On our final day at Lake Tahoe, we skied Heavenly. Colder temps and 10 - 20 mile per hour winds did not hold the Tomba Team back from the final day's challenge.
Joan pushed the team to ski on and on. Her excellent form was demonstrated on the California side as Nevada was "fogged in" by a series of low hanging clouds. She mastered The Ridge Bowl, a Black Diamond run -- several times. Her instructor - Mr. Tomba stood in awe as she carved her quick turns down the steep and treacherous slope. He was also in awe of her "cute pink hat" which matched her "pink" Solomon ski jacket - oh so marvelous - you go girl!
Mr Tomba took time out to view the beautiful scenery out beyond the Powder Bowl before he begins the steep descent.
The Tomba Tour Team would like to thanks our sponsors for Ski Tahoe 2010: Nordica, Dynastar, Solomon and Mr. Topo Gigo.
Ski Dolomiti 2011 - See you next year in Cortina D'Ampezzo Italy where the Tomba Tour will take on the Gabriele and Guido Challenge Cup. Check it out at: http://tombatours.blogspot.com/ for more information.
Today, we decided to "go the other way" -- and take a tour of Lake Tahoe and see Emerald Bay on the M.S. Dixie II - a large paddle-wheel boat.
We headed down to Zephyr Cove and boarded the M.S. Dixie II. The 570-passenger, award-winning M.S. Dixie II is the largest cruising vessel on Lake Tahoe, and a local favorite. Considered one of Tahoe’s most entertaining and affordable water activities, the M.S. Dixie II has been voted “Best Boat Cruise at Tahoe” by local residents, and “Best Cruise in Nevada” by Nevada Magazine. We took the two hour M.S. Dixie cruise which run east/west across the south end of Lake Tahoe, from Zephyr Cove to Emerald Bay and back.
The boat ride and information on the evolution of Lake Tahoe was great.
Lake Tahoe is a large freshwaterlake in the Sierra Nevada mountains of the United States. At a surface elevation of 6,225 ft (1,897 m), it is located along the border between California and Nevada, west of Carson City, Nevada. Lake Tahoe is the largest alpine lake in North America. It is 22 miles long and 12 miles wide. Its depth is 1,645 feet (501 meters) making it America's second-deepest (the deepest is Crater Lake in Oregon, being 300 ft deeper, at 1,945 feet (594 m) deep).
The lake was formed about 2 million years ago and is a part of the Lake Tahoe Basin with the modern lake being shaped during the Ice Ages. It is known for the clarity of its water and the panorama of surrounding mountains on all sides.The area surrounding the lake is also referred to as Lake Tahoe, or simply Tahoe.
Lake Tahoe is a major tourist attraction for both California and Nevada. It is home to a number of ski resorts, summer outdoor recreation, and tourist attractions. Snow and skiing are a significant part of the area's economy and reputation. Mountain and lake scenery are attractions throughout the year. The Nevada side also includes large casinos. Highways provide year-round access from Reno, Carson City and Sacramento.
After we disembarked from the M.S. Dixie II, Joan had built up a latent "shopping urge", so Tomba complied and on the way back to the resort, they hit every boutique from Zephyr Cove to South Lake Tahoe. At one strip center, Joan saw some very nice jackets on a sidewalk rack -- "From $69.00" -- So the price lured her into the "SideStreet Boutique". As we entered the store -- the owner, "Barbara", spotted Joan and sized her up. Joan saw a rack of jackets that appealed to her sense of fashion. Barbara commented, "You have good taste. You should try it on." So as Joan slipped the sheared beaver reversible jacket over her gorgeous shoulders, Barbara said, "Its normally $67.....Hundred, but now on sale for $25....Hundred. Tomba turned and headed for the exit -- .
The evening was delightful and we decided to try "The Chart House" -- recommended for the spectacular views and sunsets. The ambiance and food was excellent and the views were unmatched.
We got into a groove today. The temps mirrored yesterday as did the sun and blue sky. We spent most of the day getting in a number good runs and enjoying the beautiful scenery of Lake Tahoe.
We scheduled massages for 4:00 PM ant Shannon's. They found muscles we never thought we had. We decided to do a "low key" evening - dinner at Scusa's on Ski Run -- great local Italian fare.
For Tomba, the day started off with a flurry of business e-mails and phone calls, flying back and forth from UK to the US -- it seemed like a never ending international game of "ping pong". Several hours later, everything settled down and the "ball was in our court". The end result was very good for the Tomba Team -- the ability to "ski for another day" -- or maybe even a week or two! Business aside, we could get down to the "real business" of the day -- SKIING!
We had to pinch ourselves. Another picture perfect day at Heavenly. Temps started in the 20's and made their way to the 40's. We spent most of the day skiing the Nevada side, this time on Comet, Aries, Orion, Big Dipper, Meteor and many others. Joan was in the best form ever -- she did not want to stop skiing, but Tomba forced her to take a "mini-break" at the East Peak Lodge, where the sun shone brightly on the deck to the Reggae tunes of UB40. Fantastic.
After the break, we headed back to the California side where we ran the circuit from Tamarack, Sky Express, Canyon Express and Powderball. Spectacular. We ended the day at 4:30 PM where we sat on the deck at the "Gunbarrell" met some nice folks from Tahoe and then headed back to the condo.
Dinner was a debate... do we go "uptown" or "downtown" -- so we played "discount coupon" roulette -- off to Heavenly Village for some light shopping and a lite dinner at Echo (20% off!). We strolled the Village and met a nice golden retriever named "Nate" -- we think he would make a good friend for Bailey. Store, after store, we enjoyed the shopping and great weather.
At Echo - the ambiance needed some help -- but when the food arrived, we changed our tune - Sesame Crusted Rare Ahi Tuna with Ginger and Wasabi, Roasted Portabella with Sun Dried Tomatoes and Pesto and Mexican Flatbread with Mozzarella and Artichokes. Incredible flavors.
Satiated, we meandered our way back through the Village, when something popped into Tomba's head -- WHIPPED CREAM. He looked at Joan and she agreed -- it would be a WHIPPED CREAM night. They found a deli and they had ONE WHIPPED CREAM CAN left. So Tomba grabbed it and with a smile, they headed home.
Once at home, Joan gently shook the WHIPPED CREAM and applied it gingerly. Then Tomba and Joan sat down to have some incredible Blackberries, Strawberries and Blueberries with WHIPPED CREAM.
So, Franco, what did you think we were going to do with the WHIPPED CREAM? You bad, bad boy.
Another glorious day in South Lake Tahoe at Heavenly. Temps moved up into the low 30's, sunny and blue, blue skies again led to another brilliant day on the slopes. We skied both the California and Nevada sides, where the snow was in perfect condition. Most notable runs were Big Dipper, Cascades, Ridge Run, High Roller and Mombo. The most notable "Faux Pas" was Tomba's "almost famous" run down the Double Black expert runs at Killebrew Canyon -- Joan thanks for catching Tomba before he took the tour to the "EXPERTS ONLY" section -- Whoops!
We skied until 3:30 PM again and then headed back to the resort to make plans for the evening.
The Tomba Tour's tour guide -- Mr. Tomba himself, had made special inquires to see if the tour could get a personal show with who other than: Dolly Parton, Cher and Beyonce! Well he pulled it off -- almost.
Carnival Cabaret is a high energy "female impersonation" show that involves dance, music and comedy. This show features an all male cast that perform as famous female superstars. This show became the longest running show in the history of Lake Tahoe, after a successful four year run at the Horizon Casino Resort. In this show, Dennis Russell, was the host and he played a number famous starlets -- Judy Garland, Mae West, Pasty Cline -- and his impersonation singing was excellent. Other famous stars were: Dolly Parton, Cher, Reba McIntyre and Beyonce!
The Tomba Tour got front row seats - yes, Joan was asked to "participate" and get her hair "done" by Doreen. We also had a private after the show meeting with the actors. Once again, another great "side show" from Tomba Tours!
The evening ended as Tomba thought he could "win back" the investment in the WHEEL at the Hot Shots Progressive Slots -- once again his misfortune prevailed, but he really did like the music they played when he won 777 "progressive". Nice try.
We awoke to 12 inches of fresh powder and a brilliant blue sky. While it was colder, 18 degrees, the mountain was calling our name. As EPIC skiers -- see last year's blog for the details, we were anxious to get out and get some mileage.
We started the day with a light 45 minute cardio workout to get the HR up to the 140 range and then pilates and stretching to get the muscles ready to do their job.
A quick ride on "Go Blue" got us to the California lodge and we quickly assembled the gear and got cracking. Joan donned her new gear - Dynastar skis, Solomon boots & bindings and helmet to boot! Up the Gunbarrell Express, Powderball and the then Canyon lifts. The skiing was fabulous. We got a bunch of miles under our belts, so we stopped at the Sundeck for a quick bite and then back to skiing. At 3:30 Pm we started down the mountain, downloading off Gunbarrell and then dismounting to the California lodge where Mr Corona and his friend Mr Lime greeted us with the theme song - "It's Miller Time".
Back to the condo, we decided to get tickets to see the "Yardbirds" (circa 1965 - Remember "For Your Love", "Heart Full of Soul", Over Under Sideways, Down" -- yep it's them.) at Harrah's. So we had a great dinner at the Riva Grille on Lake Tahoe -- spectacular lake views and wonderful California cuisine. The Seared Diver Scallops with Thai butter and seasonal Acorn Squash was a gastronome delight.
We tripped on over to Harrah's and as we made our way past the throngs of "all walks of life, and some who just learned how to walk up-right", we almost made it to the South Lake Room, when Joan heard something calling her name - WHEEL OF FORTUNE. She was dragged by some unknown supernatural force over to a chair with her name on it. After 5 minutes, the price of our Yardbird tickets had over doubled, yet the actual price of the tickets had not changed. So how much did we "invest" in the WHEEL? Remember this is a MENSA quiz.
Well, it may have been 45 years since their debut in 1965, but the Yardbirds have still "got it". They did a medley of old and new, with "old" and "new" members. But every lick was delivered straight up. They were incredible, a really great show.
So, for anyone who does not know it, Lake Tahoe is a "hike" from DC and we made it into a "trek". We departed from IAD and boarded our lavish American Air Boeing 737 - circa 1960 - plane. Relaxed in our comfortable coach class chairs, we booted up the iPods and headed off to "vacation" never never land. 5 hours later we arrived in LA - for a 2 hour layover to lovely Reno, Nevada. From LAX, our Bombadier 400 twin engine prop carried us out over the Pacific and then back over the Sierras to a "topsy turvy" landing in 50 mile per hour winds -- could this be a pre-cursor of the next leg of the trip?
We de-planed, greeted by our "fan base"-- which was very brief -- and proceeded to the Hertz Gold Desk to pick up -- no, no -- not a minivan, but a fully fledged "ski sled" -- Ford EXPLORER. As we are filling out the paper work, I asked the the Hertz agent -- "How were the roads to Tahoe? ". As she wiped the tears from her eyes, and stopped sobbing she said, "Terrible, I just drove in from San Francisco and you need chains and a strong will." -- I looked at Joan and said, "Don't worry, I have been trained well, driving in DC traffic is like driving in a "white-out" -- little did I know that my training would come in handy.
As we drove south of 395 to Lake Tahoe, it was raining and about 42 degrees, as we exited to US 50 and started up the pass, the temps dropped to the low 30's and the winds started gusting to 50 - 60 miles per hour -- Nice. The "blinking" road signs appeared and said --"Snow tires, chains and a Steady Hand needed to clear the pass." Gulp -- it had become true -- I was now going to be challenged once again. Up the mountain pass, winds blowing, snow coming down by the buckets -- I turned to Joan and said -- "Its going to be great skiing tomorrow." thinking that is if we can get there tonight.
As we moved through the mountains, a bunch of cars and trucks were pulling off to the side of the road -- I thought "Wimps, not East Coast hardened." Steady hand, and closed eyes we trudged forward. We had the usual small talk. "Did we update the wills?" "Could we survive the night on a single bag of "Sun Chips"? Tom thought, "Yes, if we share them based on our relative weight."
As we crested the top of the pass, the light on the other side was not South Lake Tahoe, but a jack-knifed trailer, that we carefully navigated. Joan kept tabs on the remaining mileage -- according to Garmin, only 10 more miles... we are almost there.
Once we got down to the lake level, things improved, the locals were all passing us at break neck speed and showering our "EXPLORER" with snow, mud, and everything else that comes with a major storm. We cheerfully raised our single finger salute in recognition of their kindness and generosity.
Off in the horizon, what started to emerge were the most "glorious" welcoming lights -- Harrah's Casino rising above the trees. We celebrated - "Civilization. Gambling, Skiing" -- we are saved!
Before ending the "trek" we stopped by the Safeway to load up for the week. Yes, Mr. Smith its going to be a glorious week of skiing, now that we are "safe" in our little piece of heaven -- Lake Tahoe Vacation Resort."
