Just as we hoped, March brought snow. Fresh, bountiful powder fell by the pound, promising an invigorated snowboarding and ski season. Alas, this Spring dream quickly dissipated into a shifting nightmare, as rumors of a novel corona virus quickly spiraled into a global shutdown. North Lake Tahoe, like every other California community, is sheltering in place. With resorts closed, stores shuttered, and all but “critical” workers safe at home, our bustling mountain community has become a ghost town. Tourists, the lifeblood of Tahoe’s small lakeside towns, have been asked to stay home until the crisis is over. Restaurants have shifted from dine-in to dine-out, trying to make ends meet with takeout and delivery services for locals. Businesses that rely on foot traffic and tourism are suffering. Vacation rentals, like Happy Cabin, are completely shut down.

Here in California, we are reeling along with the rest of the world, looking to China, Italy and Spain for answers. What comes next? Most of us are working and educating our kids from home, isolating ourselves from vulnerable parents, grandparents and elderly friends, learning how to live on Zoom, and anxiously looking to our leaders for guidance. The news is frightening and surreal. There are not enough tests to go around, so nobody really knows where we are at in the ubiquitous “curve” we are trying to “flatten.” Are we just starting up the mountain, or is the peak in site? Are our efforts working? How nervous should I be for my young children, my husband, my immune-compromised mother, myself and my colleagues still working in crowded courtrooms, my clients stuck in jail? The truth is, nobody really seems to know. So, we get up in the morning and put one foot in front of the other. We put on a brave face for the kiddos. We face the day.

In North Lake Tahoe, as elsewhere, the economy is devastated. Personal economies are toppling, of course, as retirement accounts vanish, and jobs are lost or hang in the balance. For hourly workers living paycheck to paycheck, hunger and homelessness are on the horizon if something doesn’t give. Food banks are so overwhelmed with requests that the National Guard is now boxing and delivering food to vulnerable Californians. We are told things will get worse before they get better. How much worse? How much better? If California is shut down for months, what will it look like when we venture out of our houses?

In the news, we see towns overrun with wild animals—deer wandering through Japanese subway stations, turkey strutting Oakland’s streets, raccoons sunning themselves on the otherwise empty beaches of Panama. What will North Lake Tahoe look like when this is all through? The answer depends, in part, on us.

First, if you are not a permanent resident, now is not the time to go to Tahoe. Even a handful of non-permanent residents hospitalized for Covid-19 could overwhelm hospitals, depriving permanent residents of life-saving measures. Every person who enters the community potentially brings the virus with them, compounding the risk for the “critical” workers who have no choice but to remain exposed. Local health officials have sent a strong, clear message: If you love Tahoe, please stay home. Second, when the smoke clears, we’ll all need to roll up our sleeves and rebuild our communities. That includes our vacation communities. The places we’ve relied on to sustain us when we needed to get away from it all will soon rely on us to sustain them during their recovery.

For those of us still getting a paycheck, we can pitch in now by shopping Tahoe’s local businesses online. Check out the North Tahoe Business’s Association for a directory of stores that offer gift cards. Your favorite restaurant will gladly sell you a gift certificate to use later, when we can all gather again. Consider donating to charities like The Tahoe-Truckee Emergency Response Fund, which is collecting money to distribute to local nonprofits that are engaged in crisis relief. Finally, now is a great time to start planning a Tahoe vacation. Local governments have asked people to re-schedule rather than cancel planned trips. For those of us who were planning long-haul travel for summer vacation, why not “shop local” instead? Tahoe will be back in business soon—and it will need our business.

To visit Happy Cabin during your trip to North Lake Tahoe / Tahoe Vista / Kings Beach, click here.