North Lake Tahoe celebrates its long winter season with SnowFest, a 10-day carnival and one of the region’s most popular annual family celebrations. SnowFest is scheduled for March 1-10 and is held at a variety of venues throughout North Lake Tahoe.
Here’s a list a just a few of festivities taking place:
The largest cross-country ski race west of the Mississippi is slated for this Sunday, March 3. Starting near the shores of Lake Tahoe, The Great Ski Race® covers 30km with 1,200 feet of uphill and 1,800 of downhill between Tahoe City and Truckee, Calif. The current record time is one hour and seven minutes, and the final contestant typically crosses the finish line in seven hours.
“The event draws skiers from around the country and around the world, including Olympic Nordic skiers and serious competitors, as well as skiers who are racing to beat their buddy or to beat last year’s time,” said Doug Read, race director for The Great Ski Race. “There are also skiers are out there to enjoy a ski in the woods with a bunch of friends, great soup stations and a heck of a party at the end.”
Registration for the 2013 Great Ski Race is now open online. Registration fees are $65 until March 2, $100 on race day and $25 for juniors 18 and under. The entry fee includes a pre-race package, a commemorative T-shirt, refreshments and a hot lunch at the finish, and a chance to win one of many great prizes. The party at the finish will consist of live music and lots of laughs at Truckee’s historic Cottonwood Restaurant and Bar.
The Great Ski Race is the main fundraising event for the Tahoe Nordic Search and Rescue Team, a non-profit, all-volunteer organization. Currently consisting of more than 100 volunteers, The Tahoe Nordic Search and Rescue Team was conceived in 1976 as a response to the death of a boy lost off the back side of one of the Lake Tahoe ski resorts during a blizzard. There was, at the time, no organized backcountry ski team to help search for the boy. Desperate phone calls to some local Nordic skiers produced a search party that eventually located the youth, but only after it was too late. This group of skiers, along with the boy’s father (who today still remains one of the Nordic Team’s active members), learned there was an important void to be filled. Thus, the Tahoe Nordic Search and Rescue Team was born.
The Tahoe Nordic Search and Rescue Team has matured considerably over the years, but the goals remain the same: conduct fast, safe rescues and educate the public about winter safety. Collectively, the team has an extremely high level of medical, mountain, and skiing skills, with members including EMTs, emergency room nurses, firefighters, professional ski patrollers, paramedics, and MDs. The Tahoe Nordic Search and Rescue Team has located over 300 individuals to date, ultimately saving lives and bringing lost loved ones home whenever possible. Proceeds from The Great Ski Race and donations are the only source of funding for the Tahoe Nordic Search and Rescue Team. All funds raised are used to support the operations of the all-volunteer team throughout the year, as well as for winter survival and avalanche education programs sponsored and conducted by the team.
About Tahoe Nordic Search and Rescue
Conceived in 1976, the Tahoe Nordic Search and Rescue Team has more than 100 members who fulfill many different functions in the organization such as rescuing lost alpine and cross-country skiers, snowboarders and snowmobilers, locating downed aircraft, rescuing stranded hikers and climbers, educating the public about mountain safety, and many other support functions. More information can be found at www.tahoenordicsar.com or www.thegreatskirace.com.
Location: North Lake Tahoe Visitor Center, 100 North Lake Blvd, Tahoe City CA 96145
Cost: FREE EVENT
Who: Craig Noble and Furry Friends
TheNorthLake TahoeVisitorInformationCenteris looking forward to a woofing and tail-wagging good time as the Squaw/Alpine Rescue dogs come to the center for a visit. From their handlers, we will learn how they train these snuggly life savers and how we can support their efforts. “A Day in Your Life” photographer, Donna Reid, will be here to take portraits of you and the cute canines (a portion of the photo proceeds will be donated to the Search and Rescue foundation). Beer will be provided by Mellow Fellow GastroPub and cookies for furry friends will be provided by Scrap’s Dog Bakery. The featured artist for this event is Keoki Gallery with his famous Dog Rescue Pictures.
Sponsored By: A Day in Your Life Photography, Scrap’s Dog Bakery and Mellow Fellow GastroPub
Contact Information: Kym Fabel, NLT Visitor Center Manager
It might have been raining across much of Northern California, but last week’s storm brought snow to North Lake Tahoe ski resorts – more than 3.5 feet of the white stuff, making for a great ski weekend.
You just never know how these storms are going to play out. But Mother Nature cooperated and we’ve got new snow on the mountains!
With a base elevation of 8,260 feet, Mt. Rose – Ski Tahoe welcomed 45 inches of snow throughout the series of storms and has received a total of 100 inches of snowfall to date. On Donner Summit, Sugar Bowl Ski Resort at an elevation of 6,883 feet is reporting storm totals of 44 inches. Squaw Valley’s upper mountain at 8,200 feet got 42 inches of snow.
Reservations are not required, but participants should arrive early. Lesson packages can be purchased at each individual resort the day of lessons. Students should contact resorts directly for resort-specific information. Some restrictions apply. Resorts not open December 8-9 may offer a Learn to Ski Weekend later in the season.
With 2 snow storms officially under our belts, North Lake Tahoe ski resortsare gearing up for an epic season. Dust off your skis or board and go north.
The Fat Tire Festival returns to Squaw Valley September 20 through September 23. The festival will include five race events, a mountain bike stage race, group mountain bike rides, skill clinics, vendors, movies, trail work classes and music. The Squaw Valley bike park and trail network will also be open throughout the four-day event.
Tough Mudder, one of Lake Tahoe’s most dynamic spectator events, comes to Northstar California the weekend of September 22-23. This 10 to 12-mile obstacle course was designed by British Special Forces to test all around strength, stamina, mental grit and camaraderie. Spectator tickets are $20/person online and $40/person onsite (if still available).
Lone Eagle Grille and the Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe Resort, Spa and Casino announce the third annual Wine on the Water charity event; a food and wine festival on the shores of Lake Tahoe. Featuring over 25 celebrated wineries and more than a dozen local restaurants, the annual event will include exclusive tastings of some of the region’s best food and wine, live music, and a noteworthy silent auction. Set against a spectacular backdrop on the Cottage Green beside Hyatt’s private beach, 100% of all proceeds generated from ticket sales and silent auction sales at the event on Sunday, August 19, will be donated directly to the Boys and Girls Club of North Lake Tahoe.
From 1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m., guests will have a chance to sample the finest labels and vintages from acclaimed Northern California wineries. Recently recognized by Wine Spectator magazine with the 2011 Award of Excellence for its outstanding wine program, Hyatt’s own Lone Eagle Grille will feature a flavorful sampling from of High Sierra Cuisine that has made it one of the area’s most popular restaurants. Other top local and regional chefs from favorite restaurants will provide signature bites. In addition to great wine and food, Wine on the Water will also feature an extensive silent auction with items including special wines, exotic resort retreats, dinners, and gift certificates. Live music will be provided as guests mix and mingle.
Tickets to the event will be $65 per person in advance, $75 at the door. All proceeds generated as a result of Wine on the Water will be donated directly to the Boys & Girls Club of North Lake Tahoe.
The 27th Lake Tahoe Autumn Food and Wine Festival, long considered one of the region’s premier gourmet events, has increased the number of its programs – now offering nine days of festivities.
Travelers have a healthy appetite for culinary tourism. They are eager to experience the food and wine of a particular region as part of their vacation. With this in mind, we expanded what was already an exceptional event and made it even better, offering nine days instead of three of tastings and classes.
Another noticeable change to this year’s Lake Tahoe Autumn Food and Wine Festival is the expansion of the event to every corner of North Lake Tahoe. Visitors can literally pick and choose when and where to partake from the lake’s West Shore to sandy Kings Beach and even Truckee Saturday, September 1 through Sunday, September 9.
New events are many and include a Labor Day Weekend Barbecue and Music at West Shore Café and Inn in Homewood (September 1), the Alpen Wine Fest at the Village at Squaw Valley (September 2) and educational classes at Uncorked Wine Bar in the Village at Squaw Valley and at their Tahoe City location (September 3 and 6).
Attendees also have an opportunity to shop, cook, learn and dine with Chef and Owner Douglas Dale of Wolfdale’s Cuisine Unique in Tahoe City at his Farmer’s Market/Hands-On Cooking Class (September 6). Participants will shop locally with Douglas, cook together and enjoy a four-course luncheon complete with wine pairings.
This year’s event will also feature a first-time ever winemaker dinner at the famed Soule Domain in Crystal Bay (September 6). The cozy cabin setting is home to the exquisite pairings of Chef and Owner Charlie Soule with the award-winning wines of Mt. Vernon Winery, a previous winner at the Lake Tahoe Autumn Food and Wine Festival.
Many of the festival’s most popular programs are back, but enhanced.
The Grape Stomp has changed location and will now be hosted at Tahoe City’s Commons Beach and sponsored by Uncorked Tahoe City (September 7). Teams of stompers will crush grapes the old world way with bare feet in wacky costumes with the country’s largest alpine lake as a backdrop.
Although the focus has traditionally been wine, this year’s event will diverge featuring a unique beer class as part of its educational seminars on Saturday (September at the Village at Northstar. The “Belgian Brews and Cheese Pairing” has renowned cheese expert Laura Werlin pairing Belgian-style and IPA-style beer with a variety of domestic cheeses.
Another new class that may pique the interest of festivalgoers is the “2012 Pacific Oyster Wine Pairing Winners” (September 8), which will also be held at the Village at Northstar. As vino aficionados know, there aren’t many wines that work well with oysters but when one does, it’s a beautiful thing. During the month-long 18th Annual Pacific Coast Oyster Wine Competition, 25 top food and wine experts blind tasted each wine with at least one oyster and then rated the “bliss factor.” Ten West Coast wines were selected for the prestigious “Oyster Awards.” Attendees will taste the winning wines along with succulent oysters.
Many of the festival’s free programs are also return for September 8 at the Village at Northstar, including outdoor grilling and cooking seminars, gourmet marketplace, hands-on cooking and butchering demonstrations, as well as the ticketed Wine and Brew Walk and Blazing Pans Mountain Chef Cookoff and Charbay Artisan Winery and Distillery Release Party.
The pinnacle of the event, the Culinary Competition and Grand Tasting, returns (September 9) at the Village at Northstar with more than 30 restaurants, caterers and chefs developing bite-sized dishes that pair perfectly with a single varietal or vintage wine, beer or spirits.
Lake Tahoe was recently ranked the“Best Lake in America” in a survey by USA Today having garnered 5,000 votes via Facebook and Twitter.
There were 15 finalists selected by regional magazine editors. Lake Tahoe was nominated by Peter Fish of Sunset, who described the lake as “a summer escape hatch.”
“Lake Tahoe resonates with people,” said Chief Marketing Officer Andy Chapman of the North Lake Tahoe Chamber/CVB/Resort Association. “The crystal clear waters, pure mountain air and miles of trails – it just encourages you to unplug from the office and unwind with family and friends. It’s a slower pace of life that recharges you.”
Writer Laura Bly of USA Today will be visiting Lake Tahoe this week, where she’ll be researching what makes Lake Tahoe so unique and why visitors have such a connection to the region whether they’re a weekend warrior or a first-time sightseer. Her article, along with a series of photos, will appear in the newspaper’s August 10 edition.
Lake Tahoe has also been honored as the #1 ski destination with Rand McNally and Orbitz, and #1 travel destination with TripAdvisor.
Dock hopping on the new North Lake Tahoe Water Shuttle will get you on the lake and to your favorite restaurants, shopping, bike trails, museums, parks, farmers markets and other recreational activities in minutes. The vessel carries 12 passengers, the crew and up to eight bikes.
Try a vacation from your car – take public transit or ride your bike to one of the four beautiful docks. There will be TARTand Night Rider services available for you to combine with the water shuttle experience to avoid parking and traffic hassles. Make it an experience while in North Lake Tahoe.
The pilot program includes a “paperless” reservation program, so please book ahead today. Service will begin Friday, August 3 through the end of September. Hours of operation are 8 a.m. to 8:19 p.m. through August 26 and then the schedule will run through from 8 a.m. to 6:46 p.m. to coincide with daylight changes.
Participating docks for this new pilot are: West Shore Café, Tahoe City Marina, GarWoods Grill & Pier and the Tahoe Vista Recreation Area. Rates start at $10 for adults, $7 for children up to 12 years old (rates are one-way). For reservations and more information, visit The North Lake Tahoe Water Shuttle website or call 530-581-8707 between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m.
Ticketing kiosks are available at some of the participating docks; seats are limited, so book ahead. This is like a taxi on the water with a custom built Centurion 30’ vessel, and is state-of-the-art design; manufactured and operated by Fine Line Industries.
This pilot program is funded through Placer County TOT/North Lake Tahoe Chamber/CVB/Resort Association and sponsored by the Tahoe Transportation District with TNT-TMA contract management. For more information, you can reach the TMA directly at 530-546-2912, Monday through Friday.
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North Lake Tahoe celebrates its long winter season with SnowFest, a 10-day carnival and one of the region’s most popular annual family celebrations. SnowFest is scheduled for March 1-10 and is held at a variety of venues throughout North Lake Tahoe.
at the Village at Northstar. The “Belgian Brews and Cheese Pairing” has renowned cheese expert Laura Werlin pairing Belgian-style and IPA-style beer with a variety of domestic cheeses.
