Alpine

I would like to extend a warm welcome to long-time friend Doug Busey of Douglas County, who is joining Carson Now. Doug will be serving as another outdoor writer at this website, specializing in bi-weekly fishing reports for our local area.

Doug's bi-weekly focus will be at locations such as: The East and West Carson Rivers in California, Blue Lakes, Caples Lake, Heenan Lake, Indian Creek Reservoir, Red Lake, Silver Lake, Topaz Lake and Lake Tahoe.

Clearing skies through some of the smoke will persist today in Carson City, Carson Valley, Lyon County and Lake Tahoe as the Rim Fire is now 75 percent contained. Cooler temperatures and higher humidity helped firefighters gain on the fire which has now consumed 235,841 acres in the Stanislaus National Forest and Yosemite National Park.

A Dense Smoke Advisory has been lifted, at least for now, for the Carson City region, but continues in the Sierra for Alpine County south of Markleeville and Mono County north of Mammoth Lakes, according to the National Weather Service in Reno.

The second Free Fishing Day in 2013 in California will be Saturday, Sept. 7. The first was way back on Saturday, July 6.

On Sept. 7 you will be able to fish wherever you like without the need for a fishing license. However remember that you will need to abide by the rules and regulations that govern whatever water(s) you will be fishing.

Be sure to obey those rules and regulations, and don’t do something illegal. If you do, and if you get caught, it could be a very expensive experience.

Another round of thunderstorms will develop Wednesday afternoon and evening over much of western Nevada, northern Sierra and Carson City as low pressure moves north along the California coast, the National Weather Service in Reno reports. The region is under a flash flood watch.

Labor Day weekend, Friday Aug. 30 through Monday Sept. 2, is just around the corner and for many it will be the last big outdoor adventure of 2013. So, where to go on that weekend?

Well, be advised that no matter where you go (unless it is to some God forsaken location in the middle of nowhere), you can expect to encounter big crowds of people also wanting to enjoy an outdoor outing for the holiday.

Sigh, it’s that time of the year again.

This is my annual reminder that if you’re someone like me, summer’s sweltering heat is not much fun. I do not like summer months.

I am an outdoors person who dearly loves the cold, frost, ice and snow of winter, and I absolutely and totally wilt at this time of the year.

And, especially, right now, with our record-setting temps in triple digits.
I am miserable and grouchy during hot weather months.

To be honest, I dislike the weather anytime it gets past 80-85 degrees.

California has two Free Fishing Days in 2013 which are close to holidays. The first Free Fishing Day in 2013 is today, July 06 (associated with the Fourth of July) and the second is on September 07 (associated with Labor Day).

So, on Saturday, July 6, you will be able to fish wherever you like in California, without the need for a fishing license.

However, you will need to abide by the rules and regulations that govern whatever water(s) you will be fishing.

CARSON CITY — Open dead-tree firewood cutting areas in Hope Valley and Leviathan and Poor Boy begins Monday, The Carson Ranger District and Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest announced.

Meanwhile, live-tree cutting areas will open on July 15. Areas include Beagle (Dog Valley area), Scotts Lake (south of Woodfords, Calif), and Thomas Creek Canyon (off of Mt. Rose Highway).

In the live-tree cutting areas, only designated trees may be cut and slash must be piled. Designated trees are described on the live-tree cutting area maps.

Tour of nine Incline Village unusual homes, alpine gardens, and private art collections. Tea and tapas will be served at two locations. Raffle and boutique also.

The tour begins at the North Lake Tahoe Demonstration Garden on the campus of Sierra Nevada College on Country Club Drive, Incline Village, NV.

Tickets: $35 before August 1; $40 after. Purchase at The Potlatch of Lake Tahoe (930 Tahoe Blvd, Raley's Shopping Center, Incline Village) or send a check to AAUW Tahoe Nevada, P.O. Box 5465, Incline Village, NV 89450.

Several lightning-sparked fires have been reported Sunday throughout northern and western Nevada and the Sierra, according to the Sierra Front Interagency Dispatch Center. Fires were also reported in Alpine County near Markleeville and Grover Hot Springs.

Go here for the latest fire roundup from the Dispatch Center and here to navigate the site.

Boaters planning to launch at Lake Tahoe over Memorial Day Weekend are reminded to arrive at one of five watercraft inspection stations clean, drained and dry in order to get through the inspection process and out on the water more quickly.

All boats entering Lake Tahoe without a Lake Tahoe wire inspection seal are required to go through a mandatory inspection and purchase an inspection sticker as part of the public, private, multi-agency effort to protect Lake Tahoe from aquatic invasive species (AIS). Inspection stations are located at:

Memorial Day Weekend (May 24-27) is coming up, just around the corner, the weather is forecast for gorgeous conditions, and for countless folks in this general area, it will be their first big outdoor adventure of 2013.

So, where to go on that weekend? Well, be advised that no matter where you go (unless it is to some God forsaken location in the middle of nowhere), you can expect to encounter big crowds of people also wanting to enjoy an outdoor outing for the holiday.

So, be prepared for lots of company wherever you go or whatever you do.

It’s that time of the year to pick up your copy of a widely-distributed and widely-read annual publication known as “Fishing The California Alps.”

That outdoor newspaper is your personal guide to the fishing, camping, sightseeing and vacationing world in our general area and it has many pages of in-depth information provided by lots of experts in their specific areas of knowledge and experience.

Be sure to use this 2013 edition as your handy and ready-to-use guide on what, when, where and how to enjoy the Great Outdoors.

This is my annual reminder that it’s almost time to have fun fishing in the High Sierras once again.
On Saturday, April 27 the 2013 fishing season will open for all applicable lakes, reservoirs, streams, creeks and rivers in the State of California.

That season will then remain open until Friday, Nov. 15.

If you’re new to this area, here’s some information that can be useful if you would like to fish on that Opening Day or the entire Opening Weekend: 
Some of the nearby streams, creeks and rivers that will open:

If you have a 2013 California fishing license and if you are looking for somewhere to fish that is fairly close to the Carson City area, look no further than Indian Creek Reservoir (ICR) in nearby Alpine County.
You just might want to seriously consider ICR as it contains cutthroat, brown and rainbow trout, plus even some bass.

That trout-filled reservoir is a mere 39 miles from our front door and it is easily reached from here by two different directions:

Last Thursday, Doug ("Mack The Naw") Busey of Douglas County and I spent a very enjoyable day, fishing at Indian Creek Reservoir in Alpine County, Calif.

Indian Creek Reservoir (ICR) is a man-made reservoir located in the backcountry between Woodfords and Markleeville. ICR and its surrounding area is managed and maintained by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM).

The North Lake Tahoe Visitor Information Center is looking forward to a woofing and tail-wagging good time as the Squaw Valley/Alpine Meadows rescue dogs come to the center for a visit.

This free event takes place Thursday, March 7, 5-7 p.m., at the North Lake Tahoe Visitor Information Center, 100 North Lake Blvd., Tahoe City, California.

Carson City and nearby Douglas County as well as Esmerelda and White Pine counties have been designated disaster areas due to damages and losses caused by recent drought, the U.S. Department of Agriculture confirms today in a news release.

And the following California counties contiguous to Nevada have also been declared disaster areas because of drought conditions: Alpine, El Dorado, Inyo, Mono and Placer.

Nevada son and United States Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid addressed a joint session of the Nevada State Legislature today in Carson City. Here is the text of his speech:

Alpenglow Sports has teamed up with Tahoe Cross Country to present the first-ever Lake Tahoe Nordic Festival Friday, February 8 through Sunday, February 10. All events are free, open to the public and take place at Tahoe Cross Country Ski Area in Tahoe City, California. A full schedule of events is available at www.tahoenordicfestival.com.

Alfred M. Pride, 84 of Alpine Meadows, California, passed away on Jan. 18, 2013, in Carson City. Autumn Funerals & Cremations is trusted with the arrangements. 888-6800.Copyright 2013 -. All right...

Granlibakken Conference Center and Lodge has answered the arrival of 2013 and ideal conditions at Lake Tahoe with the area’s most attractive ski and stay packages now through spring.

Getting to North Lake Tahoe’s snowy ski slopes just got a whole lot easier with the launch of the region's first area-wide free ski shuttle serving North Lake Tahoe, Truckee and Donner Summit.

The service runs between area lodging properties to 9 different ski resorts on weekends and holiday weeks now through March 31. It was formed through a collaboration of the North Lake Tahoe Chamber/CVB/Resort Association in partnership with the Truckee/North Tahoe Transportation Management Association and Placer County, the town of Truckee and several ski resorts.

Here is this week's fishing report for rivers, lakes and streams in Nevada, Northern California and the Sierra. This report is for the week of Dec. 19.

The U.S. Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit Christmas tree permits are sold out but tree cutting permits remain available on BLM lands in the Pinenut Mountains between Carson City and Yerington, the Clan Alpine and Desatoya mountains east of Fallon, and the Excelsior Mountains southeast of Hawthorne.

Prestigious snow carvers from around the world will call North Lake Tahoe home February 8-12, 2013 for the region’s first-ever Carve Tahoe competition, with the judging take place February 13, 2013.

The weeklong international snow sculpture contest is specifically geared for spectators who will view firsthand 20-ton blocks of pure snow shaped and carved into breathtaking masterpieces. The competing teams are the best of the best – selected from the event’s top applicants and representing more than 20 countries.

A woman was found injured in Alpine County after she and her boyfriend car got stuck in the snow for nearly a week. The body of her boyfriend was found nearby. The couple The couple, Roderick Paul Clifton and Paula Lane, was last seen leaving Citrus Heights for Gardnerville, Nev. on Thursday, Nov. 29. They were reported missing by relatives when they didn't answer their cell phones.

It might have been raining across much of Northern California, but last week’s storm brought snow to Lake Tahoe ski resorts – more than 3.5 feet of the white stuff, making for a great ski weekend.

“You just never know how these storms are going to play out,” said Chief Marketing Officer Andy Chapman of the North Lake Tahoe Chamber/CVB/Resort Association. “But Mother Nature cooperated and we’ve got new snow on the mountains.”

A traditional Lake Tahoe holiday stay at Granlibakken resort means skiing, snowplay, zipline, board games by the fireplace, spa treatments and relaxing. It’s also a sumptuous feast prepared by resort staff, a rollicking atmosphere of good cheer amid an authentic lodge setting with roaring fire and best of all, no dirty dishes or clean up, rather a take home box for any leftovers.