Warning for Expert Skiers and Riders for ’11-’12 Winter Season
During my morning hike this morning up Heavenly’s flat, intermediate Roundabout trail, today’s beautiful summer like day gave me a chance to reflect on the winter season that just ended at the Lake Tahoe Basin’s mountain resorts.
East Bowl
Sure, as most everyone knows by now, the entire Lake Tahoe area had a very good snow fall year with record amounts. As long as you know where to go, there were plenty of powder days, even great ones days after a storm. It seemed like even at Lake level we had mostly snow all season instead of the rain that we can get at that low elevation. There was at least six feet on the ground at my house at lake level.
Looking Down Gunbarrel
Howerver, this morning’s hike, without the snow coverage, really gave me a chance to see why like most mountain resorts on the South Shore, Heavenly is not, I repeat, not for expert skiers and riders. Heavenly is, just like all the rumours, an intermediate, flat mountain.
You can tell by these pictures what I’m talking about. Taken from the Roundabout trail at Heavenly, looking up at runs like East Bowl and Gunbarrel, these pics prove without a doubt that almost all their runs are just plain flat.
Plus look at the pics that show Heavenly’s tree skiing. Most of the trees are way too tight for thrilling, heart pounding excitement, and when they do open up, they’re spaced way too wide. It’s also obvious that since there are so many stumps and boulders on the terrain that it would take a lot of snow for waist deep powder day, which I’ve rarely had in my over 30 years of skiing Heavenly.
Yeh, Heavenly has the two canyons Motts and Killebrew marked on their trail map as Expert. But they’re way over on the Nevada side and take forever to get to on mulitple lifts and long cat tracks. Plus there’s a long, long trail at the bottom of Killebrew to get back to the lift…who needs that headache?
Oh, and sure now Heavenly’s management has opened designated gates to access the resort’s out-of-bounds expert terrain. Designated gates are just lame, right? Plus most people just get lost in this terrain and then have to spend thousands of dollars for helicopter rescue, so most experts I know don’t even bother.
Of course, if you want to really take risks, you can ride from the top of Milky Way Bowl and then eventually down to Foothill Drive for a 5,000 verticle run. But that’s a real hassle with having to do a car shuttle or thumb a ride, so no one I know wants that kind of hassle or risk.
So please, do yourself a favor next winter season and stay away from South Lake Tahoe’s mountain resorts. Most respectable expert skiers or riders I know go to Mammoth or Lake Tahoe’s North Shore resorts.
Sherman Winter 2011
Wally Johnson
DRE #01848595
cell: 530.277.5687
fax: 530.725.8643
Wally@WallyKJohnson.com
LakeTahoeBasinHomes.com
3045 Harrison Ave.
South Lake Tahoe, Ca. 96150
Value of Real Estate Pictures
1863 Crystal Air
Real estate pictures, videos, and virtual tours of properties in Lake Tahoe are, without a doubt, valuable tools you can now find all over the internet. They allow you to see what the house looks like inside and out, what the property looks like from the outside, and sometimes even what the surrounding neighborhood looks like as well.
These real estate pictures are a great way to see and start searching for your piece of the Lake Tahoe pie…your jewel in the pines. Most times, however, they’re just a start and the pictures don’t tell the whole story, and can even be misleading to some degree. Sometimes these pictures can make the property look better than what it really is, and sometimes they don’t do the house justice. Case in point: some recent clients were reluctant to see a listing sent to them in an email. However, they decided it would be worth their time, had a great price, and besides, they said, what a great way to take a break in beautiful Lake Tahoe.
After seeing the house in person, the beautiful views while sitting on the property’s back deck, and touring the neighborhood and talking to the people who lived next door, they decided to make an offer based on the awesome value they saw in this property.
Remember, you can’t always tell a book by its cover. There’s nothing like seeing Lake Tahoe real estate in person.
Wally Johnson
DRE #01848595
cell: 530.277.5687
fax: 530.725.8643
Wally@WallyKJohnson.com
LakeTahoeBasinHomes.com
3045 Harrison Ave.
South Lake Tahoe, Ca. 96150
Change to Hwy. 50 Road Closure
The Hwy. 50 road closure has been changed and will take place now in the first week in May….go to the
following website for complete info.:
http://www.way2tahoe.com/project_schedule
Wally Johnson
DRE #01848595
cell: 530.277.5687
fax: 530.725.8643
LakeTahoeBasinHomes.com
Pinnacle Real Estate Group
3045 Harrison Ave.
South Lake Tahoe, Ca. 96150
CHANGE TO HWY. 50 CLOSURE AND LAKE TAHOE REAL ESTATE
SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. — C.C. Myers, the contractor for the Highway 50 closure project, has decided on May 11th as the earliest possible start date for the two-week closure.
The reason for the later start than previously announced is the company is finishing and approving the custom form liners for the new rock wall, spokesperson, Ruyak said. The project is still on schedule, she added.
The closure will coincide with the AMGEN Tour of California, expected to bring 20,000 to 25,000 visitors to the area in mid-May.
“(The start date) is going to be up to (the contractor),” Mike Cook, a Caltrans spokesman, told the South Lake Tahoe city council March 5. “If we got beautiful weather and they can go, we’re going to have to go.”
C.C. Myers plans on being completely finished with the two-week closure and the six weeks of one-way traffic control by the July 4 weekend.
Obviously, this change will effect everyone traveling to and from South Lake Tahoe and Lake Tahoe real estate owners, as well as Lake Tahoe businesses. Before starting out on any travel plans, check this designated website…http://www.way2tahoe.com/project_schedule
As of today, the web site…http://www.way2tahoe.com/project_schedule, has now been updated with this revision.
Wally Johnson
DRE #01848595
cell: 530.277.5687
fax: 530.725.8643
LakeTahoeBasinHomes.com
3045 Harrison Ave.
South Lake Tahoe, Ca. 96150
LAKE TAHOE REAL ESTATE SPRING CLEANUP
Is it really spring time in beautiful Lake Tahoe? Only time will tell, although plenty of us will give various opinions or talk about the bears coming out from hibernation.
Given the big snow year the Lake Tahoe basin has had this winter especially at lake level and where your Lake Tahoe real estate might be located, here’s some advice about spring cleanup around your house and property.
I know at our house, as this picture shows, the snow this year has been especially rough on our trees in the front yard. So very soon it’ll be time to get out the ladder and do some punning.
poor tree
For expert yard and lawn advice, go to Nel’s Hardware in South Lake Tahoe. In addition to expert advice, Nel’s has a full service and product garden center, plus they even rent out yard machines, like thatchers and lawn mowers, by the hour.
When the snow has left the yard, then it’s a good time to build your defensible space around your house by raking away and getting rid of all the pine needles that have fallen. According to the fire department, they recommend to clear your yard of any unwanted debris by at least 30 feet from around your house. For more information on fire safety, check out this web site: http://www.tahoefiresafe.com/services.php
Additionally as the snow melts from and around your Lake Tahoe real estate, it’s also a good time to access and repair any damage done to the outside of the house. Maybe it’s time to stain or paint your house. Winter weather and sun can be especially rough on wood decks. I know at our house I stain our decks about every 2years because they get a lot of direct sun.
After all the snow melts, it’s also a great time to inspect your roof on your Lake Tahoe home. If the roof material is made out of old, wood shake, most definitely consider replacing it with a more modern, fire safe composite material roof.
Bring on the warm weather in Lake Tahoe…sun and fun for everyone in one of the most beautiful places on the planet!
Wally Johnson
DRE #01848595
cell: 530.277.5687
fax: 530.725.8643
LakeTahoeBasinHomes.com
3045 Harrison Ave.
South Lake Tahoe, Ca. 96150
