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.

The open letter below is credited to a 60-year-old woman who was writing to a dear friend.

Dear...

What am I doing? Well, let me tell you. I'm reading more and working less. I'm sitting in my living room and admiring the view without fussing about logs or my cat. I'm spending more time with my family and friends and less time watching TV.

I've decided (finally) that life is a sequence of experiences to savor, not just to endure. I'm trying to recognize each one as it comes along...and to cherish it, even the nasty ones like we all are having of late.

Drought conditions plague much of California, but nowhere are they as dramatic, psychologically, than on the North Shore and in Truckee. The level of the lake has been up and down over the years, within a six-foot range. The dam with 17 gates in Tahoe City keeps the lake from rising to over 6,229.1 feet—it' upper limit set by law, but nothing short of pumps can keep water flowing if the lake drops below 6,223 feet.

You "screwed up my life," were his opening words at the podium, because, he said, this is what so many people have told him over the years.

He went on to talk about "our instinctive search for freedom" and the films he made over the years that showed the freedom that mountains and skiing and boarding offered. The three generations of winter sports enthusiasts present at the Toast to Tahoe Skiing celebration to benefit the Palisades Tahoe Institute, roared with approval.

Last year marked a record-setting ski season for U.S. resorts with 60.5 million skier visits, according to the National Ski Areas Association. "While ski vacations are more popular than ever before, the current economy presents new challenges for travelers on tighter budgets than in past years," said Heather Leisman, senior director of merchandizing for Orbitz. “We believe we have the insider advice to help people hit the slopes AND find great savings at the same time.”

2008/2009 ORBITZ INSIDER SKI INDEX

To visit the place, go north from the train station in the center of town, through winding streets. It is a short trip, less than a quarter mile. Walk or drive.



Once at the monument, the view southward is expansive.



The monument has story that starts in the 1800s...and maybe earlier.

This was the scene along the West Shore from Homewood to Tahoe City.

Go north or south on Highway 89 from Tahoe City or Truckee to Alpine Meadows Road. Proceed up the road two miles toward the ski area to the west. There is roadside parking at the trail head. And trail signage is good.

turn to yellow, with an occasional red splash here and there. The air is different--dry and empty, awaiting the flakes of winter.

Autumn is a great time in the Tahoe Region. Below are a few pictures that convey the spirit of the time.

The picture below is of the 8:30 a.m. start with smoke from the starter's shotgun still hanging in the quiet morning air. The race course was from Tahoe City all the way along the West Shore to South Lake Tahoe.



Last year's race featured a surprise, two-inch snowfall the night before, so the racers started with sunny but chilly conditions.