Thoughts about…

New Year, New Snow

Winter started slow here in Tahoe. In fact, we’ve only just recently received some of our first and only significant snowstorms. This kind of makes me think that Mother Nature has been making reparations for last winter’s non-stop Snowpocalypse that began in November (2022) and basically lasted through May (2023).

I know that not every winter is going to be a big one, so I’m always mentally and financially planning for slow “shoulder” seasons. But while I’ve appreciated the snow-free weather and easy life (i.e. not having to shovel or commute in blizzard conditions), it’s also meant that I haven’t worked at a job since October. Despite being hired at two different xc ski resorts in November, I’ve only just started working this past week. Ahh… the glamorous life of a seasonal worker! haha 🙂

I absolutely love my time off between summer and winter work but when that time extends far into the following season, dread consumes me. I can’t help but wonder if I’ll ever work again! Fortunately, I’m back on the schedule (at both resorts) thanks to these recent snowstorms and I’m settling into a normal routine once again. Whew!

One reason I’m somewhat grateful for the extra time off is that I had a chance to prepare a little for this year’s (2024) Tahoe Big Year. Basically, I had a chance to re-learn how to use some of my cameras that have sat dormant since last Big Year. I’ve also been mentally preparing to constantly be on the grind looking for new bird species. I know I’ve said it before, but Big Years can be intense if you’re committed to embracing them in their entirety.

January 1, 2024, was the official kick-off day for the Tahoe Big Year so a bunch of us birder friends made a day of it. This was just prior to one of our latest snowstorms, mind you, so we all logged quite a few birds. I documented 33 species that day, and I’m currently up to 55 species. That’s crazy considering I’m again aiming for 200+ birds, and the last time around (2021) I only had logged about three birds during that first week.

I haven’t been going too crazy since that first day, however, because it’s only the second week of January! I have to remember to pace myself because this thing lasts an entire year. That, and the majority of birds that people are finding right now are fairly typical Tahoe birds so I don’t necessarily have to log them all today.

There are a few rare-ish birds worth pursuing at the moment, though, so I’m trying to log those ones while they’re around. The most notable species we found on the first day was a Merlin (Falco columbarius). It’s pictured above in the header photo (left of center). While it’s not exactly rare, it’s not exactly common either. So it was nice to log it right off the bat.

What I have been doing a lot during this slow start to the winter, is producing a ton of YouTube videos. The following list of videos is what I produced in December and, in hindsight, it definitely looks like I was busy! Basically, I’d go and find some patches of snow on which to practice as well as capture footage. So, here you go!

Thanks for being a part of my life. Until next time…

-Jared Manninen

Tahoe Trail Guide is an online resource for hiking, backpacking, cross-country skiing, and snowshoeing in the Lake Tahoe region. In addition to trail data, I offer backcountry “how-to” articles and information about the local and natural history of Tahoe. Tahoe Swag is a collection of art and design products I create based on my love of the outdoors and appreciation for Lake Tahoe and the surrounding Sierra Nevada Mountains.

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Last Month’s Newsletter (aka Recap in Video Format!)

As I mentioned in my last newsletter (December 2023), I’m taking a step back from producing monthly essays. Not that I don’t enjoy writing them but they take me quite a bit of time to compose, and I currently want to invest more time and effort into my other pursuits. Mostly, I want to continue building my backcountry blog, Tahoe Trail Guide, and its accompanying YouTube channel.

And, if I’m being completely honest, I think way more people prefer that content compared to my monthly essays. You know how I know that? Analytics. For as long as I’ve been writing those essays, which has been since 2017, I only average between 100-200 views per month here on JaredManninen.com. On the other hand, I average about 12,000 views each month on TahoeTrailGuide.com. And during the bulk of winter (mid-November to mid-March), which is when I produce my xc ski and snowshoe videos, my YouTube channel views average between 1,000-2,000 views each day. So there’s that.

Fortunately, a lot of what I have to say and would like to share naturally fits within the scope of my outdoor content. So I’ll still produce thought-provoking content. It’ll just have a bit more of an outdoorsy angle to it 🙂