For the last few weeks I've had no idea what to write about for this months newsletter. Then, mother nature came along and made it easy for me . . . SNOW!!!! That's what I'm going to write about!!!
In case you've been hiding under a rock, or are just in denial because you don't particularly like cold weather, winter has arrived in grand fashion. The sierra's got hit by an outstanding early season storm cycle over the last 5 days. In a matter of 1 week I went from deciding which mountain bike ride to take, to skiing in waist deep powder with a HUGE smile on my face.
Storm totals haven't been finalized, but most of the ski areas are reporting 6 to 8 feet of snowfall in the last week. We went from uncertainty about whether the ski areas would be able to open a couple chairs for Thanksgiving to wondering if they might be able to open all their chairs. Regardless of the details, you can rest assured that this is the best November skiing we have seen since the November of '97. Half the time (including the last 2 years) resorts aren't able to open at all for Thanksgiving. This year most will be open for top to bottom skiing. Don't get me wrong, there will still be obstacles to keep an eye out for, but you can rest assured that the quality of snow conditions will feel like mid winter. If you're not pulling your skis out of the closet right now, you're missing out!!!
Mother natures early gift is great news not only for skiers and ski areas, but for the Lake Tahoe and Truckee economies as a whole. Historically, the Christmas holiday has been considered a make or break period for most local businesses. In other words, they rely on big revenues for that two week period to carry their profits for the year. If there isn't any snow on the ground (which sometimes happens) people start cancelling their reservations and making plans to go elsewhere and it hits our local businesses hard. I've heard some business owners state that they make 20 to 25% of their revenue during the two weeks surrounding Christmas. Those are big numbers to grasp, but you can trust that those business owners have big smiles on their faces right now. When there's snow on the ground, you can be assured that people will be here to visit (and spend money!). Not only has confidence gone way up for a good Christmas Holiday period, but there's a chance businesses will see the bonus of a good Thanksgiving Holiday (not usually a significant period for Lake Tahoe tourism).
On this Thanksgiving we are truly thankful about where we live and thankful for the early season gift mother nature has brought us. We hope all of you have a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday and that we see your smiling faces up here soon!
