Truckee & Tahoe Donner Real Estate Blog

With a young child at home, I’m often thinking about fun and exciting new adventures I can expose to my son Evan.  After living in Truckee for 8 years we’ve attended many events, done a variety of recreational sports and participated in the community in many ways.  We have not, however, attended the Truckee Rodeo.  I was thinking about the rodeo and how much it reminds me of my past (growing up in Nebraska and Wyoming), which is being held this weekend at the arena next to Regional Park.  I ran across an article from June in the Sierra Sun about how the event has fallen on hard times, like so many of us.  As of that article nearly a month ago, organizers were several thousand dollars short of breaking even for the event, which costs around $50,000 to produce.  This event has been in Truckee for 37 years and is a real reminder to me of the wild west roots in Truckee’s past as well as my own.  I’m excited to show my son a piece of my past and support a Truckee event that would be missed.

With the extended winter weather, summer seemed like it would never get here, but just when warmer temps were starting to feel unattainable…BOOM….SUMMER’S HERE!!  I was on a trip over the weekend to a friends cabin in Silver Lake (near Lake Almanor) driving home with dirty kids, bug bites and smoky clothes, I couldn’t help but smile sitting in summer road construction with the window rolled down and an 89 degree temp reading in the car.  I am doing my best to abstain from any type of complaint about being too hot or the traffic and delays from seasonal road work.  To think that I had my down jacket on 2 weeks ago when the snow was flying is hard to imagine, but I’m just glad the floats in the 4th of July parade aren’t going to have to chain up!!

With all that said, there are some great events going on over the holiday.  Check out below for some of them and see the Tahoe Donner and Truckee websites for additional information.

TAHOE DONNER BEACH CLUB MARINA

Saturday July 3rd and Sunday July 4th the Tahoe Donner Beach Club Marina will be providing special hours.  With the gates opening at 6AM, you can launch your boat or just get an early start unloading beach gear before the crowds hit.  Also, there will be a shuttle service between the beach parking lot and the high school parking lot from 10AM-10PM on the 3rd and 10AM-midnight on the 4th for overflow parking.  The fireworks will be the night of the 4th with great visibility from Tahoe Donner beach.  For more info contact the Tahoe Donner Beach Club Marina at (530) 587-9460.

TAHOE DONNER DOWNHILL CLEANUP

Every year hundreds of things get buried under the snow around our homes, businesses and play areas.  Wednesday June 30th is a great time to contribute to the annual clean up by going to the Tahoe Donner downhill area.  Trash bags, clean up gear, water and snacks will be provided.  Just show up at 10AM and enjoy some good exercise while you clean the area!  For more information, contact the downhill ski area at (530) 587-9463

FREE CONCERT AT PIZZA ON THE HILL

If you are looking for something to do Saturday July 3rd before the local parade and firework festivities, head out to Pizza on the Hill in Tahoe Donner for some good eats and great tunes from 6-9PM.  If pizza’s not your thing, just bring a picnic and blanket to enjoy the music.

PARENTS NIGHT OUT!!!

For any of you visiting town or locals who just want a night out, Tahoe Donner is offering a $15 (per child) opportunity to do so for kids ages 4-9.  Games, pizza, movie and story time will be part of the festivities so get out there for an evening hike, bike ride or dinner in town.  Call the Recreation Info Hut at (530) 587-9413 to register.

PANCAKE BREAKFAST, FUN RUN AND PARADE ON THE 4TH

Whether you are running or just watching, the Truckee Fun Run is a good time all around.  All ages are welcome for the one mile run which starts just before the parade at Tahoe Forest Hospital; ends at train depot. Info: (530) 426-3313, truckeefunrun.com

Support the Truckee Fire Department and enjoy a great breakfast before the parade starts.  Come to the central fire department located next to Wild Cherries and donate (recommend $5/person) for great pancakes, sausage, coffee and juice.  Great activities with bounce slide and fire truck tours for the kids.  Come early (I like to go around 7:30 or as it get’s crowded quick!!  My husband Erik Jitloff will be there flipping flapjacks, so come meet some local fireman and support a good cause. The parade starts here so after your belly is full, pull up a lawn chair and enjoy the beginning of the parade or drive downtown and watch the end with commentary and local vendors.

Word is just at that the dam won’t be allowed to release any water to start the commercial rafting companies for Tahoe City to River Ranch floats this weekend.  This is devastating for the companies who depend on the revenue of summer’s busiest weekend and the rafters who count on recreational rafting.  Personal rafts will be allowed to float the river but the commercial companies won’t be allowed to open until the water is let out of the dam.  When will that be you might be thinking?!  According to Chad Blanchard, deputy chief water master at the water masters office water can’t be let out until no more than 500 cubic feet per second is flowing past Floriston, and as of Thursday, that rate was 930.

So bring your own boats or find a different activity because the river will be calm and quiet (compared to normal) this weekend with the late snow melt.  The last time this happened was in 2006.  For more info see recent article in the Sierra Sun.

O’Dette Mortgage Group (OMG) recently hosted an amazing fundraiser opportunity for non-profits in the Truckee/Lake Tahoe Community.  Local Realtors were given the chance to donate, then OMG matched the final number and each donor put in a vote for which of the 18 local non profits would receive the funds, with the final winner being Truckee Trails.

On Tuesday evening there was a great party hosted at Fifty/Fifty where the check of $4000 was passed along to Truckee Trails.  They plan to use the money for environmental feasibility studies and preparation for the final stages of the Legacy Trail connecting Regional Park to Glenshire.  Currently there is work being done to add 3/4 of a mile to the trail which will complete the summer 2010 stage but there are still about 3 miles to go so any funding towards the project is greatly appreciated.

Truckee Trails is an amazing foundation and I had the privilege to meet a couple of the women working with the project.  To learn more about this and other Truckee Trails projects and events check out their website.

Today there is a “hint” of summer in the air, the sky is clear and blue and it promises to be a gorgeous day to celebrate fathers everywhere! Nancy Costello and I are the two agents in the office without local Father’s Day commitments, so we are holding down the fort here at Pacific Crest Properties. Chris Fowler, our newest father I’m sure is enjoying the day  with the youngest baby in the group and Rich Harter our “oldest” father (childwise that is :}) is celebrating in Kansas today. Last year on Father’s Day at 12:01 am Bennett Lee Jitloff was born and yesterday we had a birthday celebration for him. Honoring the rest of the dads in the office we have from youngest (in terms of children): John Biebl, Val Videgain, Wade Holiday, Bret Churchman and Scott Pomeroy. Then we have our moms who get to be the “servers” today, Dionne Pope, Heather Tone, Keri Paulson, Leslie Biederman, Maura Mack, Megan Jitloff and that leaves Jeremy Schneir to hang with his dad today and Leah Krone, doing the same! My dad is with me in spirit today and always, and  Nancy’s dad is in Flordia so she gets to give him a call. So there you have it!! Happy Father’s Day to you and yours from all of us celebrating in one way or another at Pacific Crest Properties!!

Driving down Northwoods Boulevard this morning heading into town, the crest was brilliant white against the blue dome we all love some much here…it was a cold morning, in the 20’s when I woke up, though warming up fast. After pretty much 8 months of winter, everyone knew this was the end and it was apparent by what I witnessed driving around town today..you either had those ready for summer or die hards holing onto winter. There were golfers at Coyote Moon, road bikers, snowmobiles and dirt bikes on trailers, skis and boards on racks heading to Squaw or Boreal who were both open for the weekend, mtn bikers, kayaks, boats and even though I didn’t witness it, paddle board races were scheduled on Donner Lake.

Memorial Day Weekend – the traditional kick-off to a wonderful Truckee summer is almost upon us! Now if the snow/rain would just stop!

Don’t miss the 18th Annual Truckee Home and Building Show at the high school. Exhibits open from 10-5 – $6 admission benefits

our local schools. Meet all sorts of building professionals, get ideas for your project, get advice and answers and references!

The Lions Club of  Truckee and Little League are having their annual Rummage Sale on Memorial Day Weekend also. Sat. and Sunday

at the PUD parking lot. All proceeds go to Truckee Little League. Come out and support our locals next weekend! Hopefully the

weather will be beautiful – and lots of bargain homes to look at if you are in the market. Rates are low, inventory is high and summer

selling season is upon us! Come on in to Pacific Crest Properties and let one of our fantastic agents help you out!  – Keri Paulson

Ski ski ski.  With the recent storms, the skiing is great (so I hear!) so get out there and make the most of it.  Often Easter is spent on the patios of lakefront restaurants or biking the newly melted trails, but this year with predicted storms, many will be bringing their egg hunts inside to celebrate by the fire with cups of cocoa!  Below you will find a list of ski resort close dates…enjoy!

April 11
*Boreal (no night rides after April 3)

*Diamond Peak Ski Resort

*Homewood

*Tahoe Donner Cross Country and Downhill

*Roay Gorge Cross Coutnry

*Tahoe Cross Country (if conditions remain good, until April 18th)

April 18th

*Alpine Meadows (open weekends until May 16th, weather permitting)

*Mt. Rose

*Northstar

April 25th

*Kirkwood

*Heavenly

*Sugar Bowl (limited operating until May)

May 9

*Squaw Valley

Colby Jitloff (age 3) skiing

Passes are out!  Squaw has released, yet again, an amazing deal on winter passes.  Starting at $369, you can ski with black out days holidays and most Saturdays.  For many locals who work mid week and prefer to avoid the slopes during busy days, this deal can’t be passed up.  If you are a weekend warrior, there are 3 other levels ranging up to the full package at $1599.  If Alpine is your spot, you can now purchase a pass for $339 (similar restrictions) and Mt. Rose for $433.  Below is a more detailed breakdown of some local resorts and their pricing…don’t miss out, some of these rates are offered for a limited time!

Alpine-$339-$699

Alpine/Homewood combo-$459

Boreal-$129-$239 (only available through April 4)

Diamond Peak-$363-$454 (plus ski free the rest of this season)

Heavenly-$339-$599

Homewood-not yet available

Kirkwood-not yet available

Mt. Rose-$433 (plus ski free the rest of this season)

Northstar-$259-$699

Northstar/Sierra at Tahoe Combo-$359-$699

Sierra at Tahoe-$199-$279

Squaw Valley-$369-$1599

Sugar Bowl-not yet available

Tahoe Donner-not yet available