Sun this morning, yucky weather later in the day — that’s the forecast for Friday.

Here is the April 22 ski report from Curtis Fong, the Guy from Tahoe.

By Marjie Lundstrom, Sacramento Bee

Ticket scalping is a crass reality for the Giants, the Lakers and Lady Gaga, but here’s a wave of price-gouging you may have missed: Yosemite National Park.

Campsite reservations and permits to scale Half Dome have become such hot commodities that the National Park Service is scrambling to halt the auctioning of park access to the highest bidder.

The flipping of reservations and permits in Yosemite – the third-most-visited national park – is so rampant on Internet sites like Craigslist that park officials are “becoming more aggressive” in trying to shut down these operators, said Yosemite spokesman Scott Gediman.

“We want to stop it as much as we can,” he said. “It’s not fair. These (reservations and permits) aren’t intended to go into the after-market. But it’s becoming more sophisticated. … People are finding ways to abuse the system.”

A review last week of all 29 Craigslist sites in California revealed dozens of ads peddling prime camp spots during the summer high season, including the coveted Yosemite Valley floor.

Read the whole story

By Jane Braxton Little, Sacramento Bee

CHESTER – An Indian tribe and a state agency are vying to become long-term stewards of a 2,300-acre area in the Humbug Valley, just east of the Pacific Crest Trail where Plumas and Tehama counties meet.

The Maidu Summit Consortium, a group of Maidu Indian tribal, nonprofit and grassroots organizations, and the California Department of Fish and Game have applied to become owners of the area.

Here’s what they are fighting over:

Southwest of Lake Almanor, carbonated springs gurgle into a wet meadow where endangered willow flycatchers nest along a trophy trout stream meandering through Humbug Valley. Flanked by a pine and fir forest that rises to 7,000–foot peaks, the heart-shaped valley hosts a hotbed of biodiversity in an extraordinary mix of Sierra Nevada and Cascade Range species.

Owned for a century by Pacific Gas and Electric Co., Humbug Valley is one of nearly 1,000 separate parcels of utility company lands designated for permanent protection under a 2004 accord reached by the state Public Utilities Commission following PG&E’s bankruptcy reorganization.

A total of 140,000 acres of some of California’s best wildlife habitat and fishing streams are in the process of being assigned new managers, some of them permanent owners. Under the terms of the agreement, the lands valued at $300 million will be preserved permanently and kept available for public use. No commercial development is permitted.

Read the whole story

At 7:40am Thursday the sun is out with blue and gray sky, and it’s snowing in South Lake Tahoe.

Here is the ski report for April 21 from Curtis Fong, the Guy from Tahoe.

April 22 is locals’ day at Kirkwood Mountain Resort.

Lift tickets are $20 for all locals – if you’re from Lake Tahoe, Carson Valley, Jackson or any of the surrounding areas, just bring in your ID.

Kirkwood is giving $5 of every locals’ lift ticket sold that day to Lake Tahoe Bicycle Coalition.

The Nevada Division of Forestry will be conducting prescribed burns at Tunnel Creek in the Lake Tahoe Nevada State Park backcountry throughout late April and into May.

The Tunnel Creek road from Highway 28 to Tunnel Creek Station may be closed in order to conduct the burns. Signs will be posted throughout the area when burns are being conducted. Nearly 100 acres will be treated in 15 phases.

The burns are part of ongoing fuels treatment and forest restoration efforts in the Lake Tahoe area.

The Tunnel Creek burns are being conducted by the Nevada Division of Forestry in cooperation with the Division of State Parks, Division of State Lands and the North Lake Tahoe Fire Protection District.

Contact Robert Gregg at (775) 684.2725 for additional information.

Wind warning for Lake Tahoe will mean lift operations will be affected — and not in a good way.

Here is the ski report from Curtis Fong, the Guy from Tahoe.

Skiers and riders will have one last chance to shred Sierra-at-Tahoe this season after closing day on April 24. On April 25, Sierra will host its Annual Customer Appreciation Day.

Skiers and riders of all ages may purchase a lift ticket for $25. All proceeds raised from the day’s lift ticket sales will be donated to sponsor youth recreation and education.

Sierra Resort will operate a limited number of lifts from 9am-2pm.

All guests are invited to join John Rice, general manager, and the rest of Sierra Resort’s managing team for the official “last run of the season” from the top of Grandview Express beginning at 2pm. Last call at the Sierra Pub will be at 2:45pm, in time for the ending of all winter operations at 3pm.

Perfect day to call in sick to work.

Here is the ski report from Curtis Fong, the Guy from Tahoe.

Squaw Valley is hosting the second annual nationwide Helly Hansen Professional Ski Patrol Olympics April 26-28.

Ski patrollers from all over North America will be competing for glory and $10,000 in cash and other prizes such as avalanche probes, backpacks compliments of Helly Hansen, Alpine Traverse, Recco and BCA.

Competitions will include a randonée race, beacon competition, GS race, sled race, bamboo throw and simulated bomb throw. All competitions will be visible from the Cornice II snow lounge and BBQ area where spectators can partake in the excitement and suspense.

New this year, the Helly Hansen Professional Ski Patrol Olympics has added an Avalanche Rescue Dog competition where resorts’ top dogs will go head-to-head in a two-day challenge. Avalanche rescue dogs are an important component of any patrol team. The K-9 competition will include a timed retrieval of buried objects.

Registration for the event will take place April 26 from 6-9pm at the Papoose Discovery Center located across from Cornice Cantina. Registration to compete costs $89 per patroller and includes a two-day lift ticket to Squaw Valley and participation in the events.

A discounted entry fee is available for patrollers with Squaw Valley season passes.

Spectators are invited to watch the competition and enjoy the only the snow barbecue in the Cornice II Bowl.

For more information about the Helly Hansen Professional Ski Patrol Olympics, call (530) 452.7124 or email eknudson@squaw.com.