We are so lucky as American’s that we have so many freedom’s so many rights that are protected everyday by our military here and abroad.  So on Memorial Day how do we celebrate…we clean our houses and refresh our yards and make room for Spring.  We celebrate by having Yard Sales..or if you are from the East Coast Tag Sales.  I know Tahoe is not alone in this tradition, but I think our merchandise is a bit unique.  With many of the regional outdoor merchandise reps living in Truckee you can find brand new clothing, jackets, pants, goggles, skis, gear you name it…you just have to be a sample size and know where the reps live.  So next Memorial Day consider a trip to Tahoe and a circuit on the best Yard Sales EVER~  a tip start in Sierra Meadows.

50/50 Brewing Company and High Fives teamed up to celebrate the eclipse…A rare event it was fun to mark it with something fun.  It was also funny to see the hardware store run out of the odd solar watching items.  What did you do celebrate the solar event?

Fresh off the Lake- still drying out my gear but I wanted to get out my thoughts while they were still fresh in my head.  Most people living in/around or the lucky few on Lake Tahoe are aware of how lucky we are to have such an amazing playground at our disposal year round for fun and recreation…this is always made clearer to me when the seasons change.  So as the snow melts and we leave the mountains to the mud a few friends went for a paddle around the Lake.  Looking for a little guidance before we left we found an article written by a dear friend who passed away a few years ago Robert Frolich- who gave us a possible route and some options of stops.  He definitely gave good advice as always but we also had the new Water Trails map that had some new info that Fro did not have so we added that to our cache and went on our way down the west shore.

My Lessons from the Lake…..

Everyone should do it.  It was an amazing 4 days on the Lake and it really allows you to see the size and scope of the Lake in way that you can not see from the road or in a couple of hours of paddling.

Sleeping under the stars is worth not sleeping in a tent.  And really it is not that cold this time of year.  Shooting stars are worth it- and you miss them in your tent.

Pack light, you are close to civilization and if you forget something or need something you can stop along the way- but over packing and dealing with stuff you don’t need can be a hassle.  So really think about what you bring and economize- you will be glad for your effort.  We camped and prepared all of our meals, but you could eat out along the way to reduce the amount of food you needed to carry?

A sub topic of packing light- what to pack and the one thing we all had in common was wool.  Which might surprise you in May.  I brought almost all my favorite Smartwool layers.  My thinest was my paddle shirt, which kept me out of the sun and warm when the wind blew but not too warm when it wasn’t.  Wool is magic; dries quickly, keeps you warm even when it is wet.

If the beach had a picnic table then the local wildlife knew how to beg for food.  At Baldwin Beach  The ducks would actual come to the sound of wrappers, at Emerald Bay a goose we named George was so aggressive we had to continually chase him off.  Wild animals feed themselves and introducing our food source is just a breakdown in the eco system…We should not be approached by wild animals.  Tahoe has an abundant source of food- it is the Costco of nature…do not feed the animals, if you feel bad for them donate to the Sierra Club or to the National Parks.

Balloons- should be popped.  A floating balloon on the lake is not cool.  In fact releasing balloons in general is not cool.  We picked up all kinds of trash along the way…1 floating rose long stem rose, 2 balloons, 1 baseball hat, 1 pair of sunglasses, a Tupperware container and our personal favorite a boat battery that Quincy paddled over a mile to a destination that it could be disposed properly.  All of these items breaking down reduce the quality of our lake.  So if you drop it…pick it up, if the item is not worth it, the lake is.

The Boats.  Day one we saw one motorized boat in the water…I know this is just a dream.  But wouldn’t it be amazing if 2 days a week during the summer say, Monday and Tuesday were no motor days….I know I live on another planet.  It was not all glass we had some rough waters, due to wind.  But we paddled allot of glassy water and it would not have been the case if we were doing this in June or July with all the boats on the lake.  By Saturday we saw more boats on the water…I think it was 10 total….happy to report that the paddle traffic still out numbered the motor traffic!  Not to say I don’t love a pull behind a motor every now and again…just wonder what it would be like if we had the best of both worlds all summer long?

The Water was a topic of conversation all along the way  The color, the clairty, the depth, the temp…on the west shore we saw floating piles of something…not sure what it was.  Also a moss like substance growing on the rocks.  My best guess was it looks like the fertilizer from the homes has has blown on to the lake and attached to the rocks- it looks just like grass.  And it does not seem to grown on the east shore where they don’t have grass.   But I am not a scientist.  It was also notable that the water in front of the keys was the color of rust- that is the filter of our lake and it is not working properly because of the development in the keys so all the sentiment gets stuck right there with no where to go.  The lungs of Lake Tahoe are trapped which is why our clarity keeps declining. (in my opinion)

…if you want more info on the Lake and the state of the of affairs check in with the www.tahoeproject.org….Okay now off my soap box.

My Favorite things…the shooting stars at night, the Osprey birds that nest around the lake, eating trail mix, checking out the hidden little corners of the lake that you miss when you only do the highlights and hanging with my girls!

Our Route:  Left Commons Beach- Stop One: Emerald Bay Boat Beach.  Stop Two: Just passed Cave Rock.  Stop Three: Hidden Beach.  Home Commons Beach!

If you are lucky and I mean really lucky when you go to Louisiana you will hook up with a local and get the real skinny on the south, not just the horse carriage ride through the French Quarter…which don’t get me wrong is amazing and should be visited and taken in on any day of the week.  But if you are lucky someone will take you out of New Orleans and into the Bayou for some cajun culture.  The 2 minute video attached does not really do the evening justice but I wanted to enjoy the company which meant forgetting the camera.  But look for the details like how Larry cuts the salt containers or stirs his boil with a boat paddle.  Actually the boat paddle was used to do almost all important tasks in the boil; sort, stir and paddle the crawfish.  It is clear this is a”brofessional” as we say in Tahoe- not his first time to the boil.

Good times sitting on that deck sucking heads and peeling tails!  Never been to a boil?  Well it is that time of year that we are looking over our mountains to see what lies beyond…consider Louisiana, really how many times can you go to Mexico?

For me, I think there is an art to the ski photo.  So if you ski with me it is part ski part photo shoot.  Of course not every day, but at least a few each year to capture those fun moments that we all want to remember.  Like AJ and Jenn here wearing matching pants like a pair of twinkies!  Love it.  Now after this photo was taken, Quincy and I had to show them how a photo was really taken.  We gave them 2 options…you decide which is better the 2012 skittle thug or the the 1980 pro pose…

You see the Skittle Thug pose is dynamic..it has energy.  It is almost dangerous, in fact if you are not careful you can poke your friends eye out with your ski pole.  Now that is exciting!  And we all love the good old days of yesterday and nothing brings back those warm feelings like the 70′s and 80′s!  I have some seriously cheesy photos from the 80′s posed just like this taken by professionals that thought this was a good look…so it much be a good look.  So why not repeat it?  I think of it like the Hawaiian shirt at a luau- it must be done in the right place at the right time.

Now if you want to be 2o13- it is all about reflections.  My personal favorite is the goggle photo.    They think you are taking a photo of them but really you are taking a photo of yourself!  Because really it is all about me.  The key to the goggle or mirror sunglass photo working is to have a piece of the persons smile in the photo otherwise it is creepy…trust me on that.  The goggles also have to be good quality, cheap ones just give you the persons eyes.  But don’t stop there, look for other reflections and use it as a way to get the whole crew in the photo when you don’t have a tripod…get creative people!!!

Sometimes I want to catch the moment but not the waste the moment catching the moment- like say on a powder day?  In that case the chairlift is the best place to capture your buddies and with the 6 pax chairlifts you can posse up!  So really there is no excuse for not catching your friends on the mountain.

Speaking of friends, I feel like our best friends get left out of the picture all the time.  If you are going to take a photo with your dog…think about it.  Don’t stand there like a statue.  Get down there with your buddy…so you are at they same level so often they get cut off.  I see it in Facebook all the time.  The person taking the picture had to choose between you and the dog and choose you…bend your legs and look at the magic that happens when you are both in the photo!

My biggest piece of advise take lots of pictures.  50% of my photo’s are good 50% I leave on the cutting room floor, only 10% actually make it to Facebook or TahoePOV…but I hope the ones that make it are interesting, entertaining, fun or make you want to look at the next.  And a huge thanks to all my friends that put up with my antics and constant photo taking!

So the second Pain McShlonkey (PMS)  has come to a close and Squaw Valley is moving a little slow this morning…I think we all brought the pain and left everything we had on the dance floor at the after party.  For those that are wondering what a Pain McShlonkey is…well I feel so sorry for you and invite you to come to Squaw next March to experience a one of a kind event that is a party, fundraiser and athletic competition all in one.  It started to honor a true one of a kind pioneer Shane McConkey and his spirit to have fun, laugh at the best of us and go big!  And the love of Shane (and Sherry) in our ski community is unparalleled, so people stop and drop whatever they are doing and come to Squaw to celebrate for one mad crazy weekend.  I spoke to more then one person that were flying back to wherever they came from to finish filming or whatever they were doing- but they were not going to miss this weekend…and I agree it is a not to miss weekend if for nothing else all the friends that you hardly ever see in one place gathering for one weekend and one weekend only.  Shane would have loved the PMS…of course it was his idea.

Sitting here I am laughing by myself recalling so many funny moments from the weekend.  Sure Daren Rahlves finally got his Chinese Downhill Golden Saucer, he can now add that to his many accolades and proud skiing moments.  But he was not finished there he climbed on top of Eagles Nest, skied the the Fingers and continued to dominate the mountain all day in his ‘big feet!’  Shelly the other winner other winner in the Chinese Downhill nearly took out half the competition in her victory saucer lap!  Proving sledding really is the most dangerous sport.  Or how serious the line discussion was at the top of the ‘Little Mountain” comp…like they had all forgotten how they were dressed…like I said this is a competition.  All joking aside these kids always want to stand in the center of the podium.  So don’t let Saucerboy fool you…they are in it to win it and they mean business!

It really is hard to capture the spirit of the event in words.  Like Sigo leading a jazzerise class at the after party of 15 woman on the dance floor.  My cheeks are going to hurt for a week and it is a sweet sweet pain I will enjoy!  Last year the community threw in heaps of cash and the Shane Foundation put it to good use, most of it went to our local schools and some went to Save our Winters to learn more about the foundation go to http://shanemcconkey.org.

For me I want to thank Sherry and her legion of helpers that put the string of events on from the Gala to the downhill to the After Party- it is a huge effort and not unrecognized…hope you are all sitting in a hot tub in the valley somewhere sipping smoothies.  Also the auction and raffle items are unbelievable so many companies donate to this community and event and a huge Lake Tahoe shout out has to go to them- THANK YOU!!!  Your contributions are noticed your participation is recognized and so appreciated.  Finally for the friends that make the journey, that get on the planes and in the cars.  THANK YOU- your smiling faces and funky outfits make the event.  It is the gathering of people that make this event what it is.  The all mighty through down!!  So a huge, WHAT WHAT and please come again it would not be the same with you each and every one of you.  Sending Lake Tahoe Love to each and every one of you and drink water…you need it!

If you live in Truckee you have driven passed the Trokay Cafe in downtown Truckee, located a few hundred yards down from the train station in the old Jackass Ridge Building.  And if you have driven passed and not stopped in to see what all the buzz is about you are missing out on some of the tastiest treats in town.  Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner (closed from 2-5) everyday except Wednesday you have tons of chances and very few excuses.  My mouth just waters thinking about the cheddar broccoli soup we had today (not pictured, sorry it was eaten too fast) and the cookies the size of my face!  Lunches are so good and a great place to start- an amse bouche so to speak.  But where Trokay really shines is dinner- the menu just keeps going and going and going.  This is a destination.  They make food you think about for days and talk about to everyone you know, which brings me to this blog~  the photos attached are not from one meal but several stops for lunch and one dinner.  I have been telling everyone I can to eat here and it finally dawned on me it would be so much easier to just take my food pictures and blog it.  Normally you would want to talk about a fine restaurants wine list and I thought it was so refreshing for the owners to give equal thought and space to the beer list.  Yes gentlemen- a long interesting thoughtful beer list.  No taps!  The devil is in the details and these folks have thought about the details but have not forgot their audience is Truckee.  It is as plain to see as the name of the restaurant Trokay Cafe- anyone that knows their Truckee history knows that Paiute Indians were misheard saying something and the white people thought it was Truckee and the rest is as you say- history.  The Chef has a resume and experience and it shows in his food, he has spent time in New York and has brought that experience to Truckee but as I said before he has not forgotten where he moved serving local ingredients when and wherever possible (like Honey from Reno).  So take a minute and go introduce yourself to our new neighbors they have sure enough taken the time to get to know us- I think it is about time we get to know them.

for the full Truckee/Trokay story

http://truckeehistory.org/historyArticles/history4.htm

We have all been looking for snow this winter so when it came this March it was easy to find smiles and lots of them!  Spring may be right around the corner…like tomorrow but Squaw is just starting to look like winter and just cleaned my car off for the first time all winter.  So if I had my wish it would keep snowing into JUNE!  It was great to see the parking lot so packed.  It was great to see so many happy faces.  It was great to see all the local business full and busy.  Better yet it was great to see it still snowing on Sunday night so that on Monday morning the locals got a bit of the left overs…what a blue bird it was today!  A huge high five to everyone that I saw out there today, YAHOO!  And for those that still had to hit the time clock…it wasn’t that good- kind of deep, a little heavy and I am sure it would have been better if you were out there with us.

So looking forward to the Pain McShlonkey Classic this weekend…you in?  Got your ticket?  Your outfit?  If it is anything like last year it will be another unforgettable not to miss weekend at Squaw so I hope to see you all there.  Tickets did sell out last year so don’t wait….

Every year we have an Extreme Food Comp at Mamasake.  It starts with Elsa dreaming of what she is going to make…searching on line for odd international dishes, then the shopping begins!  The food is always edible and usually dishes that are regarded as regular food in other parts of the world, but to our American hamburger pallet might seem, well extreme!  This year did not disappoint the crowds that gather every year to see who is going to sit down for Elsa’s Extreme Dinner.  I will follow with a video that show the details a bit better this week but have to run to the city for a class and wanted to give you a preview of the action…Huge thanks to our judges

Sherry McConkey~ Check out the upcoming details and buy your gala tickets to the PMS @ http://shanemcconkey.org/

Doug Stoup~ Looking for an adventure of a lifetime?  Book a trip with Doug he will not disappoint @ http://www.iceaxe.tv/

Timy Dutton~ One of my favorite smiles in the KT line and one of the biggest back flips on the mountain, Timy is a free skiing, free thinking one of a kind! So if you want to see what he is up to… try keeping up with him on his blog @ http://timydutton.blogspot.com/

Jessica~ Squaw is changing quickly and one of the most positive changes is in out terrain parks, thanks to Snow Park Technologies (SPT).  With very little snow this year they have worked magic…can’t wait to see what they will do when they actually have something to shovel?!  They have projects all over the world to see what and where they are building their next super pipe check their website @ http://www.snowparktech.com/

And of course thanks to the brave souls that stepped forward and took the challenge!  Although every year a few contestant thank Elsa for a great meal and say with ernest that they enjoyed the food…well except maybe for the final course…Enjoy the fresh snow everyone ski safe!