Originally published in Moonshine Ink, 2/12/26, Written by Jon Grant

Snowfest is back for its 44th rendition — and it’s better than you’d ever think it could be.

The 44th annual North Lake Tahoe Snowfest returns Feb. 26 to March 8 for all its activities, events, tomfoolery, and fun. 

What started out in the early ’80s as a winter festival to entice tourists to continue taking ski trips into March (visits dropped way off after February) and to throw a party has evolved into 10-plus days of the community getting together for good times. 

It all commences in grand fashion Thursday, Feb. 26, with Gar Woods’ annual kick-off party, where local legends The Blues Monsters (with Kendall Naughton) will get the dance floor going, the Wet Woodies will be flowing, and the Snowfest scholarship candidates — two local high school seniors recognized for their contributions to area nonprofits — will be introduced.

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Photo Moonshine Ink

Local Nevada partners come together to sponsor the Nevada Nordic Freeheel Festival to promote winter recreation and welcome SnowFest to North Tahoe, Nevada

Travel North Tahoe Nevada (TNTNV) is proud to participate in the 2nd annual Nevada Nordic Freeheel Festival, taking place Saturday, March 7, 2026 from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. by the Tahoe Meadows during the 2026 Tahoe SNOWFEST.

Hosted by Nevada Nordic in partnership with Tahoe Multisport, the Nevada Division of Outdoor Recreation, Salomon, Atomic, UC Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center, Alibi Ale Works, and
other local partners, the Nevada Nordic Freeheel Festival invites residents and visitors to “free your heels” and experience the joy of cross-country skiing and snowshoeing in a welcoming, community-rich setting.

Set against the scenic backdrop of Tahoe Meadows, the Nevada Nordic Freeheel Festival offers
participants of all ages and experience levels an opportunity to try new winter sports with free
cross-country ski demos and rentals, free snowshoe rentals, expert instruction and guidance, beer tasting for adults, live music, and other fun and interactive events.

“As the local destination organization committed to responsible recreation and community vitality, our
sponsorship reflects the ongoing investment in accessible outdoor experiences that connect people to
place,” said Andy Chapman, President and CEO of Travel North Tahoe Nevada.

“The Nevada Nordic Freeheel Festival helps people discover their love for winter recreation, and we’re proud to support initiatives that strengthen community connections.”

“Nevada Nordic is thrilled to be a part of SnowFest again this year. We love sharing our passion for
cross-country skiing and watching our community grow. We are proud to keep winter recreation
accessible by offering free access to our 20km trail network. This is the perfect opportunity for our
community to gather together and free our heels!” Meghan Pry, Nevada Nordic Board Member
For more information about the Nevada Nordic Freeheel Festival, visit Tahoe SNOWFEST’s website or
follow event partners on social media.

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About Travel North Tahoe Nevada: Travel North Tahoe Nevada (TNTNV) is the public organization
responsible for destination management for the North Shore, Nevada side of Lake Tahoe. Its mission is to
encourage destination experiences that support a vibrant economy, enhance community character, and
foster environmental stewardship by reinvesting visitor-generated revenue back into the local community.

For more information, click here. About Nevada Nordic: Nevada Nordic is a non-profit organization dedicated to bringing cross-country ski trails to the Nevada side of North Lake Tahoe. Located off Mt. Rose Highway near Chickadee Ridge, Nevada Nordic maintains a 20km trail network available for free access to the community. The trail system is entirely funded by community donations and provides high-quality grooming for cross-country ski and snowshoe trails from November-April. For more information, check out Nevada Nordic’s website.

Underwater salvage operations to recover the barges that sank offshore of Ski Beach on July 4, 2025, are scheduled to begin in March. To safely support this work, Ski Beach in Incline Village, Nevada, is scheduled to be closed to all public access from Friday, March 13th through Tuesday, March 31, 2026. The operation is now able to move forward following the resolution of contractual delays that had previously stalled the project. The salvage work is expected to take approximately 15 operational days, though scheduling may be adjusted based on weather and lake conditions.

The temporary closure is necessary to support the safe recovery of a sunken barge owned by Tahoe Marine and Excavation along with remaining fireworks materials and associated debris located on the Lake Tahoe lakebed offshore of Ski Beach.

Incline Fireworks appreciates the coordination and collaboration of regional agencies and stakeholders including, Parker Diving Service, Lantis Fireworks, Inc., North Lake Tahoe Fire Protection District (NLTFPD), Incline Village General Improvement District (IVGID), Washoe County, and Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA). Incline Fireworks also acknowledges the barge owner’s carrier, Aspen Insurance, for accepting responsibility for the salvage operation.

Salvage Operation Leadership and Fireworks Removal

The recovery will be led by Parker Diving Service, a commercial marine dive and salvage company based in Sausalito, California, and supported by specialized marine subcontractors.

Incline Fireworks info@Inclinefireworks.com

Lantis Fireworks, Inc., utilizing ATF-certified fireworks professionals, will oversee the removal, handling, and secure transport of the remaining fireworks. The 54 fireworks shells that remain in the debris field total approximately 4% of the original inventory of 1,270 shells prepped for the July 4, 2025, fireworks display. Recovered materials will be transported to Lantis Fireworks’ licensed facility in Utah.

Complex Underwater Recovery Conditions

The debris field rests at an approximate depth of 140 feet in Lake Tahoe. Due to Lake Tahoe’s elevation, this equates to an effective dive depth of approximately 190 feet at sea level, creating highly technical diving conditions.

These conditions require:

• Limited diver working times
• Controlled ascent and decompression procedures
• Strict operational safety protocols A hyperbaric chamber will be onsite throughout operations to support post-dive recovery. Phased Salvage Operations: The recovery project is being conducted in multiple phases. PHASE I – Completed (October 2025),

• A remotely operated vehicle (ROV) survey and debris-field assessment identified

materials requiring removal

PHASE II – Scheduled During Beach Closure

• Removal and transport of fireworks materials and related debris
• Recovery of steel plates that separated from the barge and settled on the lakebed PHASE III – Scheduled During Beach Closure

• Removal and inspection of the balance of the barge structure, consisting of three separate pontoons
• Final inspection and cleanup of the debris field to confirm full material removal

While IVGID has tested the water previously and found no impact on the community’s water quality, additional testing at both the recovery site area and the Burnt Cedar drinking water source area will be conducted in coordination with the scheduled salvage process. Testing will be conducted prior to operations, periodically during the recovery work, and following the completion of the project.

Public Safety and Beach Closure Requirements

The salvage operation will involve commercial dive vessels, heavy marine lifting equipment, and the controlled handling of potentially explosive materials.

For the safety of the public and recovery personnel, Ski Beach will be fully closed during the entire salvage operation.

• Absolutely no members of the public may access the beach or the surrounding work area while salvage operations are underway.
• Boaters, swimmers, paddlecraft users, and shoreline visitors must remain clear of all marked exclusion zones. Unauthorized access is not only a safety risk but may lead to further legal delays in an already extended timeline. The public is respectfully asked not to approach or contact contractors or dive teams working onsite, allowing crews to remain focused on safe execution of this complex recovery effort.

Frequently Asked Questions: Ski Beach Salvage & Recovery
1. Why is this recovery taking place eight months after the sinking?

While the incident occurred on July 4, 2025, and the PHASE I ROV surveys were completed in October 2025, active recovery efforts were significantly delayed due to a lengthy period required for the barge owner, Tahoe Marine and Excavation, to finalize and sign the necessary salvage agreements.

2. Why was there a lack of information provided to the public?

The lack of frequent public updates since the incident was a direct result of legal constraints and threatened litigation by the barge owner, which necessitated a cautious approach to public communications to protect the recovery process and public interests.

3. What exactly is being removed from Lake Tahoe?

The recovery effort is comprehensive and includes:

• Fireworks: 54 remaining fireworks shells from the original 1,270-shell inventory.
• Structural Debris: Large steel plates that settled on the lakebed after separating from the vessel.
• The Vessel: Three individual pontoons from the six pontoons which comprised the entire barge structure.
• General Debris: Any associated materials identified during the final lakebed cleanup.

4. Who is performing the work?

The operation is being handled by a team of specialized professionals:

• Parker Diving Services is leading the marine salvage.
• Lantis Fireworks, Inc. is providing ATF-certified professionals to handle the explosives.
• Specialized marine subcontractors are providing heavy equipment and support.

5. Why does the beach need to be closed if the work is underwater?

The closure is a mandatory safety measure due to the high-risk nature of the surface operations. This includes the presence of heavy marine lifting equipment, commercial dive vessels, and the secure handling and transport of explosive fireworks shells. Public access to the beach or surrounding water could delay operations or create significant safety hazards.

6. What makes this dive so “technical”?

The debris field is located at a depth of approximately 140 feet. However, because Lake Tahoe is at a high elevation, the lower atmospheric pressure makes the physiological “effective depth” approximately 190 feet at sea level. This requires specialized decompression protocols and the presence of an onsite hyperbaric chamber for diver safety.

Most friends who have visited Twain Haven (my home) over the past nine years have met Huckleberry, my pet Steller Jay who stops by every afternoon at Happy Hour for a Beer Nut. We have a special relationship, a bond we only wish we could pass along to our more antagonistic two-legged friends…

I was just reading about birds of different feathers actually preening, and some birds will sit on eggs not their own to keep them warm. Hey, if birds of a different feather can flock together why can’t we? The way I see it, Mother Nature is working on the birds now, and we’re next. 

The Hope Academy in Carson City is employing the performance art of Chautauqua to enhance the teaching of conflict resolution. It’s heartening to see a twelve-year-old stand up and extol the virtues of non-violence in the guise of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.. And the list goes on with the teaching of living history through enrichment programs in the classroom. It will warm the coldest of hearts to witness a twelve-year-old depicting Sarah Winnemucca’s broadmindedness for differences in people…

Next, we are going to take Chautauqua out into the public square, where families can gather to experience living history and learn from our colorful past.

Currently I’m reading a book of American history that is deadly dull and almost painful to read. But I entertain myself by imagining Chautauquans acting out our history in period costume…

Kim Harris has been successful in presenting youth Chautauqua out at Dangberg Ranch in Carson Valley. Want to smile a smile that will stay with you for days to come? Just stop by for one of her Youth Chautauquas this summer. I will bet my Golden Gloves that these kids will soon take the next step, embody the virtues of the characters they portray, and carry those virtues with them into the future to make our world an even better place.

Can’t you picture a young Chautauquan portraying Marie Curie, and then going on to bring us advancements in saving lives? It can happen, as art so often becomes a catalyst for creativity.

I would go on, but Huckleberry is here and is banging on the window with his beak. He waves that beak to the beat of “Don’t Get Around Much Anymore” as I whistle to him while placing a Beer Nut on the railing outside. Our nine-year friendship is built upon trust. I dropped a Beer Nut once and it landed on my slipper. Huckleberry smiled with his eyes, then dived down to fetch it. He trusted me to stand still while he retrieved that Beer Nut. I thought I heard him chuckle, though it could have been my imagination. Truth is, in spite of our vast differences, we humans can learn to flock together in kindness and courtesy, and while we’re at it, we might want to start drawing down our weapons of mass destruction. But excuse me, Huckleberry has arrived…

Audio: https://open.spotify.com/show/7Fhv4PrH1UuwlhbnTT23zO

Originally published in the Tahoe Daily Tribune, 2/27/2026, Written by Katelyn Welsh

Tahoe Backcountry Ski Patrol is promoting backcountry safety with coffee, conversation, and hands on opportunities at their Coffee and Beacon trailhead events.

The organization is known for providing and maintaining the “Are You Beeping?” signs at popular trailheads, which beep when picking up a transmitting beacon. It’s a final reminder and gear test before skiers head into the backcountry.

These Coffee and Beacon events offer participants the opportunity to practice operating their avalanche transceiver over a fresh brewed cup of coffee, while also learning about TBSP’s recently launched Tahoe Backcountry Radio Program.

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Photo: Provided to TDT by TBSP

The Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA) Governing Board adopted updates to the region’s environmental threshold standards this week that will improve forest health and wildfire safety and support a clearer, healthier Lake Tahoe, the agency announced today.

Threshold standards are the science-based environmental goals that measure the health of the Tahoe Basin and help guide the actions of property owners and Environmental Improvement Program partners, known as Team Tahoe, to protect and restore Lake Tahoe. TRPA released a scientifically peer-reviewed Threshold Evaluation Report last year that showed nearly 80 percent of measurable environmental standards are being met under the Regional Plan.

“Science-based policies have changed the course of environmental health and sustainability at Lake Tahoe,” TRPA Executive Director Julie Regan said. “While progress is evident throughout the basin, we also need to take on new challenges and set a higher bar for Lake Tahoe’s protection so that future generations can experience and protect it the way we do today, and as the Indigenous Washoe people have for millennia.”

At the direction of the TRPA Governing Board and the independent Tahoe Science Advisory Council, the agency has worked for several years on a research-driven process to modernize environmental goals adopted more than 40 years ago.

Forest Health and Water Quality Standards Updates

The new Forest Health/Vegetation Threshold Standards set targets for forest density, potential fire behavior, and healthy forest structure in alignment with the best available science to improve the resilience of Lake Tahoe’s forests while maintaining their vital role in water quality, biodiversity, recreation, and scenic quality. The new standards include a target to treat 90 percent of defense zones around communities and along evacuation routes.

“All resource management interests and fire agencies have been working toward the same goal, which is to have a healthy forest that is naturally resilient to catastrophic wildfire,” said South Lake Tahoe Fire Rescue Chief Jim Drennan in a letter of support.

Restoring the clarity of Lake Tahoe is central to TRPA’s mission and the work of many water quality partners in the Tahoe Basin. The updated water quality goals follow recommendations from the Tahoe Science Advisory Council and modernize outdated standards.

Public Safety Training Complex and Watercraft Inspection Program Fees Approved

In separate actions, the Governing Board also approved the Lake Tahoe Community College (LTCC) Public Safety Training Complex project on its South Lake Tahoe campus, and updated Lake Tahoe Watercraft Inspection fees for the 2026 boating season. 

The LTCC training complex, scheduled to break ground in May, will provide a modern, locally based facility for fire, forestry, and emergency medical training in the Tahoe Basin.

The simplified fee structure for the Lake Tahoe Aquatic Invasive Species Watercraft Inspection Program maintains mandatory decontaminations for visiting boats in response to the discovery of highly invasive golden mussels in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta. The fee schedule includes a 50 percent discount for boats that arrive at the inspection station Clean, Drained, and Dry. For more information on boat inspections and fees, visit tahoeboatinspections.com.

Originally published in the Tahoe Daily Tribune, 2/26/26, Staff Report

Mt. Rose Ski Tahoe’s popular “Open Late” schedule is back. Starting Friday, Feb. 27, the resort will keep select lifts spinning and resort services including Wildslide Tubing open late on both Fridays and Saturdays through the end of the season. Operations will continue until 5:30 p.m. both days until Daylight Savings ends on March 8. After that, the schedule extends until 6 p.m.

“With longer days ahead and mid-winter snow conditions here now, we’re bringing back our ‘Open Late’ schedule to give skiers and riders the opportunity for bonus runs with an additional two hours on Fridays and Saturdays,” said Mike Pierce, Mt. Rose Ski Tahoe marketing director. “For those with a competitive edge, our public race league, Friday Nite Gates, is also returning.”

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