David Reichel
@davidreichel.bsky.social
Digging snowpits and pressing keys for the Sierra Avalanche Center. Based in Lake Tahoe, snow science, niche avalanche nerdery, splitboarding, climbing, biking.
Always cool to witness an aurora here in Tahoe. A long time ago I saw a slightly stronger northern lights display here and later saw Galen Rowell hang a photo he took from that night in the Sierra. We giggled recounting the magic of the lights.
November 12, 2025 at 3:42 AM
Always cool to witness an aurora here in Tahoe. A long time ago I saw a slightly stronger northern lights display here and later saw Galen Rowell hang a photo he took from that night in the Sierra. We giggled recounting the magic of the lights.
My community has lost hundreds of homes to fire (Angora Fire 2007), been one of the largest evacuations ever (Caldor Fire 2021), and nearly everyone has had insurance non renewed and prices dramatically increase, but I still don’t see much investment in fire hardening of homes. Great thread.
Fig 5 from our Year in Fire report. Here we show increases in home insurance costs by risk quintile in California. The hard truth is that if we burn down more houses, insurance is going to cost more. A lot more. Those costs are disproportionately borne by residents in high fire risk areas.
November 7, 2025 at 5:35 PM
My community has lost hundreds of homes to fire (Angora Fire 2007), been one of the largest evacuations ever (Caldor Fire 2021), and nearly everyone has had insurance non renewed and prices dramatically increase, but I still don’t see much investment in fire hardening of homes. Great thread.
Unrestricted donations make so much sense if the donor is motivated by the correct reasons.
This is a good look at how HBCUs are using large unrestricted gifts that they have never seen before. It's a combination of strategic investments, student support, and seeding endowments.
How HBCUs Plan to Spend MacKenzie Scott’s Money
The philanthropist dropped upward of $300 million on historically Black colleges and universities this fall. Campus leaders are overjoyed and spending in ways they never thought possible.
www.insidehighered.com
November 7, 2025 at 3:58 AM
Unrestricted donations make so much sense if the donor is motivated by the correct reasons.
California is already behind other states in allowing folks with EVs and home batteries to help out the grid and lower prices for everyone. This veto helps out the big utilities and hurts consumers.
Critics of Newsom's decision point out his relationship with PG&E.
Newsom vetos bills that could have saved Californians $550 million per year
Critics of Newsom's decision point out his relationship with PG&E.
bit.ly
October 14, 2025 at 4:10 AM
California is already behind other states in allowing folks with EVs and home batteries to help out the grid and lower prices for everyone. This veto helps out the big utilities and hurts consumers.
So many great journalists USED to write for Outside. Sorry to see Wes join that list.
In personal news, the right's persecution of free speech has come to outdoor media too: wessiler.substack.com/p/outside-ju...
Outside Just Fired Me Because Of My Politics
I'm hardly Jimmy Kimmel, but that's also a reason this should worry you
wessiler.substack.com
September 21, 2025 at 10:52 PM
So many great journalists USED to write for Outside. Sorry to see Wes join that list.
September 16, 2025 at 5:23 AM
Reposted by David Reichel
enshittification | noun | when a digital platform is made worse for users, in order to increase profits
September 3, 2025 at 8:22 PM
enshittification | noun | when a digital platform is made worse for users, in order to increase profits
This post by a Tahoe local is an important addition to the LA Times article. The @latimes.com article isn't wrong but it misses important context. The soap opera also obscures the obvious truth that people continue to feed bears. Everyday. All around Tahoe.
southtahoenow.com/08/29/2025/l...
southtahoenow.com/08/29/2025/l...
August 30, 2025 at 4:15 AM
This post by a Tahoe local is an important addition to the LA Times article. The @latimes.com article isn't wrong but it misses important context. The soap opera also obscures the obvious truth that people continue to feed bears. Everyday. All around Tahoe.
southtahoenow.com/08/29/2025/l...
southtahoenow.com/08/29/2025/l...
Pika camouflage working well. These dudes are awesome and I was lucky to spot several in the high Sierra.
August 17, 2025 at 3:58 PM
Pika camouflage working well. These dudes are awesome and I was lucky to spot several in the high Sierra.
The group responsible for “protecting and enhancing” the San Fransisco Bay just voted to kill the only bike path crossing the Bay. Incredible.
Final votes are 15 commissioners in favor of the trail closure, 2 opposed, and 1 abstaining. A minimum of 14 votes was needed to pass this, so sadly it means the motion is approved and the bridge trail will be closed 4 days a week for 3 years starting possibly this October.
August 8, 2025 at 12:34 AM
The group responsible for “protecting and enhancing” the San Fransisco Bay just voted to kill the only bike path crossing the Bay. Incredible.
My parent’s donkey Sofia in her short summer look. She is temporarily being confined to a smaller area because the old plumb trees in her field are producing a ton of fruit and the vet says that eating all the plumbs is bad for her. Sofia disagrees with this opinion.
August 1, 2025 at 7:50 PM
My parent’s donkey Sofia in her short summer look. She is temporarily being confined to a smaller area because the old plumb trees in her field are producing a ton of fruit and the vet says that eating all the plumbs is bad for her. Sofia disagrees with this opinion.
Super depressing. The mother and a second cub were just out of frame. This is the Big Meadow trailhead in Lake Tahoe, it’s a forest service parking lot and the dumpster was unsecured and easily tipped by smart bears.
#laketahoe
#blackbear
#afedbearisadeadbear
#laketahoe
#blackbear
#afedbearisadeadbear
July 25, 2025 at 2:07 AM
Super depressing. The mother and a second cub were just out of frame. This is the Big Meadow trailhead in Lake Tahoe, it’s a forest service parking lot and the dumpster was unsecured and easily tipped by smart bears.
#laketahoe
#blackbear
#afedbearisadeadbear
#laketahoe
#blackbear
#afedbearisadeadbear
Overlooked No More: Polina Gelman: Fearless ‘Night Witch’ Who Haunted Nazi Troops
www.nytimes.com
July 21, 2025 at 9:28 PM
I was in my driveway when I heard this bear ripping up an old log searching for grubs. Cool to observe a local bear not relying on people for food.
#laketahoe
#california
#blackbear
#nature
#laketahoe
#california
#blackbear
#nature
July 16, 2025 at 2:34 AM
I was in my driveway when I heard this bear ripping up an old log searching for grubs. Cool to observe a local bear not relying on people for food.
#laketahoe
#california
#blackbear
#nature
#laketahoe
#california
#blackbear
#nature
This is impacting summer child care programs right now in my community.
Explore this gift article from The New York Times. You can read it for free without a subscription. www.nytimes.com/2025/07/01/u...
Trump Withholds Nearly $7 Billion for Schools, With Little Explanation
www.nytimes.com
July 2, 2025 at 2:58 AM
This is impacting summer child care programs right now in my community.
A nice write up of what local South Lake Tahoe public lands could be put up for sale. This isn’t complicated, public lands should stay in public hands.
southtahoenow.com/06/18/2025/p...
southtahoenow.com/06/18/2025/p...
President's proposed public land sale includes beloved Lake Tahoe sites - South Tahoe Now
LAKE TAHOE, Calif./Nev. – Over 250 million acres of public lands could be eligible for sale if the President’s budget reconciliation package, something he has called the “big, beautiful bill,” […]
southtahoenow.com
June 19, 2025 at 2:36 AM
A nice write up of what local South Lake Tahoe public lands could be put up for sale. This isn’t complicated, public lands should stay in public hands.
southtahoenow.com/06/18/2025/p...
southtahoenow.com/06/18/2025/p...
Exploring the local trails as they emerge from snow. The upper part of Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride is still buried but the lower 1/3ish is clear. The ceanothus bushes are exploding post fire near the bottom.
May 31, 2025 at 3:21 PM
Exploring the local trails as they emerge from snow. The upper part of Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride is still buried but the lower 1/3ish is clear. The ceanothus bushes are exploding post fire near the bottom.
The #Blatten event is mind blowing.
@subfossilguy.bsky.social has incredible posts about it.
Highly recommend checking them out.
@subfossilguy.bsky.social has incredible posts about it.
Highly recommend checking them out.
Aerial view westward over the Blatten deposit and the newly formed lake upstream! 🧊🌊
📷Via Christian Petit/Linkedin
📷Via Christian Petit/Linkedin
May 30, 2025 at 1:22 AM
The #Blatten event is mind blowing.
@subfossilguy.bsky.social has incredible posts about it.
Highly recommend checking them out.
@subfossilguy.bsky.social has incredible posts about it.
Highly recommend checking them out.
Spent a few days working on the next gen of avy center websites in North Bend, WA. Necessary exercise breaks were beautiful.
#washington
#northbend
#nature
#washington
#northbend
#nature
May 22, 2025 at 3:43 PM
Spent a few days working on the next gen of avy center websites in North Bend, WA. Necessary exercise breaks were beautiful.
#washington
#northbend
#nature
#washington
#northbend
#nature
“The problem is that the world is run by old people,” he said, “who forget what they were like when they were young.”
Gift link.
www.nytimes.com/2025/05/13/o...
Gift link.
www.nytimes.com/2025/05/13/o...
José Mujica, Leftist President of Uruguay Known for Humility, Dies at 89
www.nytimes.com
May 13, 2025 at 10:04 PM
“The problem is that the world is run by old people,” he said, “who forget what they were like when they were young.”
Gift link.
www.nytimes.com/2025/05/13/o...
Gift link.
www.nytimes.com/2025/05/13/o...
Big winds knocking down trees and blocking trails. There are tons of dead trees burned in the 2021 Caldor Fire all around but the tree that fell didn’t burn and still had green needles on it. 🤷
#tahoe
#trailwork
#meyers #mtb #trailrunning
#chainsaw
#tahoe
#trailwork
#meyers #mtb #trailrunning
#chainsaw
May 13, 2025 at 3:14 AM
Big winds knocking down trees and blocking trails. There are tons of dead trees burned in the 2021 Caldor Fire all around but the tree that fell didn’t burn and still had green needles on it. 🤷
#tahoe
#trailwork
#meyers #mtb #trailrunning
#chainsaw
#tahoe
#trailwork
#meyers #mtb #trailrunning
#chainsaw
Took the splitboard for a tour from Rock Creek to North Lake in the High Sierra. Other than our crew we saw nobody for three days.
#splitboarding
#backcountry
#backcountryskiing
#nature
#sierra
#california
#splitboarding
#backcountry
#backcountryskiing
#nature
#sierra
#california
April 27, 2025 at 2:39 PM
Took the splitboard for a tour from Rock Creek to North Lake in the High Sierra. Other than our crew we saw nobody for three days.
#splitboarding
#backcountry
#backcountryskiing
#nature
#sierra
#california
#splitboarding
#backcountry
#backcountryskiing
#nature
#sierra
#california
A quality article on avalanches in the NY Times. This is my personal lens for understanding how science helps us understand the world around us and make informed decisions.
#snow #avalanche #science #weather
www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
#snow #avalanche #science #weather
www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
How Snow Becomes Deadly (Gift Article)
This season, more than 20 people died in avalanches in the U.S. Can mountains be safer?
www.nytimes.com
April 12, 2025 at 3:11 PM
A quality article on avalanches in the NY Times. This is my personal lens for understanding how science helps us understand the world around us and make informed decisions.
#snow #avalanche #science #weather
www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
#snow #avalanche #science #weather
www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
The longer the walks in the mountains for the next few years the better.
#tahoe #desolationwilderness
#backcountryskiing
#nature #mountains #sierra #splitboarding
#tahoe #desolationwilderness
#backcountryskiing
#nature #mountains #sierra #splitboarding
April 4, 2025 at 2:33 AM
The longer the walks in the mountains for the next few years the better.
#tahoe #desolationwilderness
#backcountryskiing
#nature #mountains #sierra #splitboarding
#tahoe #desolationwilderness
#backcountryskiing
#nature #mountains #sierra #splitboarding