Melissa Jester returns a shot with partner Judy Spellman against eventual women’s 7.0 division champions Donna Rockwood and Patty Gilliland. Photo/Carolyn E. Wright/Copyright

Past winners and newcomers have etched their names into the history book of the 32-year-old all doubles Tahoe Tennis Classic tournament at Zephyr Cove Tennis Club.

A record number of teams –121 — played in the July 30-Aug. 2 tournament. There were 170 people playing from as far away as the East Coast.

Hersch and Sheryl Herschman of Zephyr Cove, who started the tournament and ran it for the first 30 years, went home with winners’ shirts. He won the men’s 65 category with tournament director Bob Beutenmiller. They beat Richard Svedeman of Los Altos and Tad Yukawa of Palm Desert, 7-5, 6-3. Sheryl Herschman teamed with Carel James of Carson City to win 6-4, 6-4 in the consolation round of the women’s 7.0 over Ceci Chourre of Carson City and Susan Horst of Truckee, 6-4, 6-4.

Yukawa also made it to the finals of the men’s 50 with partner Ryan Johnston of South Lake Tahoe. They lost to Richard Johnson of Ballwin, Mo., and Terry Ward of Chesterfield, Mo., 7-5, 6-1.

The last players to walk off the courts were the four who battled it out in an epic three-setter in the 8.0 mixed finals. The No. 2 seeds and mother-son duo of Holly and Mitch Rittiman of Zephyr Cove triumphed over the No. 1 seeds Denise Hallerbach and Robert Skinner of Reno, 6-4, 5-7, 7-5.

Brothers Dennis and Jim Thorne, who won the men’s 8.0 division,defend an overhead from consolation round winners Steve Reid and Randall Osterhues. Photo/Carolyn E. Wright/Copyright

Skinner earlier in the day had lost the men’s 8.0 with partner Larry McFall of Reno. The brother duo of Jim Thorne of Sunnyvale and Dennis Thorne of Stateline prevailed 6-3, 6-2.

Hallerbach won the 8.0 women’s title with partner Laurie Sabol of Las Vegas by default. Carol Tretten of Reno and Joyce Youngs of South Lake Tahoe had to forfeit the final because Tretten injured her quadriceps while playing with her daughter, Holly, in the 9.0 category.

Winning the women’s 9.0 over the Trettens were Jeanette Berry and Laura Pierce of Reno, 6-4, 6-4.

Blake Beavers of Plano, Texas, and Holly Tretten of Reno, the No. 1 seeds in the 10.0 mixed, were easily defeated in the finals by Reno’s Dora Lane and Kevin Strawn, 6-3, 6-0.

In the men’s 10.0 division, the No. 1 seeds of Strawn and Tony Matkulak of Reno never dropped a set on their way to winning 7-6, 6-3 over Chris Evers and Dave Hagiwara of Folsom in the finals.

The No. 1 seeds in the women’s 7.0 were knocked off by the fourth seeds in three sets. Donna Rockwood of South Lake Tahoe and Patty Gilliland of Reno, who until this tournament had never played together, beat Carolyn Wright of Zephyr Cove and Becky LeBuhn of Glenbrook, 6-3, 3-6, 6-4.

Wright also reached the finals in the 7.0 mixed with partner R.J. Gardner of Stateline. As the No. 1 seeds, they were upset by No. 3 seeds Melissa Jester of Zephyr Cove and Heck Mata of Reno, 7-5, 3-6, 6-4.

Kurt Massing and Bruce Pate, who traveled from Texas, came up just short of returning to the Lone Star State as winners. Thor Spargo of Fair Oaks and Murray Yoffee of Gardnerville won the men’s 7.0 contest 2-6, 6-3, 6-4.

Only two teams competed in the women’s 10.0 division. Kim Iliffe of Mill Valley and Keri Mills of Davis topped Carol Akre of Martinez and Cynthia Reddick of Sacramento, 6-3, 6-1.

Areas of the Tahoe National Forest that were closed last week due to the Lowell Fire have been reopened.

With the Lowell Fire approaching full containment, an emergency closure order for selected land, roads and trails on the Tahoe National Forest related to the Lowell Fire was rescinded today.

The lands that were subject to the closure are on the south side of the Yuba River Ranger District just north of the Lowell Fire area.

However, forest visitors should be aware of equipment and vehicles in the area engaged in fire and rehabilitation activities.

Not everyone needs the pump track to be completed to enjoy riding at what will be Bijou Bike Park. Photo/John Spinola

The pump track at Bijou Bike Park can’t be built soon enough for some people.

Some riders have been checking out the action at Bijou Community Park since work began July 15. By the end of August everyone will have the opportunity to ride at the park.

Alex Fowler Elite Trax/PumpTrax USA is overseeing the work. This is the same firm that designed the 2008 and 2012 Olympic BMX tracks and will build the 2016 Olympic track.

The 5-acre bike park will have two pump tracks with a BMX track in the center.

The bike park has been talked about since 2011. The nonprofit Bijou Bike Park Association was formed to be the main force behind the project.

— Lake Tahoe News staff report

Wildflowers are still in bloom near Emigrant Lake. Photos/Kathryn Reed

By Kathryn Reed

KIRKWOOD – Sitting at Emigrant Lake looking up at the granite cliffs that form part of the Kirkwood Mountain Resort boundary it’s easy to understand why the words steep and rugged are synonymous with this ski area.

And this isn’t the super gnarly area of the Wood.

Fortunately, hiking to Emigrant Lake was tame compared to the surroundings.

One of the biggest surprises was discovering how pretty Caples Lake is. I had only seen it from the road and years ago I was on it for an ice fishing story. Several fisherpeople were on the dam, along the shoreline and in boats trying to catch dinner. Crawdads are what they said they were mostly reeling in.

Fishing and boating are popular activities on Caples Lake.

The trail parallels the lake for a ways before it heads into the Mokelumne Wilderness Area.

Then this body of water appears again. It’s a beautiful arm of Caples that isn’t visible from the highway. Water marks on the boulders show the lake is down about 18 inches. The lake is a storage facility for El Dorado Irrigation District for water consumption as well as a hydroelectric plant.

Soon after the lake is behind us the trail begins to climb. It isn’t long before the steep grade levels out to a gradual climb. The hike has an elevation gain of 915 feet.

A variety of flowers are in bloom along Emigrant Creek and in a meadow that the trail wanders through.

Wildflowers – at least last weekend – were still very much in bloom, but clearly beyond their peak. Much of the trail is lush with green foliage.

It seems like with every step there is something for the eyes to feast upon – including a waterfall.

Much of the trail is shaded, which in the middle of a hot summer day was ideal.

Emigrant Creek comes and goes regularly along the trail, making this an ideal hike for dogs with all the lapable water.

Emigrant Lake is an 8-mile round trip hike from the Caples Lake dam.

An old marker points toward the Historic Emigrant Trail. This would have taken us close to Thimble Peak (9,805 feet), Covered Wagon Peak (9,565), Melissa Coray Peak (9,763) as well as to the chairlifts. We chose to go to the lake.

There is also a sign for a trail that leads to Kirkwood Meadow.

Most of the people we see on this Sunday are headed out with backpacks. It’s a popular destination for backpackers. Large, flat boulders near the lake make it an ideal lunch spot for day hikers.

Because the lake sits in a basin, it was a bit windy and cool. But as we got back on the trail to head out it wasn’t long before we shed the layer we had put on at the lake.

—–

Getting there:

From South Lake Tahoe, go west on Highway 50. Turn left onto Highway 89 in Meyers. At Pickett’s Junction, go right onto Highway 88 toward Kirkwood. Park at the first turnoff on the left after crossing the dam at Caples Lake. The trailhead is to the right of the dam and is well marked.

By Marsha Hayes, Horse

The 2015 Tevis Cup, started today with more than 200 horses and riders departing the Robie Equestrian Park near Lake Tahoe on a 100-mile journey.

This year’s renewal of the ride also marks the fourth year that veterinarians Langdon Fielding, Gary Magdesian, and Greg Fellers will oversee a field blood draw 36 miles into the course at Robinson Flat, the site of a mandatory one-hour rest period.

“We hope to duplicate the nearly 100 percent participation of last year in order to substantiate and expand this physiological data base,” said Fellers. “Every year we collect more data, it becomes more meaningful.”

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By Ula Ilnytzky, AP

NEW YORK — The 1984 Summer Olympic Torch that Bruce Jenner carried through Lake Tahoe sold for just less than $24,000 at an auction of sports memorabilia Thursday.

The 24-inch Olympic torch was the first major piece of Jenner memorabilia to go to auction since the winner of the 1976 Olympic Decathlon Gold Medal became Caitlyn Jenner. It had a presale estimate of $20,000.

The seller was Bob Lorsch, a Los Angeles philanthropist and entrepreneur who orchestrated the Tahoe leg of the torch relay and secured Jenner’s participation.

“This torch serves as a wonderful symbol that masculinity and femininity are not mutually exclusive,” said Chris Ivy, director of sports auctions at the Dallas-based auction house. “The decathlon has long been considered the ultimate athletic proving ground. Jenner has played both gender roles masterfully.”

Jenner was approached to carry the torch as part of the Los Angles Summer Olympic Games to help support Caesars Tahoe’s agenda of giving back to the local community and promoting area youth programs, Lorsch said. The hotel casino held a drawing for a chance to win a place in the relay and sponsored 50 kilometers, or about 31 miles, of the Nevada route. Seven kilometers went to individuals and 42 to local organizations. Jenner was asked to run the remaining kilometer.

“Caesars saw it as a tremendous opportunity … to do something more special, never realizing that we would be creating what is truly a piece of history that originated as a piece of sports history, then evolved as a piece of entertainment history through the Kardashian legacy and becoming a cultural phenomenon through the transition to Caitlyn,” Lorsch said.

Better known to a younger generation as the patriarch on TV’s “Keeping up With the Kardashians,” Jenner announced earlier this year that he was transitioning to become a woman.

The torch, which was purchased by an anonymous Midwest collector, was among the highlights of the auction held by Heritage Auctions in Chicago.

With the July Hump Day being rained out, Zephyr Cove Tennis Club is carrying over the Country Fried Hump Day theme to the Aug. 12 event. Players are encouraged to wear country apparel.

This Hump Day Mixer will include barbecued chicken, raffle prizes, and an adult doubles round robin for all ability levels. The tennis is semi-serious because the emphasis is on fun. Play starts at 5:30pm.

The mixer costs $10 for club members, $15 for non-members, and $5 for spectators (meal only). Membership is $80 per year. To join, go online or do so the night of the event.

Participants of Hump Day events are encouraged to bring a side dish or dessert, as well as beverage of choice. No advance sign-up is required.

Zephyr Cove Tennis Club is on Warrior Way off Highway 50 in Zephyr Cove. The nonprofit Zephyr Cove Tennis Club Foundation is hosting the event.

Gutters will go in on the facing roof line, with the rocks for erosion to be repurposed, and the area near the door being redesigned. All of this is outside the scope of the turf buyback program. Photos/LTN

Publisher’s note: This is one in a random series of stories about what it’s like to go through the South Tahoe Public Utility District turf buyback program.

By Kathryn Reed

House projects are never as simple as one would like them to be. They often mushroom into something larger than originally anticipated. Even removing sod has had this outcome.

I thought pulling out the grass, creating a path to where I split wood and planting foliage would be no big deal. Wrong. Related side projects are taking unexpected time and unbudgeted money.

South Tahoe Public Utility District reimburses for turf removal, not all the other projects. Obviously that makes sense, it’s just something to consider before embarking on such an endeavor. Tying all the pieces together isn’t always as straightforward as one imagines at the get-go. At some point, though, the cash flow spigot runs dry and priorities have to be determined.

My TRPA-designed drip line doesn’t do a great job on erosion control. And it’s just not pretty. Well, it is better than the dead grass. Still, though, it won’t work with the new landscape design. Plus, I’m going to repurpose those rocks as part of a dry riverbed to catch the excess water from the rain barrel.

Gutters will replace the drip line. I’ve learned not many businesses install gutters in South Lake Tahoe.

Winter’s Electric does through a subsidiary company. They want me to install a fascia board before the gutters are installed. They don’t do that type of work. Luckily, my friend and neighbor Bob does all sorts of stuff like this. The purpose is that it will be a surface for the gutter to attach to. Considering a ton of runoff comes from this section of the roof the reinforcement is necessary.

This is the pile of sod from the 3.5 rows removed by the homeowner. South Tahoe Refuse will pick it up if it’s bagged or in cans — but not like this.

The river bed is “required” because the rain barrel is likely to fill up fast and I’ll need a place to direct the water in a logical manner – meaning away from the house and so it doesn’t flood the newly designed yard. Plus, this will filter it a bit.

Rain barrels come in all types of material, sizes and design. Unfortunately, I came up short on my shopping trip this week to Home Depot. They only have them online. I still need to order them. (I’m buying two. The other will go on the downspout from the back gutter.) I’m leaning toward one that allows plants to grow on the top.

What to plant is almost as overwhelming as to what the design should look like. I’ve gone on the South Shore garden tour (which this year was hosted by the master gardeners) numerous times. What a fabulous way to get ideas about what to do in your own garden – ideas about plants, colors, design, mulch and other things to add to the yard.

It does seem like the people who open their yards to these tours spend a ton of hours each week working on them. I don’t have that kind of time nor the desire to find it. That in itself is something to consider.

Many people have yard art or other things that make the space inviting. I’ve decided to move my chairlift swing so it faces the California Tahoe Conservancy lot instead of the driveway-street. That is my biggest non-foliage item – at least for now.

My friend Mike came over to talk about turning a couple rounds of wood into a bench. He pointed out the need to pay attention to the length so they are about the same and not wanting them to be tilted. Kim wisely suggested using snowboards or skis as the bench part. Mike has the tools to drill them into the wood and cut the skis if necessary.

I envision this going near the wood cutting area so I can rest. Plus, it ties into the ski lift theme of sorts.

I’ve removed the wood along the edge of the yard. I don’t want any barriers like that again. The rocks and wood stepping stones near the front door have also been moved. This is more area to contend with that has nothing to do with the turf buyback.

I also want to make some changes to the backyard that will necessitate removing some plants-bushes. I’d like to transplant them to the front. This will spur me to get on that project soon so it’s not an ugly mess. At least it’s behind a fence in case I don’t get to it soon.

The Tahoe Keys Property Owners Association will host an independent expert panel and public workshop on Aug. 11 to discuss plans to fight aquatic invasive weeds.

TKPOA has developed an integrated weed management plan to address the growing weed problem in the Tahoe Keys, and its potential impacts in Lake Tahoe.

The meeting will be from 6-8pm at the South Tahoe Public Utility District headquarters, 1275 Meadow Crest Drive, South Lake Tahoe.

The experts include Pat Akers, California Department of Food and Agriculture; Joe DiTomaso, UC Davis; Kurt Getsinger, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers; Sudeep Chandra, UNR; and Joel Trumbo, California Department of Fish and Wildlife. This panel has been asked to review the plan.

The plan takes a comprehensive, holistic approach to the growing weeds problem, integrating the best science and proven techniques from elsewhere in Lake Tahoe and in the country.

The plan will need to be approved by the Lahontan Regional Water Quality Control Board. Some aspects of the plan could be implemented as early as 2016.

By McKenzie Romero, Deseret News

PARK CITY — As they merge two iconic resorts into the largest ski area in the country, Park City Mountain Resort owners are relying on a familiar look and feel to convince skiers there is only one place they want to be this winter.

Park City’s name, next to the swooping Canyons logo (which is now red), will brand the 7,300-acre resort that aims to be unparalleled starting this winter.

“There’s only one community. There’s only one resort. There’s only one place like Park City,” Bill Rock, chief operating officer of the merged resort, said to cheers and applause at the packed kickoff event in Park City on Wednesday.

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