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Articles by Dave Zook
Tim Humphreys: Forever Young
Tim Humphreys: Forever Young Posted at 07:11h in Outdoors, People, Winter 2023-2024 Even the burliest, most steadfast powder aficionado can be forgiven for seeking respite from snow come late spring and early summer, especially after a brutalizing winter. Sometimes we want to mountain bike, or recline at the beach, or play golf. Sometimes the feet just ache and the thought of stooping over to strap on a pair of stiff boots, again, is a bane. But Tim Humphreys is a different animal.
A Roundabout Route to Stardom
Nick Russell has taken the slow path to the rarified state of professional splitboarding Nick Russell is a dude of paradoxes. He’s youthful in appearance and athletically slim, but rocks a grizzled old man’s beard. He could be labeled a stalwart Backcountry Bob, but has core pipe and park credentials. He globe-trots to far-flung mountain ranges, but is most content when at home in the Tahoe backcountry.
Achieve Más - Moonshine Ink
The rate of progress has been widespread and steady when it comes to the local leader in adaptive sports, Achieve Tahoe. Fifty-five years ago, when the nonprofit was founded, “adaptive sports equipment did not exist,” as per the website. But today, the organization gives around 3,000 lessons in a normal year, has programs from sailing to climbing to water skiing, and employs state-of-the-art equipment such as “sip and puff” breath-controlled Tetra sit-skis.
Evolving to a New Hight
Posted at 02:50h in Best of Tahoe 2022, Features, Outdoors, People | Written by Dave Zook 0 Comments After closing the book on a successful 16-year career competing in halfpipe, South Lake Tahoe snowboarder Elena Hight has reinvented herself as a rising film star focused on big-mountain terrain Elena Hight on the steeps of Rogers Pass in Glacier National Park, British Columbia, photo by Fredrik Marmsater When Elena Hight speaks about optimizing her mindset, how activism and professional...
Calm Like a Bomb: Jamie Anderson's Uncanny Ability to Excel in the Clutch
Written by Dave Zook Posted at 02:35h in Outdoors, People, Winter 2021-2022 0 Comments The South Lake Tahoe Olympian’s passive intensity has guided her to unparalleled success as she looks to defend her status as the world’s best female slopestyle rider Jamie Anderson poses for a portrait for the Natural Selection Tour at Jackson Hole in February 2021, photo by Tim Zimmerman / Natural Selection Tour / Red Bull Content Pool Jamie Anderson didn’t win 19 X Games medals and two Olympic golds...
It Takes a Village to Raise a Freerider
Written by Dave Zook Posted at 02:20h in People, Ski & Ride 2021 0 Comments From the local contest circuit to the pinnacle of big-mountain competition, Ross Tester’s rise to elite status can be traced back to the deeply nurturing Tahoe ski community that raised him well Ross Tester skis with what seems like wild abandon. Huge double backflips and enormous cliff drops punctuate fluid and fast lines that have landed him on the podium of the world’s most prestigious freeskiing competitions.
Tahoe Surfing: Cold-Hearted Fun
Written by Dave Zook Posted at 02:40h in Best of Tahoe 2021, Outdoors 0 Comments Even the best surf days on Lake Tahoe are far from ideal—yet the rowdy waves and lively scene make for a rollicking good time Take an exposed body of chilly alpine water, add powerful mountain weather and sprinkle in throngs of foolhardy fanatics, and the result is the silly, sublime and slaphappy Tahoe surf scene.
A Backcountry Season to Remember (or forget)
“We are just trying to get away from the people,” said a woman who was shopping for a pair of backcountry-specific boots for her daughter. “But everyone else is also trying to get away from the people too,” she added with a shrug. I overheard this comment, which most succinctly summed up the big headscratcher of the coming winter, at Truckee gear shop Tahoe Sports Hub.
A Different Shade of Tahoe Blue
The cold days of winter are associated with Seasonal Affective Disorder, also known as SAD, ©istock.com/francescoch 01 Dec A Different Shade of Tahoe Blue Written by Dave Zook Posted at 04:20h in Well-Being, Winter 2020-2021 0 Comments While winter brings joy to the area’s many snow enthusiasts, the impacts of Seasonal Affective Disorder are not to be overlooked Winter is polarizing. It conjures images of Christmas, cocoa and careening through blissful powder snow.
Mental Matters - Tahoe Quarterly
24 Sep Mental Matters Written by Dave Zook Posted at 03:10h in Ski & Ride 2020, Well-Being 0 Comments The benefits of training the mind extend beyond professional sports and into the recreational arena of skiing “To achieve maximum send, you must first find maximum Zen.” This sage advice came from a skier no older than 12, on a chairlift at Squaw Valley. He was being coached by a friend of mine, and I had joined their team on the lift.
A Day to Honor Jake Burton Carpenter
More than a dozen resorts will offer free riding on March 13 to honor the founder of Burton Snowboards. In November 2019, the snowsports industry lost a founding figure—Jake Burton Carpenter, who died at the age of 65 after a battle with cancer. In mid-March, riders will celebrate his life in the most fitting way they know how: by getting outside and making turns with friends.
From Service to Slopes
Before dropping in, former Air Force Master Sgt. Shay Hampton takes a minute at the top of Squaw Valley’s Gold Coast lift to delve into the challenges of his past, present, and future. His reflection touches on the value of forgiveness of self and others, derived from his faith and the teachings of the Bible.
The Case for Renting Ski Gear
Winter sports can feel downright difficult to pull off smoothly. You’ve got tough winter weather and heaps of gear to transport from one place to the next. (Have you ever tried stuffing a giant ski bag into a too-small rental car before? It’s not recommended.) Want a solution that makes that commute a little bit easier? Rent your gear.
Remembering the Father of Snowboarding
Jake Burton Carpenter loved riding so much that he brought the sport worldwide. He didn’t invent snowboarding, but Jake Burton Carpenter, who died at the age of 65 on November 20 in Burlington, Vermont, probably did more to advance the sport than any other human. Last week, as news of his death spread, the snowsports community celebrated Carpenter’s life with tributes spanning the full range of emotions.
These Tricks and Tools Could Make You a Stronger Runner
Do things like ice baths and compression shorts actually boost recovery or performance? We wanted to find out. Many choose to run for its simplicity—all you need are shoes, shorts and a road or trail. But these days, running has become more complicated, with elaborate recovery routines, smart watches, high-tech earbuds and even performance-tracking sensors built into your shoes. But how much does all that extra stuff actually improve your running time or aid in recovery? We decided to look into it.
Ski Town Newspapers are Vital to Healthy Mountain Communities
Classifieds Need a job, somewhere to live? Yes, you do! Check the classifieds section and remember not everything is online. That half-decent, highly sought out, and hard-to-find $500 room near the mountain gets far more eyes on it via Craigslist than if it was scrunched in the back of the classifieds. Same with finding a ski partner or a used snowmobile. Or a snow removal service, via the Park Record in Utah. Opinion Want to know what makes the town tick, or gets people ticked off?
What I Listen To While I Run
Five runners with differing tastes dish on their preferred sounds (or silence) while on the trail. Runners, justifiably, are constantly seeking out ways to up their enjoyment levels during what can be a taxing pursuit. One method is to pop in earbuds for some audio accompaniment, which today could mean an audiobook, podcast or music.
Growing Pains - Moonshine Ink
Ten years ago, a horrible bike crash ended up helping the bike community. A man in the Kingsbury Grade area ate it hard, suffering head and spinal injuries, which required a helicopter life-flight out. He was on a “user-built” (aka illegal) trail, with 20-foot gap jumps, and thus not on any maps — which wasted valuable time for first responders trying to locate him. He ended up being okay, but it was the final straw for the Forest Service.
Families Who Go The Distance On Trails
Ultraruns and thru-hikes with kids? Meet four sets of parents who say yes, bring it on. Research shows the natural world is good for kids. It can lead to improved mental health when they’re older, boost happiness and build confidence and reduce stress and support creativity, according to research.
Late-season snow gives one last chance to ski Tahoe this Memorial Day weekend
Summer looked to be on the horizon, with trails beginning to melt out in April. But then a flurry of mid-May storms arrived, and we’re heading into Memorial Day weekend with boot-deep powder on the slopes. Historically, the Tahoe region has seen active weather patterns through May, with 80 of the last 109 years recorded measuring more than a trace of snow in the area. As of Thursday morning, Tahoe City had received 239 inches of snow since Oct.
Late-season snow gives one last chance to ski Tahoe this Memorial Day weekend
For more stories like this, check out The Chronicle’s weekly Travel newsletter! Sign up here. It’s been a winter for the ages in Tahoe, with barely an end in sight. In February, Squaw recorded their all-time highest snowfall for a single month with 313 inches (read: almost one foot per day on average). The region rolled into a wonderfully average March, and then to a quintessentially warm and sunny spring. Summer looked to be on the horizon, with trails beginning to melt out in April.
Pro skier Hazel Birnbaum shares her favorite Kirkwood stashes
For more stories like this, check out The Chronicle’s weekly Travel newsletter! Sign up here.
Meet the weather wizard of Lake Tahoe
For more stories like this, check out The Chronicle’s weekly Travel newsletter! Sign up here. Before dawn on a mid-January morning, wind from an incoming blizzard swept down a river valley on the eastern slope of the Sierra Nevada and knocked on Bryan Allegretto’s window. Allegretto, 38, had been up since 4 a.m., sitting at his kitchen table in slippers and sweatpants with a cup of coffee, his gaze locked on his laptop, scouring weather models and meteorology websites.
Fights, feces, food shortages: A restaurant’s crazy weekend in the Tahoe snow traffic snarl
As snowstorms battered parts of the Sierra last week, causing dangerous conditions along Interstate 80 and Highway 50, many Tahoe travelers found themselves stranded in the El Dorado County mountain town of Pollock Pines, waiting hours for conditions to improve. To one local business owner in the town of 7,000 residents, Friday felt like “Armageddon.” Tempers flared in bumper-to-bumper traffic as drivers fought in the street and people relieved themselves on public property.
Buddhist ‘life release’ ritual complicates California’s ecology
For more stories like this, check out The Chronicle’s weekly Travel newsletter! Sign up here. Nine live tilapia whose fate would have probably led them to a dinner plate were released into the East Bay’s Lake Chabot in November by a woman who was motivated by her Buddhist faith to save the fish. The act of compassion, known as life release, can be a misdemeanor in California because of the potential environmental impact and can be met with a $1,000 fine and up to six months in jail.
Cold Dog, the Pond Skim
"It's not every day you risk your life on a monoski," said Tahoe local and Cushing Crossing Pond Skim competitor Fritz Renner, riding up KT-22 chair. "But this is a premier event and I love it, can't miss it...I just have to go put in footbeds.
Seduced By a Sensual, Sexy, Scintillating Pond Skim
THE WHO: It's the dead center of another asphalt-roasting summer, and even after California's leviathan winter, the Sierra Nevada snowpack has been relegated to dirty patches of white stuff where the sun don't shine. You want to ski, but scrambling up ankle-biting talus for a few hundred feet of sun-cupped glory no longer lights the fire within. What to do?
Are club teams hurting high school sports?
That Tahoe/Truckee kids have a good amount of sporting options would be an understatement. There are the traditional ball sports that most Americans grow up with. And then there are the sports unique to a mountain town, such as mountain bike leagues and skiing — alpine, big mountain, and Nordic, with multiple competitive disciplines each — which all also vie for time with the endless list of recreational outdoor activities.
Film Showcases Women of Mavericks
Women in the surf world have had a tough battle getting the publicity and sponsorship dollars of male surfers, and to leave behind the bikini-clad image that is ingrained in the culture. A new surf movie by producer Dayla Soul aims to advance this conversation. It Ain’t Pretty follows three years of the lives of a group of women surfers based in the Bay Area. It’s set at Ocean Beach, a break characterized by heavy surf, ruthless currents, and generally chaotic conditions.
Category: Biking
Gravitational Pull The Proliferation of Lift Accessed Mountain Biking In The Wasatch Photos by Jay Dash 4,457,575. This figure represents the number of people who visited Utah during the 2015/2016 ski season to explore the varied terrain of our world-class resorts. Last season broke all previous attendance records and the state realized a 10% […] Archives, Biking, Features, Summer 2016 | By Sean Zimmerman-Wall | 07/14/16 | No Comments Mountain Bikes in the Wilderness?
The Petroleum Predicament
The livin’ may be easy, but petrol prices can be a summer bummer. One of the least attractive components of summer — when gas is historically at its highest — is when the chariot runs out of fuel, and prices at the pump seem exorbitant. It’s a reality that hits Tahoe hard. Although gas prices are lower than average across the country going into this summer, our region is in the top tier for gas prices in the nation, according to GasBuddy, a company that reports on fuel prices using crowdsourcing.
New cloud seeding study from Wyoming
If only clouds could be more efficient in bringing us rain, our water supply woes might be lessened. Scientists have been working on how to modify the natural process of precipitation since 1946, when chemist Bernard Vonnegut (brother of Kurt Vonnegut) declared that injecting clouds with silver iodide could change how they behave. Since then, most Western states have tried cloud seeding at some point, in the hopes of giving watersheds, farms and even ski resorts a boost.
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