REI and Kirkwood host the annual national Winter Trails Day event at Kirkwood Cross Country Ski Area and Snowshoe Center on Jan. 9.

Snowshoe vendors, including MSR, Tubbs and Atlas, will offer free snowshoe demos from 10am-3pm and REI Outdoor School instructors will provide guided snowshoe hikes on designated trails at Kirkwood.

REI employees and other organizations such as El Dorado Nordic Ski Patrol and Mountain Adventure Seminars, will be on hand to answer questions about winter recreation and safety in the backcountry.

Kirkwood will offer free mini ski lessons from 10am-2pm. Daily trail users can also enjoy a $6 discount on Kirkwood Trail Passes.

For more information, call (209) 258.7248.

Women Entrepreneurs meet Jan. 7 from 11:30am-1pm at Passeretti’s Restaurant at 1181 Highway 50, South Lake Tahoe.

Lunch is $13 for members or advance registration; $15 for non-members or at the door.

RSVP to jctahoewriter@hotmail.com or go to www.weoftheworld.com and click on the Tahoe Chapter to RSVP or pay online with a credit card.

Join Alpenglow Sports and Alex Honnold for the third free show of their annual Winter Film Series.

Over the past few years the visionary solo ascents, ground breaking speed ascents and free climbing at the highest grades by Northern California local Alex Honnold has consistently rocked the international climbing community.

Honnold makes his debut public presentation that will highlight some of his favorite climbs from Borneo to England’s Gritstone and especially his favorite place: the soaring granite walls of Yosemite Valley.

Who: Alex Honnold

What: Alpenglow Winter Slideshow Series to benefit ARC

When: Jan. 21 at 7pm

Where: Sawtooth Ridge Cafe in Tahoe City, 877 N. Lake Blvd.

Why: To provide a quality community event combined with a focus on community service and charity

There is no charge for the shows and everyone is welcome. The bar and restaurant will be open for drinks and food. The cafe will offer an early bird dinner special starting at 5:30pm. Reservations are recommended.

People are encouraged to arrive early for good seating. Call Alpenglow Sports (530) 583.6917 with any questions.

Join the Lake Tahoe Democratic Club on Feb. 10. Meetings are the second Wednesday of each month at 6:30pm in the loft above the Blue Angel Café, 1132 Ski Run Blvd. South Lake Tahoe.

Everyone welcome.

www.laketahoedems.org

Norma Santiago will give the Lake Tahoe Democratic Club a state of the county report and members will talk about what’s coming up in 2010 for the club.

Meetings are the second Wednesday of each month at 6:30pm in the loft above the Blue Angel Café, 1132 Ski Run Blvd., South Lake Tahoe.

Everyone welcome.

www.laketahoedems.org

Caregiving is a difficult and often challenging role that one can undertake, and taking the opportunity to share information and feel connected to others who are providing care is a vital step to perform this task to the best of your ability.

Take the opportunity on Feb. 11 from 5:30-7:30pm at the South Lake Tahoe Senior Center, 3050 Highway 50, South Lake Tahoe to become connected and rejuvenated in this support group.

Refreshments will be served.

Free respite care is available to qualified caregivers. Pre-authorization is required for respite services.

For more information, contact Penny with the Alzheimer’s Association at (530) 541.2304 or the Family Caregiver Support Program at (530) 621.6251 or (530) 621.6151.

Expedition Kirkwood’s Women’s Weekend is scheduled for March 20-21.

Filled with fun activities and expert coaching, this weekend is a must-do for ladies looking to make dramatic improvement in a short amount of time. Marmot athlete Heather Paul will join the camp this year to coach ladies looking to improve tele skiing ability.

For more information about any of the programs hosted by Expedition:Kirkwood, visit www.kirkwood.com or call (209) 258.7360.

What: “Snowball’s Chance” author David Antonucci presents a complete account of the preparations, pageantry, ceremonies, competitions and epilogues of the historic VIII Olympic Winter Games. Books will be available for purchase following the presentation.

This program is free and refreshments will be provided.

Where: Explore Tahoe: An Urban Trailhead, 4114 Lake Tahoe Blvd. in the Heavenly Village next to Cecil’s Plaza.

When: Jan. 28, 6pm

For more information, contact Lauren Thomaselli at (530) 542.4637 or lthomaselli@cityofslt.us.

Explore Tahoe lecture Jan. 14 at 6pm in South Lake Tahoe.

What: “Saving Lil’ Smokey” Lake Tahoe Wildlife Care Executive Director Cheryl Milham tells the heartwarming story of an orphaned cub, severely injured in a forest fire that was rescued, rehabilitated and released back into the wild. The book written by the firefighter who rescued Li’l Smokey will be available for purchase along with a photo CD. This program is free and refreshments will be provided.

Where: Explore Tahoe: An Urban Trailhead, 4114 Lake Tahoe Blvd in the Heavenly Village next to Cecil’s Plaza. Please consider public transportation – visit www.bluego.org for routes and times.

For more information, contact Lauren Thomaselli at (530) 542.4637 or lthomaselli@cityofslt.us

The 5th biennial conference to learn about the progress made in understanding the Lake Tahoe Basin environment is March 16-17 in Incline Village.

The purpose of this two-day conference is to provide an open forum in which individuals involved in the science and management of the basin can learn about and discuss the latest relevant science and information.

For updates, check the Tahoe Science Consortium website at www.tahoescience.org and the Nevada Water Resource Association Web site at www.nvwra.org.

The event is Sierra Nevada College, 291 Country Club Drive Incline Village.