Cloverdale is the northern most city in Sonoma County. (Image: Kathryn Reed)
For a town with a population of less than 10,000 people, one would think I could have seen and experienced everything in 10 days. But I didn’t.
Dog sitting Molly earlier this month in Cloverdale was the first time (I think) I’d ever been to this northern Sonoma County enclave. While my friends left me pages of information to read, most if had to do with places to go as opposed to requirements of the job. I was much appreciative of their suggestions.
Molly enjoys cooling off in the Russian River. (Image: Kathryn Reed)
What I loved most is how much open space exists in the area. Their home practically backs up to Porterfield Creek Open Space Preserve. This was perfect for the twice-a-day dog outings. Perfect until snakes put me on edge. Even so, the preserve is a wonderful asset to this neighborhood and overall town. Many of the trails are in the shade, with some running along a creek.
Wayfinding signs make it easy to find places in Cloverdale. (Image: Kathryn Reed)
Soda Springs Ranch Open Space Preserve opened this summer. While all the terrain is not yet accessible, it will eventually connect to Porterfield to make for an even more expansive network of trails.
Molly also took me to the Coverdale River Park which is part of the county regional park system. Sonoma County has one of the best parks systems I’ve encountered. Here she was able to cool off in the Russian River.
Yorty Creek is a section of the larger Lake Sonoma. (Image: Kathryn Reed)
A sign close to my friends’ place points to Yorty Creek. I thought I’d ride my bike up to see if this would be a place to take Molly. It just kept going up, and the turns got tighter. It didn’t feel safe on two wheels if I were to encounter a vehicle, so I turned around.
I decided Molly could go with me in the car, so off we went to see what this Yorty Creek was all about. While I found a little trail along Lake Sonoma to walk on, the abundance of poison oak had me turn around because I wasn’t dressed appropriately (shorts/tank top) to avoid making contact.
This is used more as a swimming hole on this end of Lake Sonoma as well as a place for non-motorized water toys. Molly loved the water and didn’t seem to mind a shorter afternoon walk considering the air temp.
My jumpiness with the thought of snakes also kept me from cycling the trails at Lake Sonoma (next time) that are accessed through the main entrance. I’m guessing this is another place to take Molly on a return trip.
Public art is scattered about Cloverdale. (Image: Kathryn Reed)
An activity I could not take the dog to was Friday Night Live. This weekly summer event brings people together from throughout the region to enjoy live music, food, wine-beer, and to peruse artisan booths. Streets in downtown Cloverdale are blocked off to accommodate the festivities. It was definitely worth going to.
One day Molly and I walked into town—less than 2 miles each way—as our morning outing. My intent was to go to the much touted Plank Coffee for breakfast. But when I got there I realized this wasn’t going to work with Molly. No dogs allowed inside and I wasn’t about to leave her outside on her own because I just didn’t know this dog well enough.
So, I went back another day on my own. Everyone who said it was a must knew what they were talking about. I had The Green House bagel ($13.50)—everything bagel with cream cheese, vegan basil pesto, cucumber, avocado, organic greens and micro sprouts. So good that I’ve recreated a similar combo at home, albeit on whole wheat bread.
Friday Night Live seems to bring out most of the town during the summer. (Image: Kathryn Reed)
While Pick’s was on the list of places my friends mentioned, they also said the food was only so-so. Spot on with that assessment. Still, it was worth checking out.
I ended up at Sawmill Saloon after the pool-weight room in the complex I was staying at was closed. I ended up doing arm curls with a glass of wine while watching the All Star baseball game. Great atmosphere, fun people.
More drinking (and food this time) was had at La Tequila in town. This recommendation came from a friend in the Tahoe area; she said get the margarita flight. So I did. I had strawberry, mango, cucumber and pomegranate. This was fun, but at $25 was a splurge for me. Plus, after living in Mexico I’m really a margarita snob. Some of the regular margaritas at La Tequila are made with real lime juice, so maybe I’ll try one of those next time.
Plank Coffee is an institution in Cloverdale. (Image: Kathryn Reed)
With the food I brought, friends in Santa Rosa coming up with produce from their gardens and eating out, I never went grocery shopping. I did pop into Dahlia & Sage which has just about everything one would need. Nice to know a town of this size can keep a specialty grocer in business.
It’s easy to get around Cloverdale, not only because it’s basically a grid layout, but wayfinding signs on the street corners let you know which direction various businesses are.
What was a nice surprise was all the public art—and very eclectic at that.
La Tequila offers flights of flavorful margaritas. (Image: Kathryn Reed)
A small museum is downtown. I’ll have to check that out next time. And if I’m ever there in February, I’ll be sure to attend the Citrus Fair—an annual event for the last 134 years.
Like any town, Cloverdale is not without its controversies. Emeralda is a large proposed development that has locals divided. Growth is never an easy topic.
I look forward to my next trip to Cloverdale—to see my friends, their dog and parts of Cloverdale worth revisiting and exploring for the first time.
From tip-off to the final buzzer it’s nonstop fun at Valkyries games. (Image: Kathryn Reed)
It’s amazing how exhausting sitting for two hours can be. This wasn’t any ordinary two hours of my life. This was two hours of nonstop fun, entertainment and adrenaline pumping excitement.
This was a Golden State Valkyries game at San Francisco’s Chase Center. Oh, and I wasn’t sitting the whole time because I was on my feet cheering, screaming and throwing my arms in the air.
Women’s basketball is a physical, exciting sport. (Image: Kathryn Reed)
By the end of the night my throat was sore. Honestly. There was that much to cheer about.
It didn’t matter that I don’t understand when a foul necessitates a free throw or that I don’t understand personal vs. team fouls or that I don’t understand every time a foul is committed.
I understand basketball. Shoot, score, run, dribble, pass and a whole lot more.
July 18 was my first time to attend any professional basketball game. Wow! These women were incredible. The athleticism, the teamwork, the prowess.
Thrive City outside Chase Center is an experience in itself. (Image: Kathryn Reed)
Then there were the fans. Oh, my. They know their Valkyries. They know the chants during the play. Defense. GSV. Go Vals.
Purple and black—their colors—were everywhere. It was hard to find a person not representing. And all that sequined garb to go with all those people with purple hair. Fun stuff.
No matter what was going on on the court the whole arena was abuzz. Sure, it helped this was an exciting game, with the score close much of the time. Valkyries prevailed 74-69, which at the time put the team at 19-7.
As an expansion team last year, the Valkyries made it to the playoffs. They are continuing their winning ways this season.
While the San Francisco team is only in year two, this marks the 30th season of the WNBA. Each team plays 44 games between May and October.
Golden State Valkyries celebrate a win on July 18. (Image: Kathryn Reed)
In addition to this being my first professional basketball game, it was also my first time to visit Chase Center. What’s fun is outside the arena is what’s called Thrive City. In this somewhat circular outdoor area are an array of restaurants. Across from the entrance to the center is a shaded amphitheater where people are listening to music. On this particular day the consolation round of World Cup soccer is also on the outdoor Jumbotron. Thrive City is a dynamic venue that hosts an array of events beyond what’s going on inside.
Chase Center opened in 2019 in the 303-acre Mission Bay neighborhood of The City. It was once a large salt marsh and lagoon.
Women’s basketball might be my new sport of choice to watch. I’ll definitely be back. Go, Valkyries!
Learn about Snoopy’s family at the Schulz Museum in Santa Rosa through mid-September. (Image: Kathryn Reed)
Going to the movies and visiting a museum are usually separate activities. Not so at the Schulz Museum in Santa Rosa. This is home to all things Peanuts—as in the Peanuts cartoon strip created and drawn by the late Charles Schulz.
Running now through Sept. 16 is the special exhibit Snoopy’s Family. I vaguely remember his brother Spike. I knew nothing about siblings Belle, Marbles, Andy or Olaf. Of course he had a mom and dad, too.
At this exhibit I also learned about Snoopy’s engagement, and how Woodstock came into his life.
While reading the old cartoon strips involving Snoopy’s family members and viewing the exhibit pieces about them was enlightening, it was the 23-minute movie Snoopy’s Reunion that resonated with me.
Snoopy’s mom and dad each only appeared in one cartoon strip. (Image: Kathryn Reed)
Something about the animated Peanuts tugs at my inner child. These are heartfelt stories. Ones that are full of imagination, are whimsical, thoughtful and full of reality all at the same time.
It first aired in 1991, though I don’t recall ever seeing it.
I think the next time I go to the museum I’ll first look at the movie schedule to make that experience a focal point of the whole visit. Take a look at what’s showing at the museum in May. You’ll see why this could be the reason to visit this museum. The longest movie this month is 45 minutes.
What Have We Learned, Charlie Brown?: The Peanuts gang tours France to learn about both World Wars.
Snoopy Presents: To Mom (and Dad), with Love: Mother’s Day brings mixed feelings for the Peanuts gang. Peppermint Patty feels left out without a mom, but Marcie
Interview with Charles Schulz: Charles Schulz discusses his life and the history of Peanuts in this interview by Charlie Rose.
You’re a Good Sport, Charlie Brown: Charlie Brown competes in a charity motocross race against the Masked Marvel.
Vince Guaraldi: The Maestro of Menlo Park: A documentary about the composer known for many of the Peanuts’ animated specials soundtracks.
This is America, Charlie Brown: The NASA Space Station: Linus dreams that he and his friends are the first crew to live on the NASA Space Station.
Charles Schulz: A Charlie Brown Life: An A&E Biography production.
Condos surround some of the courts at John Newcombe Tennis Ranch in Texas. (Image: Kathryn Reed)
I’m pretty sure I’ll always have something to learn as long as I play tennis.
Considering the pros are always tweaking their games, doing something new, trying this, trying that, why would I ever think there isn’t remove for improvement in my game?
Since spring 2015 I’ve been going to a tennis camp each year with at least one friend. (We skipped last year because we all had too many obligations.)
In April five us, all with Tahoe connections, flew into Austin, Texas, for a few days of tennis at the John Newcombe Tennis Ranch, which is in New Braunfels. The town is in Hill Country between Austin and San Antonio. It was a first for all of us.
Newks, as it is known to those who know, has been around since 1968.
Newcombe, who is still alive, was born May 23, 1944, in Australia. That’s still his home. One of his instructors at the camp said he comes to Texas twice a year.
Newcombe won 25 titles in his career, including Australian Open singles, 1973, 1975; Wimbledon singles, 1967, 1970, 1971; U.S. Open singles, 1967, 1973; Australian Open doubles, 1965, 1967, 1971, 1973, 1976; French Open doubles, 1967, 1969, 1973; Wimbledon doubles, 1965, 1966, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1974; U.S. Open doubles, 1967, 1971, 1973; U.S. Open mixed, 1964.
Today, the ranch is many things. It’s open to adult tennis instruction (groups or singles) like what we got, as well as people putting together their own program, along with a robust teen camp where the youths live onsite with the goal of getting into a Division 1 college.
I loved all the tennis. We had 5½ instructions each of the first two days, and almost 3 on the last morning.
At past camps we’ve arranged/been to, we primarily had only had one instructor. I so enjoyed being around several pros at Newks. The ratio of students to instructors at times was 3:1—that was wonderful. Plus, we had other people playing with us at times, which changed up the dynamics in a good way.
Memorabilia from John Newcombe’s playing days is on some of the walls. (Image: Kathryn Reed)
Newks has its program dialed in. I would go back, as well as recommend it.
For the five of us, we were able to stay in one condo. Rustic is the best description. Don’t think resort. It worked for our needs. We were there for the tennis—and that’s what Newks excels at.
I was a bit disappointed the pool wasn’t heated and was full of debris, making it only good for dangling one’s legs. The hot tub we were told by another camper was probably to be avoided. Not sure the reason, but we took her advice.
All of our meals (three a day), lodging and the tennis were included for about $800/person.
It’s possible to design your own camp, with one couple there for multiple weeks.
The food was serviceable once they figured out a vegetarian needed some protein beyond the meat being provided. All meals were served buffet style, so people could eat as much as they wanted.
The bar—which was a separate bill—seemed to do a pretty good business.
Staying onsite meant not having to drive anywhere. In fact, our condo overlooked the courts where we played most days.
The first session was indoors—more like an open-sided barn—because it had been raining. The ranch has 31 hard courts, with four of them indoors. Another four outdoor courts are clay. We entertained people one night under the lights on the clay. Tennis shouldn’t always be serious; we made sure of that.
People in Austin, Texas, watch the nightly bat emergence from the water and land. (Image: Kathryn Reed)
The bats of Texas put new meaning into the concept of dining and dashing.
It’s a like switch has been flipped as these nocturnal creatures emerge at dusk in search of dinner.
“On their nightly flights, the bats eat anywhere from 10,000 to 30,000 pounds of insects, including mosquitoes and harmful agricultural pests,” Visit Austin’s website says. “While it is not known exactly where the bats go every night, the majority of the colony flies east and hunts for insects along the Colorado River. The entire colony doesn’t travel together to the same place, nor do they stay out for the same amount of time each night. The bats flight pattern generally depends on the weather and whether or not they’re nursing a baby bat, called a pup.”
It’s estimated more bats than people live in Austin, Texas. (Image: Kathryn Reed)
The same website says most bats in this colony are female. Early June is when the pups are born, with one birth per mom in a year. By five months the little is able to fly and find its own food.
More than 1 million Mexican free-tailed bats call the Congress Avenue Bridge in Austin, Texas, home. They migrate each spring from central Mexico to spots throughout the southwest of the United States.
“Insect-eating bats save farmers approximately $23 billion in annual agricultural losses in the United States alone,” according to Merlin Tuttle’s Bat Conservation.
Bats are also quite the pollinators.
“Mexico’s entire tequila industry relies on a single species of bat-pollinated agave plant,” the conservation center reports. “Approximately 70 percent of all tropical fruits eaten by humans rely on bats as primary pollinators or seed dispersers in the wild, ranging from bananas and mangoes to peaches, cashews and dates.”
Engineers never intended to create this ideal bat home. But that is exactly what happened when the bridge was renovated in 1980. The deep, narrow crevices between the beams are perfect for bats to hangout in when they aren’t flying .
When these mammals first started to show up people wanted to exterminate them. Now they are a tourist attraction, with kayak tours and motorized boats providing interesting viewing options. Even from the shore it is quite a spectacle as the bats emerge, flying in large clusters.
A downsized version of President Lyndon Johnson’s Oval Office at his library in Texas. (Image: Kathryn Reed)
Walking through the LBJ Presidential Library is a history lesson and then some.
Maybe every presidential library is like this. I don’t know. This is the first one I’ve visited.
The 10-story building is on 30 acres at the University of Texas, Austin.
Only staff are allowed on the five floors of archives that contain 45 million pages of documents, 650,000 photos and 5,000 hours of recordings from Johnson’s political career, including about 643 hours of his recorded telephone conversations.
On floors open to the public it’s possible to pick up a phone—landline style like the times—and listen in on conversations the president had with people like then FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover.
The LBJ Library is on the University of Texas campus in Austin. (Image: Kathryn Reed)
While I knew of Johnson’s legacy and was alive when he left office, I wasn’t born when he became president. I have zero memory of him or the events he was involved with. My friends I toured the site with on April 26, though, did have memories—like the Vietnam War, the clothing styles and more.
What I didn’t know is Johnson suffered a near fatal heart attack in 1955 or that there is something called the “Johnson treatment” where he would move in on people, getting in their personal space.
Several quotes of Johnson’s are on the walls. Such as:
“There are no problems which we cannot solve together, and there are very few which any of us can settle by himself.”
“Until justice is blind to color, until education is unaware of race, until opportunity in unconcerned with the color of men’s skins, emancipation will be a proclamation but not a fact.”
“To deny a man his hopes because of his color or race, his religion or the place of his birth is not only to do injustice, it is to deny America and to dishonor the dead who gave their lives for American freedom.”
A limousine that very much looks like the one President John F. Kennedy was riding in when he was fatally shot sits in the entry of the library. That murder is what led Johnson to become president.
“Weighing 5,100 pounds, this four-door Lincoln limousine has a V-8 engine and is equipped with a radio, television, and telephone per Secret Service requirements. The vehicle is not armored, bulletproof, or bomb-proof,” the library’s website says. “In 1968, President Johnson ordered this custom-built limousine to use in his post-presidency. He used it mainly while he was in Austin, Texas.”
Exhibits throughout the LBJ Library talk of his accomplishments. (Image: Kathryn Reed)
A smaller version of what the Oval Office looked like during Johnson’s tenure from Dec. 22, 1963, to Jan. 20, 1968, clearly shows how times have changed. He had three small box-like TVs that he could see to his left from the desk. This was to keep abreast of the news. Those were the days when ABC, NBC and CBS were the primary television news stations.
A portrait of FDR hangs in this oval Oval; the man who gave Johnson “his great desire for public office.”
This library isn’t just about Johnson’s presidency. It’s about his whole life. An 11-minute movie provides an overview of the 36th president.
“Little about Lyndon Baines Johnson’s early life suggested he would one day be president of the United States. Born in 1908, LBJ grew up in the Texas Hill Country, one of the nation’s most remote and impoverished areas. Yet adversity fueled a fierce drive to accomplish great things,” a library exhibit reads. “At first, Johnson headed toward a career in teaching, but his ambitions shifted to politics. In 1937, he won a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. Hard work and uncanny political skills propelled him to the Senate, where he became one of the most powerful majority leaders in American history, and then, in 1961, to the vice presidency.”
Johnson created the Department of Housing and Urban Development. His signature is on the Freedom of Information Act, Highway Beautification Act, Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. The latter has been undermined through the years, with the latest blow coming this week by the U.S. Supreme Court.
This is a limo that LBJ used after he was out of the White House. (Image: Kathryn Reed)
It was first lady Lady Bird Johnson who gets the credit for spearheading cleaning up the highways.
“But her concern for the environment ran far deeper. She believed beautification included clean water, clean air, clean roadsides, safe waste disposal, historic preservation, and the protection of parks and wilderness areas,” a museum exhibit reads.
A replica of her office is in the library as well; as is much information about her, and the two as a couple and a family.
A special exhibit that opened April 11 and runs through Jan. 2, 2027, is titled What we bring to the table: Tales of history and home. It was timed to run as the United States celebrates its 250th anniversary in July.
It’s an exhibit about the people of the United States told through the stories of immigrants—because that is what we are—a country of immigrants. We are also a country of haters, which is clearly illustrated in the exhibit. That’s what is alarming—that the haters are still so prominent.
This exhibit is powerful; the whole library is powerful.
Tequila Volcano and the agave fields in the town of Tequila, Mexico. (Image: Kathryn Reed)
While it’s possible to find a beverage other than tequila in the town of Tequila, most people seem to be drinking the nectar of the blue agave. The plant and drink are everywhere.
The name of this Mexican town in the state of Jalisco existed before the liquor officially got its name. The drink was first known as mezcal wine.
The tequila selection at El Beso Cantina in Tequila. (Image: Kathryn Reed)
“The name that the pre-Hispanic people used for the fermented agave was mexcalli, which means, ‘agave cooked in a stone oven’,” according to a sign in town.
This mezcal wine being produced in the Tequila region was highly sought offer because it was deemed the best. It was soon known as “vino mezcal de Tequila.” Eventually, it simply became tequila.
A statue in Tequila honoring the jimadores who harvest the pina of the agave to make tequila. (Image: Kathryn Reed)
While there are more than 200 types of agave, tequila can only be made from Blue Weber Agave. (However, mezcalcan be made from about 60 of them.) For it to be called tequila it has to be made with 51 percent blue agave sugars. Bottles that say “Tequila 100% Agave” have nothing added; and are deemed the better, more authentic beverage.
To be called Tequila it must be made in only certain locations—much like Champagne may only be called Champagne if it comes from Champagne, France. Otherwise it is sparkling wine. Tequila made from unauthorized areas is called agave spirit.
In Mexico, tequila may be produced anywhere in the state of Jalisco and in 55 municipalities in the states of Guanajuato, Michoacán, Nayarit, and Tamaulipas. Ninety-nine percent of tequilas are made in Jalisco.
A food court in Tequila serves authentic Mexican dishes. (Image: Kathryn Reed)
“Tequila’s reputation grew steadily from colonial days to the present. It began as only a regional drink in the early years, but the demand grew considerably in other areas, both nationally and internationally as its quality became widely known. Since the mid-1800s it has become an international favorite and is now part of any well stocked bar,” according one sign in town.
Another sign points to the medicinal virtues of tequila.
“Since that time long ago in 1637 when the supreme justice of the court in Guadalajara, Don Juan de Canseco y Quiñones, defended mezcal because of the many healthy benefits for those who drink it, many testimonies have been presented to confirm the same. … This drink is taken for the stomach, to give strength and above all it is very healthy and it is given to the sick.”
This tiny police car might be easy to maneuver, but it won’t fit many bad guys, if any. (Image: Kathryn Reed)
It went on to say tequila rarely intoxicates the imbiber assuming one does not consume more than what is normal. No definition of “normal” was given.
The town itself was established as Santiago de Tequila by Franciscan Father Juan Calero on April 15, 1530, as a settlement for the Caxcane lndians who lived in the area.
“In 1541 this group of Indians joined other Chichimeca tribes in Jalisco in a revolt against the Spanish that is known as the Mixton War. Calero was killed trying to mediate a settlement,” according to information in the town. “The first viceroy of New Spain put down the rebellion, but not until after the city of Guadalajara was forced to relocate to a more defensible location.”
Looking toward the church in Tequila. (Image: Kathryn Reed)
The town gets its name from the 9,580-foot Tequila Volcano. While dormant for more than 200,000 years, the debris it left behind is credited with making the soil so rich and ideal for growing the signature blue agave, as well as for continuing to provide the water from its higher reaches that flow into town that are then used in the process to make tequila. The Atizcua River, also known as La Tuba, flows nearby.
The word tequila came from tequillan or tecuila, according to information in town, which means “place where they cut.” This is said to refer to the obsidian that was mined here.
The streets of Tequila are full of shops, restaurants and vendors. (Image: Kathryn Reed)
Today, the city of Tequila, which was named a World Heritage Site in 2006, has a population of more than 35,000. The elevation is about 3,900 feet.
Tours of tequila distilleries abound. Tastings are available multiple places. Restaurants are flush with choices.
While there is certainly a touristy aspect of Tequila, it is rich in history and tradition. Some of the streets are cobblestone. Plenty of traditional Mexican food can be found in various price ranges.
With the volcano and agave fields surrounding the area, it has a bit of everything—agriculture, industry, tourism—but most of all—authenticity.
Because the August 2021 Caldor Fire burned so hot through Sierra-at-Tahoe, humans are being called upon to make the forest a healthy, living organism again.
“Any area with high severity tree loss like Sierra-at-Tahoe and Grizzly Flats is our priority for reforestation,” Jesse Cone, silviculturist with the Placerville Ranger District of the Eldorado National Forest, said.
More than 34,000 charred trees were removed from the ski resort. Salvageable wood was sent to the mill in Carson City.
People plant trees in June in the barren ground at Sierra-at-Tahoe ski resort. (Photo: Sierra-at-Tahoe)
“The wind affects us very differently now without those trees,” Sarah Sherman, director of sales and marketing at Sierra, said. Of the resort’s 2,000 acres, 80 percent were affected by the wildfire.
So hot was the inferno—temperatures hit 3,000 degrees—the West Bowl area of the resort was roasted, leaving behind a moonscape that looked even worse than the remnants of a clear-cut forest.
This is where some of the resort’s best tree skiing was. Now, it’s wide open. The wind howls, creating snow drifts and cornices. Trees no longer hold in the snow. Without points of reference—like towering conifers—whiteout conditions are even more dangerous.
Sierra, which has a special use permit from the U.S. Forest Service to operate on the Eldorado National Forest, is working with them and El Dorado Resource Conservation District to design the resort for future generations.
“This is a cool opportunity where we get to plant trees with skiing and snowboarding in mind,” Sherman said.
Surveys by the Forest Service proved little to no natural regeneration was occurring in the West Bowl area.
A year from now, more than 55,000 trees are expected to have been planted by experts and volunteers. Of those, about 15,000 went in this year across 70 acres, with 1,000 planted in 2024.
“We are trying to plant a mix that is representative of that site and will be resilient going into the future,” Cone said of the red fir, Jeffrey pine, white fir, Western white pine and sugar pine.
Hemlock was a predominant species on the mountain, but because it is not a timber species the Forest Service doesn’t normally have its seeds at nurseries.
“We had to collect them ourselves. We just completed that last year,” Cone said of the hemlock. “It will probably be 2027 at the soonest that we get those into the ground.”
Plants are primarily coming from the USFS nursery in Camino, with some from the Sugar Pine Foundation.
The survival rate of these young trees, which are 12 to 18 inches tall, is being monitored.
Trees line the slopes of Sierra pre-Caldor Fire, top, while the slopes are barren today. (Photos: Kathryn Reed)
“People will see trees and the mountain coming back, but nobody who plants a tree ever expects to see that tree grow in our lifetime. This is a commitment we make to future generations,” Mark Egbert, district manager of the El Dorado and Georgetown Divide Resource Conservation Districts, said.
In other words, many people who ride at the resort will likely never encounter tree and glade skiing like it was pre-Caldor. After all, some of that was old-growth forest, with trees more than 100-years-old.
“West Bowl is an actively skied area so we wanted to create conditions that are good to ski in,” Cone said. “So we are planting a lower density of trees than we typically would.”
It could be three years before the trees are big enough to poke through the snowpack. At that time the resort and others will figure out if areas are cordoned off to protect the trees.
It may be a decade before any sense of tree skiing is possible.
Ultimately, the tree skiing could be even better than it was. A glade experience is the goal with how the trees are spaced out.
“We want to replant a more sustainable design, which probably means fewer trees than there were before,” Egbert said. “And we don’t want to have high stock around the edges so if fire comes in that area, it is not hitting a huge amount of fuel.”
He said a substantial amount of natural reforestation is occurring by Castle and Jack’s Bowl runs as well as on the Back Side.
“We want to protect the natural regeneration,” Egbert said. “Those are the babies of the trees no longer there.”
The project is also focusing on the soil, ecology of the mountain, and hydrological functions.
The fire has also allowed Sierra to reimagine other aspects of the resort, including looking at the mountain’s service roads and possibly adding trails, Sherman said.
She sees Sierra’s story much like that of the forest’s—one of resilience.
In all, the Caldor Fire consumed 221,835 acres in El Dorado, Alpine and Amador counties. It was started Aug. 14, 2021, by humans, according to authorities, but no one has been prosecuted. The fire ripped through Sierra on Aug. 29. Firefighters fully contained the fire Oct. 21.
Plants are primarily coming from the USFS nursery in Camino, with some from the Sugar Pine Foundation.
This court is so corrupt until that changes we are in trouble.
This court has become so corrupt. The battle isn’t over yet, with a new injunction issued on Thursday.
This book has been in my wish list for a while but the length makes me skip pursuing it. I'll…
It’s my favorite brewery Denise. Love the porter.