Outdoors

This is the time of year where we notice damage to landscape plants and lawns. We may immediately jump to the conclusion that a pest caused the problem. Amazingly, most problems are not caused by an insect or critter.

To reduce hazardous fuels on National Forest System and city-owned lands, sheep will be released on Friday, April 21, 2023, in the West Carson Fuels Project area located on the west side of Carson City. These sheep will consume cheatgrass and other non-native vegetation on Carson City Open Space and Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest’s Carson Ranger District.

A Carson Now reader submitted these photos of a large road fissure south of Topaz Lake.

Due to the crack, traffic is being stopped in both directions and has switched to one-way to avoid damaging the road further.

University of Nevada, Reno Extension is offering free online courses this May to teach gardening basics. Extension's Grow Your Own, Nevada! Program will livestream eight classes via Zoom to help Nevadans who want to get on a path to more sustainable, local and healthy living by growing and preserving more of their own food.

Oranges and Tangerine colors fill the Carson skies this morning

A lone Coyote stopped long enough for a portrait session at Silver Saddle Ranch yesterday morning.

If conditions remain favorable, the Tahoe Fire and Fuels Team will resume prescribed fire operations this week at Lake Tahoe. The Nevada Division of Forestry and the USDA Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit are scheduled to burn hand piles on the East Shore beginning Tuesday, April 11.

Every so often we have a wet year with heavy snow that seems to solve all our water challenges. However, the overall trend is always toward aridity. Even after this amazingly wet winter, water efficiency and conservation should still be the norm going forward. In light of that, some people consider replacing living lawns with artificial turf. What are the advantages and disadvantages?

On Sunday, April 16, 2023, Capitol City Gun Club in Carson City, will host a Fun Shoot from 9:00am to 4:30pm. Target fees will be discounted all day. Everyone is invited to come! The Club is located at 3590 Arrowhead Drive. For additional information, visit: https://www.capitolcitygunclub.org/ or call (775) 882-9904.

Every month, the Carson City Park Rangers offer various Ranger-Led programs that include educational opportunities, historical fun, events and exciting adventures.

I'm so excited I can finally see the lawn after months of snow; but yikes! Throughout the lawn are dozens of brown grass trails making it look as if it is covered with dirt-colored varicose veins.

Greenhouse Garden Center will host a fruit tree seminar on Saturday, April 8 from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. hosted by owner David Ruf.

Are you interested in growing your own food right in your backyard, but not sure where to start? The fruit tree seminar will be able to answer all your questions regarding getting started in fruit trees!

With this year boasting the most snow water equivalent in decades, it lends to the question, how will this affect the Carson River?

The Carson City Fire Department would like to announce the start of the Spring 2023 Open Burn, with burning allowed from Friday, March 24 through May 23, dependent upon permit status and daily weather conditions.

Earlier this month I wrote about planting cool season crops. In a normal year digging and preparing garden soil now would be appropriate. However, this year has been excessively wet with snow melt and rain and soil is still too soggy to work. Why is digging a saturated soil a bad idea?

A Carson Now reader sent in this great photo of a bald eagle spotted Wednesday within the Anderson Ranch area of Kings Canyon in Carson City.

It is not advisable to off-road until trail conditions improve, says 775 Offroad and Recovery, a volunteer Northern Nevada organization that removes struck and stranded vehicles from public lands.

The group noted that especially now with the rain and added snow melt that off-road trails have become saturated with mud.

This morning I heard “Farmer Deb” from Urban Roots on KUNR. Urban Roots is a non-profit teaching farm in Reno that strives to change the way communities eat and learn through garden-based education. “Farmer Deb” was talking about the physical and mental health benefits of horticulture therapy gardening for those with Alzheimer’s as well as overall benefits of gardening for folks in general.

The Nevada Department of Wildlife has announced Kristy Knight as the Department’s new Chief Game Warden. In this position, Knight will oversee over 50 members of the Law Enforcement Division, including 40 game wardens.

Driving down Highway 50 from work, just happen to catch this reminder of the beauty of the Carson Valley.

This photo was taken Sunday from Carson Now reader Janis Brandenburg Lee. Have a photo or photos to contribute? Upload it here and we'll share it with our readers.

It finally stopped snowing and then the rain started. Empire Ranch Golf Course in Carson City is adjacent to the Carson River and with all the rain and show melt the snow on the course has been replaced by too much water. Scroll and click on each photo to enlarge.

On Saturday, March 18, 2023, Capitol City Gun Club in Carson City will host a swap meet at the club house from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Club members may reserve tables, but space is limited.

Due to an extremely inclement weather forecast for Sunday, March 12, 2023, the Capitol City Gun Club Board of Directors has canceled the St. Patrick’s Corned Beef and Cabbage Fun Shoot. The Board will plan an alternate event, date to be determined. Please check our website https://www.capitolcitygunclub.org/, for a future announcement.

With 24 inches of snow on the ground as I write this, it is hard to believe it’s almost time to plant cool season crops. Some, such as kale, go in four weeks to five weeks before the last frost and others, including beets, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, radishes, rutabagas and turnips can be planted two weeks to three weeks prior.

Snow storm piles snow halfway up a young peach tree.

A beautiful sunny day near Genoa. Clear blue skies, very little wind after the recent snow storms.

Aerial shot above Indian Hills near Carson City, NV. A unique perspective of all the snow that fell this week in the valley. Photos is facing West towards the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range.

I took a little drive this morning near Genoa and this is one of the views I couldn't resist. The Carson River with Sierra Nevada just east of Genoa.

Buried beneath an ever-deepening blanket of snow over the Lake Tahoe Basin lie more than 580 miles of official dirt trails that provide recreation, transportation, fitness and fun. For the first time ever, a coalition of Tahoe partners have developed a Tahoe Regional Trails Strategy to take a basin-wide perspective to trail planning and building.