SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – The Community Advisory Committee (CAC) that advises the Special Education Local Plan Area (SELPA) was issued an apology after an incident with an interim SELPA director caused parents to walk out. The CAC is now facing more challenges as they’ve been asked to comply with Brown Act regulations, which Chairman Darrell Miller says is taking up valuable time that they would rather spend training parents to advocate for their children.
Miller says that the CAC has existed for about eight years in its current capacity to advise the SELPA. For special education, especially in rural districts, counties are usually joined together in a SELPA—the South Tahoe area and Alpine County are in the same SELPA, for example.
As an advisory body, the CAC is meant to tell the SELPA members how to improve the program. Here in Tahoe, special needs parents have particularly focused on individual education plans or IEPs. Ensuring that these are written and executed properly is one of the most important tools that guardians of special needs children can utilize to make sure their children have access to education. A CAC is mandatory under the California Department of Education, as they are required to sign on SELPA documentation before it is submitted to the department. For the past three years, Miller has signed those documents.
But at a recent meeting with the interim SELPA director Michelle Boyd, members walked out after being treated as if they were simply members of the public. “We’re not the public, we’re the committee,” said Miller.
Bill Roderick previously served as the SELPA director, but was selected to serve as Alpine County’s interim superintendent. Because he would have one of the votes on the SELPA control board, he elected to find an interim director while he filled the position. Boyd took on the position in early January.
Though she had met once with Miller, he was surprised that before their CAC meeting, Boyd had removed their agenda and replaced it with her own. “She told us that she would be taking the lead and would put together her own agenda, and relegated us to public comment.”
Miller says that she cited that they were not Brown Act compliant, which he pushed against on several counts—including that, by changing the agenda so close to the meeting, Boyd had actually made their meeting non-compliant. She also told them in an email that “the lack of a formal appointment process has created a gap in transparent communication and community representation.”
“Really, it was a SELPA director meeting, not a CAC meeting,” said Miller.
Boyd reportedly also filed a complaint against a member of the Alta Regional Center for asking her questions over email.
During the meeting, Boyd only allowed Miller three minutes to read his statement on the CAC. According to the relevant bylaws, there is no reason for a CAC meeting to limit public comment to three minutes. Other members ceded their time to him to finish his statement. “The way you have introduced yourself to the special education community has only fostered more distrust and uncertainty… you have not met with stakeholders or other CAC members to understand the history of what we have worked to accomplish for the sake of our children,” read Miller. “Instead, you have ignored the history that exists between this community and the districts within the SELPA as if there has never been a CAC.”
When Boyd made it clear that she was not allowing Miller to chair the meeting, he and several others left. The remainder of the February 25 meeting had Boyd speaking on how they needed a formalized CAC. The agenda Boyd set forth for the meeting is no longer available online.
Boyd did not respond for comment. Teresa Schow told the Tribune that Boyd is serving as the interim director until Roderick returns to the position on July 1.
“We’ve been recognized as a CAC for eight years, and legally, I’ve been recognized as the chair of the CAC since I’ve signed off on the SELPA for the last three years,” said Miller. “The lack of a formal appointment for CAC members is not on us—it’s on their side. Nobody told us that we needed to do this until now.”
Miller acknowledged that if they needed to get things formalized, they would. Their upcoming CAC meeting will formalize specific bylaws including virtual recording, dealing with disputes, autonomy and non-retaliation clauses. They will also begin the process of filling out relevant forms for the CAC, which Miller noted were outdated in the previous SELPAs.
“It’s frustrating though. This is not what we’re supposed to be doing. We’re supposed to help children get unfettered access to the best education they deserve,” said Miller.
Superintendent Todd Cutler and previous SELPA director Bill Roderick issued an apology on March 10 acting as the SELPA governance council. In it, they say they “sincerely regret and apologize that the meeting did not reflect our appreciation for your efforts and engagement.” Boyd will reportedly be limited in her interactions with the parents.
However, parent Jesse Kravchuk complained at the March 12 meeting about the way the situation was handled and the costs of hiring Boyd. “How much are you paying her to stay at home and be quiet for the rest of her contract? A hundred grand plus a year, for an employee that’s been instructed not to interact with parents anymore?”
Kravchuk demanded accountability from the board regarding Cutler, around both his pay and his behavior. He referenced an incident where employees of Sierra House spoke to the board rather than to Cutler about issues they were having. Lastly, he spoke about how Cutler reportedly failed to inform staff about a special training offered by an outside consultant on how to properly write IEPs—a consistent issue in the district.
Kravchuk and Miller both feel that there has been a lack of accountability from the district regarding how special education has been handled. Miller’s statement read, “The Tahoe-Alpine SELPA has been in noncompliance for 46 years, since 1980, when CACs became a requirement of the SELPA by the CDE… for the last eight years, none of our requests and recommendations for the assessment and improvement of special education within the SELPA’s districts have been implemented.”
The Lake Tahoe Unified School District is currently undergoing an audit for its special education programs, which was approved by the board last year. Miller agrees that it will likely go in more depth, which he’s grateful for. “Still, would we have even needed the audit if we had operated in the spirit of collaboration?”
“This is an already marginalized class of people. It just breaks my heart that this class of people keeps getting told no,” said Miller. “We’ve created this community here for years. We need people who are going to take a hard stance for these students.”
Tahoe Douglas Rotary President Elect Bob Fores and keynote speaker David Gallagher in front of an iron lung Victoria Mastrocola/Tahoe Daily Tribune
STATELINE, Nev. – Tahoe Douglas and South Lake Tahoe Rotary Clubs joined hands on Tuesday, March 17 to host a presentation centered around their decades-long efforts to eradicate polio disease. In addition to a 1950s iron lung being on display, long-time, nationally recognized Rotarian, David Gallagher, was the keynote speaker. During the event, a fundraiser took place and 50% of proceeds raised were donated to end polio.
Since 1987, Gallagher has been in the Rotary world, serving as President of Modesto Rotary before going on to become Centennial District Governor for District 5220 in 2004. Along with his international humanitarian service, he received Rotary International’s Service Above Self Award, the Rotary Foundation’s Award of Citation for Meritorious Service and the Distinguished Service Award. Gallagher has been a member of the Rotary Club of Reno since 2018 and has traveled all over the world doing Rotary humanitarian projects.
“Somebody asked me to join Rotary,” Gallagher told the Tribune. “I was young, I had a family at home, my business was just starting out and the reason I stayed in Rotary was because it had a softball team. So we had fun! From having fun, we learned more about what Rotary does. The more you put into Rotary the more you’re going to get out of it.”
Bob Fores, President elect of Tahoe Douglas Rotary, has known Gallagher since 1993. Fores was able to obtain an iron lung from his old Rotary district, put it in on a trailer and wheel inside the convention center at Bally’s to be on display. The event was organized to spread awareness about polio, its history, the fight to eradicate it and how that fight has paid off in the last 45 years.
During his keynote speech, Gallagher discussed polio and its history. Caused by a virus that attacks the central nervous system including the neurons essential for muscle control, polio became life-threatening to patients whose respiratory muscles were also affected. The disease primarily infected children under five years old. To this day, there is still no cure, and when annual outbreaks occurred from the 1920s to the 1950s, people were terrified. Schools would close and the only preventative measures that could be taken were quarantines.
Up to the 1980s, there were 125 countries with 350,000 new cases a year. Through immunization, polio numbers have dwindled significantly in the last 40 years. Yet for those who contracted the crippling and highly infectious disease, they had to find ways to ease symptoms. That’s where iron lungs came in.
This iron lung comes from the 1950s eraVictoria Mastrocola/Tahoe Daily Tribune
“The iron lungs were just in the large city hospitals. The small hospitals didn’t have the staffing,” Gallagher said. “One out of 120 people who get polio, it affects their limbs – mainly their legs.”
For those who experienced paralysis of the legs, about 5% would get paralysis of the chest, rendering them unable to breathe.
“[The iron lung] does the breathing for them,” said Gallagher as he explained that the machine would act as a pressure ventilator. With only their heads exposed, patients would be sealed inside while the iron lung created changes in air pressure. For inhalation, the pressure was reduced, and for exhalation, it would increase. Unlike respirators that pump air directly into a patient’s airways, the iron lung would expand the chest naturally.
Polio patients would be sealed into the machine to ease polio symptoms such as difficulty breathing and muscle paralysis Victoria Mastrocola/Tahoe Daily Tribune
“Certainly, the iron lung is the star tonight, the other part is the importance of vaccines,” added Gallagher. “And how much they work.”
After the U.S. approved the first vaccine in April of 1955, polio cases saw a dramatic drop. In the decade since the vaccine was administered, the U.S. had a near-total elimination of the disease, going from 35,000 to 121. Rotary helped reduce polio cases by over 99.9% since 1979, when the last case was seen in the U.S.
The Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) was launched in 1988, and was made up of Rotary’s PolioPlus, World Health Organization (WHO), United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), Center for Disease Control (CDC) and supported by the Gates Foundation and Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance. After global mass immunization efforts and more than $2.6 billion in contributions, cases went from 125 countries to its current standing of two countries.
For her community efforts, Gallagher paid special attention to Dr. Rowena Shaw, polio survivor and Tahoe local who worked for the Douglas County School District for 30 years as a psychologist and counselor.
As a child, Dr. Shaw came home with a sore throat. She was not yet vaccinated and was admitted into the hospital with a flu diagnosis. Three days later, she was told she had polio.
“She woke up in the hospital, she saw the iron lung, and said to her mom, ‘Is that my coffin?’ not knowing it would actually save her life,” said Gallagher. “Dr. Shaw turned this into everything positive. She saw the good in people so she went into a helping profession.”
Dr. Shaw had hoped to be in attendance at the evening’s event but was not able to make it due to chemotherapy treatment for leg pains caused by post polio syndrome, a disorder affecting polio survivors and stems from the reactivation of nerves. This process depletes a survivor’s energy and causes muscle weakness and pain.
Although the disease has been eradicated throughout most of the world, maintaining awareness and staying vigilant is a priority. “The people who are driving this whole effort have made very clear that until it’s gone, it’s not gone. We need to drive this to zero and keep it at zero for three years running for them to be convinced that it really isn’t going to come back,” said Greg Felton, treasurer of Tahoe Douglas Rotary.
Gallagher’s slide of the progress of global polio eradicationVictoria Mastrocola/Tahoe Daily Tribune
“All of us working together on the same goal, we’ve come this far. They’ve set out a special action plan for 2026, and they’re hoping they can do it. This is going to be a very, very important year,” said Gallagher.
Tahoe Douglas Rotary has some exciting things in store as they announced plans to reanimate their St. Patrick’s Day Spring Fling Fundraiser. The fundraiser, throughout its 50 years, would often draw in hundreds of people, raising upwards of $350,000 before it took a six year pause due to the start of COVID-19. The St. Patrick’s Day Spring Fling Fundraiser is set to take place next year on March 13. More details to follow.
SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – The Tahoe Grizzlies 12U hockey team skated their way to another Northern California Championship this weekend in San Jose, capping off a gritty playoff run defined by determination, teamwork, and resilience.
Throughout the tournament, the Grizzlies battled through tough matchups and adversity. The team mounted two come-from-behind victories during the playoffs and entered the championship game undefeated, setting up a showdown against a strong San Jose Jr. Sharks squad on their home ice.
In the title game, the Grizzlies rose to the challenge. Goals from Sadie Budgell, Max MacLauchlan, and Bobby Lufkin powered Tahoe to a hard-fought 3-1 victory over the Jr. Sharks, securing the NorCal Championship and marking the team’s second consecutive title at the 12U level.
Coach Doug Haden praised his team’s relentless spirit throughout the tournament.
“This group is one of the most resilient, hardest-working teams I’ve ever coached,” Haden said. “They never quit, no matter the score or the situation. That kind of tenacity carried us through the playoffs, and it’s what makes this team special. If they keep playing with that same heart and work ethic, I believe we have a great chance at success in the state playoffs.”
With the NorCal title secured, the Grizzlies now turn their attention to the next challenge. In two weeks, the team will return to San Jose to compete for the California State Championship — a title they also captured last year.
If their playoff performance is any indication, the Tahoe Grizzlies will head into the state tournament ready to battle once again.
INCLINE VILLAGE, Nev. – A hit-and-run suspect was identified and taken into custody Tuesday morning following an early morning crash in Incline Village.
Deputies responded to a report of a hit-and-run on Silvertip Drive, where they located three parked vehicles that had been damaged after being struck by a vehicle that fled the scene.
During the investigation, deputies followed a debris trail that led to a nearby residence, where they located blood droplets. Deputies made contact with an individual at the residence, later identified as 27-year-old Remy Arthur Quenneville. A gray Subaru with significant damage consistent with the crash was also located at the residence, and Quenneville admitted to driving the vehicle.
Quenneville was treated for minor injuries and transported to the Washoe County Detention Facility, where he was booked on multiple charges, including duty to stop at the scene of an accident involving damage, failure to report an accident involving unattended property, and duty upon damaging an unattended vehicle or other property.
“Fortunately, no one was seriously injured in this crash. Incidents like this serve as a reminder of the responsibility drivers have to remain at the scene of a crash and report it,” a Washoe County Sheriff’s Office Facebook post. “We appreciate the efforts of our deputies in quickly identifying the suspect and reinforcing accountability and safety in our community.”
When stories of sexual abuse rise into national headlines, public attention often centers on details and personalities. At Vista Rise Collective, we notice something else: survivors are watching.
They are watching to see whether people listen. Whether experiences like theirs will be taken seriously. These moments are about more than a single case; they are about our culture. Our collective reaction determines whether a neighbor feels safe speaking up, how sexual violence is seen as “normal,” and whether we truly believe that safety is a shared responsibility.
This is why the “Start by Believing” campaign is so vital. It does not replace fairness or the legal process; it simply means leading with care rather than suspicion. When a survivor knows that their story will be met with belief and a connection to help, they are far more likely to come forward.
When survivors expect that sharing their story will lead to blame or disbelief, research shows that fewer people report what happened and healing becomes much harder. Belief is not the end of a long investigation; it is the beginning of dignity. And dignity is necessary for justice.
Sexual violence rarely begins with extreme acts. It grows in places where harmful attitudes aren’t challenged: sexist jokes dismissed as “just a joke,” myths about consent, and questioning victims more than the people who caused the harm. Language shapes culture, culture shapes how we act, and how we act determines if we are safe. When mean or dismissive language becomes normal, it makes it easier for serious harm to happen. What seems small adds up over time, creating a world where violence is easier to ignore.
Preventing sexual violence is not only about responding after harm occurs. It is about shaping norms before it does, like teaching consent clearly, challenging harmful language, and encouraging people to step in when something feels wrong.
Communities build trust when concerns about violence are taken seriously and handled thoughtfully and transparently. When people believe systems respond responsibly, they
are more likely to come forward. The real measure of a community is not how it reacts to a headline, but how it shows up every day to prevent harm.
Sexual violence is not someone else’s issue. We invite you to join us in this work. You can make a pointed effort to start by believing, speak up against harmful language, or support our prevention work in schools by making a donation. To help our community grow, Vista Rise Collective offers talks on consent, the signs of abuse, and what services our organization offers. We invite you to visit www.vistarise.org to see our resources or contact us to bring these important conversations to your business, school, or local group.
Cultural change does not happen through headlines alone. It happens when communities choose to act, because safer communities are built together.
If you or someone you know needs support, our 24/7 confidential crisis line is 530-544-4444. For training or presentation requests, contact us at info@vistarise.org.
American adults typically eat just 10 to 15 grams of fiber a day — far below the recommended 25 to 30 grams. Adding more can make a big difference in how you feel. So, what exactly is fiber, where can you find it, and why does it matter? Here’s the scoop.
Fiber 101
Fiber is a type of carbohydrate your body cannot digest, and it acts as a prebiotic to help nourish healthy gut bacteria and function. It is found in plant-based foods such as whole grains, fruits, nuts, seeds, legumes, and non-starchy vegetables.
Fiber comes in two forms: soluble and insoluble. Soluble fiber slows digestion and helps you feel full when you eat. Insoluble fiber helps prevent constipation by bulking stool.
How Fiber Helps Your Health
Eating enough fiber can lower LDL (bad) cholesterol, reduce your risk of heart disease and stroke, and help protect against diabetes and some cancers.
In addition, some studies show fiber can also protect you against inflammation, support your immune system, and lower your risk for dementia.
Easy Ways to Add More Fiber
There are plenty of ways to add more fiber to your snacks and meals. You can:
Have a whole fruit instead of drinking fruit juice
Opt for brown rice instead of white rice
Choose cereals with “whole grain” listed as the first ingredient
Add beans or lentils to your soups and chilis
Sprinkle nuts or seeds on salads and yogurts
When you increase your fiber, stay hydrated and make changes gradually to avoid bloating and stomach discomfort. And mix up your fiber sources to get the most benefits.
If you have gastrointestinal or other medical conditions, consult your physician or meet with a registered dietitian for individualized fiber recommendations.
Ariel Rearick is a registered dietitian nutritionist with Barton Health. Barton dietitians are available for consultation. For more information or to schedule nutrition counseling, call 530.543.5825 or visit BartonHealth.org.
Vail Resorts is continuing to be aggressive in share repurchasing while top executives are simultaneously buying stock, a combination that signals renewed internal confidence even as the publicly traded company’s share price remains well below its post-pandemic highs.
CEO Rob Katz, on Monday, purchased 37,500 shares in a transaction valued at nearly $5 million, while CFO Angela Korch acquired an additional 190 shares for $25,051. Korch now has just over 5,000 shares, while Katz has roughly 285,000 shares, worth about $40 million at current prices.
Katz’s aggressive approach to purchasing Vail Resorts stock marks a stark contrast from previous CEO Kirsten Lynch, who received high-profile criticism from an investor in 2025, saying Lynch had “not once purchased MTN shares,” and therefore had “no skin in the game, signaling zero conviction in Vail’s future.”
Vail Resorts as a company has continued to aggressively repurchase its own shares, as well, retiring roughly 3–4% of its total outstanding stock each year since instituting its stock buyback program in fiscal 2022.
Stock buybacks have been controversial in recent years, with Colorado Sen. Michael Bennet lobbying against the practice. At a campaign event in Eagle in 2022, Bennet said if “you’re a publicly traded corporation” performing buybacks, you’re doing so “to engineer your results.”
By buying its own shares, a company attempts to make the remaining stock owned by shareholders more valuable through supply and demand, but the opportunity cost of buybacks — the investments in labor and technology which the company could have otherwise used the money it spent on share repurchasing — is what draws controversy to the practice.
When Southwest Airlines was forced to cancel 5,000 flights over the Christmas holiday season in 2022, blaming an outdated IT system, critics pointed to the billions the company had spent on stock buybacks as money that could have been used to upgrade that system.
Vail Resorts’ most aggressive period of share repurchasing came in fiscal 2023, when the company bought back approximately 2.2 million shares — about 5.4% of shares outstanding — for roughly $500 million at an average price near $229.
Since fiscal 2022, Vail Resorts has repurchased more than 5 million shares, spending more than $1 billion in doing so.
But over that same period, the stock has declined materially from the $240–$250 range in 2021–2022 to about $130 today. A large portion of those buybacks were executed at significantly higher prices than the current stock price, and did not prevent a multi-year decline in the stock.
That has led to Katz and Vail Resorts at large believing that the stock is undervalued at the moment, with the combination of renewed insider buying and continued buybacks signaling that management has confidence in the company.
Whether that marks a turning point or a continuation of a longer trend remains to be seen. But after years of repurchasing shares at higher prices, Vail Resorts is now buying back stock — and seeing insiders buy alongside it — at a markedly lower valuation, and is likely to continue doing so, Korch said in an earnings call March 9.
The company “will remain opportunistic on buybacks,” Korch said, “as evidenced by repurchasing .3 million shares for a total of $45 million year to date.”
SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – President Jeff DeFranco, who has been at Lake Tahoe Community College (LTCC) since 2012, announced he would be leaving his position at the end of the academic school year. “I bleed Coyote blood through and through… and this has been the opportunity of a lifetime. This next door has opened, and you’ve got to follow that calling.”
This college address happened later in the year than is typical, and was titled “Reflecting on Our Success.” DeFranco recounted how he had dreamed of being a college president and living in Tahoe, and that coming to LTCC was a combined dream come true. “You could see the campus was full of possibilities. It was a hidden gem,” he said, remembering how it felt to come to the campus in 2012.
President Jeff DeFranco reminisces on his first LTCC college address.Eli Ramos / Tahoe Daily Tribune
DeFranco spoke on the challenges that the college had faced: the COVID-19 pandemic, the Caldor Fire and “Snowmageddon” of 2023. However, since he took on the title of president 10 years ago, the college has since increased its full time students 40%, staff by 43% and annual revenue by 140%.
“This is a pillar of the south shore community,” said DeFranco. He cited the many programs that the college offered, with special emphasis on the California Promise program, which aims to make college affordable for all students.
Looking to the future, DeFranco highlighted that they planned a groundbreaking ceremony in May for the Tahoe Basin Public Safety Training complex, with construction beginning this summer.
The college also will be strengthening its partnerships with 4-year universities, with candidates of Arizona State University, Chico State and University of Nevada, Reno. For Arizona State University, LTCC could be joining its pilot program for California. For Chico State, they plan to potentially bring the business and psychology programs there to the university center at LTCC. And for the University of Nevada, Reno, they anticipate looking at nursing programs and possibly reserving spaces in their programs. All of these partnerships would allow students to potentially pursue education at those universities while staying in the Lake Tahoe Basin.
DeFranco envisioned that LTCC could look at offering a bachelor’s degree program sometime in the future. He also said he had envisioned more off-campus housing and expanding their sports programs, especially with women’s sports and adding new facilities such as a track and pickleball courts.
At the end of his reflection, DeFranco likened his time at the university to being in a marathon. “I’ve always been a sprinter, and I always talk about sprinting past the finish line. It’s time to pass the baton now and for someone else to take the lead.”
President Jeff DeFranco announced he would be working at the Arizona State University.Mike Peron / Tahoe Daily Tribune
DeFranco will be working with Arizona State University to support their provost, and said he was looking forward to being part of a team there, but will still be based in South Lake Tahoe with his family.
“This has been the honor of a lifetime,” said DeFranco, to a standing ovation.
Both DeFranco and Tony Sears, on behalf of the board of trustees, assured the attendees that there would be continuity, as DeFranco had informed them of his decision beforehand. DeFranco will stay in the summer to celebrate the graduates of this year, and the board plans to appoint an interim superintendent and president. They anticipate having a permanent president in place by summer of 2027.
The announcement came as a surprise to nearly everyone. Several people said it was a “shocker” and hoped that DeFranco would still come around to campus. It was an emotional time for many, some who shed tears at the announcement.
One attendee said, “Just looking back at all he’s done, he’s definitely earned it.”
As families across the Lake Tahoe region prepare for summer around the water, a local water safety instructor is encouraging parents of young children to consider drowning prevention before the busy season begins.
Drowning is the leading cause of death for children under 4 in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Communities around Lake Tahoe present unique challenges because children are frequently around lakes, pools, beaches, docks and hot tubs.
Lynnette Bellin, a certified instructor with Infant Swimming Resource (ISR), teaches Self-Rescue lessons for children ages 6 months to 6 years at the Incline Village Recreation Center. Since becoming certified in 2024, Bellin has taught more than 4,500 lessons to over 100 children in Reno and Incline Village.
Infant Swimming Resource is a specialized survival swimming program that has been teaching young children how to Self-Rescue in water for more than 60 years. Unlike traditional swim lessons that focus primarily on water comfort or basic strokes, ISR lessons focus on teaching children how to respond in an aquatic emergency.
Depending on their age and development, children learn skills such as rolling onto their back to float and breathe, maintaining an independent float until help arrives, swimming to the edge, and combining swimming and floating to reach safety.
The spring sessions available March through May will be the only opportunity for families to complete lessons before summer lake and pool activities begin. Lessons are 10 minutes a day Monday thru Friday for 6 weeks, and all lessons are private. The next planned session is expected in September.
Vail Resorts Chief Executive Officer Robert Katz told investors this week that skier visits and revenues are down amid “the most difficult weather environment in the Rockies we have ever seen.”
Skier visits to the company’s 37 North American ski resorts were down about 12% through February due to the “unprecedented weather challenges in the Rockies,” Katz said Monday during the company’s fiscal second quarter earnings conference call. But he said sales of the Epic Pass in advance of the season helped to minimize weather impacts.
“The Rockies are the largest driver of resort revenue for the company, and as such, the poor weather had an outsized negative impact on our results this year,” Katz said. “While these conditions weighed on our results, they also underscore the importance of our advanced commitment strategies.”
Across the West, this season is among the worst on record for snowfall — worse even than the 2011-12 winter season, which Katz said was previously the worst the ski resort conglomerate had faced. He noted that this winter has also been the warmest winter on record in Colorado, where temperatures through February averaged about 9 degrees warmer than normal.
This season saw the latest opening of Vail Mountain’s Back Bowls and Breckenridge Ski Resort’s Imperial Express, the highest lift in North America, Katz said. Through February, he said most of the company’s resorts in Colorado and Utah had only 70% to 80% of skiable acres, far less than usual for this time of year.
Despite “what many would consider a worst-case weather scenario,” Katz said in a statement that Vail Resorts saw only “modest declines” in lift revenue of about 3% compared to last year. He said this is because pass holders who purchase their lift access ahead of the season now make up about 75% of Vail Resort’s annual visitation — up 55% from a decade ago — providing “meaningful stability, especially in a year like this.”
The company has also expanded the geographic diversity of its portfolio, buying resorts in the Northeast and Midwest in the past decade, helping to mitigate weather impacts, Katz said. He noted that while the West has had one of its worst seasons on record, the Northeast has had one of its best seasons.
“We have purposely built a model that has been designed to withstand challenging weather years through regional diversification, pre-commitment of roughly 75% of visits through our pass products and continued investment in snowmaking,” Katz said.
While skier visits and revenues were down at resorts across the West, Katz noted that Keystone Resort “had a strong year” and outperformed other resorts in the region. He chalked this up to changes Vail Resorts made to off-peak ticket pricing at Keystone and investments into the snowmaking there in recent years.
Even with the poor conditions across the West, Katz also noted that guest satisfaction scores are up this year, including in Colorado and Utah. He said that is a reflection of the emphasis Vail Resorts has put on its local resort employees in recent years.
“When conditions aren’t good, usually we see that go down,” Katz said. “So that fact that we’re seeing it up, we really say, ‘Yeah, that’s the whole system working well, which really starts and ends with the people on the ground who have the connection to our guests.'”
With the poor conditions this season, Vail Resorts mountains in Colorado were among those that reduced the hours of some staff members due to the lack of available work.
Katz noted that Vail Resorts has launched Epic Pass sales for the 2026-27 season with a price increase of about 4% compared to years past. He took several questions from investors who asked about the company’s decision to offer a 20% discount off adult Epic Pass prices for those under the age of 30.
Young adults ages 18 to 30 were “our most price-sensitive guest,” Katz said. While other age groups of customers grew, he said young adults were “showing the most struggles” as Epic Pass prices have increased over the past four years.
Katz said that he expects the discount to help get more young people involved in snowsports, helping to provide “long-term value” to the ski industry. Now that Vail Resorts has shifted away from relying on daily lift ticket sales in favor of the stability offered by advanced season pass sales, he said it can employ a “sharpshooter” strategy to optimize its products.
“It isn’t necessarily that the strategy that we’re going to take is about discounting,” Katz said. “I think what you’re going to see from us is constantly looking at where we think we can optimize price, optimize features and benefits and performance. We’re going to make whatever moves we think are the right moves for the business.”
RENO, Nev. – A brand new women’s ski and ride event is coming to Mt. Rose Ski Tahoe on March 21. Created to build community, boost confidence, and celebrate women in snowsports, “Her Turns” is a women-led, full day of on-snow clinics, indoor workshops focused on gear, mindset, fitness and more, plus giveaways, and more. Designed for those stepping into skis or a snowboard for the first time or pushing their skills in new terrain, participants will find content catered specifically to their experience level.
“We’re excited to bring ‘Her Turns’ to Mt. Rose and offer a unique new opportunity for skiers and snowboarders to advance their skills and build community around winter sports,” said Mike Pierce, Mt. Rose Ski Tahoe marketing director.
From gear education to terrain park foundations and off-piste exploration, each clinic throughout the day will be taught by experienced female instructors and industry professionals.
Open to women and female-identifying participants of all ages and abilities, event registration is $49 per person and includes access to the full day of programming from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Lift access and equipment rentals are available separately, with an event-only add-on package available exclusively to registered Her Turns participants.
Her Turns is being produced by Mt. Rose Ski Tahoe in collaboration with Alpinistas, WISE, Altitude Attitude, Women of Patrol, Mothership Collective, and the Alzheimer’s Association, Northern Nevada.
SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. — The Boys & Girls Club of Lake Tahoe is sharing its 2025 Impact Report, highlighting a year of growth, community support, and transformative programs for local youth.
In 2025, the Club served over 1,000 registered members and 560 children daily through after-school, summer, and Transitional Kindergarten programs, providing 30,800+ meals and snacks to ensure every child had access to healthy food.
The report shares statistics, program highlights, spring and summer partnerships, how the Club invests in growth, advocacy, organizational and member achievements, events, A.W.E.S.O.M.E. Kids, the opening of Skye’s Playground, supporters, and more.
Key achievements include:
Expanded Transitional Kindergarten programs at Meyers Elementary, increasing access for early
learners and working families.
Built a new community playground at the Angel of Tahoe Clubhouse, designed to serve 2,000+
children annually, named Skye’s Playground.
Recognized two Club members who won the BGCA National Arts Contest and the Hank Aaron Chasing the Dream Program Scholarship.
LAKE TAHOE BASIN / TRUCKEE, Calif. — With March already halfway over and little to no new snowfall, the odds of a so-called “Miracle March” rescuing the Lake Tahoe region’s snow totals are growing slimmer — and concerns are rising that some ski resorts could close by the end of the month.
“March can see some of the biggest storms of the entire year,” said Bryan Allegretto, OpenSnow Forecaster. “On average, the west side of Lake Tahoe at around 7,000 feet receives just over six feet of snow during the month.”
But this year’s March has started far behind pace.
“This year we’ve seen zero feet so far, so we are a little behind that six-foot average going halfway into the month,” he said.
A “Miracle March” typically refers to a late-season surge of storms that pushes snowfall totals from well below average back to normal levels. While historically March has delivered dramatic turnarounds, Allegretto said the chances of that happening this year are fading quickly.
“Every time we’ve gone into March and started off bad, we’ve had about a 50/50 chance of it being a big month,” he said. “But this year the chances are diminishing and are very low at this point.”
This winter, however, had already delivered a few surprising rebounds.
A major storm series over the holidays pushed the region’s snowfall totals back to average early in the season. Another burst of storms arrived in February after weeks of dry weather. Those systems briefly returned the region to seasonal norms before conditions slipped again. After rain at the end of February, however, snowfall totals dropped sharply.
What does this mean for Tahoe’s Resorts?
Forecasters track potential storm patterns weeks in advance, looking for shifts in the global weather pattern that could bring stronger storms.
“Four weeks out, you look for signals in the global pattern,” Allegretto said. “Two weeks out you can start to see the shifting. A week out, you’re like, ‘All right, we’re getting storms now — let’s start to look at how big they could be.'”
Right now, those signals are weak.
The next possible shift could arrive late in the month, though the outlook remains modest. Allegretto said the last week of March could bring a change in the pattern that allows storms to return, but current forecasts suggest smaller systems.
Unfortunately, warmer temperatures could melt Tahoe / Truckee’s existing snowpack before those storms arrive.
“With temperatures hitting the 70s at lake level this week, we’re going to lose a lot of snow in the next 10 days before the pattern changes,” he said. “If we only get a few inches when it does snow, it’s just going to refresh what’s there and melt pretty quickly. We’re not going to rebuild the base.”
That could mean ski areas face a shortened season, particularly at lower elevations.
“I’m more worried about ski resorts closing early than about us getting a Miracle March,” Allegretto said.
Some areas are already feeling the effects. On March 12, Tahoe Cross Country Ski Area closed for the season due to lack of snow and warm temperatures. Homewood also announced their closing date will be March 22.
Unlike the dense snow created by snowmaking early in the season, much of the remaining base at many resorts this year is natural snow from the holiday and February storms, which tends to melt faster, Allegretto said.
Still, late-season surprises are always possible. In some years, storms detach from the jet stream and stall along the California coast, producing heavy snowfall in late March and early April.
“They kind of wander down the coast into California and sit there for a few days, and we can get massive amounts of snow,” Allegretto said. “Those storms are extremely hard to predict.”
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SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – El Dorado County Supervisor Brooke Laine, representing District V and currently serving as Chair of the Board, is running unopposed for the primary election on June 2, 2026. First elected in 2022, Supervisor Laine is honored to continue representing the communities of Pollock Pines, Whitehall, Kyburz, Strawberry, Twin Bridges, Phillips, Greater Meyers, the City of South Lake Tahoe, Fallen Leaf, Meeks Bay, and Tahoma.
“I am deeply honored every day to represent District V,” Laine stated. “I look forward to working closely with residents and regional agencies to continue addressing local needs and building collaborative solutions throughout El Dorado County.”
Her vision remains centered on collaborative problem-solving. Drawing on her experience as a small business owner, bank manager, and elected official, she has developed a proven track record of resolving complex issues and delivering community results through negotiation and compromise. Whether in business or public office, her commitment remains: Stay Focused, Get Results.
Moon Travel Guides, a bestselling guidebook publisher for over 50 years, is proud to announce its new guide, Moon Best of California State Parks: Top 50 Parks in the Golden State.
According to the California Department of Parks and Recreation, 68 million people visit California’s popular state park system annually, and this brand-new, one-of-a-kind book covers the best sights and experiences across 50 parks, making it an essential resource for residents and visitors alike.
Moon Best of California State Parks, written by Jenna Blough and Kayla Anderson, reveals fun roundups of the best parks for wildlife, history, family travel, and more, plus detailed hike descriptions marked with distance, duration, effort level, and trailheads—so park visitors can hit the trails with confidence.
The co-author of this guidebook, Tahoe local and outdoors expert Anderson, is a longtime Northern Californian who has written extensively about the unique adventures this area has to offer. She is available for interviews to share her expertise on the best things to do in the state parks of Northern and Central California, from wandering among redwoods to paddling Lake Tahoe.
Moon Best of California State Parks is available in bookstores and at online retailers on March 24.
INCLINE VILLAGE, Nev. — Pet Network Lake Tahoe announced the return of its signature annual fundraiser, the Fur Ball Gala, reimagined this year as The Pet Gala—a black tie celebration of iconic New York style and philanthropy.
This year’s theme, The Pet Gala, invites guests to dress to impress and show up for something bigger: helping Pet Network strengthen shelter care and expand vital community programs that keep animals healthy, safe, and homeward bound.
The Impact You’ve Made—Because You Showed Up
Thanks to generous community support, Pet Network has already leveled up lifesaving care in powerful ways, including celebrating over three years of the Community Hospital, completing a surgery and treatment remodel, replacing the roof, upgraded ventilation throughout the facility, and adding a CT scan to support more advanced care, and soon a generator to ensure safety and comfort through every storm.
What’s Next: Leveling Up Care and Community Support
Funds raised at the Fur Ball Gala this year will help Pet Network take the next step forward, investing in faster diagnostics, expanded access to veterinary guidance, and programs that strengthen the bond between people and pets.
Key areas of focus include:
Advanced diagnostic equipment to help diagnose more quickly and treat more effectively, including tools like PCR testing, a pathology camera, and a sequencer. Currently animals with signs of infectious disease must be quarantined for an average of four days as we wait for pathology results. This equipment allows for same-day results, in house, reducing stress and length of stay for shelter animals. This technology will also be used to serve community pets, allowing same-day diagnostics for common ailments and illnesses including masses, canine influenza, and so much more, reducing uncertainty and accelerating treatment.
Telemedicine access to a Veterinarian, 7 days a week, offering peace of mind and support for fosters, adopters, shelter pets, and Community Hospital clients
Continuing education for staff, ensuring compassion is matched with the best skills so every outcome improves, increasing the pipeline of talent in animal sheltering, and empowering the shelter community
Training classes for adopters, alumni, and the broader community—supporting long-term success and strengthening the human-animal bond
Humane education programs like summer camp and Petiquette, teaching youth safe, responsible interactions with animals while strengthening community resources
Expanded support staff and services, helping increase capacity, access, and affordability of care for all
Food Bank support, serving community members who need help keeping pets fed and in loving homes–no cost, no questions asked
The Ask of the Year: Level up your shelter. Level up your community.
Pet Network is calling on supporters, sponsors, and local businesses to help power the next level of lifesaving care through the Fur Ball Gala. Every ticket, sponsorship, and donation helps ensure more pets receive the highest available standard of care and more families have the resources to keep the pets they love. This milestone would not have been possible without the instrumental support of the Dave & Cheryl Duffield Foundation, whose generosity continues to shape animal welfare in Tahoe and beyond.
Alongside individual donors and community champions, their investment helped turn vision into reality. The Foundation has committed to a $100,000 donation match at the Gala to support this new equipment and these lifesaving programs.
The Tahoe TAP podcast is back after a brief hiatus, once again tapping into the Things, Adventures, and People that fuel life in the Sierra. Hosts Mike Peron and Rob Galloway return behind the microphones to reconnect with listeners and share the stories shaping the Tahoe community.
For their return episode, the show welcomes a familiar face and one of the most decorated American alpine skiers of all time: Daron Rahlves.
Over the course of his career on the FIS Alpine Ski World Cup circuit, Rahlves captured 12 World Cup victories and 28 podium finishes, specializing in the sport’s fastest disciplines — downhill and super-G. He also represented the United States as a three-time Olympian, competing at the 1998 Winter Olympics, 2002 Winter Olympics, and 2006 Winter Olympics.
But this episode focuses less on the past and more on what’s happening now: the return of the Rahlves Banzai Tour, making its long-awaited comeback to Tahoe after a decade-long hiatus. Scheduled for April 10–12 at Palisades Tahoe, the event blends big-mountain freeride terrain with the head-to-head intensity of ski and snowboard cross — creating one of the most adrenaline-fueled competitions in the sport.
Born in Walnut Creek and raised in the mountains around Lake Tahoe, Rahlves grew up skiing the Sierra before becoming one of the fastest American downhill racers in history. One of the defining moments of his career came at the legendary Birds of Prey downhill in Beaver Creek Resort, where he conquered the demanding course three consecutive years, cementing his reputation as one of the sport’s premier speed specialists.
In 2001, Rahlves captured the FIS Alpine World Ski Championships Super-G title, a victory that further established him among the world’s elite racers. His accomplishments later earned him induction into the U.S. Ski & Snowboard Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2010.
Beyond alpine racing, Rahlves has always embraced life as a multi-sport athlete — winning a World Expert Championship in jet skiing in 1993, competing in extreme skiing events and motocross, and building a long-standing partnership with Red Bull.
On this episode of Tahoe TAP, Rahlves joins the hosts to talk about his legendary racing career, the inspiration behind the Banzai Tour, and why bringing the event back to Tahoe feels like the perfect homecoming for a sport rooted in the region’s big-mountain culture.
FALLEN LEAF, Calif. – Fallen Leaf Lake is joining other communities within the Tahoe Basin after gathering together a new committee to oversee their Fire Adapted Community (FAC). Chief Chris Sauer, who previously served as fire chief at Fallen Leaf, spoke to the Tribune about the importance of the Fire Adapted community program and why it’s important for communities to join up around the lake.
The Fire Adapted Communities Network in the Tahoe Basin is a multi-agency program which is designed to help residents and visitors prepare for wildfire. The FAC Network is led by the Tahoe Resource Conservation District in partnership with local fire districts.
This program encourages wildfire education and community building, and as part of the program every FAC organizes yearly, they hold workdays where they help to reduce fire risks in neighborhoods by taking care of homes and the fuel sources around them.
The program can help to achieve Firewise recognition for neighborhoods. Through a grant from the Southern Nevada Public Land Management Act (SNPLMA), they also can provide fre chipping services and defensible space inspections.
Sauer, who has lived in Fallen Leaf Lake, began volunteering at the fire department in 1990 and has served as fire chief there two other times. He said, “Many special places in California have been impacted by fire and Fallen Leaf has always been a special place for me. It’s a place I would like to help protect.”
Over his career, Sauer said, “Prevention has been one of my passions and defensible space is one of the best ways to protect your neighborhoods, along with Firewise and FAC work, home hardening, ‘Ready, Set, Go!’ and other methods on the FAC wheel.”
Because the program partners with local fire departments, they work together on outreach to distribute materials and information about what kind of work needs to be done around an area. As part of the community, volunteer committee members plan and coordinate communication throughout the neighborhood, especially for a potential Firewise application and workdays.
Workdays are planned and executed by the FAC committee, where they work with neighbors to help with defensible space and clear potential fuels as a community. “Many hands make light work,” said Sauer. “Committees might also help identify parcels that need more help, especially if the people living there might have a hard time clearing it themselves.”
Committees also help establish information on vital information like evacuation routes. For Fallen Leaf Lake, given its one way road, evacuation has always been a community concern. Sauer emphasized the importance of paying attention to evacuation warnings and orders, and to be ready to go if needed. He also noted that during the four workdays the Fallen Leaf FAC will plan through the next months and into the summer, they could identify safe refuge areas and target evacuation routes that could use extra clearing.
“Luckily, stuff still grows here, which is great—we love our pine trees. But it means that you have to be doing that work as a community to manage their growth year-round,” said Sauer. “It really doesn’t matter where you are in Tahoe, fire is a hazard here and it’s all of our responsibility when we live in places affected by wildfire.”
By joining the program and other FAC groups around the lake, Sauer says that it helps make Tahoe as a whole more fire resistant. “The more of these communities there are, the more they reduce the bulk of flammable material in neighborhoods,” he said. “And the more of them are linked together, there’ll be less impact of ember storms through our communities during a wildland fire event.”
This first year is critical for an FAC, as the committee must introduce the program to residents and create connections with neighbors—but it’s an important task to establish what will ultimately bring more fire resilience to communities.
In 2022, California established the “Safer from Wildfires” insurance regulation to provide risk-based discounts to communities participating in Firewise. This was followed by the California Safe Homes Act, which could provide grants to low and middle-income homeowners doing fire mitigation, with a portal for applications potentially opening in March. For those worried about these costs, these changes could potentially help bolster more fire resilience in communities, with hopes that insurers will respond to the measures taken by neighborhoods.
“This gets neighbors together, and it’s nice to have them talking and working collectively to prevent fire from impacting our communities,” said Sauer.
Olive came to us from another shelter after being found with all her puppies in an alley way in Tulare County. While Olive is not quite ready for adoption yet, all of her puppies are!
These eight adorable puppies are two months old, and all around 10 lbs each. They overflowing with playful puppy energy and so much cuteness! Like most puppies their age, they’re curious about everything, learning about the world through sniffing, tumbling, exploring, and plenty of sibling wrestling matches.
Each pup has a sweet, affectionate personality and they absolutely love attention. They enjoy playtime with toys, cuddling up after a busy round of play, and greeting everyone they meet with happy tails and puppy kisses. They’ve been around kids and do great with them, making them wonderful potential additions to active, loving families. All of their fosters said they were GREAT puppies!
At this age they’re just starting to learn the basics of life, so their future families should be ready for all the fun (and work!) that comes with raising a puppy, training, socialization, and lots of playtime and patience as they grow. In return, you’ll get a loyal companion who will grow up right alongside you.
So if you are looking at add some life, spirit and pep to your home, don’t delay, come meet them today! If you are interested in meeting any of the puppies or learning more about them, please get in touch with one of HSTT’s Adoption Specialists, 530-587-5948 or adoptions@hstt.org. They are all spayed/neutered, vaccinated, and up to date on his vaccines (for their age). To view more adoptable pets or to learn more about the Humane Society of Truckee-Tahoe, visit, www.hstt.org.
*Adoption Details: Only 1 puppy will be allowed to be adopted per household
SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – Did you know that nearly 1 trillion gallons of water are wasted from household leaks yearly across the country? Join the nation and the South Tahoe Public Utility District (District) during Fix a Leak Week, March 16 – March 22, 2026, to save water and money all year long.
Sponsored by EPA’s WaterSense program, Fix a Leak Week is an annual event that promotes water conservation by teaching water customers how to find and fix common leaks in their homes.
“It’s pretty crazy that ten percent of homes on average have leaks that can waste 90 gallons or more every day,” said Lauren Benefield, Water Conservation Specialist for South Tahoe Public Utility District.
Check to see if you have a leak:
1. Complete the toilet dye test – place a drop of food coloring in the toilet tank and wait 10 minutes. If any color shows in the bowl, you have a leak.
2. Check faucets and showerheads – inspect fixtures for cracks, leaks, and drips. Leaks commonly occur in rubber hosing, at connection points, or due to a worn faucet washer.
3. Check for hidden leaks – look for signs of water damage on floors, ceilings, and the back of cabinets.
Benefield mentions, “By taking a few minutes to check and fix leaks, you can save up to 10 percent on your water bill.”
District customers can sign up for free leak alerts and be notified of potential problems. Sign up at stpud.watersmart.com.
To learn more about finding leaks and applying for leak rebates visit, stpud.us/fix-a-leak.
As we approach the one-month commemoration of the avalanche at Perry’s Peak on Feb. 17, the Truckee/Tahoe community continues to grieve deeply after what is to date the deadliest avalanche in modern California history.
Nine individuals — six women who were part of a friend group on a backcountry skiing trip, and three mountain guides (two men and one woman) — were killed by an avalanche during whiteout winter conditions. All were described as passionate and skilled backcountry skiers.
Many questions remain, the most significant of which centers on why a group of knowledgeable skiers elected to venture out at all, and to take the path they did during dangerous winter conditions and amid an active avalanche warning. While the event itself remains under investigation on a multitude of fronts, with the possibility of lawsuits, enough core information about what took place exists to create a timeline of events.
Moonshine Ink conducted numerous interviews, reviewed reports, and sorted through volumes of information to better understand what happened on that snowy Tuesday in mid-February.
Sunday, Feb. 15, to Monday, Feb. 16
In the days leading up to Sunday, Sierra Avalanche Center forecasters note weak snowpack structures and flag them as “a concern for future storm-loading events,” adding that such layers in the past have contributed to avalanches.
At 6:49 a.m. on Sunday, Feb. 15 — a few short hours before four Blackbird Mountain Guides are scheduled to meet the groups they will guide —the Sierra Avalanche Center issues its first backcountry avalanche watch since Dec. 25, 2025.
“A powerful multi-day winter storm arrives this evening,” notes the report. “Snowfall is forecast to begin tonight and continue for several days.”
THREE DAYS LATER: On Friday, Feb. 20, helicopter crews were finally cleared to fly over the site of the Feb. 17 avalanche. By the time of this photo, additional snow had covered up signs of the avalanche (upper middle of this shot) and its debris. Mitigation efforts to curtail additional avalanches had not yet been performed. Photo courtesy Sierra Avalanche Center
Blackbird itself also calls for vigilance. On a social media post the same day, Blackbird guide Jan Czyzewski and founder and guide Zeb Blais post an observation from Mount Rose near Incline Village, saying, “Pay close attention to @savycenter and use extra caution this week!” and referencing a buried, weak, faceted layer in northerly aspects. “This weak layer could lead to some unpredictable avalanches!” reads text on the video. “Typically we’d expect small amounts of faceting between big storms, but with a crust and extended dry period for the month of January into February, faceting has been a driving force in the snowpack.
“The result is a particularly weak layer in many northerly aspects, across various elevation bands. As we move into a large storm cycle this week, pay close attention to places where faceting has been particularly strong — avalanches could behave abnormally, and the hazard could last longer than normal.”
Blackbird’s day-one itinerary for Frog Lake huts trips is to meet at a trailhead off I-80 in the morning, venture to the huts, unpack, and tour the area. “After we’ve had our fill of riding for the day,” the trip-specific website states, “we’ll settle back into the huts and prepare for dinner.”
According to Strava data from Blackbird guide Niki Choo, one of two who guided the group of eight female friends, Choo’s group begins its tour from the Donner Summit SNO-Park. About 4 miles later, after slipping down into the Frog Lake basin via Frog Lake Notch (a steep gully beneath Perry’s Peak), they likely drop gear off at the huts before setting out for another 2.5 mile-loop around Perry’s Peak, back to the notch, and down to the huts.
The following morning, Feb. 16, Choo’s Strava data shows another tour, this one 5 miles long in the Horse Hill area northeast of Frog Lake. While Monday begins the start of a five-day snowstorm that will become the third-snowiest on record, only 2 inches fall on this day, according to OpenSnow.
Horrific conditions, just whiteout conditions. It’s a known area where we have a lot of search and rescue missions — that Castle Peak, Peter Grubb Hut, Frog Lake Hut area — so we train in that area; they knew the terrain. That doesn’t make it easier for them with the snow conditions and wind conditions. What was going through my mind is hopefully they can get there, to the six that were sheltering in place.”
~ Nevada County Sheriff Shannan Moon
Three modern huts are available for booking at Frog Lake, a circular, subalpine lake northwest of Donner Lake by about 3.5 miles, all owned and managed by Truckee Donner Land Trust. In total, 20 guests can sleep across the huts, each of which provides electrical outlets, flushing toilets, hot and cold water, gas stoves, and other amenities.
Serving as the communal space is the Eschenbach Backcountry House, providing a kitchen, fireplace, sitting areas, and map room for planning out recreation options. The Ginger Hut is a renovated summer cabin from before the land trust purchased the site, and is where “hutmeisters” stay to offer a mixture of hospitality and maintenance for guests.
TDLT staff said the majority of reservations are claimed months in advance, with any remaining spots filling in from there.
“[There are] closed periods in the spring and fall for maintenance, admin, and the general challenges of getting there in between [seasons],” said Greyson Howard, communications director for the land trust. “We’ve typically seen both summer and winter over 80% to over 90% occupancy.”
Various guide service options are available, though not required, to reach Frog Lake, particularly helpful for those with “concerns about safety or navigation in visiting the backcountry huts,” as stated on the land trust website, which also lists the following guide options (completely separate from land trust operations): North American Ski Training & Climbing, Alpenglow Expeditions, Alpine Skills International, Tahoe Mountain School, Blackbird Mountain Guides (which offers gear/food porter services), Backcountry Babes, and Dirt Gypsy Adventures (a trailhead shuttle).
Such guiding companies will make reservations for groups just like any guest would.
THE VIEW FROM THE NOTCH: Skier Miles Barker looks out over Frog Lake in December 2024. Routes into the area via trails from the north and northwest often result in skiers dropping down into what’s called Frog Lake Notch, the top of which is pictured here. Courtesy photo
Tuesday, Feb. 17
The Sierra Avalanche Center (SAC) is one of 14 Forest Service avalanche centers in the U.S.
Forecasting and potentially issuing avalanche watches and warnings starts with daily field work and monitoring the snowpack from the beginning of the winter to late April. SAC observers go out into the forecast area, which comprises 1,500 square miles in the greater Lake Tahoe area, from Yuba Pass on Highway 49 to the north to Ebbetts Pass on Highway 4 in the south. Forecasters observe the weather, the snowpack, and any other signs of instability in the snow.
Next, SAC takes the day’s observations, along with their expertise, and uses a tool called the Conceptional Model of Avalanche Hazard. The CMAH identifies the key components of avalanche hazard and structures them into a systematic, consistent workflow for hazard and risk assessments. There are four sequential questions to answer when assessing avalanche hazard:
What type of avalanche problem(s) exists?
Where are these problems located in the terrain?
How likely is it that an avalanche will occur? and
How big will the avalanche be?
“From that, we can figure out our avalanche problems and move from there to the North American Public Avalanche Danger Scale,” SAC lead forecaster Brandon Schwartz said.
The NAPADS is a system that rates avalanche danger and provides general travel advice based on the likelihood, size, and distribution of expected avalanches. It consists of five levels, from least to highest amount of danger: 1 (low), 2 (moderate), 3 (considerable), 4 (high), and 5 (extreme). Danger ratings are typically provided for three distinct elevation bands. Although the danger ratings are assigned numerical levels, the danger increases exponentially from one to the next. In other words, the hazard rises dramatically in the higher levels on the scale.
Also factored into SAC’s forecasting is the snowpack history of the season to date combined with what occurred at weather stations overnight, such as wind. SAC works closely with the National Weather Service in Reno. In the afternoon, avalanche forecasters meet to discuss the information gathered that morning and see what other observations come in over the course of the day.
“And then the following morning, the forecaster who was authoring the [forecast] is looking at what happened overnight on weather stations in terms of temperatures, winds, snowfall, looking at cloud cover,” Schwartz said. “And then looking at the day’s weather forecast from the National Weather Service, getting on the phone with them for any clarifying questions, potentially jumping into an online chat with other forecasters to get consensus about any last-minute variables that may be dependent upon the weather forecast, and then moving forward on authoring the day’s avalanche forecast.”
The forecasts are issued by 7 a.m. every morning.
Avalanche watches are issued first, in advance of anticipated storms. Warnings, meanwhile, are issued the same day as dangerous, extreme conditions are occurring or highly likely. Avalanche warnings are pushed out through the National Weather Service on high (4) and extreme (5) days because of its reach to the media, according to Schwartz. If a storm fizzles out or changes direction or intensity, the watch expires and no warning is issued.
“Then the cycle starts over again and we go back in the field, try and get information to verify the day’s forecast, and gather more information to move forward to the next 24-hour cycle,” Schwartz said.
6:29 a.m.
Early the morning of Tuesday, Feb. 17, SAC rates the avalanche danger a 4 at all three elevation levels (above, near, and below treeline). A critical warning, authored by Schwartz, is issued for the Tahoe/Truckee area:
“Travel in, near, or below avalanche terrain is not recommended today. A widespread natural avalanche cycle is expected over the next 24 hours. Large avalanches may run through treed areas. If attempting travel today in non-avalanche terrain, be certain that there are no steeper slopes connected to the terrain you are traveling, either above or to the side.”
An additional line in the avy report reads: “Anticipate that any organized rescue efforts may be significantly delayed or may not occur if you experience a mishap in the backcountry under these conditions.”
HUNKERED DOWN: The three huts available for rent opened for visitors in 2022, though the Truckee Donner Land Trust was considering the general concept of hut construction even before the June 2020 land purchase. Twenty guests total can sleep in the trio of buildings. Photo courtesy land trust
During winter, SAC’s daily avalanche report is available to Frog Lake guests. Some told the Ink the report is printed out and posted in the Eschenbach Backcountry House each morning, others said an iPad with internet access is available for guests’ use, and the report is accessible from there.
The Truckee Donner Land Trust lists three winter over-snow routes to reach the Frog Lake huts: from the Castle Peak and Johnson Canyon trailheads, and a Donner Summit Rest Area route. (Based on Choo’s Strava data, the group did not follow any of these trails exactly to reach the huts on day one, though the Donner Summit Rest Area route is closest in alignment.)
No route recommendations are provided to groups by hutmeisters.
At 7:30 a.m., California Highway Patrol – Truckee announces the closure of Interstate 80 to big rigs at Alta eastbound and Nevada stateline westbound. By 11:05 a.m., the freeway is completely closed “due to whiteout conditions and poor visibility.”
Checkout of the huts is by 10 a.m., though based on reporting by the New York Times, the 15 skiers — two touring groups combined into one for the departure — reach the ridge of Perry’s Peak, 500 feet above the huts, around 10 a.m.
“Guests are able to stay at the hut longer in the event of conditions preventing them from leaving,” the land trust shared in an email. “There is emergency food/water available.”
Jim Zellers — a pioneering big-mountain snowboarder and mountaineer who holds first snowboard descents of Mt. McKinley, Mt. Kenya, and New Zealand’s Mt. Cook, among others — has been based in Truckee/Tahoe for most of his adult life.
“I was out [Feb. 17] too,” Zellers said of a backcountry tour he and his wife, Bonnie, went on in Ward Canyon. “It was pretty much a whiteout, so if you were too far from your partner you couldn’t see them.”
He possesses vast backcountry experience in, and knowledge of, the Castle Peak area where the avalanche occurred. He has been to the Frog Lake huts “maybe 40 times,” both stopping in on day trips as well as for multiple-night stays.
“I’ve hiked up exactly where it took place,” he said of the avalanche site. He pointed out its unique and dangerous cross-loaded nature — the snow not exclusively accumulating directly over the ridge and vertically, but from side-to-side as well, adding pressure to the snowpack. “It was a few years ago, we skinned right across it. Bonnie and I got up there and we were like, ‘Whoa, this is a whole cross-loaded slope.’ It’s not super obvious from afar, but when you’re right there in it, you can definitely see it and feel it.”
Perry’s Peak is the 8,320-foot-tall peak overlooking the north-northwest side of Frog Lake. The name, not an official U.S. Department of Agriculture-recognized one, is an honorific to Perry Norris, former longtime executive director of the Truckee Donner Land Trust.
Zellers stated that he knows other skiers and riders who have also experienced what he and Bonnie felt that day on the slope, but that it has remained a relatively widely traveled exit path from the huts.
“I love going out that way,” he said. “It’s truly one of the more peaceful, beautiful ways going out.”
Roughly 11 a.m.
As of press deadline, it remains unknown what triggered the Perry’s Peak Avalanche, since ongoing snowfall after the event covered evidence.
What is known is that while the group is passing downslope of Perry’s Peak, close to the Red Dot Trail, the avalanche breaks loose — ending up the length of a football field and 6.5 feet deep, classified as a D2.5 soft-slab slide (a D3 avalanche is powerful enough to destroy a building).
Thirteen members of the 15-person party are caught in the slide, which descends 400 feet from the peak on a 38-degree slope. With terrain traps on the sides, all the snow is funneled into a very narrow area and condensed considerably into a depression, resulting in a debris field in a small box area of less than 30 by 30 feet.
According to New York Times interviews, one buried individual — Anton Auzans — digs himself out and he, along with the two not caught in the avalanche, including Jim Hamilton, unburies others, among them three alive.
Those under the snow have about a 47% chance of survival upon initial burial, according to the American Institute for Avalanche Research & Education. After 10 minutes completely buried, those odds drop significantly.
11:30:58 a.m.
The Times further reported that Auzans is the one who calls 911 dispatch to report the avalanche and that nine or 10 people remain buried.
From there, incident details obtained by Moonshine Ink show the steps taken to maintain communication with the party, coordinate additional responders, and home in on the exact location of the survivors for rescue.
Within five minutes of the 911 call, requests for assistance start rolling out to Cal Fire, Tahoe Nordic Search and Rescue, and Washoe County Sheriff’s Office. Forty-six personnel begin to respond immediately.
The Garmin emergency beacon belonging to one party member’s husband is activated and reported to Placer County Sheriff’s Office.
Between 12 and 1 p.m., incident command (IC) is established at the Alder Creek Adventure Center, about 4 miles away from the avalanche site as the crow flies. Boreal Mountain California (about 3 miles away) serves as the staging area.
“We staged at two areas because we deployed ski teams from two areas — both Alder Creek Adventure Center and Boreal,” shared Nevada County Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman Ashley Quadros in an email. “Reaching the survivors as soon as possible was the goal to prevent further loss of life. IC locations vary by incident and could be at a staging area or at a different location altogether depending on the circumstances at hand. Accessibility and available resources for IC are common factors.”
12:41 p.m.
The party of six survivors stays in contact with dispatch via call, text, and satellite phone. It’s about 20 minutes before 1 p.m. that the surviving guide, who serves as the main point of contact, informs 911 that they’ve moved away from the avalanche debris to a spot among trees.
Snow continues to fall heavily, with low visibility.
Victims are buried beneath between 5 and 8 feet of snow. Per the AIARE, a 6-foot deep burial requires moving at least 10,000 pounds of snow. The survivors also face the threat of another potential avalanche sweeping in from above.
Off the mountain, search and rescue teams are permitted by Caltrans to pass through traffic control on I-80.
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HEADING OUT: On Tuesday, Feb. 17, at about 3 p.m., search and rescue teams deployed from Boreal Mountain Ski Resort and Alder Creek Adventure Center, each a few miles away from the incident location. Their goal: to extract the six known survivors. A Sno-Cat team also launched from the adventure center. Photos courtesy Nevada County Sheriff’s Office
HEADING OUT: On Tuesday, Feb. 17, at about 3 p.m., search and rescue teams deployed from Boreal Mountain Ski Resort and Alder Creek Adventure Center, each a few miles away from the incident location. Their goal: to extract the six known survivors. A Sno-Cat team also launched from the adventure center. Photos courtesy Nevada County Sheriff’s Office
3 p.m.
The following is recorded on the incident’s event log by NCSO:
[Search and Rescue] teams are deploying from Boreal as well as from Alder Creek Adventure Center (editor’s note: a Sno-Cat team also launches from Alder Creek). [A unit] is in contact with iPhone emergency services as they are in good satellite text contact with one of the subjects in the field. Advised six subjects are accounted for out of the group. The six are remaining put, one subject advised he was coughing up blood, no other injuries reported.
The subjects advised they cannot pinpoint the location of where subjects are possibly buried due to snowfall.
The six subjects are in the trees at the base of the avalanche and possibly made a makeshift shelter with a yellow tarp.
Also part of this update is the arrival of two Blackbird Mountain Guides members at the incident command center. These two want to deploy into the field but are advised not to. “The guides deployed into the field anyway,” is noted in the log. Blackbird did not respond to Moonshine’s request for comment.
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ANNOTATED TRAGEDY: Photos and illustrations provided by the Sierra Avalanche Center show the likely start zone and debris field of the avalanche. Courtesy photos
ANNOTATED TRAGEDY: Photos and illustrations provided by the Sierra Avalanche Center show the likely start zone and debris field of the avalanche. Courtesy photos
5:36 p.m.
More than six hours after the avalanche, search and rescue makes contact with the survivors. The Sno-Cat team from Alder Creek advances 2 miles, then skis in the remainder of the way.
“Horrific conditions, just whiteout conditions,” Sheriff Moon describes. “It’s a known area where we have a lot of search and rescue missions — that Castle Peak, Peter Grubb Hut, Frog Lake hut area — so we train in that area; they knew the terrain. That doesn’t make it easier for them with the snow conditions and wind conditions. What was going through my mind is hopefully they can get there, to the six that were sheltering in place.”
First aid is administered, eight deceased individuals in total are accounted for, and the group is escorted out back to the Sno-Cat. Two of the six, explains Moon, are not mobile; they cannot walk because of their avalanche injuries. “We were able to safely get them the 2 miles from that location to the Sno-Cat and four others were able to get to the Sno-Cat themselves.”
A little before 11 p.m., Nevada County Sheriff’s Office reports the rescue of six avalanche survivors, and that two of the six have been transported to Tahoe Forest Hospital.
Estimated snowfall calculations for Tuesday at Castle Peak, per OpenSnow: 22 inches.
THE INCIDENT: Locations and routes taken by those involved in the avalanche at Perry’s Peak on Feb. 17. Alleged exit route is based on reporting by The New York Times. Information presented is to the best of our knowledge. Map courtesy Google Earth/illustrated by Lauren Shearer/Moonshine Ink
Wednesday, Feb. 18, to Thursday, Feb. 19
The six survivors have been rescued, but there is still more work to do for responders. They need to safely access the avalanche zone to recover the nine bodies of those killed in the slide — one of whom has not yet been located.
Adding to the complexities, several feet of additional snow have fallen since the avalanche occurred. Thus, the Nevada County Sheriff’s Office, lead agency on the incident, must evaluate the scene and ensure that the area is safe for searchers before sending them back out again. This includes avalanche mitigation.
“We have to reach people before we can help rescue people,” Moon says. “And those decisions are made on-scene by the folks that are going to be getting deployed and making sure they have the right equipment, the right training, and the confidence that they can reach the folks … Last night, I commend them for knowing that they had six people that had survived and they wanted to get there as soon as they could. They took some risks, clearly.
“Today, looking at it, the risk is still as high with the mission moving to a recovery; we want to really make sure that our first responders are safe.”
As of 6:52 a.m. Wednesday morning, the SAC’s avalanche warning remains in place, stating “increased uncertainty exists with ongoing reactivity of these buried weak layers under this large storm snow load. The potential continues for large to very large avalanches occurring in the backcountry today.”
Weather, too, remains a challenge. Placer County Sheriff Wayne Woo says, “Unfortunately we’re kind of at the will of Mother Nature at this point, and going to have to wait for hopefully a decent break in the weather and make sure we get every last soul off that mountain.”
Just after 8:30 a.m., Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is notified. When a workplace incident results in a death, or a serious event causes the hospitalization of three or more employees, an immediate, mandatory OSHA investigation is triggered.
At about 11 a.m., Sheriff Moon says Blackbird “has been very cooperative, providing us the individual information from their trip. They also had members arrive at our location when we deployed into the field and they responded with us. They wanted to do everything they could to assist.”
Multiple attempts to deploy helicopters to perform reconnaissance of the incident area, check for travel routes, and search for the remaining individual have failed.
The National Guard and California Highway Patrol are marked as “unable to fly.” Placer County Sheriff’s Office’s Falcon 30 “is unavailable.”
Initially, Care Flight Truckee plans to fly out two observers, but by 3:30 p.m., that reconnaissance is also delayed. Washoe County Sheriff’s Office: unable to fly.
“Due to hazardous weather conditions,” Quadros shares in a press release, “avalanche victims cannot be safely extracted off the mountain today.”
Circa 10 minutes to 4 p.m., the National Air Guard is established as accepting helicopter recon for Friday, Feb. 20.
Thursday morning, the U.S. Forest Service issues a closure on National Forest lands and trails near Castle Peak. The closure is planned through March 15 or until public safety measures are mitigated.
“Due to the current instability of the snowpack and need to prioritize first responder access to the area, members of the public are prohibited from entering the closure area during search and rescue operations,” the announcement says.
OSHA opens its investigation.
In the late afternoon on Thursday, families of six avalanche victims release a statement, which reads in part:
We have many unanswered questions, but here is what we know at this time: Eight close friends planned a professionally guided, two-night backcountry hut trip to Frog Lake huts outside Truckee, California. The trip had been organized well in advance. They were experienced backcountry skiers who deeply respected the mountains. They were trained and prepared for backcountry travel and trusted their professional guides on this trip. They were fully equipped with avalanche safety equipment.
~ From the families of Carrie Atkin, Liz Clabaugh, Danielle Keatley, Kate Morse, Caroline Sekar, Kate Vitt
That evening, Blackbird founder and local Zeb Blais releases a statement that all guides were either trained with American Mountain Guides Association or certified in backcountry skiing, and that each was an instructor with the American Institute for Avalanche Research and Education.
“In addition,” the release stated, “guides in the field are in communication with senior guides at our base, to discuss conditions and routing based upon conditions. There is still a lot that we’re learning about what happened. It’s too soon to draw conclusions, but investigations are underway.”
Friday, Feb. 20, to Saturday, Feb. 21
The UC Berkeley Central Sierra Snow Lab reports that from Feb. 16 to the morning of Friday, Feb. 20, a total of 111 inches of snow have fallen, making it the third-snowiest five-day period on record.
To ensure the safety of search and rescue teams recovering the remaining bodies, the sheriff’s office considers several methods for performing avalanche control leading up to Friday, including use of explosives, according to Quadros. The agency that answers the call in the required timeline is none other than California’s largest utility company.
“Ultimately, PG&E ended up being the quickest viable option,” Quadros wrote in an email.
DANGER ZONE: Avalanche mitigation operations on Feb. 20 were conducted in partnership with Pacific Gas & Electric, using two helicopters with Bambi Bucktes. Crews relied exclusively on water dumps to improve snow stability. Courtesy photo
Friday brings clear skies, meaning flights are a go. First, CHP and Care Flight conduct reconnaissance missions of the Castle Peak area above Frog Lake. On board the Care Flight helicopter are two ski patrollers: Chad Weiland, a Care Flight paramedic and Sugar Bowl patroller, and Ivan McGurk, a Palisades Tahoe patroller and volunteer with Nevada County Sheriff Search and Rescue. McGurk is also a member of the Care Flight Crew Card program, which authorizes specially trained personnel to be transported by Care Flight to incidents such as the Castle Peak avalanche.
The flight lasts about 20 minutes, from 11:19 a.m. to 11:40 a.m.
“We flew to the scene and assessed the slope for avalanche hazards,” Weiland said at the Feb. 20 NCSO press conference. “We circled Perry’s Peak several times and flew into the valley to survey the full avalanche path. The purpose of the flight was to provide aerial visibility of the terrain features and recommendations for appropriate avalanche mitigation.”
Weiland told Moonshine Ink that he and McGurk observed that the slide path was heavily wind loaded.
“We saw the primary avalanche path on that slope, it was north-northwest facing,” he said, explaining that the face gets a lot of wind scouring. “The wind loading was definitely more pronounced than I expected it to be on that slope.”
The Care Flight crew could not see the debris from the avalanche since it was in the trees and it had snowed more since the incident, nor could they see the crown at the top. But Weiland said he was surprised that the avalanche path appeared smaller than he expected it to be.
“It’s a well-known avalanche path, but it’s relatively small,” he said. “It connects to other potential avalanche paths, sort of skiers’ right of that path. The size of the path … almost was undersized for the incident, is how it felt to me.”
Close to 3 p.m., NCSO alerts the public that avalanche mitigation is beginning.
After the recon information is relayed to PG&E, the company flies two of its helicopters — a UH60 Black Hawk and a Bell 407 — from its base at the Red Bluff Airport 36 miles south of Redding to Truckee. The helicopters conduct an overview of the scene before starting PG&E’s unique form of avalanche control — rather than explosives, using buckets of water.
The Black Hawk helicopter is equipped with a 150-foot-long line attached to a Bambi Bucket, which is used to pick up 660 gallons of water from a small, nearby lake that isn’t frozen for a series of seven water drops, resulting in a total of 4,600 gallons of water.
A Bambi Bucket is a lightweight, collapsible, helicopter-slung device used for aerial firefighting, capable of carrying anywhere from 72 to over 2,600 gallons of water.
While these water drops are routinely implemented to fight fires, since 2023 PG&E has also used them for avalanche control at its Helms Pumped Storage Facility located at 8,100 feet in the Sierra National Forest above Fresno.
“Our goal was making the area safe for the search and rescue teams to go in and recover the victims,” said Pete Anderson, PG&E senior manager of helicopter operations, in a press release.
Anderson, who has been with PG&E for 29 years, described this as his proudest moment at the company.
“We played a small part in helping these people get back with their families,” he said.
Using water drops for avalanche mitigation is rare.
“This was the first I’d ever heard of it being used,” said Weiland, a seven-year ski patroller. “It’s really creative, but it’s sort of an unstudied mitigation technique.”
SAC reports that no additional avalanches are triggered by the water drops, making it safe for rescuers to enter the area and retrieve the bodies.
Five of the nine deceased individuals are recovered, and the last body is located.
Nevada County Sheriff’s Office announces its launch of an investigation into whether there is criminal negligence involved with the event.
The following day, Saturday, Feb. 21, the National Guard and CHP recover the last four bodies through a combination of aerial operations and snowcats driven to Frog Lake. The multi-day search-and-rescue effort concludes at 10:58 a.m.
The nine deceased individuals are identified and their information is released to the public:
Andrew Alissandratos (34) of Verdi, Nev.
Carrie Atkin (46) of Soda Springs
Nicole (Niki) Choo (42) of South Lake Tahoe
Lizabeth (Liz) Clabaugh (52) of Boise, Idaho
Michael Henry (30) of Soda Springs
Danielle Keatley (44) of Soda Springs and Larkspur, Calif.
Kate Morse (45) of Soda Springs and Tiburon, Calif.
Caroline Sekar (45) of Soda Springs and San Francisco
Katherine Vitt (43) of Greenbrae, Calif.
Alissandratos, Choo, and Henry were Blackbird Mountain Guides.
The agencies involved with response, rescue, and avalanche mitigation were: Nevada County Sheriff’s Office; Nevada County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue; Placer County Sheriff’s Office; Tahoe Nordic Search and Rescue; Washoe County Sheriff’s Office; Washoe County Search and Rescue; California’s Governor’s Office of Emergency Services; California Highway Patrol Air Operations; Care Flight Truckee, a service of REMSA Health; Pacific Gas & Electric; United States Forest Service; California State Parks; Truckee Fire; OpenSnow; Tahoe Donner’s Alder Creek Adventure Center; Boreal Mountain Ski Resort; Truckee Tahoe Airport; Town of Truckee; Truckee Police Department; Truckee Donner Land Trust; and California National Guard.
IN REMEMBRANCE: Roughly 500 people showed up the evening of Sunday, Feb. 22, to a vigil in downtown Truckee to commemorate the avalanche victims. Photo by Ted Coakley III/Moonshine Ink
Sunday, Feb. 22
A vigil, hosted by the Town of Truckee, is held Sunday evening at 6 p.m. at the eagle statue in Downtown Truckee to commemorate those lost in the avalanche. An estimated 500 people attend.
Monday, Feb. 23
The U.S. Forest Service lifts its closure on all Tahoe National Forest lands and trails in the Castle Peak area.
Friday, Feb. 27
SAC forecasters and search and rescue teams return to the avalanche site. SAR members dig out the victims’ remaining equipment — mostly skis and poles — while the forecasters gather additional data on the terrain.
Ongoing (as of press deadline)
SAC continues to work on the incident report, which will document the details of what the forecasters have named as the Perry’s Peak Avalanche, including contributing factors to the event.
Blackbird Mountain Guides issue a sorrowful statement on the loss of its three guides, and stated it is not accepting new reservations at this time.
The incident remains under investigation through the Nevada County Sheriff’s Office, as well as by OSHA — limiting many individuals in speaking with Moonshine Ink.
“We are looking to determine if there were any factors that would be considered criminal negligence,” Quadros wrote. “It is too early to know if criminal charges will be applicable, as the investigation is preliminary and remains active and ongoing.”
This winter was a wake-up call for me. The unseasonably warm temperatures that became ubiquitous with every weather report, the fall weather that dragged into the end of December, and rain instead of snow all led me to an uncomfortable realization — climate change is here. Now I find myself grappling with the reality of our changing climate as both a ski industry professional and an environmental journalist. I am beginning to find these markedly separate careers colliding in ways I hoped they never would.
In 2023, when I first began my foray into journalism and transitioned from full-time ski patroller to full-time student and part-time patroller, I wrote an article for a science reporting class at UNR on a study published in the scientific journal Climate Dynamics. My article was titled Must Go Higher: New Study Predicts Warmer Winters and Higher Snowlines for the Tahoe Basin. I thought the portrait of a Tahoe that was impacted by climate change was still in a very far-off future. I was wrong.
When I found more dirt than snow this past December and opted for hiking and biking in place of skiing, I couldn’t help but think back to the lines I wrote just a few seasons ago:
“A study tracked the snowpack in the Sierra over the past 70 years and found a stark rise in snowlines … Under unabated climate change conditions, the Sierrawill lose approximately 57 percent of their snowpack in the second half of the 21st century.
“Most of this snow loss is predicted to happen during the shoulder seasons of fall and spring, and at mid-elevations. Not only would the ski season window shrink, but so will the area of skiable terrain as snow becomes relegated to the highest and coldest of elevations and the chilliest of months.”
This fall, I kept waiting for that feeling of a cold breeze on my face or a frosty morning with the delicious crunch of frozen earth underfoot to tell me winter was on the horizon. When halfway through December the mountains were still mostly bare and instead of snow I had fresh strawberries in my garden in Carson City and confused irises sprouting out of the earth, I began to officially freak out.
A small bit of solace came from scientist Benjamin Hatchett of Colorado State University. He reminded me that recency and confirmation biases can play a large part in our perception and that unless I had specific long-term data surrounding said strawberry harvest, it could have some aspects of natural variability entwined in it, alongside climate change.
One piece of relief came when I asked him about the long dry spells we had earlier this season. He had run the numbers.
“So, I just took the longest dry spell period of each winter and then you see if there’s a long-term trend there. And, so, we don’t see a signal for the dry spells getting longer with time, which is good. There is a lot of variability, which is not surprising,” Hatchett said.
GOT DIRT? Dirt patches dot the southeast-side face of a peak in the Tahoe National Forest this winter.
Although that high pressure system may have turned out to just be a dry spell, it did also serve as a potential dry run for what we may see under a warmer, less snowy future.
“We should learn from what happened in these low snow years because that’s what we expect to see more of,” said Hatchett. “So, how do we manage that in different ways? How do we try to ski what you can? And use the water more wisely?”
Whether a dry spell is a dry run for the future or not, this winter’s warm start gave many of us a run for our money, literally. Seasonal workers can relate to the anxiety of a shoulder season that drags on. As a seasonal employee, you rely on stacking cash in the peak summer months to squeak through the lean season into winter where the promise of work awaits come November.
But halfway through December this year, most mountains were only operating at a fraction of their footprint, if at all. The high season was around the corner, but we were missing a very important element — snow. For many, it was either get another job, dig into savings — if there are any — or fill out unemployment paperwork.
This loss of revenue is costing the economy millions: around $252 million annually to be exact, according to the 2024 article How Climate Change Is Damaging the US Ski Industry. The piece, published in the peer-reviewed journal Current Issues in Tourism, found that by the 2050s, ski seasons are projected to shorten between 27 to 62 days under unabated climate change, resulting in a loss of over a billion dollars annually. This is for the industry as a whole, but I fear what the local implications will be.
A FINE LINE: Much of the area’s terrain is at mid-elevations.
I return to my words from seasons ago:
“Much of the Tahoe Basin’s skiable terrain is at mid elevations, but it is these precise elevations that are now hanging in a delicate balance, dancing a fine line between above and below freezing temperatures.
“The Central Sierra snow line currently sits at an average between 7,380 – 8,200 feet above sea level during the peak snow season. In the second half of the century, that number is projected to rise to between 8,690 and 9,020 feet.
“This spells trouble for the Basin, as the majority of Lake Tahoe’s skiable terrain is between lake level at 6,225 feet and around 9,000 feet.”
Put simply, we are going to run out of mountain.
Andrew Schwartz, director of the UC Berkeley Central Sierra Snow Laboratory and Protect Our Winters science alliance member, already sees the writing in the snowpack.
“We are starting to see our winter precipitation switch to more rain than snow,” Schwartz said. “We see the shoulder season — months like October, November, May, April — those are transitioning really quickly. Even December is moving very quickly towards a rain-dominated month. And those signals are from the 1970s forward. They’re also accelerating.”
It’s not just scientists who are witnessing this but many other ski and snow professionals. Brennan Lagasse, a professional ski guide with decades of experience in the Sierra and a sustainability professor at the University of Nevada, Reno at Lake Tahoe, said: “You’re losing quite a bit of skiing from lake-level up right now. In Lake Tahoe, a great but sad example is Homewood … Homewood skis right down to lake level. Over the past few years… we’re getting much more rain on snow events than we have in the past.”
The probable future of snow in the region is laid out in stark detail in the 2021 scientific paper A Low-To-No Snow Future and Its Impacts on Water Resources in the Western United States, published in Nature. And for someone who loves and relies on snow for enjoyment and employment, the future is pretty damn bleak.
The paper stated that the onset of low-to-no-snow seasons will occur in the 2060s for most basins in the American West, but in California this will appear in the late 2040s. And under unabated climate change, or business as usual conditions, we have between 35 and 60 years before low-to-no snow becomes persistent across the West. In addition, the article found that in the Cascades and the Sierra Nevada, around 45% of losses are expected by 2050.
In other words, unless drastic reduction in emissions happens, and fast, our snowpack is f*cked.
The authors did caution that the exact time frame of the emergence of these low-to-no-snow conditions is highly variable based on the models used. Regardless, the question is no longer if but when.
“Realistically speaking in the West, we’re kind of at a tipping point. We’ve seen climate change impact our winters. We’ve seen that start to accelerate,” Schwartz said. “Around 2025 to 2035 is when this is going to really shift how our winters look in California and the Western U.S.”
He added that although there is not necessarily an average year, especially with the boom-and-bust nature of the Sierra Nevada snow patterns, that as climate change progresses there will be even larger variability.
“It’s not to say that we won’t get snow, but it’s going to be kind of punctuated by bigger periods of rain and warmer temperatures,” Schwartz explained. “I think this year’s a really good analog for what we’re going to see more of in the future before we transition to being rain-dominated towards the end of the century.”
Having the understanding I do of snow and how resorts function through my experience as a patroller both within the Tahoe Basin and internationally, to say I am concerned is an understatement. I don’t think people realize how quickly this is barreling toward us. I know I didn’t.
“I always tell people, if you want to know what is to be expected for the future of winter, look at what all the ski resorts are doing, and they’re all installing mountain bike trails,” Schwartz said.
The Tahoe Basin is changing. Our snowpack is changing.
EARLY SPRING: Thin snow cover is seen above Donner Lake and along highway 80 in early February. Photo courtesy Kat Fulwider
Perhaps it is apropos that when I wrote that initial article, it too marked a transition in my career from the ski world to journalism. Just a couple of seasons ago, the impacts of climate change seemed far away. Somehow it feels closer now. I knew I would always worry for the next generation’s future, but it’s happening before our eyes. And this season it hit me, and now I worry about not only my future, but that of my friends and my colleagues, and for our careers.
Now as I revisit this original article again, likely with many more climactic and personal transformations looming on the horizon, I am discovering yet another newfound perspective. Among all this worry and fear, there also lives an inextinguishable spark of hope, of joy for the sport in whatever form it takes. And even as the future warms, this spark is stoking a fire in me to get after it, and to ski ’em while I got ’em.
A stacked astrological deck greets us March 12 in the ephemeral, dreamy, mutable waters of Pisces — as Mars, the north node, Mercury retrograde, and the sun are all now moving through it. Aries, Pisces’ neighboring and fiercely initiating cardinal fire sign, holds a lineup of Neptune, Saturn, Venus, and Chiron. With most planets in their two territories, these powerful and fundamentally different archetypes will shape the astral tides of this season. You may feel pulled to meditate, dream, and commune with universal truths one day while sensing an urgent desire to act, to initiate, and to take charge the next day.
March 18 brings a sweet, creative new moon in Pisces. Mercury remains retrograde in Pisces until March 20, the very day the sun enters Aries to mark the spring equinox. The following day, the sun joins with Neptune — amplifying imagination, vision, and the collective consciousness. Inspiration will run high, but clarity will require discernment, both personally and in the world at large.
On March 24 the sun meets Saturn, the planet of responsibility and structure. This might feel like a “testing energy,” with extra effort being required to both keep your cool and maintain forward progress. A beautiful full moon in the Venus-ruled sign of Libra invites balance, beauty, and harmony on April. 1.
NATURAL MAGIC
The ancient Celtic name for the spring equinox is Ostara, and it is a beautiful time to plant seeds while naming intentions for the coming cycles of your life. On the morning of March 20, gather seeds, soil, containers, a small bowl of water along with paper (divided into small pieces), and a pen.
Write out at least four qualities that you wish to cultivate, such as peace, love, connection, and/or prosperity. Place the pieces of paper in the bottom of your container and gently layer soil on top of them. Hold one seed at your heart for each intention and, as you plant them one by one, name the energy you are planting. Press the seeds into the soil, and water them in. As you pour the water, recite aloud, “As these plants grow from soil, so do my intentions manifest in my life.”
Under the Libra full moon on April 1, light a white or pink candle. Write one relationship pattern you are ready to release and one pattern within yourself you wish to strengthen. Offer gratitude for the opportunity to grow and to be of greater service to those you love — and then burn the paper.
Feed your cult fascination with Chasing Nirvana by Priya Hutner
Priya Hutner first hinted to me about her book-to-be back in October 2024, at the inaugural Tahoe Literary Festival. It was a quick pitch, but boy, was it effective: “I was in a cult, and I’m writing a book about it.”
What a lead-in, right?
Hutner’s Chasing Nirvana: A Seeker’s Story of Love, Loss, and Liberation hit shelves March 3. In it, she shares her experience from the age of 14 to 47 as a member of the Kashi Ashram, an interfaith community with ties to Hinduism and Buddhism that is, as Hutner states, a cult (and still exists today).
“What fascinates people about cults? I think for many of them, it’s out of their reality,” Hutner said. “It’s out of their norm; ‘I would never be in a cult.’ And I would say, everyone’s in a cult of some sort, because it’s about your inherent beliefs … I thought I was helping humanity. I wanted to be enlightened.”
Chasing Nirvana comes from journals Hutner kept during her time, working her way up from a cook to the CEO, in which she became the “worldly” connection to ashram leader Ma Jaya Sati Bhagavati (“Ma”).
“When you think about cults in general, you think about control,” Hutner said. “There is an element of control. There’s rules that we have to follow. For me, you were controlled through your diet. You were controlled through your clothing, and you were controlled through sex because we were celibate teaching.”
Hutner added readers might especially enjoy chapter 20 — “That’s where we had a dead body in an RV in the back of the woods and hundreds of people chanting around it. And the sheriff shows up.” Or the chapter where Ma exorcised a woman, or the one with Hutner’s dream (featuring rapper Eminem) that made her realize she needed to get out.
Overall, the book is, in Hutner’s words, a “spiritual adventure story” and a cautionary tale of how humans become hooked.
What is something you hope readers will take away from your book?
“Question everything. Really deeply question everything, including your own beliefs.” ~
Winter in the High Sierra by Robert Brighton: A cold-out-there-but-
warm-in-here escape into locally-based historical fiction
People enjoy reading fiction because it’s an escape, right? What if that escape came in the form of a massive snowstorm in November 1899 that leaves broken-hearted belle Louisa MacGregor stranded?
Enter rugged but respectful mountain man “Bandit” and his loyal pup, Mutt, to provide Louisa shelter and company until the deadliest winter in 50 years is over. What stems from there is a mutual awe for nature, the ability to process grief and heartache, and a seed of trust that unexpectedly thrives.
Winter in the High Sierra gives a taste of life in our very mountains nearly 130 years ago and shows that a love for these mountains transcends many trials. Think clean romance, immersive settings, and, of course, a love for dogs.
The book has reached Amazon #1 Bestseller status, as well as many accolades from seasoned reviewers. Brighton himself is a long-time historical fiction author, and you can bet he knows his stuff about life and language in the late 19th/early 20th centuries.
As the San Francisco Book Review put it, “Robert Brighton’s Winter in the High Sierra is a beautifully rendered historical romance that immerses readers in the rugged, snowbound wilderness of 1900. With lyrical prose and meticulous historical detail, Brighton crafts a compelling tale of survival, redemption, and unexpected love. This is a thoughtful, deeply human story that lingers long after the final page.”
What is something you hope readers will take away from your book?
“I might say that the message … is encapsulated in my little preface to the book:
‘Whether in the trackless wilderness of the High Sierra, or in the sometimes-bewildering depths of our own hearts and minds, I believe that — while we may wander for quite a while — we are never truly lost, unless and until we give up.’
That message of resilience in the face of hardship — human or natural — rings throughout the book.”
Looking for a day or two of basking in creative literary works from talented folks (for free)?
The second annual Truckee Literary Crawl happens next month throughout downtown Truckee. From fiction to poetry to book lovers of all genres, hundreds will trickle in and out of such venues as galleries, pubs, and theaters to hear more than 40 local and visiting writers read their works aloud. Saturday evening will cap off with an open mic showcase.
The Lit Crawl serves as the springtime companion to the Tahoe Literary Festival, the third annual of which will be held this Oct. 9 and 10 in Tahoe City.
“I think the most important thing for me, personally, is, yeah, you want your keynote, you want to have a draw, [but] I want to shine the light on emerging authors,” co-founder Priya Hutner said. “The publishing industry — they want their money. They want to do celebrity. I understand that. Some people have gotten picked out of a slush pile, but it’s so hard. That’s how the Truckee Lit Crawl got born from this festival. I’m like, well, let’s just crawl around and have people read their stuff and let’s have it be free.”
A necessity with celebrating such arts is finding funding for them. Hutner says she and fellow co-founder Katherine Hill are constantly on the lookout for additional funding opportunities. “All of the arts are suffering because of our current administration,” she said, referring to such actions under the Trump Administration as canceling and terminating National Endowment for the Arts grants. “But, we have a lot of money in this community. How do we find that?”
To learn more, attend, donate, or volunteer at the Lit Crawl, click here.
(Pssst — Alex, the writer of this column, will be reading one of her own recently published short stories at this event!)
Tragedy has a way of drawing attention far beyond the place where it happened. And when the cameras arrive, journalism is forced to confront one of its hardest questions.
In the days following the Castle Peak avalanche, national media descended on Truckee, some of them knocking on doors, cold-calling businesses in search of anyone connected to the victims, and even stopping search and rescue volunteers as they headed out to do critical, dangerous work.
Yes, journalism plays a vital role in keeping the public informed, especially during moments of crisis. But when a community is grieving, the question becomes unavoidable: Where is the line between reporting the news and exploiting the pain around it?
It’s not an easy question to answer.
From the journalistic side, our responsibility is to help the public understand events that affect the community. When official channels fall silent or communication is limited, reporters must reach out to other sources to piece together what happened and report accurately.
The public deserves to know what happened with the avalanche, why it happened, and how similar tragedies might be prevented. Transparency rarely arrives on its own; journalism exists in part to insist on it. When authorities cite ongoing “investigations” or “potential litigation” as reasons they can’t comment, those realities do not erase the public’s need for information.
At the same time, tragedies like the avalanche near Perry’s Peak carry a crushing emotional toll. Journalists must remember that behind every headline are families, rescuers, and neighbors trying to process unimaginable loss. A community like ours is shaken to its core. The responsibility of journalism is not only to seek the truth, but to do so with care for the human beings living inside the story.
HEARTACHE: The collective grief of the community is still palpable and will certainly ripple out for years to come. Photos by Ted Coakley/Moonshine Ink
We saw this tension four years ago when young Truckee resident Kiely Rodni went missing one summer night. Speculation spread quickly across social media while television crews flooded the region as the community held its breath. After two long weeks, Kiely and her car were found at the bottom of Prosser Reservoir. When her family later hosted a celebration of life, Kiely’s mother asked that the media respect the privacy of attendees — many of them teenagers like Kiely. Moonshine Ink was invited. It was a quiet reminder that trust within a community matters.
To many here in Tahoe/Truckee, some of the recent national coverage felt intrusive — even predatory — as reporters chased every lead in the race to be first.
And yet some of those efforts revealed critical pieces of the Castle Peak avalanche story. The New York Times’ detailed account from two survivors deepened the public’s understanding of what happened that day. Without that persistence, those details might still be unknown. Was the aggressive reporting worth it? That is a question each of us must answer for ourselves.
History reminds us that grief and understanding unfold on different timelines. Survivors of the avalanche at Alpine Meadows in 1982 did not speak publicly for decades; some only felt ready when the documentary Buried revisited the tragedy nearly 40 years later. Even then, the pain was palpable — avalanche forecaster Jim Plehn, who worked at Alpine in 1982, can be seen in the 2021 film still carrying the weight of that day.
Some stories take years before those closest to them are ready to tell them.
In the case of the Castle Peak avalanche, speculation spread across the world almost immediately. Even while cautioned against conjecture, people continue to ask the same questions: “What happened? Why?” and share opinions and rumors.
It’s part of being human. It’s part of remembering those we lost. And it’s part of trying to learn from tragedy so that we can do better next time.
Truth be told, we may never fully answer every question.
After the Alpine Meadows avalanche, litigation followed. Three years later, a jury in Auburn heard sharply divided testimony from avalanche experts about whether the disaster could have been predicted — a reminder that courts also struggle to resolve the uncertainties of mountain hazards. In the end, the jury found for the defense.
There is another truth that we often overlook: it is humans who bring the drama. The mountains simply do what they have always done. Snow accumulates and releases. Wind scours ridges. Trees sway. Granite slowly erodes over millennia.
In a fraught democracy, we need all forms of journalism — national outlets and small independent papers alike. Each plays a role in the broader information ecosystem. The difference for local journalists, however, is that we live in the communities we cover. The people in the story are also our neighbors.
As we reflect on the tragedy of Feb. 17, we hold two truths at once: the need for clarity and the need for dignity for those who suffer. Our commitment is to pursue the facts while honoring the humanity of the people living through them — telling the full story without losing sight of the community at its heart. In the end, journalism should illuminate the truth, not deepen the wounds.
There’s a group of snowboarders led by local ex-pros in their 40s and 50s — and they’re still making films. Or rather, even though they’re past their athletic prime and the big paychecks stopped coming in over 20 years ago, they are making films again.
Started by Blaise Rosenthal and Chad Otterstrom, the group rides as Midlife Crisis (MLC), and they shot their first full-length film, Fast Forward, last winter. Per the organization’s website, theirs is “a movement that aims to extend the shelf life of every shredder out there, and a philosophy that says no matter what generation you’re from, you belong.”
“It’s all about community and about getting people out snowboarding,” Rosenthal said.
MLC is out to spread the stoke of making turns all through life. Rosenthal, now 52, grew up in the foothills, found great passion for snowboarding early on and moved to the mountains at his first opportunity.
“It was kind of natural; if you wanted to push snowboarding, you moved to North Lake Tahoe,” he said.
GETTING THEIR SHOT: Mike Burton existing in a frictionless world. Photo by Clay Green
He pushed it hard and got good and became a pro. In the ’90s and 2000s, Rosenthal enjoyed a prolific riding career, with seminal segments in films like Stomping Ground and Simple Pleasures by Mack Dawg Productions and The Revival and Destroyer from Kingpin Productions — but noted that after a while, as he grew older in a young person’s sport, the “industry burned him out.”
When the paychecks stopped coming, he moved to Santa Cruz and didn’t snowboard at all for a few years. “It felt like you were losing the thing you cared about most by aging out,” he said. “It was kind of just easier not to be around it.”
Rosenthal returned to Tahoe/Truckee a few years ago and started snowboarding again, once more finding the ability to have fun in the sport he loved. “Now I snowboard every day,” he said. “And I feel like I’m snowboarding better every day. I’m more open minded, the data base is bigger, and the ability to collect and process more information is better.”
There is still little to no holding back when we ride. It’s just more calculated and thought-out. Not much room for error these days.”
~ Mike Burton
MLC’s Fast Forward is an old-school-style snowboard film shot in Tahoe and throughout the Sierra, the Mountain West, and Japan. It is a park and big-mountain-pow focused film with a soundtrack ranging from rap to Paul Simon that features some hilarious antics and lots of seriously skilled riding. The snowboarders did let all-time skiing great Tanner Hall join in some segments, but the film is snowboard-led, to say the least, and features middle-aged human beings going big and getting after it.
In fact, if you skipped the movie’s opening scene in which the riders humorously chop it up about how old they are, you probably wouldn’t think you were watching athletes in their 40s and 50s.
TWO MIDLIFE CRISIS snowboarders showing us how life can be circular and that there’s no one way to ride it. Photo by Mike Burton
The group has been filming all winter for its second full-length movie. “Oh yeah, were making another film this year,” Rosenthal said enthusiastically. “We don’t have a title for it yet, but we have new riders we’re bringing in. I just tend to reach out to people [of my era] and be like, ‘hey, let’s do a video part.’ [Our films] are a reflection of the time period we grew up in.”
The behind-the-camera work is a shared team effort, and riders have been eager to accept Rosenthal’s invitations.
SNOWSPRAY: Blaise Rosenthal carving his signature and finding joy on snow in his 50s. Photo by Mike Burton
One such Midlife Crisis snowboarder is Mike Burton, who’s on-screen stoke in Fast Forward is palpable. “Snowboarding brings me so much joy,” he said. “It’s an instant escape from your everyday life. As soon as you strap it in, all goes out the window, and you are in the present moment.”
He credits staying active over the past 30-plus years in snowboarding as a key factor in keeping him young at heart.
“There is still little to no holding back when we ride. It’s just more calculated and thought-out. Not much room for error these days,” he joked.
MLC also sells merch, hoodies, and T-shirts, and Rosenthal puts on snowboard camps both locally and around the world.
The riders spoke about how snowboarding has allowed them to meet and interact with so many people and places in their life. MLC is about not quitting something that you love to do just because you’re getting older.
Rosenthal summed it up this way. “I mean, if you told me when I was 25 that I would still be snowboarding at 52 and doing some of the same tricks — and be better at some of them — I’d be like, ‘that’s pretty cool.’”
~ To learn more about MLC’s projects, to watch Fast Forward, or to check out the merchandise or other content, visit midlifecrisissnow.com.
As we move through winter, the Lake Tahoe real estate market continues to reflect steady buyer demand, though performance varied by region. In February, sales volume increased 30% in the Incline Village MLS, while the Tahoe Sierra MLS experienced a 17% decline. Compared to February 2025, active inventory remains limited across most markets, and days on market declined in Nevada, reinforcing ongoing buyer strength. Median sales prices decreased year over year in the Tahoe Sierra MLS and Lake Tahoe Basin, while Incline Village saw a notable rise in median price, driven by several high-end sales.
For those living in the Tahoe region, public land is not an afterthought; it is our backyard. Those of us who spend time skiing, biking, climbing, or hiking in the national forest or state park lands of Tahoe understand the importance of public land. But the importance goes far beyond the enhancement of outdoor recreation. Public land is integral to our environment — from the health of the water that feeds the lake to the health of the forests that surround our homes. Public land is also existential to our own existence and the existence of the thousands of species that live here. This is because public lands hold the last remaining intact ecosystems in the Tahoe region, as well as in the entire United States.
An intact ecosystem is a web of interconnected biodiversity, every species providing an important service to another. In Tahoe, our healthy forests have multiple aged and diverse tree species and understory species where native flora and fauna can find habitat and enough sustenance to survive and thrive. Healthy forests do many critical things far better than unhealthy forests: provide clean water, clean air, nutrient-rich soil, sequester carbon, prevent catastrophic wildfire, and provide habitat for endangered species. Healthy forests communicate and share essential nutrients, such as nitrogen, through vast underground mycelial networks between individual trees. These connections keep the entire forest healthy and able to execute its essential functions.
Consider, for example, that healthy forests prevent erosion by locking soil within their roots. This soil is fertilized by the decaying material of thousands of different species, providing a nutrient-rich, healthy topsoil upon which the beginning of all life grows. The air in healthy, tall forests is significantly cooler, being shaded by tall trees and lush undergrowth, limiting evaporation and holding water within the soil. This water seeps into creek systems that deliver clean, cool water essential to salmon as well as to the farmers in the Central Valley. Old growth forests are harder to burn. Talk to anyone who has fought a wildfire in California and they will tell you what a relief it is for a fire to run up against an old growth/mature forest. Put simply, intact and healthy ecosystems provide us with food, water, air, and prevent us from burning to the ground. They are our lifeblood.
It is no secret that Tahoe’s ecosystems face many threats. For instance, industrial mismanagement practices used on private forest land such as unregulated clear-cutting, livestock grazing, and pesticide use fragment what healthy land exists in our national forests, although there is perhaps no greater threat than the federal government’s vicious attack on public lands. Most alarmingly, the federal government is ending a pivotal administrative rule that has protected areas of the Tahoe National Forest, as well as millions of acres in national forests across the country, by preventing logging, road building, mining, and drilling on undeveloped national forest lands. The Roadless Rule is expected to be rescinded later this year.
Here in Tahoe and elsewhere, we are at an inflection point where the abandonment of our precious public lands through development, commercialization, privatization, mismanagement, and disregard could well lead to the collapse of vital and irreplaceable regional ecosystems. We cannot afford to further compromise the health of our land. I urge each of us to relentlessly advocate for public land and a holistic approach to public land management, which makes ecosystem preservation the highest priority. Call allyour elected representatives and support local grassroots organizations protesting development and working to restore our local ecosystems. It’s now or, quite possibly, never.
~ Nicolas Bakken-French is an environmental researcher and glaciologist who directs field studies at the Oregon Glaciers Institute. He lives in Tahoe, where he works as a ski guide and avalanche educator in Alaska, then he migrates back to the Pacific Northwest and Northern California to conduct field studies in the summer. You can learn more about his work at nicolasbakkenfrenchphotography.com.
