Mountain Living. Natural Wonders. Community Spirit. August 2026

In this issue

• An inside look at the 2026 Olympic Club Trans Tahoe Relay

• Pulling Together for our Community

• There's a New Bookshop in Town

• 2026 Lake Tahoe Ski Club Asado

• Incorporate North Tahoe / Latest News

• Next Green Waste Disposal Day

• Palisades Tahoe Festivities Return

• Helping the Next Generation Find Their Place in Tahoe

  with PTCF

Across Tahoe, Tethered by Trust

The 2026 Olympic Club Trans Tahoe Relay

The Olympic Club Trans Tahoe Relay is far more than an open-water swimming race. It's an 11-mile test of endurance, teamwork and trust, staged across one of the most beautiful bodies of water in the world.

The tradition began in 1976, when members of San Francisco’s Olympic Club challenged one another to a team race across Lake Tahoe. Other swimming clubs were soon invited to participate, and that friendly challenge grew into an annual invitational relay, and eventually one of the largest and most respected open-water swimming events in the world.

The 50th-anniversary race, held July 18th, 2026, was the largest yet. A record-breaking 336 six-person boat-and-swim teams registered to compete, approximately 2,016 swimmers in all.

The course began at Sand Harbor Beach, Nevada, and stretched 11 miles across Lake Tahoe (around 57 degrees at the time) to the finish at Skylandia Beach in California.

But these impressive numbers tell only part of the story.

Our Olympic Valley neighbors and good friends Terri and Dan Streetman volunteered their time—and their boat—to support the race for their third year. Their involvement connected them with a remarkable team of visually impaired swimmers, guides and athletes willing to step forward, trust one another and do something genuinely difficult.

I met with Dan and the gang at the Tahoe City Marina, pre-dawn on race day. We talked about what first inspired him to become involved, and why someone with an already busy life would volunteer his time, boat and energy to help.

“I first met Corvin through my work with the United States Association of Blind Athletes and Team With A Vision, serving as a marathon guide for visually impaired runners,” Dan explained.

“Corvin and I have completed both the Boston Marathon and Ironman California together. When he asked me to work with the team of visually impaired swimmers he captains, I jumped at the chance. Working alongside people who energetically step up to do hard things, and overcome deeply personal challenges, is both inspirational and motivating,” said Dan.

The team’s determination was evident all the way to the finish. Gordon and Corvin swam the final leg strongly enough to bring the team ashore before the cutoff, an accomplishment captured in a photograph Dan especially treasures. (See photo by Dan below.)

“That’s Corvin and Gordon at the finish line,” said Dan. “We made the cutoff thanks to their strong swim on the final leg. I love this photo!”

Gordon McDonald: Finding a Way to Contribute

Dan Streetman originally recruited Gordon McDonald for the relay and introduced him to team captain Corvin.

For Gordon, however, the inspiration to support visually impaired athletes began years earlier with his Naval Academy classmate, Brad Snyder.

Brad, an eight-time Paralympic medalist, lost his vision to an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) while serving in Afghanistan in 2011. Exactly one year after his injury, he won his first Paralympic gold medal in London.

“Watching what Brad accomplished stayed with me,” Gordon said. “It motivated me to find a way to contribute to visually impaired athletes.”

Gordon admits that he entered the water with some uncertainty. Guiding a visually impaired swimmer across Lake Tahoe was unlike anything he had previously experienced. But once he and Corvin found their rhythm, the process became surprisingly natural.

“Guiding is an incredibly rewarding experience,” Gordon said. “I went into it with some nerves because I didn’t know exactly what to expect. But once you and your swimmer find a rhythm together, it becomes remarkably intuitive.

“Corvin knew exactly how to communicate. Before we entered the water, he walked me through the details and our plan. Once we began swimming, we quickly found a steady rhythm and communicated non-verbally through the tether connecting us. We built trust quickly, and that's what made it work so well.”

That word—trust—may be the most important part of this story.

Trust in the tether. Trust in the guide. Trust in the swimmer. Trust that each person will fulfill their role when it matters most.

For Gordon, the defining moment came as he and Corvin approached Skylandia Beach together.

“Corvin has completed this swim numerous times, but he never had the opportunity to finish on the beach,” said Gordon. “Swimming in together, hearing the crowd cheering and crossing the finish line in tandem was the highlight of the race for me.”

Would he do it again?

“In a heartbeat,” says Gordon. “I loved every part of it, especially Dan entrusting me to drive his boat!”

The Trans Tahoe Relay may be measured in miles, minutes and finishing times. But its deeper meaning is found in the things that can't be measured quite so easily: courage, friendship, service and the extraordinary trust shared between people willing to take on something difficult together.

Congratulations... and thank you to Dan and Terri Streetman, Gordon McDonald, Corvin and the entire team.

If this story inspires you, consider volunteering, supporting a future relay team HERE.

Pulling Together for Our Community

The meadow can't pull noxious weeds by itself. It needs help from us. Spotted Knapweed is a California A-rated noxious weed that can crowd out native plants, degrade precious meadow habitat and spread rapidly if we don’t act now. The infestation in our meadow is serious. Removing these plants before they spread their seeds is both critically important and increasingly urgent.

Hand-pulling now can help reduce the infestation, and reduce the need for chemical treatments later. 

On Saturday, July 25th, local resident and Steward, Ed Heneveld, led a community weed pull effort in our Olympic Valley meadow. Read about it HERE.

Please Join Us For Our Next Noxious Weed Eradication Day

Wednesday, August 19th / 8am

Starting again at the far east end of the Palisades Tahoe parking lot

1623 Olympic Valley Road

The Placer County Agriculture Department will provide plant-identification training, shovels, gloves and snacks. 

There's a New Bookshop In Town

... and there's something courageous about opening an independent bookstore in the age of Amazon. When convenience is only a click away, Annie Stefani has chosen something far more meaningful: connection.

At The Understory by Wonderwood Books, you’ll find great books, thoughtful recommendations, familiar faces, lively conversation, and unexpected discoveries no algorithm could ever replicate.

Communities aren’t built by websites. They’re built by people who create places where relationships can grow.

Thank you, Annie, for believing Tahoe City deserves a real bookstore—and for having the vision, courage, and fortitude to make it happen. I hope our community embraces your bookshop because places like this help a town write a better story.

2026 Lake Tahoe Ski Club Asado

For generations, skiing has been far more than a sport in North Tahoe. It's part of our history, our culture, and who we are as a mountain community.

The Lake Tahoe Ski Club Foundation is helping carry that proud tradition forward by supporting young local athletes participating in organized ski-racing programs. Its work gives these competitors the opportunity to develop far more than their skills on the mountain. Along the way, they gain discipline, confidence, resilience and the courage to keep going when the course becomes difficult, lessons that will serve them throughout their lives.

Please join the Foundation for its Annual Asado - an Argentine barbecue, which local Two-Time Olympian, Osvaldo Ancinas introduced to the club more than 32 years ago in his own backyard. Since then, the Asado has moved each year to different locations in or near Olympic Valley, generating tens of thousands of dollars for the club.

This year the Asado is being held on Saturday, August 29th, 2026, beginning at 3pm, at the Olympic Valley Chapel.

Come enjoy a wonderful afternoon with friends and neighbors while helping North Tahoe’s next generation of ski racers pursue their dreams.

Because when we invest in our young people, we aren’t simply helping them reach the bottom of a racecourse a little faster. We’re helping them discover just how far determination, opportunity... and a community that believes in them, can carry them.

Where: Olympic Valley Chapel

When: Saturday August 29th, 3pm

What to Expect: Live Music, Prize Drawing & Auction... Lamb, Wine, Dessert & Dancing and a seriously GOOD TIME!

Get Tickets HERE.

Incorporate North Tahoe / August Update

Community Meetup

Hosted by the Committee to Incorporate North Tahoe

Wednesday, August 12th, 2026

6:30 - 8pm

The Lift Workspace / 10266 Truckee Airport Rd

This summer, INT will continue hosting community meetups like this one throughout our region, creating opportunities for neighbors to learn more, ask questions, and share their perspectives in a welcoming setting.

Meanwhile, the incorporation process continues to move forward as well. In the coming weeks, INT anticipates that LAFCO will complete the selection of the consultant who will conduct the Comprehensive Fiscal Analysis (CFA), an important independent study that will help evaluate whether incorporation is financially feasible.

Learn the facts. Ask questions. Join the conversation.

Next Green Waste Disposal Day / Sunday Aug 9th

Where: Empty lot across from the Olympic Valley Fire Department

When: 9am – 4pm / Sunday, August 9th

Volunteers needed to staff the gate & check materials, if interested please contact me, Michael Kennedy, at (530) 608- 9150 or send me a note: Michael.Kennedy999@gmail.com

Palisades Tahoe Announces Full Lineup

of Summer and Fall Festivals 

Live music, craft beverages, local food and community celebration

Festival season returns to The Village at Palisades Tahoe with six events featuring live music, local food, craft beer, wine and mountain culture from August through October.

Brews, Jazz & Funk

Saturday, August 8

Celebrating its 25th anniversary, Brews, Jazz & Funk returns as one of Palisades Tahoe’s most beloved summer traditions. Enjoy craft beer from local breweries while listening to live jazz, funk and soul music. This dog-friendly event is fun for the whole family, with 100% of proceeds benefiting the Humane Society of Truckee-Tahoe. 

Bluesdays Free Concert Series

Every Tuesday through September 1st

The Bluesdays Free Concert Series brings nationally recognized blues musicians to The Village at Palisades Tahoe every Tuesday from 6 to 8:30pm. Guests can enjoy free outdoor music, mountain views, bar service and dining from Village restaurants. The series runs through September 1st and offers a lively way to spend a summer evening in Olympic Valley.

For more information on Palisades Tahoe events & activities, please click HERE.

Help the Next Generation Find Their Place in Tahoe

with PTCF; Build Lasting Relationships and Resilience

Off the Mountain

For generations, Tahoe's mountains have helped shape confident, resilient, and connected young people. But today, the cost of skiing and snowboarding puts those opportunities out of reach for too many local families.

The Red Dog Chair Scholarship Program helps ensure every child who dreams of being on the mountain has the chance to belong there. Through need-based scholarships, the Palisades Tahoe Community Foundation helps local student-athletes access the equipment, programs, mentorship, and community that can change the course of a life.

Every scholarship is more than financial support. It's confidence. Friendship. Opportunity. A young person discovering what they're capable of.

You can help.

Reserve a name on a Red Dog Chair and create a lasting tribute to your family, a loved one, or a favorite Tahoe memory while helping local kids access the sport we all love.

Reserve your chair today HERE.

All proceeds go to scholarships for financial need helping families access the hill for their kids. Because every kid deserves the chance to find their place on the mountain.

Follow and share your winter sport stories on the PTCF's Instagram HERE.

Palisades Press in newsstands all around town. If you see it missing send me a note!

Michael.Kennedy999@gmail.com

To check out the current issue (and previous issues) of Palisades Press, click HERE.

All photographs by Michael Kennedy (unless otherwise noted) / BlueWolfGallery.com

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I’m Michael Kennedy, a resident of Olympic Valley, CA (in photo above). I’m a photojournalist and I love exploring nature and getting lost along the way. We live in a world that demands our attention and I just want to say thank you for your attention. If you enjoyed this post, please share with a friend. For more photos and stories visit BlueWolfGallery.com.