Apex Club membership, Reserve Passes are available in limited quantities “to ensure the on-mountain experience remains fantastic for everyone.”
Ski Industry Norm
John Rice, president of Ski California, said that ski resorts around the country have been offering premium services long before Mammoth and Northstar. Vail Mountain Club, for example, opened in 2008. Amenities include a private clubhouse, slope-side ski valet, complimentary breakfast and lunch, spa and fitness center, and first and last tracks ski events. The year it opened, full membership cost $275,000 or a mere $150,000 without the heated underground parking.
“There have always been programs like this,” said Rice, who has worked in the ski industry for almost 50 years. “If you look at Colorado and Utah, they have always had these clubs where people would pay additional fees for services, like valet parking. There’s always been this opportunity for guests if they wanted to pay for more creature comforts or a sense of belonging.”
“It’s a fraud to sell me a $1,000 pass and tell me you are going to have a great experience and then turn around and tell me I am going to have a terrible experience unless you pay $12,000.”
~ Sean Regan
He points to Sierra-at-Tahoe, where he was general manager for 32 years. Beginning with the 2006/07 season, the resort has offered the Fast Pass, which lets guests skip the lines at three high-speed lifts for an upgrade of $359 this year.
As to those who criticize these programs for being elitist and exclusionary, Rice says that not only do upgrades exist across many industries (he points to TSA PreCheck at airports and toll roads as examples), but that ski resorts are only responding to customer demands. An example he gives on the opposite end of the spectrum is Boreal’s Take Three Ride Free, which offers beginner skies and riders who take three group lessons a free season pass.
“I’ll just say that as an industry, we try to stay guest-focused and so when our guests ask for something, if we can accommodate it, we try to find a way to do it. We care about everybody,” he said. “I don’t think the purpose is to price anyone out. I think it’s more recognition that the guests have different wants and needs and you try to offer products to meet those. If you truly are guest-focused, you’re listening to all ends.”
A Fantasy 5 ticket bought in Northern California turned a typical store trip into an unforgettable experience for one lucky winner. The lucky ticket holder won $163,000 after their numbers exactly matched the drawn numbers. The lucky ticket was sold at Queen Bakery, located on Senter Road in San Jose. The California Lottery Commission reported more than 60,000 Fantasy 5 tickets sold in the state, with a few also winning prizes ranging from free plays to $400. The grand prize now resets to an estimated $70,000 for the next drawing, according to lottery officials. Wins like this give the region a cheerful lift and remind players that even a small purchase can lead to a surprising outcome.
Jackpots have a way of grabbing attention because they tend to trigger hope. People enjoy hearing about a big win, whether it is from a lottery draw or from the 400 progressive slots found at casino venues like Golden Nugget in Lake Tahoe. Large jackpots like this generate widespread media coverage, which makes winning seem more common and achievable, resulting in surges in purchases.
Large jackpots often get a lot of media attention, which makes the idea of winning feel closer than it really is and can lead to more people buying tickets. In casino games, progressive jackpots rise with every bet, and players watch the totals climb as the day goes on. Some networked slots reach millions, and poker variants such as Caribbean Stud on many real money online poker sites can build large pots as well. Other games, including Crazy 4 Poker and Ultimate Texas Hold’em, add side-bet progressives for rare hands. This steady rise in prize amounts is what fuels the excitement around SuperLotto Plus and Fantasy 5.
Now, Northern California has seen several winning moments like this throughout the year. Players in the region may remember a $30 million SuperLotto Plus prize that came from a store in Cotati, or the $7.5 million Scratchers win that came out of San Jose. Fantasy 5 itself has delivered more than one impressive ticket lately, including a few prizes above $160,000 and a shared pot that reached the $320,000 range.
While there have been no California state lottery jackpot winners publicly reported from Lake Tahoe, there have been plenty of jackpot casino winners. In August 2024, a casino on Lake Tahoe’s North Shore paid out a $1.1 million jackpot on a slot machine, highlighting significant wins in the area. Similarly, in the Lake Tahoe basin, Nevada resorts have seen mega progressive jackpots hit, such as a $100,000 win reported in August 2024.
Even though the newest Fantasy 5 winner was not from Lake Tahoe, the story adds to the upbeat run of wins across Northern California. These moments give people something positive to talk about, whether they follow lottery draws or enjoy the thrill of casino jackpots around the lake. A prize like this reminds everyone how quickly a regular day can turn into something far more exciting. It brings a light sense of wonder to routine stops at local stores and keeps interest high as players wait to see where the next lucky ticket will land.
INCLINE VILLAGE, Nev. – After a gamut of increasing premiums and a notice of non-renewal, the McCloud Condo Association in Incline Village ventured to try something new this year when it came to insurance. The result yielded a 33% premium reduction.
The association worked with RockRose Risk, a new company within this last year that is redefining how property coverage works in high-risk areas.
A photo from RockRose Risks mitigation site assessment of the McCloud Condos this summer. Provided / RockRose Risk
Andrew Engler, CEO and founder of RockRose Risk, knew from his 20-year background in insurance that wildfires were very misjudged with ratings done at a zip code level or higher. He sought to create a better model.
RockRose Risk does a full site assessment, starting with a macro-view of area fuels reduction projects and then zooming in on the mitigations and home hardening done at the individual property level.
Taking those into consideration, RockRose Risk then advocates for clients with insurance carriers to negotiate cheaper premiums.
“We’d like to give them a big discount back so they can continue to pay to do this mitigation, and, in that way, everyone wins,” Engler says, explaining insurance companies lose less money, property owners are paying less for insurance and more mitigation gets done.
Also within the company’s site reports are recommendations, which if implemented, could result in continued discounts and long-term protection.
For the McCloud Condo Association, RockRose Risk’s approach took the HOA’s over $1 million policy down to around $900,000 in the first year for the same level of coverage.
That places over $400,000 back into property owners’ pockets for further mitigation and savings. Having already cleared areas and created defensible space, the association’s work is finally being reflected in its premium.
McCloud’s defensible landscaping from RockRose Risk’s site mitigation assessment.Provided / RockRose Risk
The premium was also influenced by mitigations done around three miles away at the Fire Smart Community Pilot in the Tyrolian Village.
“It’s reassuring to know that the market is responding to an expensive problem,” Kate Dargan Marquis, Co-Chair of the McCloud Insurance Committee and condo owner said, who has witnessed their HOA fee double in recent years due to rising premiums.
“We had to do a rapid increase in homeowner assessments,” she recalled, “in order to cover a bill that was immediately due.”
As the Caldor, Tamarack, and Dixie fires, to name a few, burned in and around Tahoe in recent years, McCloud Condo Association’s insurance premiums, which used to be around $155,000 per year, quickly and dramatically rose.
“It was kind of, let’s call it,” Dargan Marquis said, “a knee-jerk reaction to the fires.”
The HOA eventually received a notice of nonrenewal.
In the scramble to secure some type of coverage following the notice, they agreed to more limited coverage and higher premiums.
“But maybe the risk really wasn’t as dire as what the sky-high rates suggested,” Dargan Marquis said, nodding towards the impetus behind the HOA’s exploration.
So, the HOA got to work, first forming an insurance committee bolstered by many HOA members who had critical knowledge and background in insurance and wildfire.
Dargan Marquis herself is a retired California State Fire Marshall and Gregory Schilz, co-chair of the insurance committee, is a commercial insurance broker with four decades of experience. The effort was facilitated by board chair, Julia Nickles-Bryan leading the board’s decision-making process.
The extensive multi-month process of researching, assessing, and eventually presenting RockRose Risk’s assessment to the board led the way for navigating insurance differently in the Tahoe region as the first HOA to utilize RockRose Risk’s new model.
“It’s always a little scary to be the first one,” Dargan Marquis said, “but the evidence was pretty compelling.”
Dargan Marquis credits North Lake Tahoe Fire Protection District for its wildfire mitigation work since the late eighties, from fuel breaks, prescribed burns, vegetation management, evacuation exercises and now to retrofitting buildings.
“This is one of the last big steps in the community-wide resiliency,” Dargan Marquis said, “So I think that’s one of the pieces I’m really excited about. This is not just a new project, but a continuum of many that have gone on for literally decades in Incline Village.”
Over this next year, McCloud Condo Association plans on taking a portion of its savings and reinvesting in home hardening on the property’s gutters, eaves, decks and skirting to prevent ember intrusion. Additionally, the HOA will be developing a long-term risk mitigation plan.
Though the insurance policy might just cover the McCloud Condos, the association hopes it has laid the groundwork for influence that goes beyond its property line.
“I’m hoping that leading by example helps people choose to take responsibility,” Dargan Marquis says, “and that the fire department can take advantage of that to improve wildfire resiliency for the entire community.”
TAHOE BASIN, Calif. – On a winter roadtrip up Highway 395, it’s hard not to stare out the window and imagine carving lines down the untouched peaks that rise beyond the road. This winter, that daydream edges closer to reality. Sweetwater Heli, a new helicopter-skiing operation, is launching with a promise to deliver skiers and riders into some of the most remote mountains between Lake Tahoe and Mammoth.
“It’s almost like the opportunity to create a ski resort without the chairlifts,” said co-founder Mark Johnson.
The Sweetwater Mountains provide more than 180,000 acres of exclusive terrain for the operation — a 184,320-acre range spanning about 288 square miles. Its highest point, Mount Patterson, is an 11,673-foot volcanic peak, surrounded by five additional summits rising above 10,000 feet. Most of the range lies within the Humboldt–Toiyabe National Forest.
Sweetwater Heli bookings are open today; tours beginning January 30th, 2026Provided / Sweetwater Heli
The idea for Sweetwater Heli first took shape in 2022, when Johnson began sketching out what heli-skiing in this region could look like. Just three years later, he and co-founder Brian Kirschenmann have launched a fully realized operation offering remote, guided ski and snowboard tours deep in the Eastern Sierra.
“It wouldn’t be on anybody’s high school bingo card that I’d end up doing this,” Johnson said with a laugh.
Johnson grew up skiing in the mountains around Lake Tahoe, but he never expected his career to land him in the cockpit of a dream like this. After moving to Tahoe in 2000, he worked as a ski coach and bounced between jobs around the region. But the more time he spent staring up at the jagged, untouched terrain surrounding the basin, the more it felt like something was missing — and something was possible.
Sweetwater heli offers private packages, single seat packages and private heli transport from Reno, Mammoth, & Lake Tahoe regions as an optional add on.
Provided / Sweetwater Heli
Northern California has long been considered one of the country’s premier destinations for skiing and snowboarding. The idea of a heli-ski operation nested between its legendary mountains is almost a natural extension of the region’s deep love for snow, exploration, and big-mountain adventure.
“I’m incredibly excited to introduce a premium heli-ski experience to California,” said Kirschenmann. “Having the opportunity for world-class heli-skiing right in our backyard is truly priceless and long overdue. Our team’s love for California and everything it offers makes this especially significant.”
Based in Bridgeport, with flights running out of the Minden airport, Sweetwater Heli is positioned within easy reach of both Mammoth and Lake Tahoe — allowing fast, direct access to high-alpine terrain. Their model focuses on small groups, efficient flight rotations, experienced guides, and precise avalanche forecasting — a combination designed to maximize vertical while prioritizing safety at every turn.
“Heli-skiing in our own backyard has been the ultimate dream,” said Tahoe-based professional snowboarder Tim Humphreys on a press release. “Sweetwater just made that dream a reality.”
Sweetwater Heli bookings are open today and tours beginning January 30th, 2026.
Sweetwater Heli tours include experienced certified guides with comprehensive trainings in companion rescue, helicopter safety and use of avalanche safety gear.
Provided / Sweetwater Heli
STATELINE, Nev. – The Tahoe Knight Monsters opened the month of December with a 5-2 home loss against the Rapid City Rush.
In the first period, Ryan Wagner found the back of the net for the Rush late in the frame to put the visitors up 1-0 after the opening 20.
In the second, Quinn Olson broke free on a breakaway shorthanded to beat Cameron Whitehead and put the Rush up by 2. Rapid City would add on later in the middle frame with a goal from Briley Wood to go up by a trio of goals with 20 minutes left.
Provided / Knight Monsters
In the third, Tahoe started to mount a comeback. After Sloan Stanick scored to get Tahoe on the board, Casey Bailey buried a chance in the crease on the power play to cut the lead to just 1. In the final two minutes, Rapid City buried the Knight Monsters as Cameron Buhl scored to go up 4-2, and Xavier Bernard scored his first goal of the season on an empty net to give the Rush a 5-2 victory.
Tahoe’s streak of four consecutive wins comes to a close with the loss. The Knight Monsters face off against the Rush on Friday, December 5, and Saturday, December 6, to close out the series.
The Knight Monsters return home on Friday, December 5, to take on the Rapid City Rush at Tahoe Blue Event Center. Puck drop is at 7:00 pm, with pregame coverage on the Knight Monsters broadcast network beginning at 6:50 pm. Ticket packages for the 2025-26 season are now available. For more information, visit www.knightmonstershockey.com
Even though 2025 is almost behind us, there is still time to slow down and take it all in here in the Sierra Nevada mountains. With rockin’ concerts, scenic trails, and local ski areas open, there’s no better place to enjoy the holidays than December at Lake Tahoe.
1. Light Up Some Smiles in the Heavenly Village
Christmas Tree in Heavenly Village
The 65-foot tall Christmas tree in the Heavenly Village will light up Tahoe’s south shore every day at 5:30 pm. With a smorgasbord of restaurants and shops nearby, you and your family will surely find something special to bring home, or something delicious for supper.
A skier at Heavenly Mountain Resort | Photo: @polevaulterchar.
Heavenly Mountain Resort is scheduled to open on Friday, November 21, 2025. Kirkwood Mountain Resort is scheduled to open Friday, December 5, 2025, and Sierra-at-Tahoe, recently added to the Ikon pass, is scheduled to open Friday, November 28, 2025. Storms permitting, December will be a lovely time to come for snow!
The Loft, located next to the ice rink in Heavenly Village
Magic Fusion is a perfect blend of intimate magic and comedy that the whole family can enjoy. Eat dinner, watch a show, and enjoy world-class magicians from around the world. Visiting on a budget? Buy one adult ticket and get one children’s ticket for free on Sundays at 4:30 pm.
Looking for an unforgettable magic experience? Magic After Dark is an irresistible window into the edgy, sophisticated, and sometimes sick mind of award-winning magician-comedian, Robert Hall. This 75-85 minute journey of unique magic, hilarious comedy, and adult mind games is reserved for everyone 18 and up.
5. Meet Your Favorite Characters
Heavenly Holidays; meet your favorite characters in the Village
Take photos with your favorite characters from Mario & Luigi, Mini & Mickey, and more! You might catch a few characters on skates at the ice rink, with more roaming the Heavenly Village to meet you. This event runs from 2:00 to 5:00 pm every Saturday in December and runs daily from December 26 through 30.
6. Take a Ride Around the Ferris Wheel in the Heavenly Village
Ferris Wheel in Heavenly Village
Enjoy spectacular views of the most wonderful time of the year high up in the mountains on the Giant Ferris wheel at the base of the Heavenly Gondola from December 26 through 31. The photo opportunities can only be matched by the memories. Admission is only $5 per person.
7. Find Yourself on Santa’s “Nice List” Over Breakfast
Breakfast with Santa
If you’re worried that all you are getting for Christmas this year is a lump of coal, there is still time to smooth things over with the big guy in red over a hearty breakfast at Fire and Ice Restaurant.
Fireworks and Gondola Drop at the Heavenly Holidays event | Photo: Considine Media
Enjoy a rockin’ New Year’s Eve lineup from 2:00 pm – 9:30 pm at Heavenly Resort, with a range of acts to be announced. Don’t miss the gondola ball drop and fireworks!
This December 12 & 13, enjoy this free market-style event with live music, light displays, hot drinks and food, Santa’s house, winter carriage rides, local vendors, and more at the Lake Tahoe Historical Society Museum. Come from 4:00 to 8:00, and in the spirit of holiday giving, bring a new unwrapped toy to drop at the Toys for Tots booth. This free event will be held at the museum parking lot at 3050 Lake Tahoe Blvd.
10. Peek Nightclub inside Harrah’s Lake Tahoe
If you’re looking for a late night, loud music, and a lovely club atmosphere, you should head to Peek Nightclub inside Harrah’s Lake Tahoe. Open on Friday and Saturday nights, this is the place to go when it’s late, and you simply need to dance it all out. VIP tables are available for whichever special event you have in mind.
Bonus: Lovely Weather for a Sleigh Ride
Sleigh Ride in South Lake Tahoe – Jamie Kingham / Lake Tahoe Visitors Authority
Embark on a nostalgic sleigh ride in the snow as the jingling of bells fills the air. Sleigh rides through the alpine scenery are truly unforgettable, with powerful draft horses pulling ornately decorated sleighs through snow-covered fields and past pine-filled forests near Lake Tahoe.
About 30 years ago, I came here from Australia on a ski instructor exchange. I still remember flying over the lake after the season wrapped up and knowing deep in my heart I’d be back.
And come back I did.
I married Ben, who I met teaching skiing in Australia, and together we raised two amazing, outdoors-loving kids in Kings Beach. I’ve worked countless jobs to afford the dream, spent 20 years behind the camera as a professional photographer, and taught skiing at Alpine Meadows through last winter. I guess I can finally claim local.
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Rainbow over Tahoe from Tahoe Vista, photo by Danielle Hankinson.
Danielle shredding the goods at Alpine Meadows, photo by Randy Salzman.
Sunset at Middle Velma Lake, photo by Danielle Hankinson.
Danielle and her husband, Ben,
on a hike.
Surfing in Kings Beach, photo by Nina Miller
Recently, I checked off a long-time goal: surfing Lake Tahoe. It was freezing, wild, and a little insane, but that’s who we are. We love a challenge, especially when nature’s in charge.
Now it’s time for a new adventure — we’re moving to New Zealand. What I’m taking with me from Tahoe is simple:
Live fully. Play hard. Age is irrelevant. And doing crazy things keeps you alive.
There’s a professional sports team in the Tahoe Basin. They play “AA” minor league hockey down in South Lake. They’re called the Knight Monsters and they’re damn good.
Heading down to opening night on a Friday back in October was a true Get Out & Go experience. I was driving through Cave Rock and arriving at Stateline’s Tahoe Blue Events Center before I could say “Alexander Ovechkin scores again” five times fast.
Parking wasn’t bad, and I soon found myself amid a sea of teal-clad fans as we converged upon the arena like some sort of hydra-headed Tahoe Tessie, people erupting out of the restaurants and casinos, the home-team hoots and hollers bellowing louder with each step.
Walking into the stadium the buzz grew, the excitement, the vibe, that hum of humanity you feel at big events as tangible as a powder turn. You know it when you’re in it, and a Knight Monsters game has it.
You grab a dog and a drink and you take your seat, looking around at the 4,200-person capacity arena to realize there’s not a bad seat in the house, everyone in the stands so close to the action that you’re all part of the action.
FACE-OFF: The action on the ice is up close and personal. Photos by Mike Montalbano
The lights dim and the player introductions ensue, the P.A. announcer’s voice like Michael Buffer and we’re all ready to rumble — the sternum-vibrating sound system and the laser-light show making you think you’re at some $500 concert when your ticket costs less than a tenth of that.
The puck drops, and so ensues the chaotic and gladiatorial symphony on ice that is a pro hockey game. The skating — deft grace and power, extemporaneously choreographed — borders on a Baryshnikov-like dance. The checks into the boards come at you fast and visceral and loud, the hits clanging with way more intensity than anything a football game, with its far-from-the-field seats, is able to offer.
The players jeer, and the players jest. The players fight. There is bad blood and there is good will, and the game skates on. You are in it, the moment, off your living room couch and out of your house, rubbing elbows with other human beings as you cheer for
the home team and talk mess to the refs, together.
FANS IN FRENZY: The crowd stands from their seats to celebrate a Knight Monsters goal.
Then the Knight Monsters score, a one-timer to the back of the net and the teal-clad crowd rises up as one big uproarious being. You smile and high-five the stranger next to you as a chant erupts, and though it’s your first game it’s a chant you’ve somehow always known:
“Let’s! Go! Ta-hoe!!!”
Da-da da-da-da.
“Let’s! Go! Ta-hoe!!!”
The league and a player
The Knight Monsters are in their second season of play in the ECHL — the westernmost team in what used to be called the East Coast Hockey League, but which now goes simply by the acronym to reflect its growing reach. The team is an affiliate of the Las Vegas Golden Knights of the NHL, and being “called up to the big club” is every skater in a teal jersey’s dream. Many players you’ll watch will be in their early 20s, just starting out their pro careers not unlike the Hanson brothers in the classic minor league hockey flick, Slap Shot.
But the Knight Monsters also have, in 36-year-old team captain, Luke Adam, their own Reggie Dunlop, Paul Newman’s character in the film — the aging star playing the game for as long as his body will let him. Adam is now in his 18th year of pro hockey (in addition to four in Canada’s ultra-competitive junior leagues). He was drafted in the second round of the 2008 NHL draft, yet, in all, has played only 90 career games in the NHL, the equivalent of just over one full season in “The Show” during that time.
Then, as the game goes on, you come to see that Adam is truly great at what he does. His skating, his knowledge of the game, his ability to anticipate — to see things that other players simply cannot and do not see — becomes evident.
OH CAPTAIN, MY CAPTAIN: Knight Monsters captain Luke Adam accepts player of the game honors after the home opener.
He scores two goals in the home opener and does a bunch of things that don’t show up on the stat sheet as he leads his team to a 6-3 victory. When called back out onto the ice after the game for being named a player of the game, he cradles his son under one arm, skating around the ice and waving to the crowd with the other.
And while the rest of us hop in our work trucks to go to work, or put on our ties or dress pants to go to work, or stare at our laptop screens to go to work, Luke Adam still gets to put on shoulder pads and skates to go to work — and then show a roaring crowd what grace and power look like, what excellence looks like, when a human being is doing what he is truly meant to be doing.
In many ways, Adam is what minor league hockey is all about. I’d encourage you to get out & go watch him and his fellow Knight Monsters play.
Upcoming home games:
Nov. 20-22
vs. Savannah Ghost Pirates
Nov. 28-30
vs. Tulsa Oilers
Dec. 3, 5, and 6
vs. Rapid City Rush
Visit knightmonstershockey.com for ticket rates and packages, and more details.
Driving south on Schaffer Mill Road in Truckee, navigating between wealthy communities such as Schaffer’s Mill, Martis Camp, and Lahontan, a small offshoot provides access to Hopkins Village, a 50-unit affordable housing project with quite the storied history.
To purchase in the single-road neighborhood, one must fit the buyer requirements: household income at 180% or lower Area Median Income (in 2025, this is $152,190 for one person) and working an average of at least 30 hours a week for an employment site within Tahoe Truckee Unified School District boundaries. The units — three-bedroom, 2.5-bathroom half-plexes — currently sell for $615,000 to individuals and market rate to employers looking to house employees. As of press deadline, two units remain for sale.
But the affordability aspect has sputtered since the neighborhood’s completion. The Hopkins Village Homeowners Association faces a $76,582 deficit, and the first residents to move in have seen their HOA dues rise by 146%, from a quarterly $420 in December 2022 to $1,037. This in addition to supplemental tax bills after a delay in parcel reassessment. Now, to shore up a projected operating loss, residents are required to pay a special assessment to the tune of an additional $1,500 per unit by Feb. 1, 2026.
“This [special] assessment is intended to cover,” stated a notice sent to all Hopkins residents in August, “the cost of the California Fair Plan fire insurance for 2025, offset accumulated operating losses, and begin repaying reserve funds that were borrowed over the past two to three years to manage rising operating expenses.”
“I could afford this when I moved in,” a current resident told Moonshine. “My theory was, well, I’ll progressively make more money and maybe the interest rates will go down, or as I pay more off the mortgage, I’m going to be lowering my payments. I felt pretty confident going into it and had no idea all of these other things could come so quick, so expensive. I truly feel for the people who are here with kids on fixed incomes. What are they supposed to do?”
Placer County Tahoe Housing Specialist Tim Cussen said Hopkins Village residents are experiencing the same financial pains others are. “I wish insurance wasn’t so crazy in California,” he continued. “And I certainly feel for them. That is a sharp increase, especially if they were at all borderline comfortable with the cost and then all of a sudden they go up [and residents] had to absorb not only the monthly, but the special assessment … I think all homeowners associations in California, especially in the Basin or in Tahoe in general, Truckee, Placer, Nevada County — they’re all feeling the same crunch.”
A recently released U.S. Census Bureau study found that the average monthly payment for California condo/HOA households in 2024 was $278. Hopkins residents’ monthly payment is $345, plus the $300 special assessment per month from October 2025 through February 2026.
“How do we best prepare people for the total cost of home ownership?” asked Placer County District 5 Supervisor Cindy Gustafson. “Partly, it’s these unseen costs. Insurance, there’s no cap on it. [Residents] can predict their mortgage, their utility bills are going up, mostly out of their control … but fire insurance … it is incredibly expensive for all of us.”
A NEIGHBORHOOD COMPLETE: All but two of the 50 units in Hopkins Village are filled with local workers. The project, which started in 2003, took quite a bit of effort to cross the finish line nearly 20 years later. “Do I regret it? No,” said developer Dan Fraiman, who considers the project a financial loss. “Because I’m still alive and I have a great family and I learned a ton. It has been an amazing learning lesson and it has been a stepping stone for me in my business and personal careers. I’m here seven years after starting that thing, still learning lessons from it.” Photo by Wade Snider/Moonshine Ink
Hopkins Village’s complex history began when the Martis Camp development was approved back in 2003. On condition of its approval, the Placer County Board of Supervisors required the construction of 50 workforce housing units. Thus, Hopkins Village.
The first 10 units were constructed by the original developer, DMB/Highlands Group, in the early 2000s. But the Great Recession’s impact on market-rate homes stalled further progress, and DMB/Highlands was allowed to let the rest of the project languish.
It wouldn’t be until 2020 that forward progress on the remaining 40 units was made, when DMB/Highlands, Placer County, and local developer Dan Fraiman signed a contract for DMB/Highlands to give Fraiman the Hopkins Village land so he could bring the project across the finish line.
Even that final leg faced hurdles. Fraiman told Moonshine in 2023 the project faced, as reporter Julie Brown wrote, “millions of dollars in losses, much of which stacked up when unavoidable global challenges stymied the construction industry from the outset of the [Covid-19] pandemic: supply-chain delays, skyrocketing prices for materials, truck driver shortages, repairing damaged modular units, and other issues.”
After a back-and-forth with Placer County, the Hopkins Village price per unit for qualifying workforce residents was increased from $550,000 to $615,000.
As a homeowners association in California, Hopkins Village is not explicitly required by statute to maintain financial reserves, though maintenance of such is generally recognized to be a sound practice within the Davis-Sterling Act and other California court decisions. For example, Civil Code § 5550 requires an HOA board to conduct a reserve study to inspect “the accessible areas of the major components that the association is obligated to repair, replace, restore, or maintain.” The reserve funding plan lays out how the HOA expects to fund such components.
I think all homeowners associations in California, especially in the Basin or in Tahoe in general, Truckee, Placer, Nevada County — they’re all feeling the same crunch.”
~ Tim Cussen, Tahoe Housing Specialist, Placer County
Hopkins’ reserve fund balance has dwindled over the past two years, according to the HOA’s 2025 budget, which was shared with Moonshine Ink by a resident. The HOA’s total budgetary forecast for 2025, which includes anticipated dues, reserve fund replenishment, fund losses from previous years, fire insurance, and expenses puts it $76,582 in the hole. With the special assessment being levied, that loss goes down to $1,582.
Some of the largest 2024 expenses, of a total of $156,211, were insurance at $62,750 ($45,000 was budgeted) and snow removal at $37,500 ($30,000 had been budgeted).
The most expensive anticipated 2025 line item is insurance, at $82,500 (a 31% increase from 2024). Other notable expenses: Snow removal at $40,000 (6.6% increase); management at $31,947 (equal to 2024).
Hopkins HOA board members declined to comment.
One major point of consternation over the budget is the claim that the large deficit is due in part to “a previous decision by the builder, who held the majority vote at the time, to not sufficiently increase HOA dues to cover the rising operational costs.” This is an excerpt from a public comment submitted by Hopkins Village resident Andrea Buxton in June (and undersigned by other residents and HOA board members).
Cussen said he has not seen anything to substantiate the claim.
Fraiman stated, “I paid the dues for years. What happened is you didn’t have all the costs. The insurance was less because there weren’t 20 more buildings sitting there, there weren’t 40 more driveways to plow. All the costs were much lower … We started finishing units and then somebody would be like, ‘Oh, I need to get my roof shoveled,’ and the HOA would go shovel the roof … All of a sudden you had a lot of people there who all had needs.”
He also wonders if the HOA reserve was being paid into while Martis Camp owned the property, since Fraiman didn’t acquire the land until 2020.
“I would guess that there’s probably a lot of HOAs that are finding themselves in a pinch where construction costs have gone up. They have not been saving enough money, and now they’re hit with these maintenance costs and they have to do these assessments.”
MBK Chapman, a California-based legal practice of real estate attorneys, noted in a 2026 fact sheet, “Years of underfunded reserves are now colliding with the real costs of repairing roofs, roads, elevators, pools, and façades. More and more associations that failed to save responsibly are resorting to special assessments in the $40,000 [to] $60,000 range per unit.”
“Boards that neglected to save gradually are now resorting to one-time demands that devastate homeowners financially,” another MBK Chapman article stated. The law office added that HOAs in general have raised regular assessment dues as well.
Buxton became a resident of Hopkins Village in August 2024. She considers the fact that she had a down payment from a residence she’d just sold in Tahoe City the only reason she was able to afford to live there in the first place.
Buxton has been vocal about her affordability concerns by making the aforementioned public comment to Placer County, applying for a North Tahoe Community Alliance grant to cover the deficit (which failed), and compiling a letter of support from fellow Hopkins Village residents.
I personally believe people have to hope they can own a piece of this area. You’ll rent for a while; we all did … with the hope you can purchase. I’m committed to solutions that give that hope to that future workforce that they can grow roots here.”
~ Supervisor Cindy Gustafson, Placer County District 5
One solution Buxton suggested was requesting that Placer County take on road maintenance and snow plowing to eliminate about $40,000 from the HOA’s budget. “Why should the low-income housing development have to pay for their own road maintenance and snowplowing when (some) rich neighborhoods don’t do that?” she asked.
Cussen said such a request (which has been made many times by more developments than Hopkins Village) is unlikely, as it would set a precedent. Furthermore, he added, feasibility is an issue: “There aren’t any county-maintained roads anywhere near Hopkins Village … [The closest is] a few miles away … State Route 267 is maintained by the state, and Schaffer Mill Road is a private road maintained privately by, I think, the collective of golf course communities.”
While Placer County created the Hopkins Village condition of approval for the Martis Camp development, the jurisdiction has no connection aside from ensuring the deed restriction is met.
“Placer County is not affiliated with the HOA in any way,” Cussen said. “We don’t have any legal obligation or ability to step in. We are not a property owner there, so we really have no formal affiliation with the homeowners association. We have been asked by the homeowners association to provide funding, which we had explored, but have not provided for fear of the precedent that it sets.”
Sup. Gustafson said she did reach out to residential communities adjacent to Hopkins, asking if they could incorporate the 50-home neighborhood into their snowplow coverage area. “I have not heard back,” she said. “It is certainly something that we could look for partnership from those groups. But if we take care of Hopkins snow removal, what about [the other affordable housing neighborhoods?]”
Multiple workforce housing projects in Truckee/Tahoe function as tax credit projects, such as Coldstream Commons, Kings Beach Housing, and Truckee Artist Lofts — with more on the way.
“All tax credit projects are rentals,” Cussen explained. “You don’t have homeowner’s association dues, per se. But when the jurisdiction is doing for-sale and ownership opportunities for lower income or income-restricted units, they do have kind of a calculation method where the maximum cost of ownership, including the homeowner’s dues, cannot exceed a certain place in relation to that income level.”
Hopkins Village is the only deed-restricted for-sale project in Eastern Placer County.
The Martis Fund provides down-payment assistance to qualified working families in Eastern Placer and the Town of Truckee. Hopkins Village residents can qualify, though the fund did not have a specific amount that’s been dedicated to them. Placer County has its First-Time Homebuyer Loan Program, though applications are not currently being accepted because of a high volume of submissions.
“I personally believe people have to hope they can own a piece of this area,” Gustafson said. “You’ll rent for a while; we all did … with the hope you can purchase. I’m committed to solutions that give that hope to that future workforce that they can grow roots here. [Hopkins Village] may give us ideas of how we ensure they’re adequately prepared … I’m very hopeful because I think these people just bought at a time when the insurance just went off the charts and hopefully it’ll come back down.”
Fraiman was asked in May 2023 if he regretted the project. Then, he said everything was still up in the air as it wasn’t yet completed.
Now, he says: “The chips are still falling. I haven’t actually sold all the units yet with that, and I’m still paying taxes, insurance, water bills, heating bills. I would say I don’t regret the project. For Truckee and a landmark project as one of the first, if not the only for-sale deed restricted project around … I have had people who bought units call me and thank me for such an amazing, affordably-priced house and how thankful they actually are to own a home in Truckee. Imagine that [for the] evil developer.”
Financially, though, Fraiman said the project is a failure.
“The construction cost is more than what we’re selling the units for,” he said. “And now the cost to still carry the [unsold] units. When I started, I thought those things would be sold in two years. … [But] I have six bedrooms, two units, and zero calls on ’em. The insurance is insane for an unoccupied finished unit.”
Further, Fraiman is frustrated by the lack of interest by employers amid an employee housing crisis that’s plagued the Truckee/North Tahoe region for years. He said he’s spoken with Tahoe Forest Health System, the Tahoe Truckee Workforce Housing JPA, Alterra and Vail ski resorts, golf courses, local small businesses, and more.
“I could not get one entity, one business in Truckee to buy one unit,” Fraiman said. “Everyone says, ‘Hey, we need housing for our employees.’ This is why this project is such an enigma for me, as I thought what we were building was something that was in high demand.”
While employer-owned housing in Hopkins Village is allowed to be sold at market rate, Fraiman said he’s willing to offer the $615,000 price to interested parties.
Current Hopkins homeowners can resell their homes at market rate.
“If the bottom falls out and they have to sell for other changes in their life, they can sell for market rate,” Gustafson said, “but we don’t want to see that. We want to keep these people in our community.
You may know it as a go-to in Tahoe/Truckee’s yoga-verse or for its growing music scene, but Mountain Lotus in downtown Truckee is also fast becoming a haven for your next delectably healthy and affordable meal out.
A big step in the metamorphosis happened last June when it brought on Rich Selden, experienced know-your-farmer culinarian/restauranter, as executive chef and director of food and beverage.
A MAN IN HIS ELEMENT: Rich Selden came aboard as Mountain Lotus’s executive chef and director of food and beverage in June. Photos by Wade Snider/Moonshineink.
“With Rich in place, we are ready to become a wellness destination, a true healing-arts studio: mind, body, stomach,” says Alex Rey, Mountain Lotus marketing manager. “We have some great-tasting restaurants in town, but there is something about a homecooked meal. And with the organic ingredients we offer, the nutrition we offer, it really feels like you’re getting a homecooked, nourishing meal at a really good price point.”
In a time when the $30 burger seems to have become the norm at many area restaurants, at The Café, Mountain Lotus’ plant-based, Pacific-Rim-themed restaurant, both versions of its Bahn Mi still ring in at $17. You can get three (damn good) breakfast options for under $13; and the shiitake miso soup, which fills you up more than some $20 meals in these mountains, only runs you 10 bucks.
A life in food
Selden has been entwined in the region’s culinary scene since he started Electric Blue Elephant, his farm-to-table vegan food truck in Incline Village, back in 2011. He eventually moved the operation down to Reno where he then ran two hip-and-healthy restaurants, Café Deluxe on Wells Avenue and The Deluxe at the Biggest Little City’s vegan mecca, West Street Market. For three-plus years before his hiring by Mountain Lotus, Selden was at the Tahoe Food Hub, the renown slow-food market.
But Selden’s experience in, and love for, food goes way farther back than his time out West.
“I come from an Italian and Jewish household in Long Island, and my mom and grandma were always cooking,” he says. “I was exposed to a diverse food culture from a very young age, and we were always going around the city; to Flushing, to Queens, eating amazing Chinese, Japanese, all kinds of ethnic food. That’s when I kind of fell in love with Asian food in general.”
Selden moved to Reno to finish college in 2003 while also being pleasantly introduced to Vietnamese food and unpleasantly introduced to the absence of the mom-and-pop eateries he loved so much in New York.
THE CAFÉ at Mountain Lotus in Truckee is open for breakfast and lunch, serving Monday through Saturday 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.
After graduating, Rich moved to Tahoe to pursue skiing full time and “found an itch to scratch with food.” That’s when he broke into the food truck scene, and his winding culinary path led him straight into the open petals of Mountain Lotus.
He plans on changing The Café’s menu with the seasons, creating apex dishes based on what’s available from the local food shed and paired for the essence of the time of year. Summer’s light and fresh Cali bowl, for instance, has been replaced by fall’s yaki bowl, a hearty serving of teriyaki chicken or tofu, jasmine turmeric rice, shiitake mushrooms, kimchi, persimmons, and sauteed seasonal veggies, including winter squash.
It’ll stick to your ribs and help you take on the cold. Plus, it just tastes really good.
It’s all about who you know and why you do it
One of the great strengths that Selden brings with him to Mountain Lotus is his decade-plus-long relationships with area farmers and producers. Forged from his time in Reno that afforded him the oppprtunity to work intimately with its Great Basin Community Food Co-op; from his experience with the sustainable- and giving-oriented Tahoe Food Hub; and his foremost fervor for finding the finest of naturally farmed foods, Rich’s relationships allow him to buy direct — keeping ingredients organic and fresh, and price points low.
He’ll regularly buy from five to eight different farms each week, ranging into the Grass Valley/Nevada City/Penn Valley and Capay Valley to the west.
FROM THE FARM to the plate to your table; Selden serves up another order of Mountain Lotus’s hand salad.
A husband and a father entrenched in the Tahoe/Truckee community (his wife, Mary McCallam, owns and runs Mountain Song in the herbal medicine sphere, and his son is a student at Tahoe Expedition Academy), Selden takes his ingredients seriously. He explains that, “‘Organic’ has a USDA definition of essentially being food that is produced either without pesticides or with pesticides that are approved by the USDA.”
Rich Selden’s definition of organic goes further than that. “We [Mountain Lotus] serve food that is never touched by pesticides and is completely non-GMO,” he notes. “All of our farmers are vetted by California Organic, certified, or they are utilizing organic procedures that they have communicated and that we have seen firsthand.”
Mountain Lotus’ food is also completely seed-oil free.
Selden discourses on the restaurant industry’s widespread use of seed oils — canola, peanut, soybean, sunflower, et al. — and how, despite their having been touted as “healthy oils” since the ’70s, they are actually heavily refined, produced using a high-chemical extraction process.
That’s why Mountain Lotus uses avocado oil, olive oil, coconut oil, and, on occasion, animal fats such as tallow or gee in its food preparation. “Our seed-oil-free menu fits the overall athletic and wellness ethos of our mountain community,” Selden says.
As a self-proclaimed “label fanatic,” if there is something the chef may be considering to use in his kitchen but can’t buy directly, Selden will “dive really deeply into that product’s producer to make sure they have transparency and are using whole foods.”
The culinary troubadour also speaks of a sort of philosophic manifesto, one that he encourages diners to take with them wherever they look at a menu: “There is nothing wrong with asking questions about where your food is coming from,” he states. “They [the restaurant] should be able to tell you who their producers are and where their food is coming from.”
Seems like an obvious enough statement, right?
“But the list of restaurants who cannot is long,” Selden laments, his voice singed. “Longer than we think. Most of the time they are buying their food from large food distributers. I think that needs to change in restaurants. I think restaurants need to be operating at a higher level of integrity.”
ALL ABOUT THE INGREDIENTS: Selden’s relationships with area farmers allow him to get the freshest, most organic offerings.
To witness the revolution of integrity in food — how it is procured and how it is prepared — look no further than Mountain Lotus. Take a hot vinyasa class or see the studio’s next Afrolicious or Rambo Party show. And let its natural, from-the-farmer-who-Rich-shook-hands-with-a-day-and-a-half-ago food give your body, your mind, and your soul the fuel it deserves.
The Café at Mountain Lotus is open from 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. Monday through Saturday; elixirs and adult beverages are available in addition to food. Mountain Lotus also offers full-service and bespoke catering through Provisions, its 4×4 food truck. Go to mountainlotusyoga.com/food for menus and more details.
Apex Club Amenities
