The continuous snowfall of March and April this year left organizers with the challenge of picking a date for the crossing based on when the snow might melt. The crossing had originally been scheduled for late April, based on previous season's dates. However, at the end of April, the entire lower mountain area was still snowbound (much to skiers' delight) and the event was pushed back for the first of what would become several times.

Today, even as thunderstorms loom, Palisades Tahoe staffers are prepping for the long anticipated event.

Mother's Day was first suggested in 1872 by Julia Ward Howe (who wrote the words to the Battle hymn of the Republic) as a day dedicated to peace. Ms. Howe held organized Mother's Day meetings in Boston, Mass ever year.

In 1907 Ana Jarvis, from Philadelphia, began a campaign to establish a national Mother's Day. Ms. Jarvis persuaded her mother's church in Grafton, West Virginia to celebrate Mother's Day on the second anniversary of her mother's death, the 2nd Sunday of May. By the next year Mother's Day was also celebrated in Philadelphia.

After weeks of waiting following the Olympics, while Mancuso continued her racing circuit in Europe and beyond, Palisades Tahoe threw a huge celebration Saturday at the Olympic Plaza in Palisades Tahoe to honor the skier who calls Palisades Tahoe home.

As hundreds looked on, Palisades Tahoe Ski Corp. President Nancy Wendt presented Mancuso with a 'lifetime season pass', and then announced the official naming of a Palisades Tahoe ski run as "Julia's Gold".

Blue Sky Syndrome
"We call it blue sky syndrome," said Bill Seline, a mountain guide and avalanche safety instructor with the California-based Alpine Skills International company. "It's the human factor at work. The sun comes out the day after a storm, and everything is beautiful and conditions seem perfect. What could happen on such a great day?"

Avalanches could happen.

Uneasy Settlement
Many of the members agreed the Forum has made great strides and that the Interim Report submittal is a valuable contribution. Forum member and Tahoe Architect, Elise Fett, said: "We have come a long way and the members have worked together to achieve so much."

This year's theme is TruckeeVision, but as usual the Follies will make fun of all things Truckee. "It's like a high end, X-rated Montey Python," says regular participant and Truckee architect Matt Rusanoff.

"It's a great way for local artists to show their talent and for us to laugh at ourselves while acknowledging what's going on politically."

The festival wrapped up in its usual style as hundreds of revelers gathered on the snow-covered River Ranch patio to view a vast selection of snow sculptures created that day. The contest pits local teams against each other trying to win the most points, as awarded by an illustrious panel of judges, for their sculpture entry.

• Do not ski alone. Buddy up with another skier or snowboarder and stay within sight of your partner. This means stopping and watching your partner descend, then proceeding downhill while he or she watches you.
• Ski or board carefully in trees or on un-groomed areas. Stay on terrain that fits your skill level.
• Observe posted closures and warning signs. Out-of-bound areas are out of bounds for solid reasons.

#16 March Miracle
"I remember a pre-Snowfest volunteer party at Granlibakken. We had had three or four years of drought and that particular winter wasn't much better. It started snowing before dinner and ended up not stopping for a month. That night was the start of what is now called 'The March Miracle.' That night we partied, carried on, and acted as if it was Snow Festival that had brought on the snow. We didn't care how much it dumped, that's what mountain life was all about." Joy Doyle, former Snowfest event coordinator.

Chad Blanchard at the Watermaster's office in Reno says that the "California/Nevada River Forecast Center predicts 60,000 acre-feet will be added to the lake by the end of the week--most in the next few days." The accuracy of the forecasting models is not perfect, of course. An acre-foot is enough water to flood an acre of land to a depth of one foot. It's 325,851 gallons, or enough water to supply three to four families for a year.