Greetings from South Lake Tahoe

WOW! What a holiday season it has been. We’ve all made it through safely, opened the new year with some freshies, and we’re already at the big MLK weekend! There’s going to be a lot going on up here this weekend, and you don’t want to miss out, so here is what’s going at the Resorts found on the South Shore:

Heavenly:  Safety week is kicking off with a bang at Heavenly this week. There will be a ski/ride safety convention going on at the top of the gondola, run by Barton Memorial Hospital. Heavenly Sports is offering an added discount on all safety apparel, so if you need a helmet, now is the time to get one! Heavenly is also doing a safety scavenger hunt all week from the 15^th till the 21^st.  Scavenger  Hunt cards can be found at all on-mountain lodges, and any Heavenly employee wearing a bright orange cap will help you with your scavenger hunt as long as you can answer safety questions about the skier’s code. They will be giving out prizes, so study the code! And finally, there will be the Riperoo Parade starting on Friday at the Heavenly Village.

Kirkwood: The UC Band will be riding all weekend at the wood, so keep an eye, and an ear, open for them. Kirkwood is offering their avalanche class this weekend, the AIARE Level 1 course, which will teach one how to survive in avalanche situations, a must for any and all backcountry riders! The Kingtones will be playing at Bub’s all day, providing the perfect bar break atmosphere for a mid day stop. And to finish the day, Kirkwood is also offering their full moon snowshoe hike from 6p-10p. Snowshoes can be rented at Kirkwood, and reservations are required.

Sierra: Sierra has the Cal Big Band visiting, so there will be some encouraging tunes to psych you up for the slopes! Safety week is also beginning at Sierra this week, and the people of NSAA (the National Ski Area Assoc.) will be on site to help with all ski and ride safety tips. Blizzard Mountain, Sierra’s snow park has sack races, obstacle courses, and snowman building competitions set up for all those non-riders and little groms. Races will be offered on the slopes, The Bay Area Ski Buss Race will start with practice from 10a-11a, races from 11a-1p, and awards will be given out at 2p. The races are open to all and free,  so sign up and see what you got! And for those water breaks, the Cash Only Band will be rockin’ the Pub all day, grab a drink and enjoy!

That should be a good start to keeping you all entertained this weekend, just don’t forget to check out the playlists at the casinos. There are some big names in town, Snoop Dogg is playing at Mont Bleu, and for the more laid back crowd, Rebelution will be playing at Mont Bleu Sunday night. Have fun, be safe, and think Ski Butlers!

- Ben Marshall, Ski Butlers South Lake Tahoe

Lake Tahoe, gem of the Sierra, with its endless outdoor activities, magnificent blue waters, and majestic mountains, how could one ever want to leave?  South Lake Tahoe is busier than ever this season, big bands, like Rascal Flatts, Elton John, Stevie Nicks, and Bob Dylan are all scheduled to be dropping by the Harvey's Summer Stage within the next couple of weeks.  The South Lake Tahoe celebrity golf tournament just ended, and as usual, was a huge success.  Celebrities like Charles Barkley, Michael Jordan, Oscar De la Hoya, John Elway, Jason Kidd, & Bode Miller, all showed up to pledge their support to a great cause and have a little fun on the lake.  I'm sure they didn't bring their ski and snowboard rentals this time, but they'll be back for some fresh powder turns on Heavenly Ski Resort soon enough.  Lake Tahoe itself is seeing alot of action.  I was out on the water a few days ago and there was tons of traffic, all rentals too.  It's great to see all the families and revelers cutting loose on Lake Tahoe and enjoying it for its purest nature. South Lake Tahoe's hiking and biking trails have been extraordinarily congested due to the resurgent popularity mountain-biking has incurred in the past couple of years.   To say the lease, Lake Tahoe is the place to be.  So much to do, and so much to share with family and friends, Lake Tahoe could be the best place on Earth.

Once again, it's that time of year.  The sun is shining and the slopes are covered.  Skiers and riders in South Lake Tahoe are gearing up for another beautiful day at Heavenly Ski Resort.  After some fresh snow earlier this week, we are looking at another perfect day in Tahoe.  March is the time to buy some sunscreen, strip off the layers, and enjoy the amazing weather and scenary we have to offer here in Northern California.  Tourists and locals alike are blessed with unmatchable conditions and terrain in the Tahoe Basin.  Earlier this week, I had the chance to check out the slopes at Alpine Meadows with two good friends.  After a nice 4 to 6 inch dusting, the mountains were prime for magnificent sugar turns.  Unfortunately, underneath the fresh snow were some pretty crusty conditions, but at those moments, if you use your brain, you can really find great snow.  We managed to search for all of the North facing slopes and tree wells, which generally keep the best conditions, and low and behold the snow there was amazing.  So for the rest of the day we lapped the resort, hitting as many North slopes as we could find. Lesson learened, if you come across a day where the snow isn't perfect, look for the northern slopes and you will be satisfied.  Tahoe has officially entered Spring skiing time, which is one of the best times of the year.  Our "freeze/thaw" cycle elicits unbelievable afternoon spring conditions, where a t-shirt is really all you need.  There is nothing like having a day off of work, visiting a fresh resort, and skiing with your buddies in the Spring time.  Personally, it helps to keep me centered and remember why I live here and why I do what I do.  I always think about something my Dad once told me, "Find something you love and figure out how to make a living doing it," and that's exactly what I did = Thanks Dad.   

Lake Tahoe mountain ski resorts continue to open this week.  After a nice snowfall last week, Heavenly began operations and opening ski runs.  Heavenly Ski resort now has 4 of 29 lifts running with 6 of 94 ski runs open.  This Friday two more mountains will open for business, and with the predicted snow storm on the horizon, they might just have perfect timing.  Sierra-At-Tahoe will start running lift chairs this weekend and are very anxious for guests to arrive.  The great folks at "Sierra" are going to be offering free backcountry tours all year long and are pumped to provide the free service.  "Sierra" also just got word that they were voted the #9 Best Park / #9 Best Pipe / #6 Overall Resort in Transworld Snowboarding Magazine's, "2010 Resort Guide."  Kirkwood Mountain Resort's long anticipated opening gets underway this weekend.  Minimal lifts will be running but they are optimistic that much of the terrain will be available very soon to ski.  So get your ski and snowboard rentals ready because it's time to hit the slopes.

It seems that every year about this time I begin to dream about the snow falling and all the great lines I intend to carve when Heavenly Ski Resort opens in the Fall.  This season, I am interested in all the new ski and snowboard rentals that will be available to experience on the hill.  Most people are beach-side burning themselves to a crisp this time of year, but my brain is thinking of cloudy skies, pounding snow, and thundering avalanche cannons.  In South Lake Tahoe, the Heavenly Ski Basin receives some of the heaviest snow fall that I have witnessed in North America.  This is just one of the many reasons we are blessed to ski in the Sierra-Nevada Mountains.  With so many major cities around the area, Heavenly Ski Resort is very accessible for families to make a quick trip up and enjoy all of the winter festivities.  Families can be assured that they will have an amazing trip and make memories that will last a lifetime.  There really is nothing like experiencing the snow and all its glory with your loved ones.  One of these days, I might be content with sunny afternoons and bathing suits, but, at this time in my life, all I want is to be on the Heavenly Gondola with some brand new ski rentals, fresh wax, and feet of snow.  So for now, I'll just have to deal with my Fall Fever and keep dreaming of snow falling and pray for an early winter season in Lake Tahoe.     

Every year about this time in the Sierras, fire becomes a major concern for the community.  This summer we have been experiencing an awful lot of moisture for our area.  In my five years of living in South Lake Tahoe, I have never witnessed so much precipitation in the month of July.  Unfortunately, this has created a false sense of safety among the great folks here in Tahoe.  These storms can actually be more of a nightmare than a dream for the people living up here in the Sierra-Nevada Mountains.  One would think that we are receiving ample moisture, therefore fire danger should be relatively low.  Resultantly, it allows for multiple lightning strikes to rock the Tahoe Basin and leave us vulnerable for environmental hardships.  We also have a lot of dry sage and brush which is indigenous to the region and is extremely flammable. For example, just last week, a lightning strike sparked a small fire right outside the Lake Tahoe Community College and a second strike hit Heavenly Mountain Ski Resort.  Luckily, our local South Lake Tahoe Fire Department, Lake Valley Fire Protection District and the U.S. Forest Service were extremely alert and quick to respond to the emergency.  They were able to quench the flames and save us from dealing with a huge disaster. Sometimes we don't realize how close we come to devastation, and that there are people out there behind the scenes who are constantly saving the day.  These folks don't ask for a pat on the back or any celebration, they just go to work everyday, serve the people of Tahoe, and are the true heroes of our community.  On the other hand, a lot of us winter enthusiasts only view the crazy weather as a sign for great things to come this upcoming ski and snowboarding season in Tahoe.  We have all heard that this is a "La Nina" year and the precipitation we are experiencing this summer only supports that notion. Hopefully, this will allow us an early opening for Heavenly Mountain and brings us an unlimited amount of snow-pack this season.  Still the threat of fire looms while we wait for our ski and snowboard rentals to come out of the garage and onto the hill.  Just remember, the next time you bump into your local firefighters, don't forget to tell them, "Thanks for protecting our community and keeping us safe at home."   

It's that time of the year again, when I will begin trying to sell ski rentals to locals and seasonal employees coming to work at Heavenly next ski season.  Perhaps, the main reason why I have already taken on this challenge is because I have already been contacted by several Chilenos and Argentinos seeking employment in Lake Tahoe next year. Ski rental leases are perfect for these seasonal employees of Heavenly Ski rental shops. There are several blog sites to get the message out and there is also a few recruiters in South America that have worked with me in the past. The flip side of this endeavor is selling skis to locals in Lake Tahoe. Of course, few locals are thinking about purchasing ski rentals at this point of the summer. However, making contacts and offering old ski rentals as a kickback is a great way to network for the coming ski season.

 The traffic is back! Summer has officially arrived in Lake Tahoe with opening day on the lake. Father's Day, the Summer Solstice, plus a corvette show are sure to draw large crowds from Sacramento and the Bay Area.  Amidst insane traffic and construction, I drove to Stateline.Passed a couple Heavenly ski rental shops and had a great lunch at Chevy's Fresh Mex. Coming home it was crazy to see some cars with ski rentals in their racks.

Driving around town, one can notice a multitude of bikers coming down off the Sierra Mountain Bike trails. Finally having my bike tuned up, I plan to ride Jackie Chan's Downhill this weekend. The excitement is overwhelming and reminds of my goal for the summer: to ride from Stagecoach lift to Meyers and down Mr. Toad's Wild Ride.  Last time I did this ride was over two years ago and I can still remember it like it was yesterday. Starting off at the Stagecoach Lift immediately allowed my mind to drift off and think about Heavenly ski rentals as I began my ascent of Monument Peak. As I reached the highest point on the trail, I noticed several large snow bands receding into dark, cold corners of the forest. At this point, I thought to myself, "This would be great if it was winter and I had some sweet Heavenly Ski Rentals to ski back into town". Having pushed through more than 20 miles of grueling terrain, I finally found myself at the top of Mr. Toad's Wild Ride preparing for the insane downhill ahead.  After running out of water and wrapping myself around a tree, I finally made it down the trail into the town of Meyers, CA. After passing several heavenly ski rental shops, I decided to stop at El Papogayo for a cold Corona and a fish taco. I toasted my extreme accomplishment and relished about the next time I would ride this trail!