LAKE TAHOE, Nev. – A flag has been flying high above US50 between Carson City and Spooner Summit since Sept. 11, 2001, when nine terrorists linked to the extremist group al-Qaeda hijacked four commercial airplanes in a coordinated attack against the United States.

Those of us who were alive remember where they were and what they were doing when they saw or heard of the first planes flying into the towers in New York City on September 11, 2001.

Chris Sneed was working in Incline Village on a pipe replacement project for Granite Construction on Lakeshore Boulevard on that date. He needed a part and ran into Spitsen Lumber. He was in line and saw the store’s 12″ television showing a plane hit the first tower, and then the second tower.

“I said to myself, this is not good,” says Chris. “I knew then that everything about all of our lives was about to change.”

As he turned to leave the store he saw some flags by the door and bought two of them. The crew closed up the job site for the day and headed home to their families.

As Chris was heading home to Carson City, he saw a big rock formation off US50, one he’d passed often, and decided to climb it. Chris had been rock climbing since the age of 15 and knew then and there, he had to climb.

“I took a moment, stopped, climbed up, and put one of the flags from Spitsen in a crevice in the rock,” said Chris.

The next day, back on the job, Chris’s coworkers said to him, ‘Hey, did you see that flag on the highway?’. When he told them he did it, Chris said they appreciated it, and that it was awesome.

He made the display more permanent and bought a bigger flag, the type made for homes with the hollow tube holders. That turned out not to be strong enough, and he had to replace it a few times.

Chris later worked for South Tahoe Public Utility District and custom-built a flag holder with a steel pole to fit in a crack up on the rock. Since then, he said he doesn’t have to tend to it very often, and only once has it blown down in all the years since its placement.

Now, every year, a ceremony is held to replace the flag.

“I don’t feel right about celebrating 9-11,” said Chris. “I decided to replace the flag on the eve of 9-11, a new flag and a new beginning each year. When everyone goes to work, it’s new.”

Chris now lives out of the area, but is returning to replace the flag once again at what has become known as Patriot Rock.

When: 9/10/2026, 5:45 p.m.
Where: Hwy 50 Eastbound (downhill toward Carson City, Nev.), roughly three miles up from Carson City.

There is a paved parking pullout about 300 yards uphill of the flag. Granite Construction will, as always, be donating the traffic control and closing down the slow lane for a safety buffer as the public attends the ceremony. Please do not park in this closed lane.