Recurring hip issues are forcing Julia Mancuso back to the operating table and out of competition for this season.

Mancuso, who trains at Squaw Valley, skipped the World Cup opener last month in hopes the hip would get better. It was aggravated last December when she fell on her right side in a giant slalom race in Are, Sweden. She ended last season early because of it.

The 31-year-old will undergo hip surgery at the Steadman Clinic in Vail on Wednesday. This is her second surgery. The first was after the 2006 season for hip dysplasia.

“If I were to try to push through, get more treatments and try to ski this season, I would just be setting myself back toward the real goal, which is PyeongChang (Olympics) 2018. My goal is to be strong enough to free ski at the end of March, but conservatively, it depends on the outcome of the surgery,” Mancuso said in a statement.

— Lake Tahoe News staff report

Donner Ski Ranch expects to be a multi-season resort – again.

The resort had lift-access mountain biking in 1992 and plans to do so again starting in 2016.

Trails were already being established this summer at the resort off Interstate 80. Five are planned for next year, with more possible.

The trails will cater to various abilities and include man-made features.

The Nov. 12 opening of Alpine Meadows is one the earliest dates this resort has ever opened.

Sister resort Squaw Valley will start spinning lifts Nov. 14.

Both dates are much sooner than originally planned because of the snow that keeps falling in Lake Tahoe. The North Shore resorts have received more than 2 feet of freshies in the last week, with 6 inches falling on Monday. Snowmaking is also helping to cover the slopes.

Alpine Meadows plans to operate Kangaroo chair as well as limited dining offerings.

Squaw Valley plans to have Gold Coast Express running and offer limited dining at Gold Coast complex.

The resorts will host Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows Foundation Scholarship Day on Nov.14, during which the entire lift ticket cost of $29 will be donated to ski team scholarship funding.

Mother Nature is saying to heck with fall, winter is here — at least in Lake Tahoe.

Storms combined with snowmaking are allowing Heavenly Mountain Resort and Northstar to open Nov. 14 — six days sooner than planned. This is the earliest opening since 2012, and the first time opening six days ahead of schedule since at least 2009.

Heavenly this season had received about 3 feet of white stuff as of Monday afternoon.

Heavenly plans to operate the gondola, Tamarack Express and Dipper Express. Northstar will open with the Big Springs gondola, Vista Express, Arrow Express and Comstock Express. Northstar will also operate a surface lift near the Big Easy Chair to offer children’s ski and snowboard lessons.

Professional skateboarders conquer old Highway 40. Photo/Red Bull

By Robert Pursell, GrindTV

Donner Pass is one of the most treacherous mountain roads in America, a passage in the Northern Sierras famous for a party of pioneers that got stranded by deep snow within it in the 1840s and resorted to cannibalism to survive.

Naturally, given its tragic history, winding roads and sheer cliffs, it made the perfect setting for Red Bull and Sector 9 to send a group of downhill skateboarders to race down it.

“One of the hardest challenges with filming that edit, was that was actually our first time ever down the road,” downhill pro Louis Pilloni told GrindTV. “So we were flying around these blind corners with no idea what was on the other side.”

Pilloni is a 29-year-old skateboarding champion who has been downhill skateboarding for the past 13 years.

Read the whole story

Saturday’s blue skies are going to give way to storm clouds on Sunday.

The National Weather Service in Reno is calling for a low pressure system to move into the area the morning of Nov. 8. By Sunday night it should be snowing in the Lake Tahoe Basin. Snow is expected in Reno and Carson City on Monday.

One to 3 inches of snow is expected at lake level on both days.

On Monday the high in South Lake Tahoe is expected to be 35 degrees. On Tuesday night the low could be 10 degrees.

— Lake Tahoe News staff report

Effective Nov. 9, residents in Amador, El Dorado, Alpine, and Sacramento counties will be able to pile burn.

Those possessing current and valid agriculture and residential burn permits will be able to resume burning on permissible days.

CalFire burn permits will be required until the end of peak fire season. Fire officials ask property owners and residents to use caution while conducting debris or agriculture burns. Individuals can be held civilly and/or criminally liable for allowing a fire to escape their control and/or burn onto neighboring property.

For more info, call 530.621.5842.

Pile burning requirements

·       Only dry, natural vegetative material such as leaves, pine needles and tree trimmings may be burned.

·       The burning of trash, painted wood or other debris is not allowed.

·       Do not burn on windy days.

·       Piles should be no larger than 4 feet in diameter and in height. You can add to pile as it burns down.

·       Clear a 10 foot diameter down to bare soil around your piles.

·       Have a shovel and a water source nearby.

·       An adult is required to be in attendance of the fire at all times.

By Kevin Helliker, Wall Street Journal

A study finds that exercise that is extreme in either volume or intensity may be associated with high levels of atherosclerosis in the coronary arteries.

The study, presented in August at a meeting of the European Society of Cardiology, studied 169 veteran competitive endurance athletes against a control group of 171 relatively sedentary subjects. Compared with the control group, the study found lower levels of coronary artery calcium in athletes who ran fewer than 35 miles a week or cycled fewer than 150 kilometers a week. But athletes who ran or cycled beyond that threshold were found to harbor higher levels of coronary artery calcium than did the control group.

The study, conducted by British physicians, is certain to intensify debate over one of the most controversial questions in modern medicine: Can people exercise too much? By all accounts, exercise lowers blood pressure, helps preserve coronary-artery integrity, lengthens lifespans and otherwise promotes physical and mental health. Exercise is medicine, say public health officials.

Read the whole story

By Kathryn Reed

Lake Tahoe Community College has placed the men’s soccer coach on paid administrative leave.

Ben Wade was escorted off campus on Nov. 5 after a meeting with the director of human resources and dean of students.

Ben Wade

“There is absolutely no cause to let me go at this time in the season,” Wade told Lake Tahoe News. “I have never seen a coach let go unless he has stolen money from the college or something egregious. I stand by my actions. I’ve been sorely misrepresented by players I have cut or disciplined. I have not been asked for my side of the story.”

LTCC President Kindred Murillo had no comment other than to say, “Nick Arbelaez has been named as the Lake Tahoe Community College head coach.” Arbelaez had been the assistant coach for the men’s team.

Athletic Director Mike Spina would not comment on the issue and would not say if he had anything to do with the decision.

Wade has five days to respond in writing to the actions taken on Thursday, which he told Lake Tahoe News he intends to do. The paid administrative leave is in effect until Nov. 30.

Besides being the coach, Wade is director of Outreach and Equity for LTCC, and teaches music and soccer. The director job has him reaching out to the Hispanic community and international students — two areas of enrollment that have increased since his hire.

Wade said he isn’t worried about his future, but he is concerned about that of his players. Last year all the LTCC men’s sophomore soccer players were placed at a four-year college. He is no longer in a position to help players on this team with future goals.

He said he received text messages last night from all the players showing support and saying they would be talking to the college administration.

When the South Lake Tahoe two-year college started the soccer program two years ago Wade was recruited because of his ability to put together a winning team as well as his ability to bring students into the program.

This year’s team is 12-4-2 overall, and in league is 5-1-1. Two games remain – today at College of the Redwoods and Nov. 13 at home against Shasta College. Playoffs begin Nov. 21. Last year’s team was ranked 16th in the nation. Wade is the second winningest coach at any college level.

The displaced coach believes this year’s team is a championship team. Wade hasn’t given up hope the college will allow him to return as coach and then discuss his employment after the season.

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife offers a reduced-fee hunting and fishing licenses to resident and nonresident disabled veterans. CDFW also offers several special hunting opportunities for eligible veterans.

Disabled veterans may prequalify to purchase reduced-fee disabled veteran licenses via email.  Once a disabled veteran has pre-qualified, they can purchase low-cost disabled veteran sport fishing and/or hunting licenses, each year, anywhere licenses are sold. Information on how to prequalify for a disabled veteran license is available on the sport fishing licenses webpage, under the “Free and Reduced Fee” tab.

The 2015 Disabled Veteran Sport Fishing License and Disabled Veteran Hunting License cost $6.95 each when purchased at CDFW license counters.

Special hunting blinds have been constructed to be accessible to people with mobility impairments at some state wildlife areas and ecological reserves, and at some National Wildlife Refuges. For more info, call Melissa Carlin at 916.651.1214.