If you have not heard, California is experiencing a severe drought with snow and rain levels far below normal. These are normal occurrences, but due to our increased carbon emissions, climate change is happening and is making these events more severe. Fortunately, there is still some snow around, so I was able to drive up the hill - in my hybrid of course - and take some pictures of this year's limited snowfall in and around Lake Tahoe.
Taking pictures of snow in Lake Tahoe is always complicated. I remember during college in Arizona that snow is very unpredictable with gray skies and whiteout conditions common during winter. Now I have to deal with the problem of scheduling nice days for the weekends to avoid making my boss angry with too many sick days! This day was a bit of a problem due to lots of high cirrus clouds which reduces the ambient light and washes out the sky. This is why I made a lot of the photos black & white to show the great contrast. The video above was shot near Lake Tahoe in Tahoe Meadows. It is a popular meadow with lots of great slopes for free sledding and snow activity. You have to walk carefully to avoid stepping 2-3 feet down in the snow.
This trip was also an excuse to visit the new Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Stateline, NV. The old Del Webb and Horizon Casino have been scrubbed down and modernized into the Hard Rock format. Interesting fact, the High Sierra Format for CD-ROM was developed by a group of manufacturers meeting at the Del Webb High Sierra. One of the treats is the extensive use of local crayfish from Tahoe Lobster. The crayfish population in Lake Tahoe is overpopulated which leads to environmental problems, so the company is trying to promote them as food to solve several problems. They are very tasty problems with a clean taste due to the lack of pesticides and runoff in Lake Tahoe compared to other crayfish operations. Highly recommended!
But, of course you are here looking for pictures of Lake Tahoe. I cannot disappoint my fans! This was a fun shot with the iconic rocks and pine trees against the massive lake with a tiny boat chugging along. You can see the ripples in the lake and the light snow in the far background. The view is from Logan Point - just north of Cave Rock on the eastern shore of Lake Tahoe.
I have taken many photos of Lake Tahoe, including many photos with lots of snow this time of year. It was very nice to walk around and play in some, but the snow is very bad this year. My skier friends are very disappointed, and this summer will likely find us with far more drought restrictions due to a lack of snow this year. Nevertheless, the lake is always impressive, and it is hard to complain about a very nice day in the Sierras. Please enjoy the rest of my pictures below.
