Tahoe Rim Trail Association’s 7th annual Trail Construction and Crew Leader Workshop is at Washoe County’s Galena Creek Regional Park May 18-20.

Participants may choose from the following courses:

Trail Design and Layout (Friday)

Fundamentals of Trail Construction (Saturday and Sunday) Crew Leadership (Saturday and Sunday)

Advanced Trail Theory (Saturday and Sunday).

The weekend is a way to network with local trail volunteers and professionals and learn how to plan, construct and maintain trails.

This training is partially grant funded by the Nevada Recreational Trails Program and the Humboldt Toiyabe National Forest and supported by Washoe County Regional Parks and Open Space.

Participants pay a fee of $150 (Friday-Sunday), $100 (weekend) or $50 (Friday) to cover instruction, park lodging, food, training materials and transportation to class sites. Discounts are available for TRTA members and volunteers.

For more information and registration materials, go online or contact Teresa Crimmens at (775) 298.0232 or teresac@tahoerimtrail.org.

Snow is expected to arrive in the Lake Tahoe Basin after 11 Tuesday night. But only an inch is supposed to collect.

A 30 percent chance of the white stuff is in the forecast for Wednesday, with the high being 35 degrees.

Sun will return in full force by Friday, when the high should be 42, and increasing to 53 on Saturday.

Melanie Ramirez, 19, AJ Kiss, 20, Ben Sauve, 20, and Savannah Lemons, 18, all of South Lake Tahoe do their thing April 3 in the Upper Truckee Marsh. Photo/Kathryn Reed

Officials with El Dorado County vector control were near the houses that border the Upper Truckee Marsh area by San Francisco Avenue on April 3 checking on conditions. They collected water with small larvae samples.

The duo said to expect mosquito season to arrive soon and not last long because there isn’t near the amount of standing water that the basin experienced a year ago.

The warm weather has been drying things up quickly.

 — Lake Tahoe News staff report

By Cathy Locke, Sacramento Bee

Citing two incidents that occurred last weekend, El Dorado County sheriff’s search and rescue officials urge people venturing into the back country to carefully prepare and plan for their travels.

On Satruday, Robert Barber of San Diego had gone for a walk in the woods off Kiowa Street in South Lake Tahoe when a fast-moving weather front moved into the Tahoe area, creating blizzard-like conditions. About 2pm, Barber became disoriented because of almost zero visibility caused by the heavy snowfall, according to a sheriff’s department news release.

When he could not find his bearings, Barber called 911. Global positioning system technology was used to narrow down Barber’s location, and search and rescue personnel, along with a search and rescue dog, located him about three-quarters of a mile from area residences.

Officials said Barber was cold but in good condition.

About 7:15pm the same day, search and rescue personnel responded to another 911 call, this one regarding three snowmobilers who became lost in the storm. The three men from the Tahoe area began their trip in the Meyers area and planned to return before the approaching storm arrived. But it began snowing heavily before they were able to make it out of the back county.

Read the whole story

By Steve Irvine, Birmingham News

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Jerod Haase, the youngest of Carol and Gary Haase’s five children, played the bass guitar and stand-up string bass while growing up in South Lake Tahoe. He played it well enough, in fact, that a high school music teacher sug­gested he could get a music schol­arship.

Carol Haase’s laughter while telling the story must have been similar to the laugh she enjoyed upon first hearing that suggestion.

She knew her son had talent, play­ing alongside him in a Christian folk music group that consisted of Carol Haase and her children. But she still followed the laughter with a polite smile and a thought.

Jerod Haase

“I’m thinking ‘Right, that’s not going to happen.’ ” By that time — actually long before — Jerod had chosen the passion that would lead him not only to college but also throughout life. In fact, it was love at first bounce for the freshly minted UAB men’s basketball coach.

The introduction to basketball came when Jerod was in third grade and he followed his brother to a basketball camp.

“I dribbled the ball one time and I just fell in love with it,” Haase said.

Since that day, his life has been filled with basketball. His parents put up a basketball goal behind the house and the youngest two Haase children and their friends wore it out. Jerod was part of a state championship team as a senior at South Tahoe High, played on a University of California team that advanced to the NCAA Tour­nament Sweet 16, started on three Roy Williams-coached Kansas teams that were a combined 89-13, and was an assistant coach at premiere programs Kansas and North Carolina.

It’s a path, though, that could have taken a different direction. The oldest three Haase children — Mara, Karin, and David — were accomplished at cross country skiing and cross country running. All three competed on cross country ski teams in college.

Carol Haase figured the youngest two would follow the older three. But Steven veered first and Jerod was close behind.

In South Lake Tahoe, a tight-knit community with a population of about 21,000, both brothers stood out on the court.

“I had a camp that went third through 12th grade, which, at the time, was one of the largest high school camps out there in California,” said Tom Orlich, one of the most successful prep coaches in California, who was then the head coach at South Ta­hoe High. “It was kind of a feeder camp to our school. The kids came up through the system and that’s how we knew Jerod. He was always ahead of his time as a basketball player and had to play against older kids.”

Steven came through first and made his mark. He was his team’s MVP his final two years at South Lake Tahoe and his steal and off-balance 3-point prayer at the buzzer to beat archrival Reed High in a zone championship game is one of the biggest moments in the school’s basketball history.

“He has a way of bringing that shot up when we’re together,” Jerod said of his brother, who went on to play bas­ketball for the Air Force Academy.

At the time, Jerod was a 5-foot-6, 140-pound freshman who began that season on the junior varsity and was sitting on the bench when his brother hit the shot to win “the best game I’ve ever seen — bar none.”

Read the whole story

Combine an Easter egg hunt with an avalanche beacon search practice session, and the result is the fifth annual Beacon and Eggs beacon search contest at Alpine Meadows.

This event is organized by Alpine’s ski patrol and takes place on Easter Sunday, April 8. Not only is it a fun, free event for all ages, but it also raises avalanche awareness and is an opportunity to practice search and rescue techniques.

Avalanche beacons are buried in a 1-acre area at Alpine Meadows and competitors proceed to the buried treasure using their beacons in “search” mode. Competitors work individually or in teams (up to four people) to recover the beacons.

Free registration is at the Beacon & Eggs tent near the top of Subway chairlift (next to the base lodge) from 9-11am. The Le Mans-style start is at noon near the top of the Subway beginner lift, adjacent to the base lodge. Competitors must provide their own beacons, probes, and shovels, and lift ticket.

For additional information and details, call the Alpine Meadows patrol office at (530) 583.4232.

Lake Tahoe Bicycle Coalition handed out awards recently to bring attention and recognition to those who have contributed to the advancement of bicycling in the region.

2010 recipients are:

Individual: Gary Bell

Business: Northstar

Organization: Nevada Bicycle Advisory Board

Agency: Tahoe Regional Planning Agency and Tahoe Metropolitan Planning Organization

2011 recipients are:

Individual: John Upton

Business: Lake Tahoe Media Group

Organization: Tahoe Area Mountain Bike Association

Agency: U.S. Forest Service – Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit.

By Kathryn Reed

Mother Nature played a bit of a joke on Lake Tahoe with April Fools’ Day being one of the best ski days of the season. She must be laughing, knowing that it will be in the 50s for the next two days.

Ski season in Tahoe has been spastic at best.

Sue Wood makes fresh tracks April 1 at Heavenly. Photos/Kathryn Reed

For Dan Barker, his first day on skis this season was Sunday.

“I drove through in January to Vegas and the skis never came out of the truck,” Barker said as he rode up the Sky chairlift at Heavenly Mountain Resort.

He and his son, Sean (who worked at Heavenly two seasons ago), came down from Poulsbo, Wash., to get more than a week of skiing in.

With Heavenly receiving between 1 and 1½ feet of snow, there was plenty for the duo to schuss through. Most resorts in the greater Lake Tahoe area sent out alerts Sunday morning about having received nearly 18 inches of white stuff overnight.

But it wasn’t all fun Sunday. Kirkwood Mountain Resort had an inbounds avalanche on the back side of Vista. No one was injured, but the lifts closed in the afternoon in order to secure the mountain.

“(Sunday) was challenging with rising temps and the new snow,” the resort posted on its Facebook page.

Even the resort’s website says, “Kirkwood is a Class A (most dangerous) avalanche area. Our Ski Patrol Team works tirelessly to ensure the resort is safe to ski. Please observe and respect our ski area and avalanche closure boundaries.”

A March 17 inbound avi at Kirkwood sent one person to Barton Memorial Hospital.

With the fluctuating temperatures and more snow forecast for the end of the week, slopes will be unstable. The Sierra Avalanche Center rates the danger each day.

At Homewood Mountain Resort a power outage was the issue. It meant no skiing. But think of all that untracked powder that will be available today.

While at lake level people were shoveling upwards of a foot of snow in the morning, by the afternoon it was hard to know there were blizzard conditions 24 hours earlier.

Despite all the freshies, the lift lines mid-morning and into the afternoon at Heavenly were minimal. The line for fries at Tamarack Lodge about 1pm was non-existent.

People seem to have moved onto other activities just as the snow on the slopes has become so inviting.

While last year it was “the winter that would never end”, this year it’s “the winter that never quite was”.

Another phrase often used in the basin, “If you don’t like the weather, wait five minutes, it will change” seems so appropriate. Part of Sunday was like a blizzard at Heavenly Mountain Resort, while later in the day the sunscreen needed to be applied.

Conditions on the mountain are all over the board. Awesome powder off the Galaxy chairlift had everyone in the trees whooping it up. The sketchy conditions on Liz’s provoked four-letter words. Slick spots were disconcerting, especially as it continued to snow. Later in the day slushy spots slowed everyone down.

It’s been that kind of season for skiers and snowboarders in Lake Tahoe – from one extreme to the other, with little consistency.

All the resorts finally have plenty of coverage – but only a few weeks are left before the lifts stop spinning until next season. Mid-April is the normal closing time. But plenty of events still fill the calendar – just check out your resort of choice to see what will be taking place in the coming weeks.

And while the ski season is just about over, the season for deals on next year’s season pass is well under way. This is the time of year to lock in the best rate on next year’s pass.

But, really, maybe it’s time to admit it’s the season to see if there is air in the bike tires.

ngg_shortcode_0_placeholder (Click on photos to enlarge.)

Legends of American skiing, including Olympians Julia Mancuso, Jonny Moseley, Shannon Bahrke, Marco Sullivan, and Tamara McKinney, will hit the slopes at Squaw Valley on April 7 for the first Squaw Valley and Alpine Meadows U.S. Ski Team Day.

Olympic champion Aksel Lund Svindal will also appear as a special guest.

Supporters of the event, which will raise funds for the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Team Foundation, have an opportunity to spend the day skiing with U.S. Ski Team and Squaw Valley athletes, Olympians and alumni on the slopes of Squaw Valley. The event will also feature a U.S. Ski Team Pro-Am Race with afternoon activities including a public autograph session on the KT Deck and live music by San Francisco band Tea Leaf Green. The day will conclude with a star-studded après ski party at the Olympic Village Lodge.

Funds generated through the Squaw Valley event will support elite athlete training, development, competition and educational needs in the critical years leading up to the 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi. In addition to supporting the U.S. Ski Team, a portion of the funds raised will go directly to the Squaw Valley Ski Team.

Pro-Am Race entry begins at a $1,000 entry donation per team sponsorship or a $200 donation per racer.

By Kathryn Reed

SEDONA, Ariz. – It’s as though the rocks are evolving before my eyes. Shadows come and go. The sun is setting. A little more vibrant red; now a little more pink. Sky changing colors.

Mesmerizing. Breathtaking. Captivating.

Sedona, while well known for its vortexes – or spiraling energy, is a feast for the eyes. Everywhere one looks red rock creations sprout from the landscape. It doesn’t matter if one feels the energy; taking in the beauty is a moving experience.

Exquisite rock formations are everywhere in Sedona, including outside the condo where we stayed. Photos/Kathryn Reed

While much of the area is in the Coconino National Forest, it’s hard to think of it as a forest coming from Lake Tahoe. But it is an outdoor paradise.

We spend the first of three nights watching the sunset from the airport. Throngs of people are there before we arrive. The temperature is dropping as the sun fades behind the mountains.

Mother Nature’s show deserves a standing ovation.

We are here for a few days after being at spring training and in Scottsdale the first part of this mid-March week. My sister, Pam, has secured us a condo at her Sedona Summit timeshare. This is her first time Sedona, while mom had stayed in this Arizona town before, and Sue and I had made day trips in the past.

Nothing is on our agenda except to hang out and look at red rocks. A little pool time, reading, relaxing, mixed with those rocks fill our days.

One morning we head to the old mining town of Jerome. At one time it was the fourth largest town in Arizona – that was in 1899. By 1929, the population was 15,000. Today a few hundred people call it home.

Copper is the main mineral pulled from the hillside land. A scar remains on one side of the mountain. At the Jerome State Historic Park it’s possible to look down a shaft that is about 1,900 feet deep. The Audrey Shaft is lined with concrete for fire protection.

Once a mansion, the focal point of the state park is now a museum below the main part of town.

Jerome is built into a hillside. Streets are narrow. A tiny visitor center on Hull Avenue is a good first stop for getting a map that designates historic buildings and businesses.

We take a different route back to Sedona that leads us past some of the more recognizable rock formations like Bell Rock, Courthouse Butte, Cathedral Rock and Chapel of the Holy Cross.

It’s easy to make this a driving a tour, hiking expedition, or leisurely stroll. The church that in 1956 was built into the rocks is worth getting out to explore – no matter your beliefs.

And make sure your battery is charged. Kodak moments are everywhere.

One morning Sue and I venture off on the Centennial and Girdner trails that are walking distance from the condo.

Sedona turned 100 in 2002. It got its name from the first postmaster’s wife – Sedona was her first name.

Along the red dirt trail are magnificent vistas, with rock outcroppings in the distance. More immediate are blooming cacti, gangly pines and shrub brush. We share the trail with a mountain biker and hikers. The hikers tell us if we descend into the canyon, come out the wash, and hit a road we will make it back to the condo in several hours.

We opt to turn around. The pool is calling.

Another afternoon is spent meandering through the shops at Tlaquepaque. Artwork of all kinds fills the adobe buildings.

Nearby is Ken’s Creekside Café, where we have an early dinner. While no water is running in the creek, the view is still peaceful and relaxing. We all enjoy our meals and fun cocktails.

Sedona is one of those places that is good for all ages. It’s about a two-hour drive from Phoenix. Spend a day, or spend several, there is plenty to do.

ngg_shortcode_1_placeholder (Click on photos to enlarge.)

By Tristan Ahtone, NPR

Most Americans have little difficulty practicing their religion. But for Native Americans, performing traditional religious ceremonies isn’t always so simple. Many rites often involve heavy regulation by federal authorities — especially when it comes to using sacred items like eagle feathers.

In a first for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Northern Arapaho tribe in Wyoming has received a permit to hunt and kill bald eagles for religious purposes. The move comes in the wake of a lawsuit filed last year, alleging that the refusal of such permits violated tribal members’ religious freedom.

The agency has issued similar permits for golden eagles in the past, but the Northern Arapaho permit is the first granted for the iconic bald eagle.

Crawford White, an Arapaho ceremonial elder from the Wind River Reservation in Wyoming, says his tribe uses eagle-tail fans and eagle-bone whistles in several tribal ceremonies and settings, including sun dances, powwows and sweat lodges.

Some of these ceremonies may sound familiar to non-Native Americans; others may seem more exotic. But either way, for many Native Americans to fully participate in religious ceremonies, they need eagle parts. To get those parts, they can go to the black market, use items passed between friends and family, or put in an order to the National Eagle Repository in Denver.

Read the whole story