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Preparing for the extreme

March 11, 2008

Just when Mike Weber, South Lake Tahoe’s, becomes convinced that global warming is going to forever change the mountain town he’s called home for 32 years, he reads something contradictory.

“What if it’s just a normal cycle the Earth is going through?” he wonders.

A recent Associated Press article painted this grim picture of California’s future:

“Abandoned ski lifts from Lake Tahoe to the fire-ravaged mountains of Southern California dangle above lonely trails that are now more suitable for mountain biking during much of the winter. The Joshua trees that once extended their tangled arms into the desert sky by the thousands have all but disappeared.”

Weber is not singular in his dilemma.

Jeff Mount, a scientist at the University of California, Davis who spoke recently at Sierra Nevada College, said communities are often reluctant to deal with the possibility of disaster.
Known as “Dr. Doom,” Mount addressed potential water crises in the Sierra, and urged community members to prepare.

He said communities often forget about previous problems once they’ve been resolved. Instead, he said, they live from “tipping point to tipping point,” managing a crisis as it occurs.
Preparing Tahoe
Although Weber is reluctant to subscribe to one particular scenario, he agrees the Lake Tahoe residents must prepare for unpredictable winters because unpredictable winters can mean an unpredictable economy.

With the state experiencing a budget shortfall, Weber said the city is taking a harder look at its own budget.

And much of it depends on snow: When there’s enough of it, tourists come to Tahoe.

When tourists come, they spend money on hotels, entertainment, food and recreation — all of which are taxed and those taxes feed the city and school budgets.

In years like last year when there’s not much snow, there aren’t many tourists, and the economy suffers.

Although this year is looking more promising, Mount says, this kind of snowfall will probably become more rare in the future.

He said last year’s winter will become more of the norm: more rain than snow and a shorter season.

But, it’s not necessarily doomsday, he concludes, contradicting his moniker.

“It’s not clear to me it’s going to be a disaster for these mountain towns,” he said. “It will mean winter recreation will decrease, but that just means there needs to be more long-term planning.”

And Weber is no novice when it comes to planning and adaptation.

A longtime businessman and former owner of the Camp Richardson resort and restaurants the Beacon and Fresh Catch, he banked his livelihood on it.

He built his business around cross-country skiing and snowshoeing recreation, but remembers one President’s Day weekend renting out bikes rather than skis.

Following the lead of “Old Mr. Ross” who ran the stables at Camp Richardson, Weber began keeping a weather diary.

He found that, on average, Tahoe would experience three winters with above-average snowfall, three below the four normal winters. He said he saw little variation in 30 years.

So even without the threat of global climate change, he said, it is still important for business owners to prepare for erratic winters.

He credits Heavenly Mountain Resort for capitalizing on snow-making technology, but says the community should do more.
A tourist destination
Snow is an obvious attraction for Lake Tahoe. The trick, Weber said, is to keep tourists coming even when there isn’t any.

“You always have to be ready to re-invent yourself,” he said.

Kirkwood has found ways to utilize the ski resort in summer months.

The resort has added a variety of summer activities, including climbing walls, Frisbee golf, swimming and hiking. The most popular may be mountain biking, where riders take the ski lift to the top of the mountain then ride down.
Weber said that kind of innovation needs to be part of the year-round mentality.
He said businesses should market to tourists from father away, like foreign countries. Ones who most likely won’t cancel a trip, even if there’s no snow.
“They will honor their vacation, honor themselves and their families,” Weber said.

If they can’t recreate in the way they had planned, Weber said, other options should be available. “It’s still an amazing site for people to behold,” he said. “They can still go on nature walks, parties, poetry and other events. There’s a combination of things.”

Weber says the community should host more special events, pointing to the Renaissance Faire that was initially met with skepticism, but ended up drawing upwards of 40,000 people over two weekends.

And there are less traditional ways of drawing people to the Tahoe Basin.

Weber is hopeful the new conference center being built will keep a steady flow of tourism dollars. It will keep people coming, regardless of weather conditions, he said.

“Eighty percent of something is better than 100 percent of nothing,” he said.
Daniel Pistoresi, the Kirkwood’s marketing communications manager, said they are finding a way to bridge the gap between summer and winter offerings.

“Where we’re finding our revenue source is in our online offerings,” he said. “It’s definitely helped bolster our revenue during slow periods.”

The company offers a full-service retail shop online, including skis and snowboard bindings, winter wear and season passes.
A second economy
Kirkwood’s move to online commerce is a good one, Weber said. He’s also started an Internet business.

It’s a good way to keep funds in the economy, while minimizing the carbon footprint.

It could also encourage second-home owners to make Tahoe their primary residence, and run their business online, Weber said, giving a boost to the sagging real estate market.

To make the permanent move, he said, residents will have to see that Tahoe has a good school system and other amenities.

But for any of it to happen, Mount said, it will take the leadership of residents.
“We shouldn’t ignore the inevitable,” he said.

Related posts: [ Snow woes: Businesses cope with late snowfall ] [ Explore snow history at Tahoe ] [ Tough winters, tough people ] [ Getting to know you ] [ Hello and Welcome ] 

Written by Teri Vance · Filed Under Community 

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