Those of us who have been living in Tahoe for a long time sometimes are challenged by the changes we have seen.
The visitors can get on our nerves and we have been known to toss out a few choice thoughts: Why are they parked there? Why is this trail so busy? Why are they driving so slowly — or perhaps — why are they driving so fast? But I have discovered a remedy for the stresses of life in a tourist town: Go out of your way to be nice and pass on information about the area to visitors. You and the community will be rewarded.
The hope is that giving folks information about what makes Tahoe special will get them to treat our little piece of paradise with the respect it deserves.
Recently on a walk through a less traveled part of Sugar Pine Point State Park, I was startled by a big low-flying woodpecker with a bright red head. My first thought was it was a rare glimpse of a pileated woodpecker, but he went by so fast I wasn’t sure. A few seconds later I saw a woman headed in my direction with a camera with a big lens so I thought, this is someone who has to like birds, so I told her to keep her eyes peeled for the woodpecker. She was visiting the area and excited to hear we had those giant woodpeckers in Tahoe. In fact, since this was June and she was from Phoenix, she seemed pretty damn tickled to just be enjoying a cool breeze on a hiking trail in Tahoe.
She then asked me where the sugar pines that the park is named after were? I said, “Let me show you.” As we walked, I pointed out enormous specimens of sugar pine and cedars. And we talked about Jeffrey pines while gazing across the white sandy beach toward the deep blue of Tahoe on a windy day.
Check off #100–#107 on our Ultimate Tahoe Summer Bucket List
After a few minutes of nature study, I said my goodbyes and she expressed her appreciation with an enormous smile on her face. Perhaps she forgot our conversation 10 minutes later, or perhaps, it was a positive little vignette that made her Tahoe vacation just a teensy bit better. Either way, it feels good to pass on some of the information that’s in my head about the flora and fauna of Tahoe. I mean it is not doing much good in the recesses of my brain, it might as well get out to people who might be able to put it to use.
Passing on a bit of kindness and knowledge can make us feel better for several reasons. First, the hope is that giving folks information about what makes Tahoe special will get them to treat our little piece of paradise with the respect it deserves. Once you have learned more about how amazing our trees, mountains and lake are you might be less inclined to drop a piece of litter or a dog poop bag on the trail. (Ugh, dog poop bags — those are the worst.)
Even if you are not motivated by a desire to protect Lake Tahoe, telling someone about how old that enormous tree might be, or that if you are lucky on a calm day you might see a mink swimming around the rocky shoreline, is a positive reminder to ourselves that we do live in a wonderful place — and the traffic jams we run into will be a bit easier to bear.
Another reason to pass on your expertise to visitors is that it gives you the chance to experience a place you have seen dozens of times with a fresh set of eyes. When we see how excited they are by the meeting of the emerald green and deep blue waters along Tahoe’s West Shore, it is a reminder for us to appreciate all that we have every day.
Want to pass on your Tahoe knowledge but not sure how to do it? You could join others by becoming part of Tahoe Rim Trail Association’s Task Force Trailhead program and become a Trail Ambassador or join the Sustainable Truckee Ambassador program. | tahoerimtrail.org, visittruckeetahoe.com
The Seven Principles of Leave No Trace
- Plan ahead and prepare
- Travel and camp on durable surfaces
- Dispose of waste properly
- Leave what you find
- Minimize campfire impacts
- Respect wildlife
- Be considerate of others
