Outdoors

Victory! Photo: E Garrard
8/13/09, 10:09 am, By A. Pridgen

'A perfect day...'

By A. Pridgen - 

 

Incline

Smashball balls dropped to the sand.

A Nerf football skipped twice, and — with nobody to claim — it became Tahoe's newest invasive species.

Sugar drinks were set down and lakeside lounges were abandoned.

...For one moment — summer stopped.

West Shore resident Karen Rogers
emerged on the shore of Hyatt Beach at 2:15 p.m. Wednesday. Several hundred tourists — following the innate ribbon of beach/group mentality ingrained in American vernacular since Jaws — wanted to spot what was emerging from the calm blue.

Why were a handful, then a dozen, then nearly 100 spontaneously gathered to watch two arms and a yellow cap — emerge?

Then someone said it. A girl no more than eight. She tugged on her father's swim trunk with such urgency his drink ran down his arms.

"That lady swam across the lake," she said. "All the way from over there ...by those mountains."

On cue, Rogers emerged, pushed her head back toward the sun, reached her arms to the sky — clapped twice ...tore off her lucky swim cap (a 'smiley face ...with attitude'), popped her googles off and spiked 'em with one motion as she strode onto shore.

10:55. The first local to complete the 22.2-mile swim ...and the second-fastest woman to do so — ever.

Rogers ...on the swim:

...Want to know the truth? It was actually easier than I thought. ...Am I allowed to say that? I'm not saying it didn't get tough — there were times. About 3.5 miles (in) my arms got really tight — my full body got tight. But, I've had that happen before ...everyone does. You just sort of relax, put your head down — and keep going.

How she felt Wednesday:

...A perfect day — really. My cheeks hurt from smiling so much.

Training:

I never use a wetsuit (in Tahoe). Not even in my February plunge.

Her time:

I told everyone 12 (hours). I didn't want to say one thing and then come in (later). I knew ...at least, I thought I'd be faster. My goal wasn't (time), my goal was to be steady. I remember at one point I was on track for 10 hours. I thought, I can push and get there. But really, my goal was to have a solid swim.

Her place in history:

I'm the fourth woman to (do the trans-Tahoe swim). I don't think I'm far off (the women's record). ...Twenty minutes, maybe.

First thing she saw coming out of the water:

I thought, oh my God, I'm almost there — all of a sudden I could see (father) Papa's shirt. It was over like that. It went by really fast.

...She first got the idea when she was:

Seven. Yep — this is a dream come true. ...Yeah, I'm going to Disneyland.

Son Berkeley, 15:

I supported her 100 percent. She had to postpone (the swim) for a week because of the weather. It was good she waited. It's taught me a lot... her dedication. I was a little bit nervous for her. But now — it's just very exciting.

Neighbor/support crew Dave Rintala:

Today was such a perfect day. We started with the meteor shower (3:24 a.m.) overhead. Let me put it this way. Only a handful of people have ever swam (across) this lake. There are people here who do all kinds of crazy stuff here every day. There are amazing athletes who live here. But hardly anyone climbs this mountain.

Rintala cont'd: She's the first local ...in history. To share this is mind-blowing. The determined look in her eye — and the way she started charging right away ...and she never stopped.





 

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First Friday at Brickelltown is back... just in time for fall

9/02/10, 8:18 am, By Alanna Hughes

  • 4 p.m. Friday in Brickelltown
  • Bring your cruiser bike (cheaper/better peeps than Burning Man)

Ski Porn season kicks off at Squaw Sept. 18 with Standard premiere

8/31/10, 9:22 pm, By S. Cowley

  • North Shore-based snowboard heavies preimere 'The Storming' Saturday, Sept. 18
  • Monster'll be there too... 

Sorry Burning Man - it's all about the Ski Loft Tent Sale

8/30/10, 7:52 pm, Staff Report

  • 8 a.m. Friday
  • Bring all your pennies... (what's left of 'em)

REi Clothing - Ticker

  • REI - New Fitness Clothing Discounts

Basin Bargain Basement - The bargain of bargains

8/29/10, 8:59 pm, By A. Pridgen

  • $105k for starter condo in KB
  • Yes, we toured a similar unit in '06 for more than $300k ...actually, maybe it WAS this unit

Bomber pre-season ski sales from local manufacturers

8/25/10, 7:50 am, Staff Report

  • From Praxis Powderboards to Moment Rubys ...to a surprise entry
  • It's time to buy local... buy new

Skiing is no more

8/22/10, 11:47 am, Staff Report

  • RIP Skiing Magazine
  • ...Are you next, SKI?

Date set for 7th annual Downtown Truckee Wine Walk And Shop

8/22/10, 9:25 am, Switchback PR

  • Filling up that fall calendar yet?!
  • Well, here's where to start

REi Clothing - Ticker

  • REI - New Fitness Clothing Discounts

Squaw to host SATELite Festival in September

8/22/10, 7:28 am, By A. Richmond

  • New outdoor(ish) event pronounced 'satellite' ...not 'Sate-lite' like we orig. thought
  • ...Not 100 percent sure what it is — but ncludes wine, so we'll be there

Tahoe Mountain Sports gets you warm for Ski Loft tent sale

8/20/10, 6:44 pm, By Lis Korb

  • First come tent sales... then ski porn premiers
  • Then (gulp) snow... are you ready?!

Legendary Incline bear featured in WSJ

8/18/10, 8:31 pm, Staff Report

  • Free BUBBA
  • That's right - It's our fault... not the bear's... but is that what the Journal thinks?!

Trail Building Backcountry Camps

8/17/10, 8:49 pm, TRTA

  • Get on those trails
  • ...and get your build on Saturday and Sunday (and again Labor Day weekend)

REi Clothing - Ticker

  • REI - New Fitness Clothing Discounts

Win an iPad from IVGID

8/15/10, 7:03 pm, Staff Report

  • Golf, ski, beach, compute
  • repeat

Squaw creates new top marketing position... sale rumors spark again

8/10/10, 8:18 pm, Staff Report

  • Wait, Squaw CREATED a position...
  • Ok, something's definitely going down... (25-year industry vet Scott Clarkson tapped as VP of Marketing and Sales)

Jim's trip ...halfway... round The Rim

8/07/10, 1:16 pm, By. A. Pridgen

  • Hammerel raises triple his goal amt. to benefit the TRT
  • ...and tears up his knee

Volunteer trail-building workdays with the Tahoe Rim Trail Association

8/05/10, 7:45 am, TRTA

  • You heard about Jim Hammerel's mission to speed-traverse the TRT
  • Now you can pitch in too 

REi Clothing - Ticker

  • REI - New Fitness Clothing Discounts

Goodbye Norm

8/03/10, 8:08 pm, By A. Pridgen

  • The Godfather of Incline, Norm Rosenberg, passes - he was 92
  • Incline's left-leaning champion leaves legacy ...starting with the library

Test drive a Tesla... before it's too late

8/01/10, 9:30 pm, By A. Pridgen

  • Tesla, the Palo Alto-based electric car company has gone through more than $300 million VC $
  • ...but still hasn't tapped into Uncle Sam's reserves for the Model S - go check it out at the Hyatt

Sugar Bowl dining room and Belt Room Bar open for business

7/30/10, 10:22 am, By John Monson

  • Good grub, great views
  • And nothing beats Belt Room post PCT

Ultimate Frisbee - ultimate course

7/27/10, 8:56 pm, By A. Richmond

  • Squaw opens disc golf course
  • Signature hole (no. 4) has 1080' downhill... wow

REi Clothing - Ticker

  • REI - New Fitness Clothing Discounts

Squaw's MTB park open for first time since '03

7/23/10, 7:22 pm, By Amelia Richmond

  • 2k feet of single-track
  • 'K, we're in

Remembering Kenny Guinn

7/22/10, 10:08 pm, Staff Report

  • The man who created the Milennium Scholarship and SNPLMA passed away Thursday
  • Guinn, who oversaw Nevada during its most prosperous years, was 73

Lokal boy makes good - former PlumpJack star Edge shines in Sonoma

7/20/10, 6:23 pm, By A. Pridgen

  • Rick Edge takes saucy edge down to downtown Sonoma
  • Lokal is the (new) place to be and PlumpJack alum makes it so

Tahoe skier visits were estimated to be up 17 percent last winter

7/19/10, 8:40 am, Staff Report

  • Numbers of skiers on the hill increased - but overall spending stayed modest
  • Cheap passes the plan again for 2010-'11

REi Clothing - Ticker

  • REI - New Fitness Clothing Discounts

Cushing steps down from Squaw post ...rumors of sale sparked

7/13/10, 6:06 pm, Staff Report

  • Former Intrawest exec takes over
  • ...Rumor mill turning overtime: is Cushing family getting ready to bounce?

TRPA's Asian clam bake

7/11/10, 9:19 pm, By Jeff Cowen

  • $1.4 million effort to eradicate invasive species from the lake...
  • And it involves (no joke) laying a rubber mat on the lake's floor... hi-tech

Kids' zip line at Squaw ...Boo ya

7/08/10, 5:12 pm, By A. Richmond

  • KT zip line
  • What about for the grown-ups?!

Just like that ...red flags are up

7/06/10, 6:22 pm, Staff Report

  • Three-year anniversary of Angora looms ever-present
  • Thunderstorms Wednesday/Thursday portend danger

REi Clothing - Ticker

  • REI - New Fitness Clothing Discounts

Nevada County approves PR firm's contract the same week it OKs budget cuts

6/30/10, 9:19 pm, Staff Report

  • Wait a minute - you're saying Tahoe will spend more than a million dollars this year on, sloganeering...
  • Meantime, budget cuts include child care, welfare-to-work and MediCal programs ...nice

Truckee's Lautner drops a PCT hiking book

6/28/10, 8:55 pm, Staff Report

  • 32 eco-friendly trips on the Sierra stretch of the PCT ...with GPS coordinates
  • Two thumbs up - pick it up...

Lake Tahoe Based Russian-American Partnership turns 20

6/24/10, 11:27 am, By TBI

  • Tahoe-Baikal Institute celebrates two decades  of watershed protection and cultural exchange
  • Political and economic ups and downs notwithstanding

Tour de Nez photo gallery

6/22/10, 8:20 pm

  • The weekend that was from Reno to Northstar
  • And lots of Nash

REi Clothing - Ticker

  • REI - New Fitness Clothing Discounts

Rebuild the Rim Trail every summer Saturday

6/11/10, 9:07 pm, TRTA

  • Start summer right by giving your most precious gift
  • ...Your time

TRPA tries to clarify

6/01/10, 8:30 pm, By Dennis Oliver

  • So, what, if anything, does this have to do with Boulder Bay?!
  • ...More importantly how 'bout that casino (strip club?) corridor...

Opinion ...TRPA ensures Tahoe times they area a-changin'

5/22/10, 8:35 pm, By Ann Nichols

  • Density to increase under proposed TRPA regional plan
  • But, will they build it (or will they come?)

TAUs on the table from TRPA

5/14/10, 10:08 pm, Staff Report

  • If you don't understand the headline
  • ...Go the the May 26 meeting and you'll see puh-lenty

REi Clothing - Ticker

  • REI - New Fitness Clothing Discounts

Cal Neva now in TRPA doghouse

5/09/10, 6:49 pm, Staff Report

  • TRPA will handle foreclosed property with kid gloves over more than a decade of flunking its eco report card
  • Time to blow everything up but the casino floor, Sinatra Showroom, the lakefront cabins and the Indian Room

Celebrate National Trails Day with the Tahoe Rim Trail

5/06/10, 5:33 pm, TRTA

  • Build a trail
  • ...Get a free lunch

Save Martis Valley - one click at a time

5/04/10, 7:13 pm, By Renee Deinken

  • Well, it's not like Martis Valley is in any danger of getting developed by broke-ass East/West
  • ...But still good to preserve; Check out the new site

LTVA spends almost a mil. on slogan ending in preposition

5/02/10, 8:21 pm, By A. Pridgen

  • That's right, your new slogan to lure Affliction-wearing d-bags to Stateline's new strip club
  • ...'Get your vacation on' (ohh noo). Inside: Our five (free) slogan suggestions ...Holla

REi Clothing - Ticker

  • REI - New Fitness Clothing Discounts

Cost of doing nothing too high for Tahoe

4/29/10, 8:22 pm, By Joanne Marchetta

  • If you can make it through TRPA director's tome...
  • We'll have resident feedback for you Friday

No downhill slide for Diamond Peak

4/09/10, 7:00 am, Staff Report

  • While others founder
  • ...DP in the black and breaking ground on new $4 million admin/ticket/locker/child ski center building

Foreclosed Cal Neva casino goes dark ...for good

3/24/10, 10:32 pm, By A. Pridgen

  • One year after 'no-sale' at a foreclosure auction and interim management team shuts down Nevada's most legendary casino
  • ...Sad, sad day... Casino doors to shut March 31 - rest of Basin gaming on life support

And yes ...the KB roundabouts were originally scheduled to be complete this summer

1/27/10, 9:35 pm, Staff Report

  • Tahoe Regional Planning Agency board votes unanimously (again) to approve three-lane/roundabouts in KB
  • ...Yes, you've heard that (here) before

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