Month: January 2015

On January 23 American ski mountaineer Dave Rosenbarger was killed in an avalanche on the Italian side of Mt. Blanc. Originally from Oregon, Dave had spent summers in Tahoe and winters in Chamonix since 2003. He was a passionate soul skier and his zest for life rubbed off on nearly everyone he met. He was thirty eight years old.

Powder Coverage of Dave Rosenbarger

Backcountry Magazine Coverage of Dave Rosenbarger

Noah and Kate Gaffney find blissful skating conditions near Kirkwood.

Here we are waiting for winter to show up for the fourth season in a row. There is some descent skiing up high but no snow whatsoever at 6,000 feet which greatly limits access and options. A recent NPR broadcast used the term Junuary referring to the balmy mid winter conditions which have become a regular occurrence. Meanwhile the ice skating has been quite good. Hockey has become popular on many reservoirs near Truckee. Some high alpine lakes have clean slates of spectacular black ice. Around the New Year a small shallow section of Lake Tahoe froze creating a once in a lifetime opportunity to skate on the majestic lake that never freezes.

If you can’t ski powder, skating clean glass is a nice alternative.

Hockey on Prosser Reservoir.

Tahoe Weekly cover photo of Robb Gaffney ice skating on Lake Tahoe. Photo: Matt Bansak.