In January 2008 there were huge storms that created avalanches in numerous places. On February 7, XC skiers in the rugged Sierra backcountry north of Palisades Tahoe encountered an object partially buried in the snow.

Apparently it had been dislodged by the shifting snow pack. One of the skiers, a forensic anthropologist from the University of California at Colfax, immediately recognized the possible significance of the find.

A team of anthropologists and mechanical engineers was quickly assembled and dispatched to the scene via snow cat, on February 12. Representatives of Governor Schwarzenegger and (then) Senators Clinton, Obama, and McCain were included in a rare showing of political harmony. Molly Cule, PhD, was (and is) the nominal head of the research team.


Initial Findings
At a press conference hurriedly held in Truckee on Tahoe TV, Dr. Cule indicated that the team believed the object is a prototype car that has been buried for approximately 200 years. "At this time, we can only speculate on who created it and how it got to where it is," said Cule. However, theories are multiplying daily in the bars and eateries of North Tahoe and Truckee.


An Early Civilization?
The leading contender is that, like the Incas in the 1200s in the central Andes of South America, a highly developed civilization once existed at Tahoe. The Andes is a major mountain system that runs the length of the Pacific coast of South America. It is similar to the Sierra in that it has many mountains and valleys between 6,000 and 10,000 feet in altitude. The highest peak in the Andes is Aconcagua (22,834') on the Chili-Argentina border--the tallest peak in the western hemisphere.


The Maya people of the Yucatan are another fact that supports the idea of an early Tahoe civilization. The Mayas built stone temples on top of pyramids and had pictorial writing as well as an extremely accurate calendar system in the centuries around year 0001.

Aliens?
The third contender for the source of the uncovered treasure is based on evidence that UFOs used Tahoe as a major station (See LOST LEGEND #5) in the past. They could well have been landing in the region around the time of the buried car, namely two hundred years ago. The car could actually turn out to be a significant piece of hard evidence left behind by the visitors to this planet.

While the theories evolve and expand, the research team is proceeding with extreme caution to preserve any clues that might be associated with the discovery. At the present time, the policy is to not to actually open the car until the snow has retreated farther. Meanwhile, a security unit has been posted and is camped near the site to discourage treasure hunters or errant professors in search of a scoop that would advance their careers. A film is being prepared by the Lake Tahoe Media Center, in cooperation with the research team.

As more information becomes available, it will be posted first on Tahoetopia.com where the world stays tuned to the Tahoe Region.

(c) Copyright 2009 by Steven C. Brandt