Ahh, a tale as old as time, or at least the past 10 years. We don’t mine coal here in Lake Tahoe, and we do not have factories. Our community, love it or hate it, has a symbiotic relationship with our weekend visitors. If it wasn’t for the powder-chasing tourists, our winters would leave many locals jobless, and perhaps lead to less locals. Good or bad? No one knows, but I’m sure everyone has an opinion. The storms that hit us these last couple months have provided some amazing activities, from snowmobiling to skiing, and indubitably some stronger shoulders and forearms — strengthened from shoveling our automobiles and decks. Holidays, big storms, amazing skiing, tons of tourists – a recipe for a traffic jam, especially when Interstate 80 closes down. How did this equation affect your day-to-day? Moonshine Ink hit the streets to ask.
DAVID WILLIS, Tahoe City
Ticket sales, Alpine Meadows
When the storms hit on weekends, I have to leave two hours early for work. It has taken hours to move a couple miles. The bus will sometimes run over an hour late, and it is not fun to stand outside in the blizzard and wait for it to come.
ASHLEY WHITE, Kings Beach
Office manager, Ridgeline Apps
Winter traffic is different for everyone. While my commute is fairly mild and short, road conditions still don’t let me off the hook. Weekend traffic is primarily the worst but it’s all about planning your route ahead of time in order to “beat” the masses, even if it means leaving at 7 a.m. rather than 8 a.m. to get to Squaw. Leaving the valley is another matter. Leaving too late can take a few hours out of your day.
MEGAN GIEDT, Sunnyside
Massage therapist, Squaw Creek
It has been interesting with the major highways shut down. I felt like a lot of people couldn’t get to Squaw, so I was stoked it seemed less busy on the mountain. I feel that I got more massages because some people couldn’t leave town. My commute wasn’t affected much at all, in fact it may have been better just because there were less people fighting for parking.
ANGELICA SCHUESSLER, Reno
Residential appraiser/intern, Accurate Appraisal
Traffic isn’t too bad if you plan out your day and have a good vehicle for the conditions you are driving in. I did experience a hold up after skiing at Alpine when I headed back to Truckee. It took three hours to go 15 miles, the interstate closed, and I was stuck staying with friends in Truckee for the night. Otherwise, I’ve been lucky this year. Just drive safely and take your time.
JENNA MUCKLOW, Verdi
Jack of all trades, The Station
I live in Verdi but work in Truckee. I have friends that open their homes so I can avoid the commute. But staying up here doesn’t solve all the problems. The other week it took me two hours to get from Kings Beach to Truckee. With the cheaper prices of these multi-mountain passes, there’s more people coming into town, and with weather hitting on the weekends they can’t get back home, causing massive gridlocks.
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