If you are wondering, “When does the Tahoe Truckee ski season open this year?” We have the answers! Here's a list of the best ski resorts around Truckee, and the opening date for each this season. Get your season passes early for the best prices, pull your gear out, wax those skis, check out the new outerwear styles, and start planning your next ski vacation! While you're at it, check the snow report for the area, to see which resorts have the best powder and deepest snow base. See you on the slopes!   Alpine Meadows - Opening Day is December 12, 2014 2600 Alpine Meadows Rd. Tahoe City, CA 96146 800-403-0206   Diamond Peak - Opening Day is December 11, 2014 1210 Ski Way Incline Village, NV 89451 775-832-1177   Heavenly Ski Resort - Opening Day is November 21, 2014 4080 Lake Tahoe Rd. So... 11/02/2014

Located in Martis Valley between Truckee and Lake Tahoe near NorthStar Ski Resort, Schaffer's Mill is a year-round community with 218 single family homes on lots ranging from .5-1 acres, and 188 3-4 bedroom Mountain Lodge townhomes that range from 2000 to 3000 square feet. This is a wonderful community that welcomes both local year-round resident families and vacationers who are focused on enjoying the gorgeous mountain and lake scenery and all the outdoor recreational possibilities available in Martis Valley.  As of October 2014, there are 24 Mountain Lodge Townhomes and 20-30 single family homes currently for sale. In addition to the access to four seasons of outdoor recreation such as hiking, fishing, boating, skiing, cross-country skiing, snowmobiling, and access to Tahoe National F... 10/28/2014

      Built by the same developer as Ponderosa Ranchos, Martiswood has smaller lots of 1 acre or less, but all the same amenities and access to outdoor recreation. Here, the majority of the homes are custom-built with desirable features, and the lots are mostly wooded, offering beautiful forest views. Perfect for vacationers who like their privacy or for year-round local residents, and close to both downtown Truckee and the Truckee airport, these fine homes are beautifully crafted and many back onto National Forest land for extra privacy and easy access to outdoor activities. Looking for Truckee real estate offering custom-built quality on affordable lots, with beautiful views? Contact us today for more information on available homes in the Martiswoods Estates neighborhood. Photo Credit 10/20/2014

October and pumpkins are here, and the goblins and ghoulies are ready to celebrate! Here are some fun Truckee Halloween happenings! Start off with the 4th annual Tahoe Donner Fall Festival October 11 at the Northwood Clubhouse. This family-friendly event has crafts, games, food, and annual doggie dip, and of course, pumpkins! Enjoy the day from 10am-5pm with either a $15 all-inclusive fee or individual tickets at $1 each. Mid-October brings the Truckee Historical Haunted Tour October 16-17 starting at 8pm in downtown Truckee. A fun time for adults of all ages will include the history of Truckee, music, grown-up beverages, and great food. The tour will feature long-ago characters sharing their old stories and lore. Ticket prices are $40. On October 24, bring the family and plan to Trick ... 10/14/2014

October 19 is the perfect day to give back to your community and help Mother Nature as well. The Truckee River Day offers projects in the morning and a fun Fair in the afternoon. Projects begin at either 9am or 11am and will be completed by early afternoon involving river, wetland, and meadow restoration. Volunteers need to register to participate; registration will be available online about one month earlier. From 1-4pm relax at the River Fair held at the Granite Flat campground. This is a family-friendly event with food, live music and entertainment. Bring a pail to help out with the Lahontan cutthroat trout release into the Truckee River. Thousands of volunteers have contributed and had fun since 1996. Add yourself to the many that have helped our river and environment! Photo credit 09/30/2014

Celebrate the progress and growth of the Truckee Trails system by going on a ride or hike along one of the many trails designed for family use and adventurous outings! The Truckee Trails Foundation has been diligently working on a system of trails with several goals: connect people and places, reduce the community’s need on automobiles, and improve residents’ overall health, increase our economy based on recreation, and search for many types of funding to support our trail system. The Truckee Trails and Bikeways Master Plan was conceived in 2002 envisioning nearly 133 miles of trails and on-street bikeways that allowed Truckee to have town-wide connectivity. In addition to miles of created bike paths on paved roads, today there are 12 dirt trails available. A quick overview of these bik... 09/29/2014

New listing at 12124 Basel Place, in Truckee, CA part of the Tahoe Donner Homeowner's Association. This is a beautiful 4 bedroom, 3 bath, 2 car garage home in a fantastic location built in 2000.  Tahoe Donner is an incredible primarily second home community with amazing amenities from an 18 hole golf course, to a world class Cross Country Center and even a work out facility, Trout Creek Recreation Center with an outdoor lap pool that is open year round.  There are many full time residents in this community, but they weigh in at 25% in this HOA with over 5000 properties developed.  Check out this house:  Built in 2000, 2554 sq. ft per building department, offered at $795,000. 09/26/2014

Glenshire is a popular community that is both quiet and family-friendly. The east end of Truckee is a short 10-minute drive from the Main Historic district (six miles) to your home. It’s also a convenient 30-minute to Reno for those who need to commute. Within Glenshire and the surrounding mountain are endless opportunities for recreation and fun. People refer to Glenshire affectionately as being in the ‘banana belt,’ meaning the area gets less snow in the winter than other areas. It is here that you will find children in the streets playing and riding bikes, strollers and dogs cruising around the central pond and families at the playgrounds. Home prices begin in the low $200,000s, and can range above $1,000,000, for properties in The Meadow, a gated subdivision within the Glenshire are... 09/23/2014

The Truckee Wine, Walk & Shop is an annual favorite Truckee event that joins locals and tourists in pursuit of good wine, fun food, and spirited shopping. Happening from noon to 4 pm, the event is partnering this year (2014) with the Tahoe Food Hub, a local non-profit group that will receive donations from the proceeds. A memorable Truckee event! You’ll receive a commemorative wine glass to sample wine at 30+ venues, 5 food tickets and a program with a map to all participating businesses.  Tickets are $40 in advance and $45 on October 4, and may be ordered online. FREE cab rides will be available for all attendees before, during, and after the event within the Truckee Town limits. To promote sober driving, Designated Driver tickets can be purchased for $10. With this ticket you'll recei... 09/14/2014

The winter of 1846-47 was a cruel one, and the Donner Party became etched in history because of it. The Annual Donner Party Hike offers your choice of seven custom guided hikes with only 15-20 people per group that shares the struggles and tragedies of the Donner Party back in that frigid winter. The group reached the base of the Sierras just as winter came on, and where trapped until March 1847, Each hike will explore the Donner group and early Truckee history while enjoying our pristine Sierra Nevada scenery. Saturday hikes will begin and end at Sugar Bowls’ Mount Judah Lodge on Highway 40 on Donner Summit. In the afternoon, there will be presentation by Ethan Rarick, author of Desperate Passage – the Donner Party’s Perilous Journey. Sunday’s hikes will start at Alder Creek, where the... 09/07/2014

Eleven years ago, Kathy Brown was taking a bike ride and was inspired to organize a single fundraiser for the North Tahoe music programs. Her brilliant idea resulted in Tahoe Sierra Century Ride, a bicycle event of three tours of 30, 60, and 100 miles of premier riding roads around Tahoe. Riders can cycle from Donner Summit to Cisco Grove. Last year there were over 6,000 participants. This exciting event provides additional funds for financial shortfalls for the Truckee area’s music programs. In 2014, cyclists can bike their way to better music on September 13 beginning at 7 AM. The three routes all begin and end at Squaw Valley USA. Dinner will be served after the event with live music from the school bands. Tahoe Truckee Unified School District offers students many musical options. Ne... 09/01/2014

The 29th annual Lake Tahoe Food and Wine Festival is just around the corner. Held September 5-7, this renowned festival offers food, wine, brew, and spirits for adult enjoyment. Held at many venues throughout the Lake Tahoe area, there is something for everyone ranging from free to exclusive wine and food pairings in a comprehensive schedule. Ticket packages are available and range from $40 to $175. Individual events also have separate fees. The Festival is the culmination of an organized Tahoe Food and Wine Week. This list was accurate at the time of publication, please check directly with the venue to ensure dates, times, and locations remain the same. Photo credit 08/26/2014

This has been a summer like no other....and I wouldn't be surprised if I haven't said that every year since 1988, my first summer in Truckee. One of my favorite things about living in Truckee is the variety that the four seasons bring. That seems like a simple statement to make. One might assume four seasons bring four changes in the weather. The fact is that each season can be different from the year before and the year before and so on and so on! I do remember seeing snow fall all of the 12 months of one year. I think that was back in about 1992. When moving to Truckee, I was hoping for lots of thundershowers. I was raised in Connecticut and with the humidity there, I came to expect summer showers. That hasn't been the case but this year looks like it could be our summer of thunder! A... 08/18/2014

Support the Tahoe-Truckee United School District with a FUN fundraiser that benefits our children! The 6th annual Excellence in Education Home Tour will be held Sunday, August 24 from 10am to 4pm. Explore stunning custom homes in Martis Camp and learn about current trends and creative solutions in homebuilding. In addition to original architecture, these beautiful homes will be filled with lovely furniture and décor ideas. Held in partnership with Martis Camp and the Sierra Tahoe Board of Realtors, money earned from this event will support our schools with educational grants, monetary teacher awards, and training. Tickets are $40 in advance and $45 the day of the home tour. Plan to arrive by 2pm at the latest to appreciate all the homes. There will be food available for purchase. You ca... 08/17/2014

Focusing on the Truckee side of the Lake Tahoe Area, which would be Donner Lake, Armstrong/Blitz, downtown Truckee, Tahoe Donner, Sierra Meadows and surrounding neighborhoods, Prosser, Floriston and over to Northstar (including Lahontan, Schaeffer's Mill, Martis Camp) here are the figures I found for Truckee real estate sales 2014 through June 30, 2014, as compared to the same time period in 2013.   I could get wild with statistics but I'll stick to single family homes for simplicity:    2013  2014 Total Sales 292 230 Lowest price $116,000 $76,000 Highest Price $5,795,875 $7,050,000 Median Price $497,508 $581,250 Average Price $666,823 $860,114 Average Days on the Market 83 86   The inventory level has been down this year which I believe explains the lower number of sales for 2014 and t... 08/11/2014

If you've completed the Donner Lake Triathlon July 26-27 in Truckee, take a brief rest and then pump up your training for the Lake Tahoe Triathlon held August 23-24. This competition is a sister event to our Donner Lake race! Held on the West Shore of Lake Tahoe at Ed’ZBerg Sugar Pine State Park, the Lake Tahoe will have the familiar Olympic event, a half Triathlon, a shorter sprint version, and a Duathlon featuring running and biking. To pay the most economical registration fees, submit your registration by July 31. The Tahoe Triathlon is owned and operated by California company Big Blue Adventure. Partners with the Tahoe Triathlon include Green Bucks, Tahoe Luna Chix Mountain Biking, and the Tahoe Fund.   This list was accurate at the time of publication, please check directly with th... 08/10/2014

This very popular event, being held this year on Saturday, August 16, has been an annual tradition going on 34 years. Open to 375 swimmers, there’s a straight point-to-point swim course of 2.7 miles. It’s a chilly race with the water temperature averaging 65 to 68 degrees Fahrenheit. Swimmers begin in two waves starting at 8:30 and 8:40 AM. All swimmers must be members of the United States Masters Swimming group to participate. The race will begin at the lake by Donner Memorial State Park, and end at the West End Beach. Spectators at the finish will need to pay West End Beach admission fee. The Donner Lake Swim is sponsored by the Sierra Nevada Masters, a non-profit that provides adult aquatic activities for recreation and competition. The Lakeridge Swim Team also is a sponsor. For more... 08/03/2014

I love living in Truckee  so it is not surprising when quite a few of my clients choose to buy Truckee real estate and retire here. Recently my associate, Valerie Brinker, sat down and did an interview with her client Suzanne who just bought her home in Prosser Lakeviews Estate. I think you will enjoy the dialogue between VB and Suzanne.     It’s no mystery that Lake Tahoe is a world-renowned area that people of all ages love to spend time in, but lately, I have had so many inquires on property from buyers looking for their dream locale to retire in. I recently sat down for a chat with one of my latest buyer clients that closed on a home in Truckee with a fun-filled retirement in mind. Suzanne was kind enough to share her experience in finding what will ultimately be the home that she a... 07/25/2014

Come to Truckee at the West End Beach on Donner Lake July 26 and 27 for two days of triathlon events open to adults and kids. The 33rd annual Donner Lake Triathlon has the well-known Olympic event, a half Triathlon, a shorter sprint version, and a special one for children ages 4-15. Prompt registration for adults and children is recommended. A popular event, the Triathlon is owned and operated by California company Big Blue Adventure.  Truckee resident Matt Yarbrough is a Big Blue Ambassador. For current information, visit the Triathlon Facebook page. This list was accurate at the time of publication; please check directly with the venue to ensure dates, times, and locations remain the same. Photo credit 07/23/2014

New Office for Dickson Realty in Truckee CA   Finally the long awaited day is here, our Truckee office is ready to be moved into our new building the week of July 14th. It has a neo-modern architecture style with elements of wood and steel. The new location is at the corner of Donner Pass Road and Northwoods Boulevard which is at the entrance to Tahoe Donner. That entire week will be a ‘transition’ week, so if you need to reach me during that time, please call my cell number at 530-545-3458.    I am very excited but also have some mixed emotions. I started my real estate career in 1999 with Century 21 in the building we currently reside in. That was the time when we no longer had to wear the gold jackets but C-21 was still a dominant name in the real estate industry. How time has change... 07/12/2014