Silver ore was discovered in 1859 under what is now the city. $400,000,000 in silver and gold was taken from the Comstock mines over the following 20 years. Much of the growth of Nevada and San Francisco was triggered by the wealth generated by the discovery. And the wood timbers that braced the deep, deep mine shafts came mostly from the Lake Tahoe Basin via Glenbrook and Carson City.

For Tahoe TV's complete video coverage of the Lake Cushing Crossing, click on the video player at Tahoetopia.com.

On Saturday, May 19th, as it has for the last 19 years, the Lake Cushing Crossing ushered in the last days of the winter season at Palisades Tahoe USA.

It took 15 workers 4 days (in storm conditions) to construct the latest addition to the fun in the High Sierra. The bar was opened officially in the last few days just in time to celebrate eight feet of fresh, delicious, new snow.



Chain saws, chisels, Japanese carving saws, and nail board grinders were used to create the site, which serves up drinks and barbecue items, as well as DJ music on weekends. Skiers and snowboarders now have a new spot to enjoy.

"The atmosphere at Palisades Tahoe has always equaled a penchant for risk. It is matter of fact," explained the late Norm Simmons, who became known in the sixties for his epic leaps off KT's Eagle's Nest.

Here is the balance of the seven events that helped propagate the Palisades Tahoe legend.

After three weeks of sunny days and above average temperatures, what will probably go down as one of the driest Januaries closed out with with a muted bang.

Beginning on January 22, moisture from the subtropics brought mostly rain to lake-level communities. Fortunately the higher elevations at the ski resorts picked up much-needed snow. Skiers and snowboarders always prefer snow, but from a hydrologic perspective, the rain was just as good for the parched watersheds.

The season’s events will culminate with the 10-day Olympic Heritage Celebration, scheduled for January 8-17, 2010, prior to the 2010 Olympic Games being held in February in Vancouver, British Columbia. Planned events will include races, celebrations, parades, interpretive tours, reenactments, and more.

“North Lake Tahoe’s Olympic heritage runs deep and the flame is burning bright,” explained Eric Brandt, one of the committee members. “This season-long celebration will reflect the spirit and legacy of the 1960 Games in our communities.”

Several skiers were already on top, loosely cluttered, some already clicked into their bindings, alert but casual as they viewed the surroundings and shared a reverential quiet.

The sun began to break out of the dreamy foliage of dawn, its canopy exploding into an enormous sunlit corona of mist, which trailed across the azure water like a cape.

Now, almost on cue, skiers snapped to attention. Several peeled off the crest and arced with a low-pitched, ripping noise, as if the air itself had split open. Down they went into Tallac's huge bowl.

Just off Tahoe City, it appears like a whale is breaching just as the lake channels toward the dam. This view is looking east toward the Carson Range, which runs north and south along the Nevada shore.



Shallow water--down six feet from the summer high--as the Truckee River begins to form, just before the dam gates.

Sunrise, looking eastward at the Carson Range.



When Lake Tahoe was formed, one uplifted block created the Carson Range that runs along the east side of the lake today. This range starts at Luther Pass on highway 89 about 12 miles south of South Lake Tahoe and runs to the Truckee River, just east of Reno. The block is about 50 miles long; the Carson is actually a splinter off of the Sierra Nevada Range, which is 400 miles long.

Following the deaths that warm, rainy, August afternoon long ago, the Qua people at Carnelian Bay went into deep mourning. The happiness they had long known drained from them, and life became somber in all respects.

In September the Quas packed up their tents, children, and possessions and quietly returned over the Sierra Crest to their winter home in the foothills near Auburn. They were without a chief and without hope.