Put on the sunscreen if you are headed for the slopes. Here is the ski report from Curtis Fong, the Guy from Tahoe.

The Tahoe Rim Trail Association in partnership with Sierra Nevada Journeys is offering three 3-day, 2-night Youth Backcountry Camps for high school students to promote service learning and introduce participants to backpacking.

There will also be one 5-day, 4-night backpacking trip focused on outdoor leadership and personal development. Camps are limited to 12 participants.

The camps will be July 11-13, July 16-18, and July 21-23. The 5-day trip will be from Aug. 2–6.

The TRTA Youth Backcountry Camps engage young adults between the ages of 14-17 who love the outdoors and want to learn more about backpacking, trail operations, ecology and outdoor leadership skills in an advanced wilderness setting. Participants learn valuable lessons and gain outdoor experiences that will help them to connect with the environment and infuse environmental stewardship into their lives, allowing them to spread their new found knowledge and skills throughout their community.

Several topics incorporated will be:

* Map and Compass Orienteering

* Leave No Trace: 7 Principles for Minimum Impact Recreation

* Shelter building skills

* Flora and Fauna Identification

* Backcountry survival skills

* Team building exercises

* Leadership skills

* Trail building!

Additionally, participants will perform a day of service learning on the trail and get their hands dirty doing actual trail maintenance under the supervision of an experienced TRTA Crew Leader.

Each camp has the capacity for 12 students with the exception of the 5-day which can accommodate only 10 and will be fully supported by TRTA and SNJ staff. The cost for the program is $99 for sessions 1, 2 and 3 (scholarships are available) and $149 for the longer camp. Through a generous donation from REI, participants are provided with all necessary camping gear and food for the program. Participants only need appropriate footwear and clothing and a passion for the outdoors!

For more information, and for prerequisites for this course, please call the TRTA office at (775) 298.0238 or email programs@tahoerimtrail.org.

The Placer County Board of Supervisors authorized the North Lake Tahoe Resort Association to spend up to $202,260 in budgeted infrastructure funds on bike trail signage, bus shelters and bear-proof trash cans.

The approved funds will result in the installation of five bus shelters in the north Lake Tahoe area, 24 informational map signs along 19 miles of trails, and 13 bear-proof trash cans located at transit shelters.

The bus shelters will be located on the westbound side of Highway 28 east of Tahoe City near old Mill and Fabian roads, eastbound at National Avenue in Tahoe Vista, and in the north and southbound stops on Highway 89 at Sunnyside.

The shelters will include paved turnouts, sidewalks and bear-proof trash receptacles. Construction is expected to begin this spring on the estimated $153,000 project.

The bike trail signage project will include the design, production, construction and installation of 24 informational map signs to be located along the Tahoe City Public Utility District’s 19 miles of multipurpose trails. The signs will include “You Are Here” features as well as identify location of nearby restrooms, transit stops, recreation areas, business districts and provide trail etiquette information. Construction is scheduled to begin this spring on the estimated $29,260 project.

Up to $20,000 is approved for the installation of 13 bear-proof trash cans. The receptacles will be placed at existing heavily-used transit shelters in the North Lake Tahoe region serving the county’s TART system. The cans will include containers for regular and recyclable trash.

The new signage, bear-proof trash cans and bus shelters will be paid for with funding from the county’s Transient Occupancy Tax dollars, used for Tahoe area capital improvement projects.

By Kathryn Reed

Sorry guys, but you aren’t invited — at least not as a competitor.

Iron Girl is rolling into the South Shore on Sept. 19. This women’s only triathlon will have participants swimming in Lake Tahoe (wetsuits OK) near Lakeside Beach for 800 meters, then riding their bike 24 kilometers to Cave Rock and back to the casino corridor, and then running through the streets of Nevada and California at the state line for a 5K.

“We have been talking to Iron Man and Iron Girl for a couple years,” said Mike Frye, events coordinator for Lake Tahoe Visitors Authority. “We signed a three-year contract. If we make this thing rock, we will get an Iron Man out of this.”

Iron Girl events is part of the larger, better known Iron Man. The women’s division was launched six years ago.

“Iron Girl’s mission is to empower women toward a healthy lifestyle,” according to their website. No one from their Florida offices returned phone calls.

Their events are growing in size at a rate of more than 20 percent a year, with the average age being 35, according to Frye.

The goal is to have 500 participants the first year, with that translating into an infusion of $200,000 into the South Shore economy.

Who the local competitors might be remains to be seen. Nancy Harrison of South Lake Tahoe won her age group and placed second overall in last summer’s Xterra event in Incline Village. It’s running on asphalt that has her questioning the Iron Girl.

“I might consider a team. I would love to be the cyclist,” Harrison said. “Lately I really don’t enjoy running, especially when it’s on the road.”

But she hasn’t ruled out doing it solo and not as a team.

“I’m very excited the event is coming to Tahoe. Because it;s in town I may have to come out of retirement,” Harrison said.

Erika Mathews who runs Moxy Fitness on the South Shore often uses events as training for her clients. She is still weighing her options before committing to the Iron Girl being one of the goals she sets.

One of the things LTVA has been trying to do is lure event promoters to the South Shore. The tourism agency then helps streamline the permitting process. Hoteliers and retailers point to events being the difference between cash registers ringing and them being silent.

Other events in the works

Another athletic event coming to the South Shore is Thin Air Distance Festival Aug. 12-15.

It’s possible to run a marathon in four days, or a half in two days.

“It speaks to a lot of people. Not everyone has time to train to run a marathon,” Frye said.

John DuCray out of Sacramento is putting on the event. Part of the proceeds will benefit local high school running programs and recreational teams in the area.

Events include a 10K, 12K, 21K, 5K, free 1 mile for those 14 and younger, and family-stroller fun walk. Individuals and teams are invited.

Courses are throughout the South Shore, with one being at Edgewood Tahoe Golf Course.

About 400 people are expected the first year.

Also on the books for this summer is Hot August Nights. It is expanding from Reno to the South Shore July 30-Aug. 1.

Hot rods will cruise down Highway 50 from Lakeside Inn and Casino to Ski Run Boulevard and back.

The first week of registration 250 people signed up their vehicles.

Another event the LTVA wants to tap into is Street Vibrations, the annual motorcycle event in Nevada.

By Lindsey Sine, USSA

ARE, Sweden — The U.S. Freestyle Moguls Team isn’t slowing down for anyone as Hannah Kearney (Norwich, VT) and Shannon Bahrke (Tahoe City, CA) went 1-2 and Patrick Deneen (Cle Elum, WA) took third during the dual moguls competition in Sweden on Saturday.

In total the U.S. put all six women in finals for the second day in a row with three in the final round of four.

“I feel fantastic. With it being the first dual, that’s always a different ballgame. To win that as well as being able to win singles is really satisfying,” Kearney said.

Kearney went head-to-head with teammate Bahrke who had an incredible day, save for a wipeout when skiing in the final with the winner.

With one World Cup left in the season, while Bahrke is looking forward to her competition, it is bittersweet when combined with her plans to retire at the end of the season.

With her level of consistency, Bahrke is hoping to end her career in moguls with similar success to what she’s had this season.

“Having been on the podium for the last four times my expectations are high, but I’m just excited that it’s going to be my last run and see how I’m doing,” Bahrke said.

Kearney and Bahrke also led the way for three other teammates racing into the top-10 with Eliza Outtrim (Steamboat Springs, CO) just missing the podium in fourth, Heather McPhie (Bozeman, MT) in sixth and Laurel Shanley (Squaw Valley, CA) in ninth.

On the men’s side, Deneen put himself on the podium for the second consecutive day, including knocking off hometown favorite and Friday’s winner Jesper Bjoernlund. The 2009 World Champion said it felt good to ski five runs so consistently.

Next up, the team makes their way to Sierra Nevada, Spain for a World Cup in a venue that will be completely new to them, and they’re all excited to see what the course there will hold for them.

2010 FIS Freestyle World Cup Dual Moguls

Men

1. Guilbaut Colas, France

2. Maxime Gingras, Canada

3. Patrick Deneen, Cle Elum, WA

4. Mikael Kingsbury, Canada

5. Bryon Wilson, Butte, MT

–

8. Joe Discoe, Farmington, ME

15. Dave DiGravio, Farmington, ME

22. David Babic, Washington, VT

34. Michael Morse, Duxbury, MA

37. Jeremy Cota, Carrabassett Valley, ME

Women

1. Hannah Kearney, Norwich, VT

2. Shannon Bahrke, Tahoe City, CA

3. Jennifer Heil, Canada

4. Eliza Outtrim, Steamboat Springs, CO

5. Chloe Dufour-LaPointe, Canada

–

6. Heather McPhie, Bozeman, MT

9. Laurel Shanley, Squaw Valley, CA

13. Heidi Kloser, Vail, CO

Powder is the word of the day. Here is the ski report from Curtis Fong, the Guy from Tahoe.

A decision this week by prep high school officials created a sports league encompassing South Tahoe, Whittell, Truckee, Incline, North Tahoe and Sparks high schools.

The Nevada Interscholastic Activities Association’s Board of Control on Wednesday approved two aspects of the emergency realignment proposal at the meeting in Reno.

The 2A-3A Northern combination and the ensuing 4A realignment (losing three schools to the 2A-3A) was approved. Other proposed realignments were voted down.

The new alignments will go in to effect in the fall and remain in place for two school years. Tournament formats were not discussed; league/region and state qualifying procedures and post-season tournament brackets will be considered at the June meeting.

Could be fresh powder later this afternoon. Here is the ski report from Curtis Fong, the Guy from Tahoe.

It’s a bluebird day in Lake Tahoe. Here is the ski report from Curtis Fong, the Guy from Tahoe.

By Jeff Delong, Reno Gazette-Journal

An escalating “war” over Nevada’s declining mule deer population and management of predators such as mountain lions and coyotes has top officials with the Nevada Department of Wildlife clashing with members of the commission that oversees them.

Federal wildlife officials have declined to proceed with plans to kill lions and other predators — a controversial proposal approved by the Nevada Wildlife Commission in December — because the idea is not supported by state biologists and Ken Mayer, NDOW director. The idea was pushed by two sportsmen groups which insist the state is doing too little to protect deer from predators.

After the decision by federal wildlife officials, Nevada Wildlife Commission Chairman Dr. Gerald Lent, last week announced formation of a committee to explore new ways to restore Nevada’s mule deer population, which critics say the department has failed to do.

Read the whole story