Better Outside Than In: Abandon Ship

Tuesday, March 17, 2020

Abandon Ship

I woke up this AM and went to the hotel lobby to check out. It was locked and had a number on the door. I called the number and they said they are closed. I didn't argue the point that I was just sleeping in one of their rooms so they aren't really closed. Anyway I left the keys in the room and left. Lake Tahoe is a tourist town. With the ski area, casinos, all restaurants, and most everything else closed it is hard to imagine a good outcome. All of the small businesses that own everything will probably run out of cash quickly. I know when I had my small business we had enough to make it for about 2 months. The future is some big corporation coming in a year from now and buying everything up at pennies on the dollar?
Notes on Lake Tahoe for the future:
The first hotel was in town and close to the employee housing. Employee housing is 1100 Keller road. That was good since there is a shuttle that goes from the employee housing to the gondola and to the California lodge. The one day I did ski I took the bus and did not have to drive.
The California lodge has lifts that work when it is windy. The gondola shuts down first when it is windy. The second hotel was near State Line and the casinos. You could walk to the Gondola from here and also get on the bus to go the California lodge if needed. This is closer to the lake. Both options are good and you can walk or take a bus were you need to go.
Kirkwood is the place to ski which I never made it to this trip. I have skied there in the past. Heavenly is great also but not as much steep terrain.

So, I left. 5-7 feet of snow in the mountains and chains required to get out of town. Chains are a pain. You put them on in below freezing temperatures and it is snowing. You put them on, drive a little, tighten, drive, tighten, and then they are OK to go 30 miles an hour. Feels like you are driving over golf balls the whole time. They actually don't do much from what I can tell. I had pretty good tires and the van is good in the snow but chains are required so you must have them on the car whether they help or not. Taking them off is much easier but you end up with a pile of sandy wet chains to throw in your car. Of course the weather forecast for the next 3 days was more snow. If not for the world shutting down it would have been an amazing time to be in Tahoe.

I drove down the pass to Carson City and then took 95 to Pahrump. The drive was interesting with mountains and desert. Walker Lake was one place I passed which is BLM land so you could camp there. Lots of military land around this whole route. Shortly after Walker Lake there was an installation with many (hundreds) of cement storage buildings. Pahrump is a decent small town near Death Valley NP. I stayed at the Walmart 2 nights which worked out fine.

There are horned sheep in Nevada and one ran across the road on 95. There are also signs for them around Pahrump. Did not expect that! Amazing change today from winter and lots of snow to desert and 60 degrees.