From this beautiful blue ball I shall depart in grand old age with a deep appreciation in my breast of having lived in the luckiest time to ever have been welcomed aboard. When I think upon it, we saw relative peace between the end of WWII and 2025, a relative decline in poverty, and relatively good worldwide health. 

Albeit, I shall exit with some regret that we are still a leetle too addicted to violence, and not concerned enough yet about climate, either one of which could bring a premature end to a long run.

So here’s one idea about how our iron men & women, with wind at their backs and a following sea, might save themselves. First, they must collectively shout as one man to divest the world of weapons mutually assured destruction. Nuclear weapons must be relegated to the dust heap of history before they relegate us to the dust heap of history. 

Climate? I see a man sitting in a beach chair, up to his chest in water, smoking a cigar, while the water rises around him. We have no permanent enemies in 2025, but those who are hindering attempts to control global warming are not doing us any favors.

I can imagine a conversation I might have with a four-year-old grandson while watching the news together on television…

“Gramps, why are all the houses broken?”

“They’re having a war over there, son.”

“Are we going to have a war here?”

“Not today, but man is unpredictable when it comes to politics.”

“What is politics?”

“Politics is the social science of getting your way.”

“Why don’t they do politics instead of breaking houses?”

“Good question, son, a question we have been asking since Cane killed his brother.”

“Why did he kill his brother?”

“Unfortunately, killing is the chosen problem solver of the muddled mind.” 

“Tom’s mom killed her own self.”

“You’re right, Tom’s mom ended her suffering with authority and dignity, as she was diagnosed to die before long, sad as it was.”

“Why?”

“She had terminal cancer, and she chose to make that journey less painful.”

“Are we going to die of cancer?”

“Not if we can help it, though one never knows.”

“We could die from a buffalo stampede.”

“Not anymore, but a two hundred years ago we sure could have…”

“Then will we go to heaven?”

“Well, maybe, if we made the world a better place, maybe so.”

“Is there Nerdy Bubblegum in heaven?”

  “You bet there is…”

“I want to go to heaven, where they don’t break houses, and you can chew Nerdy Bubblegum all day…”

“You’re on the right track, son, I think you’ll make it.”

“Will there be girls in heaven?”

“I reckon they will outnumber the boys, but it’s Super Bowl time right now, son, so why don’t you run along and ask your mother a few questions.”

Yes, our four-year-olds will soon enough be running the big show in the little time we might have left before it’s too late, and game over. We wish you luck, kids, God’s speed, and enduring success…

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

IVCBA is pleased to announce the addition of Michael O’Neill to its team as Operations Manager. Michael will oversee business programs, membership and office administration.  Michael, a seasoned professional with nine years of experience in the finance industry, has been a resident of Incline Village for the past 14 years.

He and his wife Sybile are deeply committed to the community and are proud parents of two young boys. With a history of volunteering for several local nonprofits, Michael is eager to leverage his expertise and passion for philanthropy to strengthen the IVCBA’s mission. He is dedicated to growing the organization, supporting small businesses, and enriching the local economy.

Michael looks forward to working alongside the community to foster economic growth and support businesses in Incline Village. Mike can be reached at mike@ivcba.org.

IVCBA is the community and business association dedicated to building and growing cohesiveness for the sustainability of Incline Village and Crystal Bay. We build community by organizing events and promoting businesses and nonprofits. We invite you to join as a community member or as a business. Subscribe for free to our weekly SnapShot.

Originally Published in the Tahoe Daily Tribune, 1/3/2025, Written by Katelyn Welsh

The Tahoe basin snowpack is near normal levels for this time of year, but a drier forecast looms that may challenge that following Friday’s storm.

The California Department of Water Resources (DWR), which monitors the west side of the Sierra, measured the snowpack at 91% of average for this time of year. The survey conducted on Jan. 2 near Sierra-at-Tahoe recorded 24 inches of snow depth and a snow water equivalent (inches of water contained in the snowpack) at nine inches. The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), the lead agency for measuring the Sierra’s east-side basins, including the Tahoe basin, found Lake Tahoe’s snowpack as of Jan. 1 at 98% of average and 122% of the median for this time of year.

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Submitted by the Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe Resort and Spa, 1/6/2025

The award-winning Stillwater Spa at Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe Resort, Spa and Casino announces the introduction of the “Touchless Trio” service. The “Touchless Trio” is a full body wellness immersion experience that aims to improve overall health while awakening the senses. The new menu of touchless services offers three innovative therapies including the brand-new Cryobuilt Everest Ridge Cryochamber, the “Harmony” bioacoustics mat, and “Pearl” the revolutionary flotation orb. 

“As touchless spa services continue to grow in popularity, we are thrilled to debut the ‘Touchless Trio’ service, a fully body wellness immersion experience, awakening all of your senses, and designed to improve overall health,” said Julie Orblych, director of spa and wellness at Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe. “As we just debuted one of the only cryotherapy services in the North Lake Tahoe area, this packaged experience is a great way for people to learn more about the amazing benefits of these state-of-the-art services. At a price point designed to make wellness accessible, this experience allows guests to prioritize their wellbeing every day.”

The “Touchless Trio” experience begins with a three-minute session in the brand-new cryochamber. It offers the latest technology to provide evenly-distributed cooling and a fast recovery time. The cryochamber provides beginner temperatures of -140 degrees Fahrenheit and the highest level of the chamber is -175F which can reduce skin temperatures 30 to 40 percent in as quickly as two minutes. Guests will experience a rush of extremely cold air, stimulating a higher than usual release of endorphins to leave guests feeling uplifted and invigorated after treatment.

Following cryotherapy, guests receive a warm cup of soothing blooming tea.. The experience then continues with a 30-minute session on the “Harmony” Biomat, which utilizes vibroacoustic therapy. Guests lay on a comfortable mat embedded with speakers that deliver low-frequency sound pulsations that are designed to provide a deep acoustic massage for joint and tissue relaxation. The Harmony Biomat acoustic therapy is complemented by a celestial lighting machine, featuring calming blue and purple tones. These subtle lighting effects are designed to promote relaxation, enhancing the overall therapeutic experience for guests.

The experience concludes with a 30-minute float session in “Pearl,” a revolutionary float orb that provides a zero-gravity experience. It features a 8’8” interior float length providing a more spacious atmosphere than most commercial float tanks. It also provides a larger side opening which can be left open during a session based on guest preferences. Additionally, guests can enjoy multi-color LED lighting for color therapy as well as a stereo transducer speaker with several soothing soundtracks to create a customized meditative experience. 

Stillwater Spa at Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe is renowned for its serene atmosphere and exceptional service, offering a wide range of services that promote lakeside relaxation and overall wellbeing. In addition to the touchless therapy selections, the spa offers a robust menu of traditional services ranging from customized massages, facials, and the signature “Elemental Immersion” providing a full day of wellbeing experiences. More information on the spa menu can be found by visiting https://issuu.com/hyattlaketahoe/docs/spa_flip_final_proof

For more information or to book a getaway to Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe, please visit HyattRegencyLakeTahoe.com, or call (775) 832-1234.

Originally Published in the Tahoe Daily Tribune, 1/2/2025, Written by Laney Griffo

There’s no debate that Lake Tahoe is an incredible ski destination. There’s more than a dozen ski hills in and around the basin and that’s saying nothing of the countless number of backcountry options. But for those who don’t want to wait in lift lines or still want a workout without navigating the avalanche risks involved in the backcountry, there’s a third option; cross-country. 

Cross-country skiing, also referred to as Nordic skiing, involves skiing on flat and slighter hills than typical downhill skiing. 

The skis are typically longer and skinnier than Alpine skis and poles are typically taller. The equipment and the passes are generally less expensive the downhill skis and passes, making it a more accessible sport to more demographics. 

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Photo provided to Tahoe Daily Tribune by Vail Resorts, Kirkwood Mountain

Originally Published in Moonshine Ink, 12/12/2024, Written by Alex Hoeft

Are local bears still hibernating? What’s the trend?

Tahoe’s bears have taken advantage of year-round access to plentiful food due, in large part, to the inability of many humans to secure their trash, remove food from vehicles, close their kitchen doors or windows, and stop deliberately feeding them. Does this mean they no longer hibernate, though? 

BEAR League knows most of the bears in all the neighborhoods around Tahoe, so we understand what they are up to. Therefore, we can honestly say for certain that about 80% of the bears do, indeed, go into a den each winter. Unfortunately, about 150 of them choose to den under homes and summer cabins because people refuse to secure their crawl space openings, with the excuse usually being, “No bear has ever gone under there before.” We also get calls when a hiker or someone on snowshoes finds a bear in the woods sleeping under a huge fallen tree … and this is a good thing, so we usually let sleeping bears lie, unless it’s a well- traveled trail, and then we have to ask them to move to a better location.

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Photo courtesy of Kristin Derrin

I was lucky enough to live fifteen years in the Hawaiian Islands before moving to Tahoe forty years ago, and I learned several valuable life lessons out there in what Mark Twain called, “The loveliest fleet of Islands that lies anchored in any ocean.” One of which I shall recount here if I can claw it back from recollection’s fragile vault…

I was news director at KHLO on the Island of Hawaii, and at that place in time, there was no news on the Island of Hawaii. In fact, our news studio was located on the sundeck of the Grand Naniloa Hotel, where you could hear Myna Birds singing whenever we went on the air. So one news-absent afternoon, a lady friend and I went hunting for a beach upon which to play. Soon enough we were in the shallows off the Mauna Kea Beach Hotel and were frolicking in the surf there when a gentleman hailed us from onshore and hollered for us to come join him in some fresh squid he had just caught, and we did. 

He was a kindhearted gentleman who had a merry twinkle in his eye, and good snacks too, fried squid and Primo Beer, it just didn’t get any better than that. The squid was on a portable burner, and the Primo was on ice. It’s always the Hawaiian way, whether it be a spoonful of poi, or a puff on a pipe to share.

We talked about the weather, which was mostly absent, and about the news, which was always absent. Then for a moment it grew quiet and he motioned to the hotel with his hand and asked, “You see that top floor up there?”

“Yeah, nice view from up there.” I offered.

“Well, I own that floor, and own a football team too, the Minnesota Vikings, but you kids have something more valuable yet.”

“What could that be?” my lady friend asked.

In an earnest voice, he gazed solemnly at us both and said, “Youth, you have your youth.” And we smiled in the awareness of that truth.

I made a little promise to myself just then, to never, ever let go of my youth.

Thank you, Mr. Max Winter, wherever you are…

So should you happen to read a Pine Nuts column and say to yourself, “This McAvoy guy is really immature.” Well, that’s why, and I shall pull for the Minnesota Vikings as long as I live, unless they are playing the 49ers of course. In closing, I hope the current news director of KHLO in Hilo has it easy as I did back in those halcyon days of the sixties. There might not have been any news back then, but every day was a little bit like that day on the beach when we encountered Mr. Winter, and came away a little wiser for the company…

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