Paths To The Past

Explore Tahoe’s History

By Jenay Aiksnoras, Chief Experience Curator at Lake Tahoe Yoga featuring Bliss Experiences

Washoe walk through a Tahoe meadow

Compared to the rest of the country, settlement in Lake Tahoe is new. This area of the country has remained untouched in some places and completely changed in others. Tour the Tahoe basin with a perspective on the past and learn about how the place many call home has been irreversibly changed by settlers.

Bonanza!

​In June of 1859, one of the most significant mining discoveries in American history was made in the Virginia Range of Nevada. The discovery of silver and gold in the area drew people in from across the country, and the town of Virginia City was created almost overnight. (Bureau of Land Management)  

People flocked from across the country to try their luck at mining for gold and silver. The “rush” to dig, pan and discover gold required the building of infrastructure including homes. To do so, the settlers used what was readily available; trees.

Clear Cut Comstock

As the story goes, the initial gold discovery at the site was made by the brothers Ethan and Hosea Grosh in 1857. When the Groshes died tragically that same year, Henry Comstock and several other men laid claim to the Grosh's sections.  The Comstock Lode gets its name from Henry Comstock. Born in Ontario, Canada, Henry was a gold prospector who was known by many for his larger-than-life personality. Ironically, there is little evidence that Henry Comstock is the person who really discovered the silver-ore deposits that would eventually be named for him.(Bureau of Land Management)  

The Comstock Lode changed the Tahoe Basin area forever. Trains were built, towns developed and mining shafts that were created then are still accessible today. The timber used to build all of this came from the Tahoe Basin. More than two thirds of the trees were removed.  The logging eliminated the native trees, changed the habitat and permanently affected the Tahoe environment.

Clear Cutting Tahoe

Diminishing Beauty

Gazing upon the Tahoe Basin today, you may think, “What a beautiful forest.” As you learn more of the history, the beauty remains, but can become diminished. Imagine what the Tahoe forest looked like before the gold and silver rush:

The diversity in the trees indicated a healthy forest from floor to canopy.  There was Western White Pine or Silver Pine and Sugar Pine, which grew to heights from 160 to 180 feet, and in diameter from 4 to 7 feet. This was used for building purposes. Western Yellow Pine or Ponderosa Pine was abundant and used for general purposes. The Jeffrey Pine grew in the region in similar sizes and general characteristics. White or Silver Fir was abundant in the Tahoe region. It was cut mostly into firewood, together with the pine tops left in logging. It takes a long time to dry, and as it warps badly, it was not used for building. The diameter reached up to 5 feet. The Douglas Fir, or Douglas Spruce, was found around Lake Tahoe and reached heights of 100 to150 feet. On account of the strength of the wood, it is one of the most valuable of forest trees. Red Fir grows over the entire range, but was not very abundant or accessible. Red Cedar or Incense Cedar was used principally in structures in contact with the ground, the heart wood being resistant to decay. (Forest History Society)

Our forest is far less diverse today because, once the historic forest was gone. The removal of old growth trees opened the opportunity for young, fast growing trees to take over. Today, you’ll notice that most of the trees in the basin, particularly on the Nevada side, are Jeffrey Pines.

The Jeffrey Pine has taken over Tahoe

Path Toward Protection

You might notice that some Tahoe residents are protective of the basin environment. The more we learn about how the area has been changed by settlers, the more we are reaching out to those who lived here before; the Wá∙šiw (Wah-shoe).  During the California gold rush followed by the subsequent silver rush in Nevada a few years later, thousands of miners and immigrants flooded Wá∙šiw lands in a relatively short time period and they stayed here, disrupting the balance; changing the Wá∙šiw world forever in only a few short years.

Their knowledge of the basin area shared among tribal members provides education for everyone. If we can learn to live with the environment rather than attempt to change it, we can assist in returning the forest to its natural state so it can, once again, be healthy.

Perception Is Everything

Has your perspective on Tahoe shifted?  As you drive the slope to and from the basin or travel through the valley below, imagine the forest as it was before the settlers came, before gold and silver. Can you see the blue lake with clarity down to 100 feet? Envision a healthy and diverse forest. Imagine the Tahoe basin without any houses.

Visit Tahoe with a perspective of protection. Walk the trails in the same way that the people from here did; in search of nourishment beyond food.  Stay on the path and reflect upon how it would have been if the settlers never came.  Do your part to help the basin heal and reduce the impact that we, the new settlers, have upon the area.

At Lake Tahoe Yoga featuring Bliss Experiences we collaborate with Tahoe's best professionals and small businesses to provide uniquely curated opportunities to connect with nature and your Self.  We're ready to curate your custom experience while you are in Lake Tahoe.