Blue World Blog 3.23.09

March 23, 2009

What an action packed week it’s been since my last Blog. Spring-like weather returned to the slopes of Lake Tahoe up until this weekend…

I attended the annual Tahoe Douglas Rotary St. Patrick’s dinner and wine tasting fundraiser held at Harrah’s Tahoe convention center. It was well attended with folks wearing green and corned beef & cabbage was the main entrée, duh. There were many vintners serving their wines - including Tahoe Ridge Winery - and the local Mt. Tallac Brewing Company served their home brewed beer. It was a fun event and music was provided by JJ Music Company.

Saturday was action packed with a Winter Storm Warning was posted to be in effect that afternoon. After completing my daily morning routine of producing my ski report, I headed to Zephyr Cove, along with KMTN TV, to cover the “Polar Plunge”, a fundraiser for Special Olympics. I got there a little early and decided to enjoy breakfast in the historic Zephyr Cove Lodge where groups of Snowmobilers were gathering to head up to Spooner Summit to enjoy Snowmobiling on the crest of the Sierra. The individuals and teams of Plungers started arriving and checking in from 10am ‘til noon. I was amazed that around 300 participants dedicated their fundraising efforts and bodies to the cold waters of Lake Tahoe. Many were dressed in costumes and themes. Teams were from the South Lake Tahoe Fire Department lead by Fire Chief, Lorenzo Gigliotti; Greater Nevada Credit Union, Carson City Probation Department, California Highway Patrol, Nevada Highway Patrol, UC Davis Campus Police (dressed as the Aggie Football Team), Families, Friends, Special Olympians and many more including a combined team from several local Kiwanis Clubs, lead by Lt. Governor Mike Foster and featured George Alm dressed in his Tutu, a pink boa, cowboy hat and knee high white Go-Go Boots… Tom Wendell from KTHO AM590 was dress as a Classic Rocker and played Air Guitar (blow-up) while in the water… even Bubba Gump’s Costume Shrimp was on hand to cheer on the Plungers… Last year they were barely able to muster 40 participants and this year was a resounding success and way too much fun with 300 plungers raising $40,000 for Special Olympics.

After producing the Après Ski Show on KMTN TV, the crew went down to the MontBleu Resort Casino & Spa to videotape the Special Presentation of Carnival Cabaret, starring Gypsy, in the MontBleu Theater. This was the first time the full production show was featured in the big showroom as opposed to the intimate setting of the Golden Cabaret in the Horizon Casino Resort. Before the performance Michael & Michelle McKinney, owners of KMTN TV, and I dined at the newly renovated Café Del Soul, which is now set up like a Mediterranean Sidewalk Café and is a 24 hour restaurant. Not only breakfast served around the clock, but a new menu featuring some great Mediterranean dishes. We got to set up the camera in the light booth above the showroom and the showroom was set up in a more intimate setting with curtains behind the audience confining seating to the lower show room tiers. The show opened with Tom Davis, dressed as Elton John, driving Miss Daisy (Gypsy) in his ‘63 Cadillac Convertible. Gypsy was too much as he engaged the audience and introduced the variety of Super Stars with the theme of this being a reunion featuring performances from previous super stars that performed in the show room. Barbara Streisand, Cher, Bette Midler, Judy Garland, Liza Minnelli, Dolly Parton, Reba McIntire, Joan Rivers and more were featured. 300+ folks were thoroughly entertained.

That evening the storm kicked in and to the surprise of everyone, Sunday morning ski reports came in with tons of fresh snow. Even though I was only able to catch 3 hours of sleep, I hurried my report procedures to make it to the slopes at Heavenly by 9am. It was awesome… one of the best Powder days all year. Heavenly reported 14-20” of fresh snow and I started with two untracked runs down Dipper Knob. I moved over to Milky Way Bowl and continued to find three untracked lanes and yet a fourth run along the Kellebrew Canyon rope line. I was there when they opened the gates into Mott Canyon and got first tracks down Sunny Side and headed back up and got first tracks in the Pine Nuts. Soon the word was out and skiers and riders were enjoying cutting powder turns in Mott’s and I was blown away with the lift line at the bottom of the Chair… the most folks I’ve seen in there in a long time with big smiles and frosted mustaches and beards… I continued to ski up tracked powder in the trees on either side of Dipper and Comet and finished my day visiting my buddy, Heavenly’s long time Stagecoach Bartender, Stu Coffey.

Storm totals were reported at 16-20” at Heavenly; 19-33” at Sierra and 24-36” at Kirkwood where they are hosting their Experts Only College Spring Break Party from March 23 through 27. Great tunes, contests, prizes daily, $30 lift tickets with your Kirkwood College Card or better yet, you can purchase a College Spring Pass for $79 and ski/ride every day through April 26. They are continuing to offer their Spring Pass for only $99, good to ski and ride through April 26. Their 2009/10 Season Passes go on sale on March 28. Visit Kirkwood.com for all the details.

Sierra at Tahoe is also hosting college week with discounted lift ticket through Friday with valid college I.D. They have also introduced their 2009/10 Season Passes for sale that include free skiing/riding for the remainder of this season. They have a variety of passes available in conjunction with sister resort, Northstar at Tahoe. Visit SierraatTahoe.com for details or to purchase online.

Heavenly has kicked off their Spring Loaded 09 promotion with the finals of their Jackpot Rail Jam Series Saturday March 28, at the base of World Cup Run from 4 - 7pm. They will follow up with the Pond Skimming Championships of Tahoe on Sunday, March 29; Glen Plake’s Gunbarrel 25 on Saturday, April 4 and the Heavenly Ski Patrol’s Fundraiser, held on the roof of the Heavenly Village Parking Garage, on Sunday April 5. The Heavenly Season Pass is also on sale and is one of the best values allowing free skiing/riding for the remainder of this season through April 19, as well as all next year with a few black out dates. Check it all out at SkiHeavenly.com

Coming up this Friday is the Business Expo sponsored by the Lake Tahoe South Shore Chamber of Commerce, from 4-8pm at the Convention Center at MontBleu. Saturday evening March 28, is the 47th Annual Lake Valley Fireman’s Ball at MontBleu and the Kiwanis Club of Tahoe-Sierra’s Annual Ham Bingo at the South Lake Tahoe Recreation Center.

Have a Great Week!

Curtis Fong
“The Guy From Tahoe”
tgft@bikethewest.com