Environmental docs out for Heavenly expansion
Heavenly Mountain Resort wants to expand its summer offering beyond the ropes courses that opened this season. Photo/Kathryn Reed
Heavenly Mountain Resort is taking the next step to expand its on-mountain summer offerings.
Comments are being taken on the draft environmental documents for the Epic Discovery project.
The project includes:
· Mid-Station Zipline Canopy Tour: An interpretive zipline canopy tour in the area between the gondola mid-station and the top station to the east of the gondola alignment.
· East Peak Zipline Canopy Tour: A multi-stage guided zipline canopy tour will begin near the top of Big Easy chairlift and end with a zip over East Peak Lake, near the base of Dipper Express chairlift.
· Sky Meadows Zipline Canopy Tour: It will begin near the top of Tamarack Express chairlift and end near the base of Sky Express chairlift.
· Sky Cycle Canopy Tour: Located in the area between the gondola top station and the Mid-Station Observation Deck, the Sky Cycle Canopy Tour will allow visitors to traverse the area by pedaling individual bicycle-like devices that are suspended from a cable in the air.
· Sky Meadows Ropes Course: A self-guided ropes course consisting of a series of platforms and rope walkway-bridges will be located between Sky Deck and the base of Sky Express chairlift.
· Forest Flyer: The Forest Flyer allows guests on individual sleds to descend on a raised track through the forest and natural rock formations. Located north and west of the existing tubing hill, the Forest Flyer will utilize gravity for the descent while giving riders full control of their speed.
· East Peak Lake Water Activities: Water-oriented activities on and around the existing East Peak reservoir will include kayaking, canoeing and fishing.
· Hiking Trails: New hiking trails will connect the top of Tamarack Express chairlift to the top of the gondola and Tamarack Lodge, continuing down to East Peak Lodge, approximately 3 miles.
· Ridge Run Lookout Tower and Observation Deck: A new observation tower will be developed near the existing Ridge Run Overlook. Resembling a historic Forest Service Fire Lookout Tower, it will offer views of High Meadows and Freel Peak, as well as Lake Tahoe. The existing picnic deck adjacent to the top of Sky Express chairlift will be rebuilt.
· Mountain Bike Park: Dipper Express, Comet Express and Tamarack Express will serve as access points to the Mountain Bike Park in the East Peak Basin area, offering eight to 10 total miles of trails ranging in difficulty from beginner through expert.
· Mountain Excursion Tour: A Mountain Excursion Tour will connect all three activity centers via motorized 4×4 vehicles, at the top of the Gondola, East Peak Lodge, and Sky Meadows, and will offer guided tours to various locations around the upper mountain.
· Interpretive Learning: Interpretive Discovery Zones will be integrated throughout the experience, sharing the area’s rich natural environment and cultural history with guests using fun and informative learning techniques.
The draft environmental impact report and draft environmental impact statement may be found online.
Here is the public hearings schedule for the project:
• Sept. 10, 9:30am, TRPA Advisory Planning Commission, TRPA board room, 128 Market St., Stateline.
• Sept. 24, 9:30am, TRPA Governing Board, 128 Market St., Stateline.
• Oct. 8, 4pm, Lahontan Regional Water Quality Control Board, 971 Silver Dollar Ave., South Lake Tahoe.
Comments may be emailed to dlandry@trpa.org before Oct. 21.
— Lake Tahoe News staff report
Wow. Ropes and tracks for the zoo animals. Lazy tourists enjoy worthless and pointless pursuits. All leave feeling they expirienced the ‘real’ Tahoe and subsequently get ‘EPIC’ tattooed (temporary of course) on their spouses asses. The heave once again explores profit for all seasons. How about fixing pioneer trail? How about paying taxes to the community that shoulders the burden of your enterprise ? I’d rather crash my ridgid bike into Osgood swamp by candlelight than give this company my summer money as well. – signed a pass holder from 1988
Tahoebluewire, I have to agree with you on Heavenly’s expansion program. Sure, Vail can do what they want with the property that they’re leasing from the Forest Service so it’s their call.
I would like to see more emphasis put on South Shores natural beauty,hiking and biking trails, fishing, water skiing or just lounging on the beach.
Zip lines, Rope cycle canopy, rope courses, a water ride?
I never thought I’d say this ,but I miss the days when Hugh Killabrew ran the place and it was a REAL ski resort… not Disney on the mountain!
Come back Martin Hollay, Malcom Tibbets, Jim and Kim Warlow, Hans ,Fritz and Walter and yes, even Herb Walters and Pepi Greimeister and of course my old friend Frank Moore ( psst.. Tom Davis was part of this crew as well , Vote for Tom, he knows Old Tahoe!)
So as Heavenly gets the permits to expand their operations , remember they pay next to nothing in city taxes. That’s the way the city boudaries were drawn up in 1965. OLS
p.s., Startied skiing Heavenly Valley in 1962.
These message boards are so painful to read. How about just once you frequent posters try leaving something positive. How about, way to go Vail…….bringing fresh ideas, more tourist dollars, and jobs. For this community to survive we must continue to thoughtfully innovate. That will allow investment in the things you would like to see happen too.
Signed,
A fourth generation Tahoen (since you two love to throw around how long you have been here)
I agree with try something positive. Vail will get something done and all these new things will employ people. Not sure how much employment come from fishing, water skiing and beach lounging.
Conceived in 1965 on Rocky Point Rd.
Been in the area since the early 60s, maybe earlier but I was to young to remember, my family has been west of the continental divide since the 1840s(seems to be a requirement around here). Heavenly Village pays .5 cents of every retail taxable dollar to the city of South Lake Tahoe. I’m guessing the huge (thousands?)number of beds(TOT taxes) around the Heavenly Village area will be more full and probably with longer stays as a result of more recreation options on this PUBLIC property. If these tourist average around $100K a year income, maybe some $30K a year or so household might not mind serving them some food, ect…
A world class, winter lift assisted resort without lift assisted mtn biking is kinda questionable. Without all the peripheral recreation around the mtn biking, the budget might not fly.
Well folks thanks for setting me straight. Yes if these additions to Heavenly Valley create jobs for locals and the money they make is spent here, then I’m all for it.
I’m not anti Vail or anti casino, I’d just like to see more emphasis on people shopping locally and enjoy what So. Shore has to offer within the city limits so at least some of the money stays here in town.
Just my thoughts. OLS
TrySomethingPositive:
Thank you for your post. All too often people get locked into the past, refuse to appreciate the present, reject looking forward and embracing the new, and deny needed changes. If we’d remained in the past the bloggers on this site wouldn’t be typing their comments on a keyboard and emailing them to LTN, but instead would be typing them on some old, heavy typewriter and mailing them via the post office with an affixed stamp. That process would have taken 3-5 of the “good old days”.
You give me hope about longtime Tahoens. I’m 5th generation northern Californian born, now 65-years old, looking forward to seeing what types of positive innovations take place to help this community prosper, and after hearing some young people address the City Council (Tahoe Regional Young Professionals) I’m feeling optimism.
Spouse-4-mer-usmc
I guess by reading some of these posts that people are ok with Vail offering slightly above minimum wage jobs, little or no benifits or retirement planning etc. I am not so ignorant to call Vail ‘the big bad evil’ corporation, but make no mistake, profits are what drives them, not community and not sustainable community business. The ropes course is just dumb.
Vail has the monopoly to manage thousands of acres on that great PUBLIC mountain. I guess you can choose not to work there. I’m glad relatively law abiding people don’t have to poach the public mountain anymore.
All it takes is one city kid turned on by he he or she learns in on a mountain canopy tour to be the active conservationist of the future. I think is sounds great. Private companies don’t fix roads, but the tax dollars they bring in do.
Tahoebluewire:
While I agree that this community greatly needs jobs that pay a real living wage, it is not the responsibility of Heavenly/Vail to develop the economic climate to make that possible. Heavenly/Vail is a business that is in business to make money and their business type typically pays minimum wage to the majority of their employees.
However, it is the responsibility of our civic leaders to recognize and take action in creating the opportunities to broaden and attract new types of business interests to our community and to ultimately diversify our job opportunities and our economic base.
Where would this town be without the millions of dollars worth of snowmaking equipment Heavenly installed?
Most people don’t realize what Heavenly and The Vail corp have done for this town and our environment … Yes our environment!… Look to the future people.. And if you really want to have a say in what happens here VOTE!