Alpenglow Mountain Festival-Winter

We are in the midst of one of the most comprehensive and fun winter festivals that is hosted in Tahoe; the Alpenglow Mountain Festival​-Winter. The festival is focused on exploring some of the best human-powered activities that the Tahoe area has to offer. This is the fifth year of the festival that showcases more than 75 events that are designed for beginner and intermediate mountain recreation enthusiasts. The diverse offerings include back-country skiing and splitboarding, cross country skiing snowshoeing, natural history, yoga, live music, educational workshops, social gatherings, back-country cooking, dog friendly events, winter astronomy events and much more.
  

The festival started on February 17th and runs through the 25th. The lineup of events covers many different disciplines and is an excellent way to get into or learn about activities that are "off the beaten path". The best and most unique aspect of the festival is that many of the events are free for participants.
  

A major highlight event of the festival is Nachspektakel, a European-inspired uphill ski touring event. The evening starts at 4pm taking you on an uphill skinning adventure to the top of a mountain to enjoy Lake Tahoe views and a backcountry bonfire. The star-filled sky surrounds as participants enjoy a three-course mountaintop meal. Don’t miss this special night in the Tahoe backcountry.

Click here for full details on Alpenglow Mountain Festival and don’t miss out on the Alpenglow Mountain Festival Summer from June 16th – 24th, 2018.

Katie Tyler

Realtor®

BRE 01442453

c 530 277 1012 

Kid-O-Rama

Kid-O-Rama

Squaw Valley/Alpine Meadows

Saturday, February 17th – Saturday, February 24

It’s good to be a kid at Squaw Valley/Alpine Meadows for President’s week.  Kid-O-Rama is a week of non-stop fun for kids of all ages.  Squaw will attract families with activities like the sky jump trampolines, the climbing wall in the tram building, mini snowmobiles and snow tubing at SnoVentures, a pool and hot tub perched atop the mountain at 8200 feet and lots of Olympic viewing in between.
  

The fun will be super-sized as Kid-O-Rama takes over.  Every day in the Village there will be a kids game and craft room open from 10am to 9pm featuring activities like ping pong, art projects, and ski movies with popcorn.

Each weekend day ends with live music on the Village stage and the Plaza Bar.  On the 17th, 18th and 24th, the night will end with a fireworks show over the  iconic KT-22 slopes.   Stay warm with a complimentary hot cocoa bar for the kids and full food and beverage menu for the whole family.  It is sure to be a good week to be outside and enjoying all the outdoor fun that Kid-o-Rama and Squaw Valley/Alpine Meadows are hosting.  

The highlight of the week will be Big Truck Day on Saturday, February 17th at Squaw Valley and Tuesday, February 20th at Alpine Meadows.  Big machinery like snow groomers, snowmobiles, fire trucks and snow plows will gather at the bottom of the mountain base areas.  The big trucks will be on display all day for viewing and kids can sit in many of the vehicles and see just how big they really are.  

  

New this year is Disco Tubing at the SnoVentures Activity Zone at Squaw Valley.  Every night throughout the week night tubing will be rocking the back of the parking lot.  Sledding after hours with colorful LED lights, lasers and live DJ’s is sure to be a blast.

Click here for all the details. 

Katie Tyler

Realtor®

BRE 01442453

c 530 277 1012 

Winter Resort Openings

Resort Openings

The last day of skiing for the 2016/2017 season in the Tahoe area was at Squaw Valley on July 15th, 2017. Riders were still making turns on the Palisades, Gold Coast and Shirley Lake into the hot days of summer after celebrating the 4th of July on the slopes. Will 2017/2018 season live up to last season? Snow lovers are keeping a close eye on the weather reports but only time will tell.

The first snow of the season arrived this year on September 21st. After a typical Tahoe fall with temperatures in the 70's, some significant snow is in the forecast for this weekend. It’s time to check your gear, make sure you have your pass in hand and get ready to make your first turns of the season.

Mount Rose was the first resort to open this year on October 27th and 28th. With the north facing mountain and the cold temperatures early in the month, the resort was able to open one run for 2 days of riding. Squaw Valley has run the snow guns this week with low temperatures at night and Northstar is sure to follow.

Winter is coming. The resorts are getting ready. Are you?

Below are some projected opening dates for resorts.

Mt. Rose Ski Tahoe: Open! 
Boreal: Open!
Northstar California: November 17, 2017
Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows: Both Resorts are scheduled to open November 17, 2017
Heavenly: November 17, 2017
Kirkwood: November 22, 2017
Sugar Bowl: Late November

Diamond Peak: December 14, 2017




Katie Tyler

Realtor®

BRE 01442453

c 530 277 1012 

Tahoe Summer Sports

How Many Sports Can You Do In A Day?

Tahoe is a mecca for summer sports. Each day spent here is full of more things to do than hours in the day or days in the week. This year there is one more to add in there, skiing. Squaw Valley has decided to stay open on Saturday’s as long as conditions permit.  One of my favorite days consists of trying to fit in as many sports in one day as you can. With the long days, how many can you fit in? Load up the car with all your sports gear and get ready for an epic day.

Boating Sports
As the sun rises, the deep blue waters of Lake Tahoe are flat and clear. Get out on a boat and water ski, wake board or try out surfing behind the boat. Breathe in the clean crisp air, jump in and feel the rush of the chilling blue water.

Snow in the Summer Sports
With Squaw Valley open on weekends, it’s time to head to the mountain. Put on your best retro outfit, summer shorts or maybe a bikini. Take the funitel up to mid-mountain and then head to Shirley Lake chair. The slopes are North facing here and some good corn turns will be found.

Biking & Hiking Sports
With thousands of trails in North Lake Tahoe, an adventure out in the woods is waiting. At the base of Squaw Valley, Shirley Canyon trail is beautiful this year with a raging river and multiple waterfalls along the way. This is a hiking only trail. For biking, head out of Squaw Valley and pick up the Western Sates trail just outside the Squaw entrance on HWY 89 towards Tahoe City or head up to the Tahoe City nordic center for a web of fantastic trails that wind up the hill for Lake Tahoe views and endless wildflower viewing.


Swimming Sports
The hot summer is warming up at this point. It’s time to jump in the lake. My favorite is going to Donner Lake. The South side of Donner Lake where there are 37 public piers. Pick your favorite spot or on busy days, share with other patrons. Look out…. Cannon ball! SPLASH!
  

Paddle Board & Kayaking Sport
To top off the day head to Waterman’s Landing on the North Shore of Lake Tahoe and rent a paddle board or kayak. Get out on the water just in time for the sunset. Even better, plan it for the full moon and stay out as late as you can! This month, the full moon falls on Monday, August 7th.


You did it. You earned it. Now it’s time to eat. Close by Waterman’s Landing is Gar Woods, a great spot for dinner and their famous Wet Woody drinks. If you come back to Truckee, treat yourself to a dinner at Truckee Tavern where each cocktail is carefully hand crafted with top notch ingredients.

Katie Tyler

Realtor®

BRE 01442453

c 530 277 1012 

Springtime in Tahoe

Springtime in Tahoe

The spring season in Tahoe this year is going to be especially long. It’s time to find the thrill in doing multiple activities in one day!
  

Morning activities start with something on the snow like snowshoeing, nordic skiing or downhill riding at Squaw Valley extending the seemingly endless winter. A great place to explore via snowshoe or Nordic ski right now is Mount Rose Meadows. Located off Mount Rose Highway (HWY 431) between Incline Village and Mount Rose Ski Resort. This area offers a wide open meadow with rolling terrain with room to explore in any direction. For a mellow adventure, stay in the flat meadow. For more of a challenge head to the edge of the meadow and up the rolling hills into the thick pine trees. As you rise to the top of the mountain, a great Lake Tahoe view will reward your hard climb.

Mid-day, its time for lunch. If you are heading off the snow at Mount Rose, head down into Incline Village to T’s Mosquite Rotisserie where you can find delicious tacos and the meat is cooked right in front of you in the wood-fired rotisserie. Another option is on the other side of Incline Village at the bottom of the Tunnel Creek trail. Tunnel Creek Café offers a casual atmosphere full of people beginning or finishing their adventure of hiking, running, biking or beaching. It’s a happy place to be. They offer a selections of salads, sandwiches and beer for a mid-day meal or snack.
   

Afternoon activities are easy to find at the lake. Relax on the white sand beach of Sand Harbor located just south of Incline Village or keep the body moving and go out for a paddle board or kayak across the crystal waters of Lake Tahoe. Waterman’s Landing located in Carnelian Bay is a great spot for paddle board, kayak or canoe rentals (note that they are only open on weekends till after Memorial Day).
 

Night time in spring can bring very cold evenings. It’s best to pick the inside choice when you go out to eat, even though when you first walk in the outside looks appealing. Eating in Tahoe during this “shoulder” season is quite pleasant. Reservations are now always necessary and the service and food is top tier. If you are still over on the Lake from the days adventures, try Christy Hill in Tahoe City. This is a very intimate dinning room and usually hard to get reservations. The food is always outstanding. If you are back in Truckee for the evening, try downtown’s newest restaurant, Old Town Tap. Their menu caters to shared plates. Start with the little gems salad and finish with the bacon and eggs pizza.

You really can have it all in one day in one place. The trees are budding, the daffodils are starting to pop up and the snow is in perfect corn condition. So, what are you waiting for? Summer or winter? Come to Tahoe now and you can have both!

Katie Tyler

Realtor®

BRE 01442453

c 530 277 1012 

Northstar

Northstar

It all started with the new Village in 2006 at the base of Northstar mountain with 213 condos built over 137,019 sf of retail. At the center, a 9,000 sf ice skating rink in the winter that doubles as roller skating and a concert area in the summer. Later, The Ritz-Carlton, Lake Tahoe opened in 2009 offering the only AAA Five Diamond mountain resort experience in California.
  

The accommodations and high end luxury real estate available to purchase or rent are not the only improvements happening in the last 10 years. On mountain offerings at Northstar have soared to new heights with activities that will make every ski day a unique experience.

There are many perks you can find that don’t cost extra money but will definitely add extra enjoyment. Open the mountain early with Northstar's ski patrol. Sign up and be there by 7:30am for first tracks. At 2pm every day, celebrate another epic day and join Northstar with a champagne toast on the top of the mountain. At the end of the day head down to the Village for complimentary smores around the ice rink. Most days there will also be live music on the Village stage all afternoon.
   

Other options are available to make the day as easy as possible. The Platinum Experience offers options like skipping the lift line, valet parking or exclusive private lessons. The Burton Academy provides a customized experience for each border with the new terrain-based teaching methodology. For an extra special night after skiing sign up for one of The Mountain Table Dinners where a locally sourced dinner is complemented by a winery and set on top of the mountain in Zephyr Lodge. Floor to ceiling windows set the stage for an unforgettable meal.


Click here for an article in The Sacramento Bee reflecting on a Northstar experience.


Though ski season is coming to a close here at Northstar, ski passes for next year are on sale. Northstar continually proves to be the best in the region with all around amenities, services, activities and accommodations.


Click here for a look ahead at Northstar’s Mountain Master Plan for future improvements.

Katie Tyler

Realtor®

BRE 01442453

c 530 277 1012 

Storm Report January 2017

Storm Report January 2017

 

The start to 2017 has been nothing short of unbelievable weather-wise. The New Year brought us snow to celebrate.  Some mountains were reporting 5 feet of the fluff and the locals were celebrating. 

Then came the rain. Not just rain, but a behemoth atmospheric river from the equator that poured anywhere from 4-8 inches of rain on our beautiful newly fallen snow. A deluge. Flooding, rockslides and dangerous avalanche conditions were all the news. But, we were not left to despair for long. The storm we have been waiting for since 2011 finally showed up. 4 days of snow, power outages, blizzard conditions, wind, mountain and interstate closures...this is the good stuff. We watched it come down for days. Northstar reported 93" of snow as a 4 day total. Squaw reported 73", a lower number probably due to incredibly high winds. (The top of Squaw Valley Peak reported winds at 173 MPH). The National Weather Service says we are at 158% of average. And it is January.

From Open Snow-This has been our snowiest January since 2008, and our biggest snowfall month since March 2012. And the month is far from over with another 10 inches of snow expected in the next day and another potentially big storm moving in next week.
And now, we are excited to get out there and play. A winter wonderland awaits. We have plenty of powder, the resorts are digging out and it sounds like our epic winter has just begun. 

For the best insight check out what BA has to say at Open Snow.

See you on the slopes.

Katie Tyler

Realtor®

BRE 01442453

c 530 277 1012