Sierra-at-Tahoe & Caldor Fire

Oh well, good to see that they didn't lose any snowgrooming cats (as Tseeb brought up). One would think that those are the first things they'd move to safety in the event of a major fire.
 
A01AF87A-FA2C-4904-BE5D-45C426C3011E.jpeg


Some really bad Before and After photos
 
Some updates from Caldor fire:

This is going to be interesting when more details are provided: https://www.tahoedailytribune.com/news/father-son-arrested-accused-of-arson-in-starting-caldor-fire It sounds like they were using off-road vehicles and shooting guns.
More info at https://www.sacbee.com/news/local/article256441816.html

Email update posted elsewhere on Tues: "I just wanted to give you a quick update on Sierra at Tahoe. Things are moving along up here and more work is continuing to get done every day. The biggest recent news is that the haul rope for the Grandview Chairlift has been completed in Switzerland and should be landing on the east coast any day now! There is still a lot of work to be done before we can think about an opening date, but I just wanted everyone to know things are moving along."
 
Hopefully the prosecution theory isn't the same as the one tried on Richard Jewell at the Atlanta Olympics.
 
Terrible pics and update
Great article and ugh, what a mess. I wonder what the final bill will be to the federal government for clearcutting all the burned trees.

As I mentioned at the top of the page in early November, I'm curious why they didn't try to move all of the snowcats, snowmobiles, tools, etc. out of the resort. Was it because they didn't believe that the fire would reach the ski area?

Seven snowcats – some of which can cost upwards of $500,000 – burned inside a concrete storage facility, as did many of the resort’s snowmobiles and snowblowers. Several mechanics’ toolsets, worth tens of thousands of dollars, were also destroyed.
 
They thought putting the equipment in the concrete shed would protect it, but the shed became an oven. Equipment left in the parking lot mostly survived.
 
I am going to try to ski Sierra-at-Tahoe over the holidays. While there was a lot of destruction, it looked like it created a lot of open terrain - particularly in the West Bowl area. Saw some photos. Also to show support.

Think I read somewhere that Vail's back bowls were the result of a fire. It's not alpine terrain. The forest just could never grow back - especially the south-facing ones.

I have not been up there post-fire. I'm sure Harvey could give an update on what it now looks like.

 
Think I read somewhere that Vail's back bowls were the result of a fire.
Forest fire that occurred in 1879 for the back bowls specifically. Plenty of disagreement on the cause. Everything from disgruntled Ute Indians, to prospectors doing dumb stuff, to lightning having been proposed.
 
Two years after fire update posted by Sierra-Tahoe. The last picture (also posted below) shows the change in area to lookers left of Tahoe King (on right, hi-speed quad) and Queen (slow, runs when needed) that used to forested except for last face under chairs at bottom. Article says gladed areas will be re-opened after fire damaged trees removed.
SierraBase.png


In other Caldor fire news, the father and son accused of starting Caldor fire will be in court this week. See https://www.tahoedailytribune.com/news/caldor-fire-suspects-have-date-set-for-pretrial/
 
I skied there this winter….. now open terrain.

I am so upset that someone started the fire. Very wrong.
 
Last edited:
I am so upset that someone started the fire. Very wrong.
I haven't seen any detailed articles on the strength of the evidence.

I seem to recall that the accusation basically amounts to the father and son were target shooting in tinder dry forest, which started the fire, and once they realized it was out of control they called 911 but claimed to have no idea how it had started. It's plausible, depending on the evidence to actually prove it. I know a modest sized fire over near Aspen was started that way a few years ago (target practice shooting).
 
Back
Top