California State Parks, Nevada Division of Forestry and U.S Forest Service may continue prescribed fire operations beginning March 7, weather permitting.

On the East Shore, operations may take place near Camp Galilee, Spooner Summit and Sand Harbor. On the South Shore, operations may take place near Spring Creek, Panther Road, and Lake Tahoe Boulevard near Sawmill Road. On the North and West shores, operations may take place in Burton Creek, Sugar Pine Point, D.L. Bliss and Emerald Bay state parks.  To view a map with project locations and details, go online.

Residual smoke may be seen in locations where operations have taken place over the last several weeks.

To receive prescribed fire notifications, send an email to pa_ltbmu@fs.fed.us.

By Hugo Martin, Los Angeles Times
 
Peter Smith is dreaming of a white Independence Day.

The longtime ski junkie from Claremont knows that the El Niño weather pattern has yet to put a significant dent in the state’s drought, but a series of storms over the last few months has him fantasizing about a monster ski season that can stretch deep into summer.

If big snow dumps continue through spring, Smith said, his ski club could schedule an extra trip to Mammoth Mountain for the Fourth of July weekend.

Thanks to well-timed storms blanketing California peaks this winter, ski resort operators in the state say lift ticket sales have increased as much as 50 percent compared with the last few years, a feat that they attribute to pent-up demand among snow fans who have had to suffer through a four-year drought.

The season could even stretch for two or three more months if Mother Nature cooperates.

Read the whole story

By USSA

VAIL – Americans Shaun White (Carlsbad) and Chloe Kim (La Palma) won the top spots in halfpipe on Saturday at the 35th edition of the Burton U.S. Open.

Kim continued her dominating season with a run that featured the back-to-back 1080 combination she first put down at the Park City Grand Prix in February, becoming the first woman to do so. At just 15 years of age, Kim became the youngest athlete to win the U.S. Open since Janna Meyen-Weatherby (Bend, Ore.) did so 25 years ago at the age of 14.

In qualifying, Kim had tough fall where she hit her face on the edge of the halfpipe. “It’s an insane feeling. I just cannot believe it at all,” Kim said of her win. “I didn’t even know if I was going to come out here today—I was super sore when I (got hurt) so I’m just stoked that I was able to come back out and put down a good run.”

Four-time Olympian Kelly Clark (West Dover, Vt.) was able to put down a superb run for a third-place podium finish, despite struggling with an injury. “Today was a really tough day for me,” said Clark, who has eight U.S. Open titles. “I’m really thankful that I was able to put a run down; I’ve been dealing with a leg injury since X Games and it just seems to hurt more every day and be more challenging to get done what I need to get done today. I haven’t had tears come after a run in a really long time and after I landed that second run I was overwhelmed with what I was able to do. Just landing a run today was going to be a victory let alone getting on the podium at the U.S. Open a million years after I did my first Open.”

In the almost all-American women’s final Arielle Gold (Steamboat Springs, CO) finished fourth, Hannah Teter (Meyers) fifth and Elena Hight (South Lake Tahoe) sixth.

White, who used to train at Northstar, proved that he is still the most dominant force in men’s snowboard halfpipe, with mind-blowing amplitude on his first-hit backside air and technicality that could not be matched by the rest of the field.

“There’s been a lot of talk about me retiring,” White said after the competition. “I took last season off to be refreshed and be excited about the sport again. I was playing a lot of music (but) I never lost the passion and love for competing and snowboarding. In my eyes I really feel like I’m just getting started all over again.”

The two-time Olympic gold medalist went easily 25 feet out of the halfpipe on his first hit, saying that he dropped in with a little more speed than usual because he “thought the pipe was going to slow down a bit.” White also landed back-to-back double cork 1260s in his second run.

Ben Ferguson (Bend, Ore.) locked down the third-place position by landing his third and final run. “I wanted to land the first one and then do some different stuff,” Ferguson said. “I didn’t get to do what I really wanted to do but I put one down and I’m stoked. I was tripping at the top—I was so nervous.” Ferguson has been having a great season, including earning a silver medal at X Games Aspen in January.

Matt Ladley (Steamboat Springs, Colo.) finished fourth, Judd Henkes (La Jolla) fifth, Greg Bretz (Mammoth Lakes) sixth and Danny Davis (Highland, Mich.) eighth.

Snow covers a frozen Marlette Lake. Photos/Kathryn Reed

By Kathryn Reed

SPOONER SUMMIT – Sitting on the rocks I wished I were in a chair that spun around so I didn’t have to get up to enjoy the 360-degree view of this slice of Sierra beauty.

On this particular Saturday in February we had Marlette Lake to ourselves. It was stunning, warm and relaxing – especially after hiking nearly 6 miles to get there.

While we started out with the notion we would be snowshoeing, the hardpack conditions were such that hiking boots were all we needed for most of the trek. It was nice to have the snowshoes for the final descent to the lake and then climbing out. Poles were also good to have.

The abundance of aspen trees makes this a much different hike in the fall.

In winter, this trail is practically deserted – the complete opposite of summer and fall when hikers and mountain bikers are out.

With the return of cross country skiing out of Spooner Lake, part of the trail has been groomed for skiing. Snowmobilers had also laid down a path for us to walk on. Much of the trail is wide enough for at least two to walk side-by-side because this is North Canyon Road.

The bare aspens are like tall white, stick figures protruding from the snow.

Marlette’s history is rich – dating back to the days when silver was being mined in Nevada.

The dam forming the lake was built in 1873. The height of it has been increased several times. It is now at 45-feet high. The lake itself is 45-feet deep.

Marlette Lake’s rock outcropping, which is ideal for a lunch stop, is visible in the bottom of the photo.

While fishing at Marlette did not open until 2006, brook trout were introduced in the 1800s, Lahontan cutthroat trout in 1964 and rainbow trout in 1984.

The rock island where we stopped for lunch has a sign talking about some of the history, including the chimney that still remains on Rocky Point. It is the last remnant of what was a cabin built by James Mather Leonard and Jessie Hobart Leonard in 1933. They owned Virginia City Water Company, which included Marlette Lake.

Before the couple built the cabin the other structures in the area were a caretaker’s cabin near the dam and a Nevada Fish and Game cabin.

The state bought the water system in 1963 from the Curtis Wright Corp., which had bought it from the Leonards. The Marlette Water System, which still provides water to Virginia City, Gold Hill, Silver City and part of Carson City, also includes Hobart Reservoir.

The caretaker’s cabin was supposed to be taken down in the late 1960s, but instead crews mistakenly took down the Leonard cabin. In 2005, the chimney was restored. In the informational sign was erected two years later on Jessie Leonard’s 91st birthday.

Sue and Brenda make their way to Marlette Lake.

—–

Getting there:

From South Lake Tahoe take Highway 50 east. At the top of Spooner Summit, just beyond the Highway 28 junction, there is parking on the left. Trail starts there. You go past Spooner Lake – it will be on you left – and the North Canyon Trail will eventually be on the right.

As part of North Lake Tahoe’s SnowFest 2016, the 12th annual I-Did-A-Run returns to Tahoe Donner on March 13 at the Tahoe Donner Downhill Ski Area.

Dogs of all shapes and sizes will compete in this timed dog pull race. The event pits dog against dog in a race against the clock, pulling sleds over a snow-covered course. Prizes are awarded to the speediest finishers among four weight divisions.

Registration takes place at noon the day of the event and the race starts promptly at 1pm. Entry per dog is $20 and includes a goody bag. Proceeds benefit the Humane Society of Truckee-Tahoe.

For complete event details, go online.

By USSA

VAIL, CO – The American slopestyle snowboarders reigned supreme at the 35th edition of the Burton U.S. Open on Friday. Kyle Mack (West Bloomfield, Mich.) scored his first major slopestyle win and fellow Michigander Eric Beauchemin (Grand Blanc, Mich) finished right behind him in second. On the women’s side Jamie Anderson (Meyers) took home her third-consecutive U.S. Open title and Karly Shorr (Milford, Mich) took second.

Anderson’s win was her fifth overall U.S. Open title, and she clinched with trademark style on her first run, which included a tailslide to 270 on one of the bigger rail features and a textbook frontside 720.

“I personally try to come out here and see what works for me,” Anderson said of her run. “I try to stay true to what I want to do.”

Shorr took second with a solid first run to earn her first U.S. Open podium. She appreciated the 2016 course, which featured unique lines and options that allowed the riders to be creative.

“It was the most fun course I’ve ridden in a long time,” Shorr said after her first run. “Any chance I get to do something different I always try. I actually haven’t landed a run at the US Open in a couple of years so I’m just so thankful.”

The other three American women in the field were unable to put a full run down: Jessika Jenson (Rigby, Idaho) finished seventh, Hailey Langland (San Clemente) was eighth and Julia Marino (Westport, Conn.) was 12th.

It was the first time an American man has topped the slopestyle podium at the U.S. Open since Eric Willett (Breckenridge, Colo.) won in 2011. Mack earned one of the sport’s most-prized titles with a run that included back-to-back triple corks, including a first-in-competition triple cork Japan. Mack, who first competed at the U.S. Open at the age of 7, was thrilled.

“It’s been an 11-year journey,” Mack said. “To win here in Vail is amazing—I couldn’t be more hyped. It’s pretty much a dream come true to win this.”

Beauchemin (clad in a head-to-toe Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle outfit) had a nearly flawless run to take second to his good friend. “I’m so hyped for my boy Kyle,” he said. “We’re really good friends so we’ve been riding together for a long time. There are a lot of good riders that come out of Michigan because they love snowboarding so much. It’s crazy – there must be something in the water.”

It was a strong showing for the American men: Redmond Gerard (Silverthorne, Colo.), fifth; Brandon Davis (Mammoth Lakes), sixth; Chris Corning (Arvada, Colo.), seventh; Lyon Farrell (Haiku, Hawaii), 10th; Nikolas Baden (Steamboat Springs, Colo.), 14th; Brock Crouch (Mammoth Lakes), 15th; Chas Guldemond (Reno), 19th; Ryan Stassel (Anchorage), 20th; Eric Willett (Breckenridge, Colo.), 21st; Judd Henkes (San Diego), 27th; Shaun White (Carlsbad), 31st.

By Karin Brulliard, Washington Post

Two men in Maryland recently achieved Internet infamy when they were temporarily banned from hunting after they’d used crossbows to shoot a deer on state land.

Or so they thought.

The men had actually fallen prey to the ruse of a state-owned robotic deer, one of a growing number of remote-controlled decoys being used by American wildlife law enforcement to stop poachers. Across the nation, a small army of deer, elk, bear, turkey, fox and wolf dummies has been deployed to catch people who hunt in the wrong place, in the wrong season or otherwise illegally.

Read the whole story

By J.D. Morris, Las Vegas Sun

The ongoing debate about whether and how the daily fantasy sports industry should embrace regulation doesn’t center entirely on major operators FanDuel and DraftKings. Turmoil related to smaller sites has added fuel to the fire, too.

FanDuel and DraftKings together control the vast majority of the daily fantasy market, and they were the subjects of a major industry scandal last fall when allegations of activity tantamount to insider trading ushered in a wave of public scrutiny. But two recent instances of small websites shutting down, leaving players without access to their funds, also have led some experts to call for strong regulation of the industry.

In January, the site FantasyUp said it was closing, telling users it did not have the funds necessary to process all of their withdrawals. That called into question whether customers who were owed money by the site would ever be able to recover their money.

Read the whole story

University of Nevada Cooperative Extension has teamed up with Washoe County Regional Parks and Open Space to offer Gardening in Nevada: The Bartley Ranch Series.

Classes are free and run 6-8pm every Tuesday through March 29 at Bartley Ranch Regional Park, 6000 Bartley Ranch Road in Reno.

The classes are taught by cooperative extension horticulturists and experts, and certified master gardener volunteers.

The next three classes are:

• March 8: Landscape Gardening for Wildlife – Cooperative Extension Master Gardener Volunteer Becky Colwell discusses cover food, nesting, and water and shelter needs of backyard wildlife, along with how to attract wildlife such as butterflies, birds and earthworms.
• March 15: Designing a Water-Efficient Landscape Using Native Plants – Cooperative Extension Horticulture Specialist Heidi Kratsch shares how to use the natural environment and physical characteristics of local native plants to create a soothing and aesthetically pleasing landscape.
• March 22: Growing Succulent Succulents – Cooperative Extension Master Gardener Volunteer Liz Morrow discusses the vast selection of succulents well-suited for our area, as well as their growing conditions, care and maintenance.

For more information, call 775.784.4848 or email mastergardeners@unce.unr.edu.

By USSA

KRANJSKA GORA, Slovenia – David Chodounsky (Crested Butte, Colo.) came out of the 58th start position to finish as the top American in 26th at the Audi FIS Ski World Cup giant slalom Friday. Tommy Ford (Reno) continued his string of top 30s, finishing 27th in the weekend opener, which replaced the canceled event from Garmisch.

“First run, I’m happy,” Chodounsky said. “I started in the back and felt like I skied well … aggressive. But then I completely over-skied the second run. It skied so much easier that I thought it would.”

Alexis Pinturault of France made the course look real easy, winning his fourth-straight World Cup giant slalom by 0.47 over Austria’s Philipp Schoerghofer. World Cup overall and giant slalom leader Marcel Hirscher of Austria was third. Hirscher increased his overall World Cup lead to 293 points over Norway’s Henrik Kristoffersen, who finished fourth Friday. Pinturault’s victory moved him into second in the overall World Cup giant slalom standings, just 91 points behind Hirscher.

Brennan Rubie (Salt Lake City), Ryan Cochran-Siegle (Starksboro, Vt.), Tim Jitloff (Reno) and Kieffer Christianson (Anchorage) did not qualify for the second run.