This special night will honor our South Lake Tahoe Juvenile Panel Attorneys – Julie Bachman, John Castellanos, William Cherry, Kimberly Hunt, Lori London, Rick Meyer and Paul Palant.

With gourmet cuisine prepared by Edgewood’s award-winning chefs, and sumptuous wines from Lava Cap Winery, you’ll learn about the rewarding experiences CASA provides the kids and appointees.  The “Have a Heart for CASA” fundraiser will also offer a unique evening of live entertainment, plus a live and silent auction. Tickets are $125 per person/$1100 per table of ten with all of the proceeds going to support our community children.

CASA El Dorado, a non profit organization, recruits, trains, and matches volunteer advocates with children that are part of the Court system as a result of abuse or neglect. CASA volunteers are specially trained and supervised, and are appointed by a Family Court judge. CASAs make a difference in the lives of abused and neglected children by investigating and monitoring cases involving children in foster care. CASA is a national organization serving in counties throughout the United States. CASA El Dorado has served more than 400 children in the last 12 months alone, speaking up as a voice for children in Court and in life.

Cocktail attire requested.  To RSVP for this South Lake Tahoe event by January 20th, please call 530-622-9882 or friends@casaeldorado.org for tickets.

Edgewood Tahoe
100 Lake Parkway, Stateline, Nevada

This special event is free and open to the public.  Refreshments and jazz will be provided.

Kit’s delightful oil paintings are influenced by Jazz and her love of color. Bright color. Bold color.  Color allows her to play with light, while the sweet sound of Jazz inspires her to push the limit adding dimension and animation to her Citrus Jazz and Glass Harmonies paintings. Kit is an oil painter living in South Lake Tahoe, and she is also the creator of “Art in the Morning,” a weekly artistic boost that lifts the spirits and brings art into our every day lives.

Night’s work has received praise from art critic, essayist and Pulitzer Prize winner John Updike, jazz composer, pianist and creator of NPR’s “Piano Jazz”, Marian McPartland and best-selling author of “Art & Physics”, Leonard Shlain.

“My work is influenced by Jazz. Miles, Coltrane, Dizzy, Evans, Brubeck and, as Count Basie used to refer to him, “Oscar Pete.” I love listening to the old guys tell their stories and talk about their struggles. Listening to Jazz Profiles on NPR, it’s like hanging out with them late at night. The music is alive, always changing. They push space. They push themselves to take risks. This is what I try to do with my paintings.”

Night’s work will be on display at Bona Fide Books Feb. 2-29. Bona Fide HQ is located at 1069 Magua Street, #4, behind the Getaway Café in Meyers.  For more art, Events, Workshops and “Art in the Morning”, please visit KitNight.com.

The February 1st show is special. Ten high spirited mountain worshiping locals will show off their best pictures and stories of their adventures in the mountains.  Who are they?  Find out at 7pm.

The  free shows run on consecutive Wednesday nights at the Olympic Plaza Bar, January 4 to March 7, 2012. All ages are welcome, and the fun begins right around 7pm with a fast paced 1 hour slideshows that will have you making plans to get into the mountains.  There are 2 bars, lots of comfy seating, a huge screen and nice sound system.

The 12th annual slide show series offers 11 incredible shows, from some seriously adventurous, entertaining, and inspiring people. Most of them are from our very own Sierra Nevada, if not Lake Tahoe and Truckee. Come meet your neighbors! They want to spread that good mountain vibe, and get us all stoked on life. Many of these shows are once-in-a-lifetime opportunities to meet and hear from incredible mountain loving athletes and travelers.

Lake Tahoe Adventure Slide Show Series:

Fri Dec 9 – 7pm Fred Beckey

The incomparable Fred Beckey, an American climbing legend kicks off the slide show series.  At age 88 he still climbs and pursues first ascents around the world, and talks with boyish enthusiasm still about the mountains. He will share tales and photos from his favorite climbs, many of which are on your lifelong tick list. FRED BECKEY has achieved enduring recognition as the most imaginative, persistent, and thorough explorer and mountain investigator of the Cascade Range Wilderness. He was noted as “one of America’s most colorful and eccentric mountaineers,” and is unofficially recognized as the all-time world-record holder for the number of first ascents credited to one man. In addition to being the author of the Cascade Alpine Guide series (V1, V2, V3), Beckey is also the author of Mountains of North America, The Range of Glaciers: Exploration and Survey of the North Cascades, and a personal narrative, Challenge of the North Cascades. Bring everyone you know, especially those who think or act like they are “washed up”. Yeah right, in your 40′s or 50′s? Fred was just getting going.

Jan 4th – 7pm Dave Nettle

One of our favorite local backcountry heroes is back to entertain and inspire the rest of us with a new ski touring slideshow. Dave travells far beyond our borders to ski and climb year after year, and always comes back with great stories, photos, and jokes. Last year he toured the Ortler Alps in Italy with some other Tahoe locals, staying in huts and exploring the mountains on skis by day. You’ll be booking your own European ski tour vacation after this one.

Jan 11th – 7pm Eric Perlman

Eric Perlman is a director, producer, Emmy-winning cameraman, editor, and composer producing international adventure films and commercials for more than 35 years. Eric is also a high energy Tahoe go-getter you’ve seen around on skis, rock, and trail. This slideshow will have you planning a trip late that evening so you can go touch some warm rock! The show is called “20 YEARS OF STONE—Evolution of modern climbing and the modern climbing movie.” We will see if we can get him to show us some Tahoe climbing history, where he sat right in the middle since the 60′s, climbing pretty much every day possibly right through this very week!

Jan 18th – 7pm

You have his guidebooks, and wondered about this golden era of High Sierra exploration in the 80′s. He was also a mountain guide and avalanche forecaster in Bishop. We found him hiding out in the foothills and have a really fun night in store for everyone, as John tells the stories behind those short blurbs we read over and over and over in his High Sierra Guidebooks.

Jan 25th – 7pm Doug Stoup

This show is for you. “Skiing The Planet…North to south”. Sounds good eh? Truckee local Doug Stoup is founder and expedition leader of Ice Axe Expeditions, which leads adventurers, skiers and riders to Antarctica and Spitsbergen, Norway. Doug boasts many first descents, including the first ski and snowboard descent of the highest peak in Antarctica (Vinson Massif, 16,044 ft). Having led 20 expeditions to Antarctica and 10 to the Arctic Ocean, Doug is today’s most traveled polar explorer. In addition to his exploration accomplishments, Doug is a cinematographer, ski mountaineering guide, humanitarian, educator, father and “seven day adventurist.” As founder of the Ice Axe Foundation, Doug also aims to educate youth about this amazing planet on which we live. He has been featured internationally in television and film and pioneered streaming media from remote expeditions.

Feb 1 – 7pm 10 locals; 10 slides

This show will be comprised of 10 high spirited mountain worshiping locals, bringing you their best pictures and stories of their adventures in the mountains.

Feb 8th – 7pm John Scott

Yet another incredible Truckee story is low profile John Scott and his family, who will show both parents and kids a look into their Sierra mountain sports lifestyle. Can your 9 year old climb multi-pitch above 13,000′ and ski tour Sierra peaks? Maybe they can, and surely they will dream about it at night after the show! Maybe you will too! Calling all parents, don’t miss this inspiring show of family fun in the mountains.

Feb 15th – 7pm Todd Offenbacher

South Shore climber/skier and high-on-life Todd Offenbacher’s dedication to climbing the REAL mountains of the world sometimes goes un-noticed by locals, because he gets so much done around here. In this show we will hear about his recent climb/rigging project on El Capitan with Steve Wampler who has cerebral palsy. Steve lives his own life helping those in wheelchairs get into the mountains, and powered out 20,000 pull ups with Todd and others to scale the 3000′ vertical rock face of El Cap. Todd will also show us his recent epic trip to the Brooks Range in Alaska, where he suffered rough conditions for YOU guys to just enjoy hearing about in the comfort of the Oly Plaza bar couches! He will also share some Sierra secret granite spots, and few tales from back in the day. More than anything, Todd’s enthusaism for fun in the mountains will infect you.

Feb 22nd – 7pm John Morrison

John shreds. Waves, singletrack, KT 22, High Sierra Couloirs, and pretty much anything in front of him. You don’t hear the details usually, but many locals do know it’s going on and get inspired by just the thought: “I wonder what JM and friends are doing this weekend…” Last Year John skied from the highest possible point on all of California’s 14ers. That’s all in one season, nailing more than one ski descent in a day on a few occasions. He skins fast, but will talk slow for us to catch some ideas of our own for High Sierra Backcountry Skiing.

Feb 29th – 7pm to be announced

March 7th – 7pm Peter Mayfield

Another over achiever Truckee resident, Peter has some inspiring and varied topics to share with us. Peter Mayfield, director of the local Gateway Mountain Center, is a creative force of nature…with world class first ascents on El Capitan and Half Dome, visionary High Sierra skate-ski solos, high flying aerial dance performances, and a long career of good works – connecting youth to the natural world. Join us for an exhilarating evening of hair-raising big walls, breathless alpine solos, and films of spectacular vertical dance performances, such as Peregrine Dreams – on the Shield Headwall, and Luminescent Flights next to Upper Yosemite Falls…

The 12th Annual Lake Tahoe Adventure Slide Show Series is sponsored by your friends at The BackCountry in Truckee and Squaw Valley USA.

The opening piece will be performed by 35 local jazz musicians from Incline Village, North Lake Tahoe and Truckee who have trained with these talented musicians to bring a remarkable history of jazz to life.

This immersive, globally themed main-stage program features performances of all new commissions by prominent, internationally recognized jazz composers hailing from countries as diverse as, West Africa (Lionel Loueke), Israel (Omer Avital), Cuba (Yosvany Terry), Puerto Rico (Miguel Zenon), India (Rudresh Mahanthappa) and the United States (Marcus Strickland). Each unique composition is inspired by elements of both the American jazz tradition and the indigenous music of each composer’s respective country of origin.

Space is limited, so make sure to purchase your tickets early by visiting ArtsForTheSchools.org.  $15 for adults and $5 for children 18 or younger.

As art education has all but vanished in our public schools, Arts For the Schools bridges this gap by providing professional art instruction and performing arts programs in our local schools. This is made possible through grants, foundations, private contributions and Parent Teacher Organizations who value art education in their schools.

Arts For the Schools was selected as one of a few qualifiers for the InnerState Project because of its 26 year-long history of overcoming venue challenges and bringing nationally and internationally acclaimed performers to our local schools and community at large.

Artist Aimee Had will be the featured dish, along with music by DJ One Truest, tasty appetizers, warm beverages and lots of local art to support one of our favorite causes.  In honor of Truckee local CR Johnson, Riverside Studios is holding a Lion Heart Art Show, a group exhibition and fundraising event that will include both emerging and established artists working strictly on unframed 10  x 10 x 3/4, plywood panels.  Each piece will be sold at $100.  Forty dollars of each piece sold will be be donated by Riverside Studios to the High Fives: CR Johnson Memorial Fund.

Riverside Studios includes vintage clothing creations by eco-stylist Heather River, pottery by Alanna Hughes, handbags, belts and leather accessories by Kahlil Johnson, jewelry by Sondrea and Mary, and paintings and jewelry by Aimee Had.Lots of local artists from around Lake Tahoe and Truckee are represented – as long as it’s made by hand.

Grab your hat, appetite and head to downtown Truckee and Riverside Studios, where art and culture intersect.

This free North Lake Tahoe events takes place at:

Riverside Studios
10060 Donner Pass Road. (next to the Squeeze In)
Downtown Truckee on Commercial Row

530-587-3789

The Sugar Pine Point State Park Rangers are leading full moon snowshoe tours around the Ehrman Mansion on February 4 and March 3, 2012.  All proceeds go to the Sierra State Parks Foundation.

Full Moon Snowshoe Tour at Sugar Pine Point State Park
sponsored by West Shore Sports

February 4 and March 3, 2012 at 7pm

For those new to snowshoeing, there will be a beginner’s clinic at 6:30pm sponsored by West Shore Sports. The Full Moon hike starts promptly at 7 pm and begin at the Day Use side of the park. The Full Moon hike starts promptly at 7 pm and begins in the day use side of the park. The programs last approximately 1 ½ hours and costs $20 for adults and $5 for children under 12. The cost includes event parking and snowshoe rentals, if needed.  Wear warm, layered clothing, waterproof shoes and bring a flashlight.

All proceeds from the tours support the Sierra State Parks Foundation. Space is limited and reservations can be made through our State Park partner, West Shore Sports at 530-525- 9920.

Did you know…

The Sierra State Parks Foundation was founded in 1973 by a dedicated group of Tahoe locals in response to plans to demolish Ehrman Mansion to create more campsites.

They’re still around working hard to help preserve our historic sites like the 1916 Rubicon Point Lighthouse located at DL Bliss State Park. Here’s a list of ongoing projects:

• D. L. Bliss: Balancing Rock nature trail repairs; visitor center upgrades and more!
• Donner Memorial State Park: Visitor Center remodeling; exhibit repair and upgrade; pioneer wagon purchase and more!
• Emerald Bay State Park: Creation of new exhibit panels for Vikingsholm; visitor center upgrades; finalization of new Vikingsholm movie and more!
• Sugar Pine Point State Park: Pine Lodge (Ehrman Mansion) repairs; Mercury repairs; exhibit upgrades; Living History Day and more!
• Tahoe State Recreation Area: Visitor center upgrade and more!

But, they can only make these improvements with our help.

Click here to learn more and to donate to the Sierra State Parks Foundation.

Photo courtesy of www.totalsnowshoes.com

For you snowshoe lovers, check out their vintage snowshoe photos.

Skating techniques have been revolutionized in the past few years. Join Debbi Waldear, an eight time World Master Champion and winner of the Great American Ski Chase, and staff to learn all about the transformation of the body position and the use of energy at the Kirkwood Cross Country and Snowshoe Center on February 5, 2012.

Debbi’s recent experience working with the U.S. Ski Team coaches gives her the cutting edge on what’s new. The clinics will help you improve your skills and learn the natural more centered way of skating. Clinic starts at 10:00AM, pre-registration is advised. Cost is $30 pre registration/ $35 on the day. Trail passes will be available for $10, equipment rental will be available for $10.

Watching Debbi ski is like poetry in motion.  Graceful, efficient, and seemingly effortless, she is at one with the snow.  An elite athlete, Debbi is passionate about health and fitness which allows her to creatively express herself on and off the mountain.  Above all, she always has fun at the center and never tires of turning people on to skiing. Debbi oversees the ski patrol, ski school, rental shop, grooming of the 80km of cross country ski trails and manages a staff of twelve at the Cross Country Ski and Snowshoe Center. She is often found out on the trails making sure that the trails are in pristine shape and offering words of encouragement or tips to those just getting started with traditional (kick and glide) or skate skiing. Click here to learn more about Debbi.

For more information about this South Lake Tahoe event, call the Kirkwood Cross Country and Snowshoe Center at (209) 258-7248.

These treks are taken at a leisurely pace and led by experienced trail guides.

Skiing and snowboarding aren’t the only ways to enjoy Lake Tahoe this winter season. Join the Tahoe Rim Trail Association for FREE guided snowshoe treks through the end of March. These snowshoe hikes are great for all abilities (shorter hikes are appropriate for kids). Discover this fun and easy way to exercise and socialize during the winter months in the Tahoe Basin.

2012 Tahoe Rim Trail Guided Snowshoe Hikes:

January 21st -  Castle Rock
4 miles 10am to 2pm – Moderate Hike
Located on the east shore of Lake Tahoe,  snowshoe through lovely pine and fir forest to reach Castle Rock a lovely rocky outcrop with stunning views of the lake. Meet at the Kingsbury North Trailhead off of Benjamin.

January 28th & February 4 – Van Sickle State Park
2 to 3 miles 10am to 1pm – Moderate Hike
Enjoy beautiful panoramic views of the “Jewel of the Sierra”along the way. This new trail is a superb addition to our local hiking trail offering views of Lake Tahoe rarely seen, off the shoulder of Heavenly.  Look for the waterfall about 2 miles up the trail that look like angel wings. Meet behind Harrah’s; in the very back parking lot.

February 7th – Tahoe Meadows Full Moon Hike
2 miles 5pm to 8pm – Easy Hike
TRTA Members Full Moon Hike – Not a member of the TRTA? This is a great opportunity to join, and enjoy a moonlit tromp through the Tahoe Meadows. Meet at the Tahoe Meadows trailhead, located a 1/2 mile southwest of Mt Rose summit on Hwy 431.

February 11th – New TRT Section (Middle Kingsbury)
4 miles 10am to 2pm – Moderate Hike
Check out this new section that runs just below the Nevada side of Heavenly before connecting to the new Van Sickle State Park TRT. Meet at the back of Heavenly’s Bouder Lift parking area.

February 14th – Sweetheart Sunset Hike – Tahoe Meadows
3 miles 4pm to 7pm – Easy Hike
Impress your Valentine with an evening snow hike around the beautiful Tahoe Meadows above Lake Tahoe at sunset followed by wine and cheese. Meet at the Tahoe Meadows trailhead, located a 1/2 mile southwest of Mt Rose summit on Hwy 431.

Please register by calling the TRTA at 775-298-0012 or by emailing jaimes@tahoerimtrail.org.

The Tahoe Rim Trail is one of the world’s premier trails. It passes through two states (California and Nevada), six counties, one state park, three National Forests, and three Wilderness areas. This spectacular trail is 165 miles of single-track multiuse trail, winding peak to peak around Lake Tahoe. It is a trail that offers something for everyone! Hiking and horseback riding are allowed on all portions of the trail, while mountain biking is allowed on the trail with the exception of the wilderness areas, the section that is in the Lake Tahoe Nevada State Park, and on the sections of trail that overlap with the Pacific Crest Trail.

Gear to Bring

1. Snowshoes
2. Snow Boots (recommend gators to keep snow out of boots)
3. Trekking poles with snow basket (ski poles are fine)
4. Water – 2 quarts minimum per person
5. Lunch and snacks
6. Warm clothes (synthetics blends, such as fleece, polypropylene, & wool. Cotton and jeans are not acceptable clothes for the backcountry in winter, this includes cotton socks!) Water and wind resistant pants and jacket are essential.
7. Gloves
8. Ski hat
9. Lip balm
10. Sunscreen, SPF 30 or greater
11. Sunglasses and/or goggles for blowing snow
12. Map and compass (if you have them)

Daron Rahlves, four-time Olympian, World Champion and Truckee local, has refined this classic race that started at Sugar Bowl to include four resorts.  The first race takes place at Alpine Meadows, February 4 and 5, 2012. Don’t miss it.

Mixing disciplines of big mountain freeriding, downhill racing and ski & boarder cross strategy, the “Banzai” format, with roots tied to the original Silver Belt Banzai at Sugar Bowl, puts four racers at a time blasting out of a ski-cross start gate feature, maneuvering through strategically-placed gates on an all-natural big mountain course while navigating alongside fellow racers, with the limited rules to finish fast enough to advance to the next round.

A grass-roots flashback to the days of simply racing your friends to the bottom of the hill, Rahlves, the most decorated men’s downhiller in U.S. history, says that while the racing is real, the focus of the Banzai is on having fun.

“With so many competitions being of such a serious nature, the Banzai Tour invites skiers and riders to come out, get in the gate and point it, still maintaining a high level of racing of course, but also having a great time and enjoying the festive atmosphere that the Banzai is all about.” Daron Rahlves

Complemented nicely with vendor village exhibit areas, numerous spectator viewing spots, finish line BBQ’s and post-race parties complete with live music and dj’s, the event draws more than just competitors.

Open to men, women, skiers and boarders age 18 years and older, historically the Silver Belt Banzai at Sugar Bowl has seen an eclectic mix of higher-level athletes, racing enthusiasts and everyday skiers and riders just out for a good time at a great event.

And while Rahlves himself will not race in any of the three tour stops, acting instead as Banzai Ambassador throughout, he will await each of the Men’s Ski division winners from prior tour stops for a final day, one run, winner-take-all $10,000 “Banzai Super Final”, sure to be a crowd pleaser.

The four Lake Tahoe mountains involved are perfect venues for racing of this style, offering big mountain terrain with impressive steeps, compelling routes to navigate and impressive annual snowfall totals every season.

2012 Rahlves’ Banzai Tour:

• Alpine Meadows – Beaver Bowl Banzai – February 4th-5th $15,000 Prize Purse
• Kirkwood Mountain Resort – Eagle Bowl Banzai – Feb 11th-12th $15,000 Prize Purse
• Squaw Valley USA – KT-22 Banzai March 3rd-4th $15,000 Prize Purse
• Sugar Bowl Resort – Silver Belt Banzai and Super Final – March 10th-11th $35,000 Prize Purse
  

Registration is just $130 for this North Lake Tahoe event, and includes a lift ticket for Saturday’s time trials, as well as Sunday’s Banzai format racing should the racer advance out of Saturday’s round. Skiers, snowboarders, men and women 18 years and older are welcome to register at www.rahlvesbanzai.com.

Photos by Court Leve, Truckee:

Court Leve is a well-known and respected photographer in Northern California and was recently voted ‘Best Photographer’ in the Lake Tahoe-Truckee region. Court continues to grow his business and now splits his time between Lake Tahoe and San Francisco. Specializing in action sports, wedding, portraiture and pet photography, Leve combines a journalistic and traditional approach to his work that results in highly acclaimed emotional and captivating images.

His work has been published in virtually all of the regional publications in the Lake Tahoe area in addition to national publications which include; National Geographic Adventure, Powder, Ski, Skiing, Freeskier, Parade Magazine, ForbesLife Mountain Time, Spirit Magazine, Southwest Art and The New York Post. His clients include Warren Miller Entertainment, Canine Hardware, Points North Heli-Adventures, Astro Gaming, Cebridge Communications, Squaw Valley, Panoptyx, Plumpjack, Zeal, Kombi, Helly Hansen and more.

Way to go Sierra!

Help raise money for South Lake Tahoe non-profits during the Sierra-at-Tahoe Snowsports Week, February 13 through 16, 2012.

Sierra-at-Tahoe donates 2,000 lift tickets to the Barton Foundation to benefit the Sierra Education Foundation. Discount lift tickets can be purchased for $35 at select locations throughout in South Lake Tahoe.

Sierra-at-Tahoe Snowsports Week

Monday – Thursday
February 13-16, 2012
$35 Lift Tickets

All of the ticket proceeds will benefit:

• Barton Memorial Hospital Foundation
• Lake Tahoe Community College Foundation
• Lake Tahoe Educational Foundation
• Lake Tahoe Wildlife Care
• Sierra-at-Tahoe Education Foundation

Tickets must be purchased in advance and will not be available for purchase at Sierra-at-Tahoe.

Click here for locations to purchase tickets. For credit card purchases please call (530) 543-5614.

Photo: Travis Ramos Bashful Park
Photographer: Hank de Vre