heavenly

Heavenly Mountain Resort has switched gears from winter to summer and they're kicking off summer in South Lake Tahoe over Memorial Day Weekend. The Heavenly Gondola will be running 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. May 23-25 for sightseeing, dining and hiking on the mountain.

This is just a peek into activities at the top of the mountain since they won't open for full summer operations until June 12 when they'll start seven-day-a-week Gondola rides, unveil their new four line Hot Shot Zip Line, and open two of of the ropes courses, Discovery Forest and Boulder Cove.

Douglas County homeowners have an opportunity to compost their residential yard waste early this fire season when TDFPD hosts a kickoff event for Compost Your Combustibles with coffee and donuts on Saturday, May 23 at 9am. The free annual recycling program which historically has started on Memorial Day Weekend is now open at Heavenly Mountain Resort’s Boulder Lodge Parking Lot.

Hoopa and Salyer, two bear cubs who have been at Lake Tahoe Wildlife Care since the end of December, left their winter home Thursday and are now headed to the Hoopa Indian Reservation near Eureka, CA.

Salyer was just 24 pounds when he arrived in South Lake Tahoe from Salyer, CA, and Hoopa, who was found at the Reservation, was 25 pounds when she arrived.

Stage 2 of the Amgen Tour of California Women's will affect travel in South Lake Tahoe on Saturday.

If you want to watch the race along the route it is advised you get in place by 9:30 a.m. as roads will start to close at that time.

Pioneer Trail will be closed to through traffic from Ski Run Boulevard and Pioneer Trail to US Highway 50 in Meyers and Pioneer Trail until 1 p.m. Please plan accordingly.

Fourteen international and national women's cycling teams were introduced to the public Thursday night during AMGEN opening night festivities in South Lake Tahoe. The field of racers includes Olympic champions as well as World and National champions.

"How exciting to come to America," said team Xirayas De San Luis from Argentina. "We are very happy to be here."

The following is a recap of activity the South Lake Tahoe Police Department responded to from April 23 to May 3, 2015. They responded to 325 calls during the 11 day period.

Calls Resulting in Arrests:

4/23
Petty Theft in the 1000 block of Emerald Bay Rd
Petty Theft in the 1000 block of Emerald Bay Rd
Battery in the 1000 block of Emerald Bay Rd

4/24
Domestic Battery in the 3500 block of Bobby Grey Circle
Burglary in the 4000 block of Lake Tahoe Blvd
Drunk in Public in the 900 block of Emerald Bay Rd

Prescribed fire operations may continue around Lake Tahoe this week if weather permits. There are just two areas planned for burning: Off Ski Run Boulevard near Heavenly and near Logan Creek Drive on the East Shore.

Smoke from the fires is normal and may continue for several days after materials have been ignited.

The Heavenly Valley fire area has 70.25 acres of hand piles to burn. There are 23 acres of hand piles and machine piles left to burn.

May 1-3 Mark Pitta / Jack Coen @ Improv at Harveys
Genoa Cowboy Festival feat. Lacy J Dalton and the Dalton Gang, The Western Flyers, Richard Elloyan, Steve Wade, Larry Maurice, Mike Beck, Gary Allegretto, Walt Cheney, Belinda Gail, All Hat No Cattle, Sourdough Slim, Tony Argento, Ken Gardner, John and Betsie Elliott, Ed and Connie Kretschmer, The Mountain Girls, Cowboys By Night, McAboy Lane, CW & Mr. Spoons, Don S. Thompson, Michael Fischer, Dianna Borges, Kim Copel @ Genoa, NV
Live music w/ Steve & Tom @ Gar Woods
May 01 1 year anniversary party w/ DJ Trek @ Xhale

For the past several years, South Lake Tahoe has been a part of Hot August Nights with a few days of local show and shines, cruises and concerts prior to the big annual event in Reno.

This is no longer the case.

Without funding or a local venue to take on the "South Lake Tahoe Experience," Hot August Nights is bypassing the lake in 2015.

Mother Nature brought several inches of snow to South Lake Tahoe overnight, surprising many who have learned to doubt the forecast this winter.

A winter weather advisory is in place for South Lake Tahoe until 2 p.m. on Saturday, April 25. Snow should subside by 11 a.m. and then rain takes its place. Expect a high of 41 and low of 27, according to the National Weather Service (NWS).

Heavenly Mountain Resort and Kirkwood closed their ski operations last weekend, Sierra-at-Tahoe a few weeks before that.

Exciting times for South Lake Tahoe in May as the community shines on the international stage as the location of the first stage of the Amgen Tour of California. Fourteen teams consisting of 84 of the top professional women racers will be in town for the race May 8-9, 2015. The racers consist of Olympic medalists, World Champions, Tour de France competitors and other cyclists from the National and International field.

Many of the teams have already been in the area getting ready for the Lake Tahoe stop on their tour. As we get closer to May 8, more of the participants will be in town.

Tahoe Chamber, the Lake Tahoe Visitors Authority, El Dorado County, South Tahoe Alliance of Resorts and Sacramento International Airport would like to thank all of the attendees of Tuesday’s Tourism Forum at Lake Tahoe Resort Hotel. Over 100 people attended to get more information on upcoming recreation projects, hear lessons learned from Park City courtesy of keynote speakers Ken Fisher and Jonathan Weidenhamer, and to learn about the opportunities businesses may seize to target and accommodate the recreation guest.

Cable car rides, also known as gondola lifts, can offer memorable bird's-eye views of a destination. Here's a look at some of the world's most breathtaking cable car routes.

GULMARG GONDOLA, GULMARG, INDIA
Gulmarg Gondola is the world’s highest cable car ride. It run from Gulmarg resort to Kongdoori Mountain at a height of 13,057 feet (3,980 meters).

THE HEIGHTS OF ABRAHAM, UNITED KINGDOM
Installed in 1984, the Heights of Abraham cable car offers spectacular views of Derbyshire, England. The ride soars to a height of 1,863 feet (568 meters).

Several areas around the Lake Tahoe basin are slated to be burned starting Monday, April 13, as the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) continues prescribed burns.

Fire operations are scheduled in Blackwood Canyon between Tahoe City and Tahoma, on the south side of Meeks Bay, at Ski Run Boulevard near Heavenly and on the East Shore near Logan Creek Drive.

Operations may last through the next several weeks as conditions allow at the following locations:

Heavenly - 70.25 acres scheduled for fire operations
Logan Creek Drive - 20 acres scheduled for fire operations

This week, as part of the first EpicPromise Week, Vail Resorts will present the first ever EpicPromise Awards to two Heavenly or Kirkwood employees for their ongoing commitment to strengthening the local community and fostering a sustainable environment. The EpicPromise Awards are being given at Vail Resorts’ mountains across the country as part of the first annual EpicPromise Week (April 6-10, 2015), a full week dedicated to celebrating Vail Resorts’ widespread commitment to creating a more promising future for generations to come.

Tahoe Douglas Fire Protection District and the U.S. Forest Service may continue prescribed fire operations next week, beginning Monday, April 6, 2015, weather permitting. Operations are scheduled to take place in Blackwood Canyon between Tahoe City and Tahoma, on the south side of Meeks Bay, on Gardner Mountain near South Tahoe High School and off Gardner Street, in the Tahoe Keys, on Luther Pass near Grass Lake, at Ski Run Boulevard near Heavenly, on upper Kingsbury Grade and on the East Shore near Logan Creek Drive.

A lack of snow is causing Heavenly Mountain Resort to close down their California operations starting Monday, March 30, a week ahead of schedule.

The only access to the mountain for skiing and riding will be from Stagecoach Express until April 5, and from the Gondola until the end of the season.

The resort will operate 11 lifts, accessing 27 trails. Mountain Operations staff will continue to closely monitor and assess conditions daily. At this time the resort is still planning on closing on April 19.

Dogs and their humans are invited to participate in the inaugural Yappy Hour, a fun filled event being hosted by the Animal Coalition in Tahoe (ACT). Hang out on the patio at Base Camp Pizza with your pooch on April 8 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. and enjoy fabulous food and drink.

Yappy Hour can be celebrated even if you don't have a dog.

A portion of all proceeds from the evening's sales will be donated to ACT for their spay-neuter program and for the County Animal Shelter in Meyers.

The following is a recap of activity the South Lake Tahoe Police Department responded to for the week of March 12 to March 18, 2015. They responded to 183 calls during the 7 day period.

Calls Resulting in Arrests:

3/12
No Arrests

3/13
DUI in the 3800 block of Steven Lane
Threats in the 4000 block of Lake Tahoe Blvd
Unlicensed Driver at Tamarack and Ski Rn Blvd

3/14
Drunk in Public in the 4100 block of Lake Tahoe Blvd
Trespassing in the 1000 block of Johnson Blvd

The most innovative South Shore businesses will exhibit at the 2015 Business EXPO: Innovation in the Basin on Friday, March 27. The largest business and networking event of the year, Tahoe Chamber’s Business EXPO includes 100 local businesses ranging from restaurants and resorts to recreation providers to retailers. The event includes food and drink tastings, giveaways and a new networking lounge sponsored by the City of South Lake Tahoe, Winters Construction Group and Red Carpet Events and Design.

Illegal tree cutting at a South Lake Tahoe hotel and approval of the Heavenly Mountain Resort Epic Discovery Project are just two of the agenda items for the next Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA) Governing Board meeting.

The TRPA board meeting will be held on March 25 at the Chateau in Incine Village and on March 26 at the agency's office in Stateline.

Tahoe Douglas Fire Protection District and the U.S. Forest Service are expected to conduct prescribed fire operations around the Tahoe Basin next week, beginning Monday, March 16, 2015, weather permitting.

Operations are scheduled southwest of Meeks Bay, on Gardner Mountain near South Tahoe High School and off Gardner Street, Luther Pass near Grass Lake, Ski Run Boulevard near Heavenly, Edgewood Canyon on lower Kingsbury Grade and near Logan Creek Drive on the East Shore. Operations may last through the next several weeks, as long as conditions allow.

Saturday is the ultimate Pi Day, a day that most people will experience only once in their life. The number Pi (π) is a mathematical constant, the ratio of a circle's circumference to it's diameter. In honor of this special day, the LTCC Math Club is holding a family friendly event.

Since π = 3.141592653, people are being asked to gather at the Heavenly Gondola's clock on 3.14.15 at 9:26:53 a.m.

El Dorado County Sheriff's Office responds to calls throughout the county.

The following are calls that only pertain to the South Shore. There may be some missing calls due to sheriff's logs not being completed at press time and the story will be updated when provided.

3/1
7:42 a.m. - Death Investigation - Pioneer Trail - DEPUTIES RESPONDED FOR A DEATH INVESTIGATION AFTER MEDICS RECEIVED A MEDICAL AID CALL AND DECLARED 88-YEAR OLD WOMAN DECEASED.