Skiing Stoke from Lake Tahoe

Month: May 2008

Summer Skiing!

I’m in Florida where the air temperature is 87 degrees, the ocean temp is 79 degrees and the humidity is 68%. I probably won’t get to do any summer skiing this summer, but I have done plenty in the past. While friends were content to embrace the warm temperatures and mountain bike for the summer, I alway got a thrill out of skiing during the off-season. During the summer months, I’ve skied Las Lenas, Argentina, Portillo, Chile, Treble Cone and Mt Rupeahu, New Zealand, Mount Hood, Orgeon, Mount Shasta, California and Mount Washington, New Hapmshire. During the next few weeks I’ll be posting articles and info about these summer ski destinations and more. I’ll start with Portillo, where I traveled in August 2006 and got to heli-ski deep powder. Skiing Magazine will be coming out with an article that I wrote about Portillo shortly. In the meantime, here are two other articles featuring Portillo: To South America with NASTC and International Heli Skiing.

Ponderosa Golf Course to Open!

Ponderosa Golf CourseWell, it’s May and even though there is some skiing left, I’m switching modes. Last fall, the owners announced that the 9-hole Ponderosa Golf Course in Truckee would not reopen. Just outside of Sierra Meadows, the course was just a few minutes from my house. A locals’ gem among many expensive, high-end courses around town, many were saddened to see it go. The word was that the owner’s didn’t want to run it anymore because of competition from the resort courses. The airport bid on it, but could only offer the appraised value ($3.1 million) and the owners didn’t want to sell at that price. Last weekend, we learned that the course is going to open after all! The Truckee Parks and Rec department will run it and hopes to reduce prices and increase local programs. The photo to the left was taken two weeks ago when we played the unopened course for what we thought would be the last time. Nothing like the losing something for a little while to make you appreciate it even more.