Outdoors
The Winter of our Discontent?
In between serving me up two handrolls and a couple Budweisers, the bartender at Mamasake in Squaw Valley started wavering between optimism and reality.
Tuesday was a day for optimism. Bitter cold, bits of blower pow left over, lap after lap on Red Dog.
Weather forecasters are calling for two, maybe three more storms in the next week or so. Squaw Valley and the rest of Tahoe resorts looked primed for a healthy stampede of tourists this holiday season. EL NINO. And, for Squaw, ridiculously low pass prices that are sure to pump skiers into the village restaurants.
But optimism, by definition, is a delicate attitude based more on the promises of the future rather than the realities of the present.
And, on Tuesday, while optimism prevailed at least as long as the remaining soft stashes of snow off of Red Dog, reality did not simply vanish.
Reality for the Mamasake bartender is working five jobs nearly around the clock to try to keep up with his mounting mortgage.
Reality is wondering when his house is going to regain the value it had at the time of purchase.
Reality is slogging through the tail end of a sluggish shoulder season while hoping for a big winter.
Perhaps never since Squaw Valley was staring at hosting the 1960 Olympics on an imaginary snow base has so much been riding on a single season of winter weather.
A look around local communities at the businesses that have already closed up shop tells you that even more are hanging in the balance, hoping a few El Nino blizzards will turn things around.
The implosion of the real estate market and the construction business has left even more people financially dependent on snow, and it's a gut-wrenching position to be in — where the hopes of individuals, businesses and an entire regional economy rest heavily on something as fickle as Pacific low pressure.
The roulette wheel of winter storms is spinning, and like deadbeat gamblers we go all in, watch the ball drop and bounce, and hold our breath.
Diamond Peak season pass sale starts Monday
3/09/10, 7:42 pm, By Barb Archer
- That's right - buy your '10-'11 pass ...ski the rest of this season free...
- (Plus, early lift access on pow days)...
March 10 Weather Report
3/09/10, 7:21 am, Staff Report
- Rain?!
- ...Or snow!? Dunno...Happy 70th birthday CHUCK NORRIS
Basin Bargain Basement - Putting the IV in Incline Village
3/08/10, 9:07 pm, By A. Pridgen
- That's right ...now you can do what you've always dreamed of...
- Set foot on their beaches and laugh when they ask you (and your 40) to leave: 'sorry, I'm a homeowner in Incline for $150k
Campsaver Ticker
-Commentary ...When it comes to inch count ...Tahoe is John Holmes
3/07/10, 8:15 am, By A. Pridgen
- Does size matter?!
- Basin resorts seem to think so...
Paaso earns top spot at FWT Squaw stop ...Ingy finishes 3rd
3/01/10, 8:07 pm, Staff Report
- Jackie out-hucks men
- ...And is top of the podium headed into Freeride World Tour's final stop
Mt. Rose spring pass on sale... it includes next season's pass
2/27/10, 9:09 pm, By Kayla Anderson
- $433 gets you all spring and all of '10-'11 season
- Nice
CR Johnson dies in fall at Squaw Valley
2/24/10, 4:28 pm, Staff Report
- CR Johnson dies in crash at Squaw Valley USA
- Johnson, 26, was wearing a helmet but hit the back of his head on rocks at Light Towers
Campsaver Ticker
-Natalie Cole headlines Lake Tahoe Music Festival
2/23/10, 9:54 pm, By Kristen Power
- Will they bring back Huey?
- Click inside for tix and full schedule
Sinatra biopic closer to green light and DiCaprio ...North Shore and Cal Neva wait
2/21/10, 5:34 pm, By A. Pridgen
- DiCaprio hints deal's in the works
- Cal Neva years focal point of all known scripts ...and yes, the North Shore NEEDS some star power
Summer Squaw rumors to fruition... Village acquired by Cushings from broke Intrawest
1/30/10, 8:09 am, Staff Report
- Great - now Squaw has something new to run down...
- ...See what happens Intrawest - Hedge Funds = no-no
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
Campsaver Ticker
-Restoring Watershed Function Critical for Tahoe
1/22/10, 9:40 pm, By Joanne Marchetta
- ...Another $2.5 bil. to fix Tahoe over the next decade?!
- Sure
A reminder from Manzanar
1/20/10, 11:18 pm, By David Bunker
- Manzanar...
- The dark side of the Eastern Sierra
Could this be the end of Tahoe Luke... Crooner Stevenson escapes to the Galapagos
1/13/10, 8:55 pm, By Tracy Potter
- Oh man... battle of the cover crooners...
- New guy does new covers... but we're still suckers for 'Take it Easy' as the sun sets and we're sipping a Golden Eagle (le sigh)
Dirt Bag for a Day - North Pt. III
11/29/09, 7:59 pm, By D. Bunker
- So, you wanna see how it all ends...
- (Begins?!)
Campsaver Ticker
-Dirt Bag for a Day - North Pt. II
11/29/09, 7:46 pm, By D. Bunker
- Dirtbag + Alcan + Moose =
- ...
Dirt Bag for a Day - North Pt. 1
11/29/09, 7:46 pm, By D. Bunker
- Apologies to the author but 'Relentlessly North' made the pics too small...
- While you were sleeping at your desk... he was out there... where Twitter couldn't save him
Squaw OPEN!
11/18/09, 7:12 pm, Staff Report
- Full opening-day schedule...
- Hint: JT Holmes BASE jumps, Jonny Moseley lifts a glass... yep, happy 60th Squaw...but is there enough snow?!
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