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Welcome to Tahoe!
by Dale Brown, 2007

ARTICLE ORIGINALLY APPEARED AT TheBigFiveOh.com Blog @ Yahoo.Com, 01/05/2008

We have been on a New Year's trip to Disneyland with my sister-in-law and her kids (her husband, my youngest brother, is in Iraq, scheduled to return in March) and my wife's son from a previous marriage and his family. We had heard about the approaching snowstorm and have been watching it carefully because we were scheduled to fly back the day it was supposed to hit.

Friday morning we decided to get out of town as early as possible. Some flights in and out of San Francisco were already being canceled. We had few options out of John Wayne-Orange County Airport, so we drove over to LAX. Good thing we did, because our flight out of SNA was canceled.

The flight out of LAX was on a turboprop commuter. Unfortunately the flight's best alternate airport was Las Vegas, so it had to take on more fuel, which meant fewer passengers. We were bumped off and put on a different flight on a different airline, so we had to hoof it over to another terminal.

It was uncertain whether any more flights were going to make it anywhere near Tahoe. Winds were gusting over 40 mph on the surface and over 100 mph over the mountain ridges. The snow was not yet heavy, but conditions were going down fast. But the winds happened to be right down the runway and although bumpy, the turbulence was not reported as severe, so we blasted off. We arrived in Reno on time (even after a 30-minute takeoff delay) because of a 120 mph tailwind. We had continuous light to moderate turbulence, a few good jolts that strained the seatbelts, and a couple times it seemed that the nose and the tail were going to trade places. A bunch of the passengers applauded when we touched down.

Now the most dangerous part of the trip: the 30-mile drive up the Sierra to Tahoe.

Mount Rose Highway, the highest year-round Sierra pass at 8,900 feet and the most direct one home, was still open, with only chains or snow tires required, so we decided to go for it. The snow was still not yet deep, only 6" or so on the roads, but the blowing and drifting snow reduced visibilities to about 50 feet or less at times and slowed us to a crawl. The normally 40 minute drive took 90. We saw two cars over the side with Nevada Highway Patrol on the scene. We came home to about 8" of snow in town.

Overnight we got another 12" of snow, and it's coming down again right now. Driving is still not a good idea, so instead of skiing we shoveled and snowblowed the hot tub and barbecue clear. They're forecasting another 1-3 feet by Sunday night, with 2-3 times that over the summits and the ski areas. The weather guessers have been right on so far.

I was born, raised, and spent most of my life in snow country in New York, Pennsylvania, New Hampshire, and now Nevada. I complain about the snow because I don't usually play in it--I shovel it or drive on it. But once it's cleared away and everything is accessible and under control again, I look out at it and think Tahoe in winter is a pretty cool place to live.

Yes, it was shorts and sunglasses in Anaheim--but I don't think I'd trade it for Tahoe, even in the midst of a blizzard. I'll see if my attitude is the same by March, though!

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