December 16th, 2010
Snow on the ground and local holiday activities help get all of us here in beautiful Lake Tahoe into the holiday spirit. We’re fortunate to be surrounded by forest in need of thinning, so just a few minutes from home, we can traipse out into the woods and cut down our Christmas tree.
 My guys, Oscar and Jason with the family Christmas tree Probably my favorite holiday tradition is compliments of the South Lake Tahoe Fire Department. The firefighters decorate one engine, then cruise the neighborhoods in the evenings blaring Christmas music and handing out candy canes. It’s so exciting to hear the music and run outside to see the truck coming down the street!
 You can't see me, but Oscar and I are there! For the second year in a row, the Barton Foundation put on the Festival of Trees and Lights, a weekend full of holiday activities. The Polar Express was one piece that was a huge hit with attending families. After loading on the trains (decorated school buses), the families sang Christmas carols en route to the Red Hut where tumblers tumbled and elves served cocoa to the sound of the “Hot, Hot, we got it!” ‘Hot Chocolate’ song from the Polar Express motion picture.
 Elves with hot chocolate The next stop was the ‘North Pole’ (Mont Bleu) with a forest of beautifully decorated Christmas trees as the backdrop for Mrs. Claus’s reading of the ‘Polar Express‘, a visit from Santa, then each child received a bell.
 Mrs. Claus with a Polar Express conductor My coworkers and I are fortunate to work on the same schedule as Stanford University and the alumni association, so we will be out of the office after Friday, December 17 and return on Monday, January 3. I’m looking forward to spending time with family and enjoying the great outdoors in California. Happy holidays to you and best wishes for a healthy and happy new year!
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December 3rd, 2010
What we now call the Old Lodge was built in 1932 as the Fallen Leaf Lodge.
 The original Fallen Leaf Lodge The Price family took summer bookings, and beginning in 1953, a portion of the summer was set aside as “camp time” for Stanford alumni.
 Ladies enjoying the comfortable Old Lodge The “camp time” continued until the Stanford Alumni Association coordinated the creation of the Stanford Camp Association in 1959. Sierra Camp was now officially part of the Stanford family.
 Guests enjoying time outdoors on the deck Some things have changed in the past 50 years, but others have stayed the same. Guests still relax on the deck, chatting and reading newspapers, but not so many smoke cigarettes these days! Sierra Camp families still enjoy boating and the sing-a-long at the beach bonfire.
 Rowing with storm clouds brewing over Angora Ridge  Bonfire at Baby Beach with s'mores Over the years, we continue to improve and modernize the Camp buildings and amenities while maintaining the mountain retreat flavor, so our guests can enjoy a comfortable stay and the traditional Camp activities in our beautiful setting on Fallen Leaf Lake.
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November 19th, 2010
Brittany Smith did. After listening to friend and fellow Buckeye Kim Grabo’s urgings for two years, Brittany packed up her things in North Olstead, Ohio and headed West!
 Arrival day in Lake Tahoe - not bad! Hired as an “all-purpose staff”, Brittany’s job duties included the basics you would expect at a conference center; washing dishes, housekeeping, serving meals, plus some unique shifts like boatster cruises. Boatster is our 22-person pontoon boat. Groups can rent boatster with a driver for an hour cruise for $100. Brittany was trained and scheduled for boatster cruises which quickly became her favorite shift.
 Captain Brittany Brittany loved the younger guests on the cruises yelling, “Faster, faster!” and when fellow staffer, Luna rode along to share the history of Fallen Leaf’s formation by glaciers.
 A young, unruly boatster rider When she wasn’t working, Brittany spent her time kayaking, disc golfing and taking photos. You can see a selection of Brittany’s photos on our Facebook page.
Brittany is staying in Tahoe for the winter and working in the daycare at Heavenly mountain resort, then she plans to return to Fallen Leaf Lake for our spring conference season.
Visit our career opportunities page for information on working at our conference center this spring. Brittany’s advice for prospective staff, “Pack warm clothes, especially for evenings. Yes, it’s California, but we’re in the mountains!”
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November 4th, 2010
Since we operate as a family camp in the summer, we have a couple fun signature events which your group might want to try in the spring or fall. For a relaxed, low key gathering, plan a bonfire at Baby Beach.
 Daytime photo of Baby Beach Our staff will get the fire going and keep the flames roaring. Plan to head down to the beach after dinner, and maybe order up some s’mores and hot chocolate, or a selection of beers and wine from the fountain. Breathe in the fresh mountain air, as you sit back and take in the expansive view of the stars. A beach bonfire wouldn’t be complete without campfire songs. We recommend hiring local musician, Carolyn Dolan, with her warm, soulful voice and high energy harmonica playing she will get your entire group singing along.
 Enjoying the warmth of the bonfire For an upbeat, high energy evening, schedule a game of Disco Bingo. Give your group advance notice, so they can pack their finest brightly colored, wildly patterned polyester. After dinner and a glass of wine or beer is the best time to play. Our energetic, costumed staff will be your bingo caller and disco divas for the evening. Before calling “bingo” you might Conga line around the room, and show your finest moves to Abba’s “Dancing Queen” or The Weather Girls’ “It’s Raining Men”.
 Sherry and her helper pulling bingo numbers If a beach bonfire or Disco Bingo sound like a good fit for your group, check our available dates, then email nancylh@stanford.edu or call me at 530-542-5600 for more information. Now that I’ve got you thinking about disco, maybe it’s a good time to rent ‘Saturday Night Fever’ and brush up on those dance moves!
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October 22nd, 2010
If you would like to hold a casual gathering for your group, we recommend a social hour in the Old Lodge.
For a pre or post dinner gathering, the Old Lodge can accommodate about 50 people, weather permitting overflow onto the deck with its wonderful view of Fallen Leaf Lake. If weather is cooler and your group is over 50 people, we suggest renting heaters from local rental company Eventmasters for the deck.
 The Old Lodge deck There are plenty of cozy chairs and couches in the Old Lodge. Built in 1932, the room has a wonderful feel of history and ambiance. Choose from a wide selection of board games for some friendly competition among your group.
 Social hour in the Old Lodge A roaring fire in the stone fireplace completes the cozy feel.
We can serve your choice of delicious hors d’oeuvres, wine, beer and non-alcoholic beverages. If you have any musicians in your group, there are two pianos in the Old Lodge.
 Playing piano in the Old Lodge You can also use the Old Lodge for meetings and break out sessions during the day or just as a place to relax during free time.
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October 6th, 2010
Guests from all groups in September and the start of October enjoyed warm daytime temperatures in the 70s and 80s. The first weekend of October, alumni from Stanford’s Graduate School of Business (GSB) visited with their families to enjoy Sierra camp and our wonderful outdoors.
 The center of Camp Our staff provided organized activities for kids ages 5-12 and the GSB brought staff to run programs for the large number of toddlers in the group.
 Happy kids at Camp According to his parents, this little guy cried at drop off, then cried again at pick up because he didn’t want to leave his train.
 I don't want to leave my train! With so many young guests, it’s a good idea to pick your dining partners carefully. You don’t know who’s been putting their hand in the water pitcher!
 Caught red-handed! With our pleasant fall weather you can boat, hike or just relax outdoors. There are plenty of great spots around Camp to just sit back and relax.
 The Old Lodge deck  Reading on the ski dock  The Stanford room deck The boat dock is a favorite with our staff.
We are booking group events now for fall 2011. Take a look at our availability calendar, then call us to plan your visit to our comfortable conference center on beautiful Fallen Leaf Lake.
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September 21st, 2010
Hewlett Packard brought a group of 140 software developers to our comfortable conference center for a couple days of innovation, creativity and team building. There were a few organized activities, then the participants were on their own to share their passion with fellow attendees. One participant gave a painting workshop, then had his students paint together. They completed a beautiful painting in just over an hour.
 Group painting on the ski dock  The group's finished painting Participants could join as many or as few workshops they wanted. Post-it art was new to me!
 Post-it tulip I’m not quite sure about the theme of this workshop, but they put together some nice portraits. I recognize Homer Simpson!
 Portraits on the Old Lodge deck Participants were free to join as many workshops they liked or hike, boat, or just relax in the sun.
 Relaxing in front of the lake Hewlett Packard also planned fun social events including a beach bonfire with s’mores and a drum circle on the first night. On their second night, volunteers from the group worked together to prepare their culinary specialties and provide dinner for the entire group.
 Chopping and prepping dinner on the dining room deck The event was a huge success and Hewlett Packard plans to return in the spring or fall of 2011 for more creativity and innovation on Fallen Leaf Lake.
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September 8th, 2010
The fountain is our store. We no longer have fountain drinks in the fountain, but the name stuck. The fountain is really more than a store, it’s the espresso bar in the morning, place to shop for sundries and needed items during the day and a pub in the evening serving wine and beer.
 The fountain entry Kristin Janson, fountain manager, has the fountain stocked with a wide selection of T-shirts to commemorate your trip to Fallen Leaf Lake.
 Colorful array of T-shirts In line with our efforts to lessen our impact on the environment, we have a number of environmentally friendly T-shirts made from recycled material. The shirts are comfortable and cute!
 Design on an eco-friendly shirt made of 70% bamboo If you are attending a meeting or event, we have fresh brewed coffee available all day. For those who need a stronger dose of caffeine, you can purchase an espresso drink in the fountain. We use locally roasted Alpen Sierra coffee to make our delicious, frothy pick-me-ups.
 Barista Julie preparing a latte If you need a cold beverage, the fountain has traditional sodas, bottled juices, sparking and bottled water. During the evening, the fountain serves microbrew, domestic and imported beers plus an excellent selection of wine from Stanford-affiliated vineyards and wineries. The fountain also sells snacks including candy and trail bars plus delicious, freshly popped popcorn. Once you have your treat, the fountain deck is a relaxing place to sit for a few minutes and enjoy the spectacular view.
 Fallen Leaf Lake view from the fountain deck Your group coordinator will designate hours of operation for the fountain during your conference or event. If there is something special you would like to see in the fountain, please let us know!
 Julie ready to serve fountain customers
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August 23rd, 2010
I took the following pictures on Friday, August 20, about 5:30pm, just before dinner during week 10 of our 12 weeks of alumni family camp. For the younger crowd, a favorite activity is crawdad fishing off the ski dock right in front of the lodge. Get some lunch meat from the kitchen, tie it up with some string and you’re good to go. (Face paint option, but it can help.)
 Crawdad fishing Some other lake wildlife are hoping to score some treats from the fishermen.
 Ducklings Dinner on summer Fridays is a BBQ in front of the lodge.
 Kim Grabow, fountain assistant, bringing out wine for the Friday BBQ You always want to save room for dessert when dining at Camp. Lighting isn’t great on this shot, but you can still see the gorgeous chocolate cakes freshly made by Kurt, our wonderful Swiss pastry chef.
 Chocolate tortes Over the next couple of weeks, I will get out and capture more images of summer fun at Stanford Sierra Camp.
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July 12th, 2010
Fall is a beautiful season in Lake Tahoe with endless days of clear blue skies, golden aspen leaves, calm lake waters, and vibrant green pines. Schedule your meetings for morning and evening, then leave your afternoons free to relax or explore the Fallen Leaf Lake area.
 Barbie knitting on the deck with calm Fallen Leaf Lake in the background Active options include getting out on the water in a kayak, peddle boat, row boat or sailboat from our boat dock.
 Kayaking the calm waters of Fallen Leaf Lake  Schedule a few days, so you can also hike on one of many nearby trails. Fall weather is usually very mild and a wonderful time to get out on the hiking trails. Angora Lakes is an excellent destination where you can hike up one trail and down another.
During the fall, time your meeting to coincide with one of many special events in South Lake Tahoe. For the active crowd, the Lake Tahoe Marathon Week has a number of competitions to choose from September 22nd through the 26th. If beer drinking and braut-eating are more your style, Oktoberfest at Camp Richardson is October 2nd and 3rd just minutes from our conference center. Just down the street from Camp Richardson, watch the Kokanee salmon on their arduous journey up Taylor Creek from Lake Tahoe to Fallen Leaf Lake at the Kokanee Salmon Festival. The first weekend in October visit the Taylor Creek Visitor Center for activities including the Salmon feed, 5K, 10K and 1/2 marathon trail runs.
For many of us Lake Tahoe locals, fall is our favorite season. Check our availability calendar to choose dates for your fall retreat and experience the beauty of autumn at Fallen Leaf Lake.
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