Mike Wilson shared this video of a Tahoe athlete’s trip to South Africa.
“This fall we built a 600-foot rope jump, with a 450-plus foot free-fall and had an amazing time. Growing up in Tahoe gave me the experience and knowledge to set up some of the biggest jumps and stunts in the world, and I’m stoked to have called Olympic Valley home,” Wilson wrote.
Here is video of the experience:
As part of North Lake Tahoe’s SnowFest, the 10th annual I-Did-A-Run event returns to Tahoe Donner March 9.
It takes place 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 as they pull covered wagon sleds over a snow-covered course.
Prizes are awarded to the speediest finishers among four weight divisions.
Registration is at noon and the race starts at 1pm. Entry fee is $20.
Proceeds benef the Humane Society of Truckee-Tahoe.
For more information, email Ali Kovach at ekovach@tahoedonner.com or call (530) 587.9424.
Tahoe Donner’s inaugural Taste of Truckee on-snow gourmet food and wine event at the Tahoe Donner Cross Country Ski Center is March 23.
Cross country skiers and snowshoers can work up an appetite by hitting the trails and then indulging in a variety of food samples from local restaurants, along with a selection of delicious wines. Beginners may rent skis or snowshoes and get a few free pointers from experienced instructors before heading out on the trails.
The tour will take place from 12:30-2:30om, with après events 4:30pm.
The cost, including trail pass, is $35 for adults and $20 for 18 and under if purchased in advance or $45 for adults and $30 for 18 and under the day of the event. Tickets can be purchased by calling (530) 587.9484.
A percentage of proceeds will be donated to our local Tahoe Food Hub, and to Far West Nordic Ski Education Association.
By Aidan Lewis, BBC News
Slopestyle skiers made a successful debut at the Winter Olympics in Sochi, eliciting gasps with their stunts and jumps. Many miles away in northern parts of the U.S., a growing number of skiers use city settings to perform and film similar tricks.
They scope out urban landscapes to find rails to skid down and walls to slam their skis against. They wait for schools and libraries to close, sometimes emerging only under cover of darkness. They play cat and mouse with the police.
The skiers say that cities allow them to be more creative, and offer greater variety than resorts.
By Kathryn Reed
While bear proof containers and trash receptacles exist at most developed campgrounds owned by the U.S. Forest Service, people aren’t always using them.
This is creating a problem. It means bears are learning campgrounds are an easier way to get food than foraging for it in the woods.
All that food needs to be stored in a bear proof container. Photo/LTN file
Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit is looking to enforce the rule that people must use the containers. An environmental assessment is being prepared for a forest order. Comments are being sought until March 14. More info is available online or contact Stephanie Coppeto at (530) 543.2679 or sacoppeto@fs.fed.us.
“The idea is not to punish people. It’s for their own safety,” Lisa Herron, spokeswoman for the local USFS office, told Lake Tahoe News. “We are trying to promote good habits.”
The other goal is to reduce the number of human-bear conflicts.
Kiosks at the entrance of campgrounds explain the importance of using bear boxes. But people either aren’t reading the signs or they are blatantly disregarding the rules.
If they keep violating the regulations, they could be fined.
Several national parks have had a zero tolerance policy for years. If a ranger sees food out, they confiscate it. And if you don’t get back in time, they could have your cooler overnight. A lecture and fine come with getting the food back.
The Forest Service is taking action now to try to get ahead of the camping season.
Day use areas like Kiva, Pope and Baldwin beaches on the South Shore would also be affected.
The proposal is to phase in the enforcement. Fallen Leaf Lake Campground, Meeks Bay Resort and Meeks Bay Campground would be the first areas in the basin to be monitored more rigorously.
By USSA
CRANS MONTANA, Switzerland — Olympic super combined bronze medalist Julia Mancuso (Squaw Valley) lost a pole, but hung on to lead the U.S. Ski Team by placing 18 Sunday in the final downhill prior to the March 10-17 World Cup Finals.
Only the top 25 athletes in each discipline qualify to start at World Cup Finals. Stacey Cook (Mammoth Mountain) finished 21 in the race and will also have a downhill start during the March 12 women’s race.
Andrea Fischbacher, who did not make the 2014 Austrian Olympic Team, produced a stunning charge from bib 29 to win the race ahead of teammate Anna Fenninger.
Cook, Mancuso and Leanne Smith (N Conway,N.H. have also qualified for super G at World Cup Finals. They are ranked 13, 14 and 23, respectively, in the discipline.
By USSA
KVITFJELL, Norway — Travis Ganong (Squaw Valley), who 24 hours earlier stamped the first Audi FIS Alpine World Cup top three of his career, finished fourth Saturday, a mere 0.05 from a second downhill podium in Kvitfjell. Canadian Erik Guay hit 88 mph on the final speed trap to secure the win, the fifth of his career, with a time of 1:22.17.
Bode Miller (Franconia, N.H.) also landed in the top 10 with eighth in the final men’s downhill prior to the March 10-16 World Cup Finals in Lenzerheide, Switzerland.
Saturday’s downhill was also shortened due to snow conditions, but run from the super G start, 15 seconds higher than the reserve start used Friday.
Only the top 25 athletes in each discipline qualify to start that discipline at World Cup Finals. Athletes with 500 World Cup points can also start in any race and the Junior World Champion can start the discipline they won.
Only Miller (seventh) and Ganong (ninth) have qualified in downhill for the U.S. Ski Team.
Marco Sullivan (Squaw Valley) and Steven Nyman (Sundance, Utah) finished 24th and 25th in the race, but are outside the World Cup top 25 for downhill.
Norwegian Aksel Lund Svindal tied for sixth in the race, but mathematically secured the season-long downhill title with a 525-360 lead over injured racer Hannes Reichelt of Austria and Guay, who now has 357 points.
Svindal also jumped into the World Cup overall lead with a 982-955 margin over two-time defending champion Marcel Hirscher of Austria. Hirscher is seeking to become the first three-peat overall champion since American Phil Mahre did it from 1981-83.
By USSA
KVITJELL, Norway — Travis Ganong (Squaw Valley) knifed through rugged snow and limited visibility Friday to earn the first Audi FIS Alpine World Cup podium finish of his career with third in the first of two Kvitfjell downhills.
Fresh off what was a career-best fifth at the 2014 Olympic Winter Games downhill in Sochi, Ganong wiped his goggles mid-run as rain and wet snow pelted the fog-shortned course.
Olympic super G champion Kjetil Jansrud of Norway and Austrian Georg Streitberger tied for a unique victory.
Bode Miller (Franconia, N.H.) finished 16, Steven Nyman (Sundance, Utah) 18 and Marco Sullivan (Squaw Valley) 21.
TAMBA will be hosting a U.S. Forest Service-approved crew leader training course April 5-6 in the Tahoe area. The Forest Service has stringent training requirements for volunteer crew leaders, and this training may also be accepted by other land manager agencies.
The training will be taught by Kevin Joell, TAMBA’s trails director, and Jacob Quinn, trails engineer for the Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit.
Topics will include volunteer management and supervision techniques, safety briefings and job hazard analysis, and emergency procedures and communications. Although trail building standards and best practices will be reviewed, it is expected that attendees will have participated in multiple sanctioned trail days previously. First Aid and CPR certification is also required of crew leaders. It is not included in this course, but will be offered separately.
The cost is $50 for non-TAMBA volunteers. Email trails@mountainbiketahoe.com for more information and to register.
Wet weather is on its way to the Lake Tahoe Basin. Photo/LTN file
Don’t be fooled by the 60-degree temps in Lake Tahoe on Tuesday because winter is just hours away.
The National Weather Service in Reno has issued a winter weather advisory from 4pm Wednesday to 10am Thursday.
Rain is expected to arrive in the afternoon and change to snow in the evening. The heaviest snow is likely after 10pm Feb. 26. Three to 6 inches are expected at lake level, with 10 to 18 inches above 7,000 feet. Snow could drop to 5,000 feet.
Snow is forecast into the weekend, even though highs will hover near 40 degrees. Overnight lows will be in the 20s.
Expect roads to be slick and chain controls to be in effect. For current road conditions, click on the road icons on the home page of Lake Tahoe News.
— Lake Tahoe News staff report