Lake Tahoe

On busy Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu, some well-kept facades conceal a secret. Behind the Mediterranean with wooden doors, the white stucco two-story with a red tile roof, the long wall obscuring a three-structure compound, hides a singular, massive wealth fueled by obsession. This is Larry Ellison territory, where a Bay Area billionaire with seemingly endless patience and resources is buying up the best spots along Malibu's 21 miles of coast. PHOTOS: Expensive things Ellison has bought The Oracle Corp.

A shallow, magnitude 3.3 earthquake was reported Wednesday morning near Lake Tahoe, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The temblor occurred at 6:58 a.m. Pacific time at a depth of 0.6 miles. According to the USGS, the epicenter was 11 miles from Gardnerville Ranchos, Nev., 21 miles from South Lake Tahoe, Calif., 29 miles from Carson City, Nev., 48 miles from Truckee, Calif., and 55 miles from Reno, Nev. In the past 10 days, there have been no earthquakes magnitude 3.0 and greater centered nearby.

With new jobs hard to find, some of the unemployed headed to the mountains this winter to look for a job, even if the work only lasts as long as the snow. Lake Tahoe area ski resort officials said they saw a significant surge in the number of applicants, many overqualified, for positions such as lift operators, parking lot attendants, ski instructors and chefs. People with graduate degrees and years of professional experience laid off from their "real jobs" have been willing to move to the snow, live with roommates and work for minimum wage.

Plan a camping or road trip to California's northern border with a new recreation map that makes it all so easy. The recently updated Northern California Recreation Map includes routes and facilities at national forests, parks and other public lands from Lake Tahoe in California to Crater Lake National Park in Oregon - and it's free for the asking. The deal: The beauty of this map is that it lists facilities for more than 200 campgrounds, parks, marinas, trails, refuges and recreation areas that span eight public land areas.

Authorities at Lake Tahoe on Monday solved the mystery of a scuba diver who disappeared 17 years ago in the mountain lake's deep, frigid waters. The well-preserved body of Donald Christopher Windecker was discovered July 23 on an underwater shelf, 265 feet below the surface. A remote-controlled mini-submarine with a robotic claw raised the remains July 27. The recovery occurred on the lake's west side, near Rubicon Point. Officials delayed releasing Windecker's name until dental records confirmed his identity.

HOMEWOOD, Calif. - She was born under a house on the west shore of Lake Tahoe and quickly became a beloved fixture in this rustic community. She rambled through backyards and climbed into open windows to snack. She swam in the lake's impossibly blue water and sunned herself on the beach as if on an extended vacation. Residents nicknamed her Sunny. She was one of Lake Tahoe's "celebrity bears" - animals so familiar, so seemingly at ease around humans that they've become de facto residents of this forested idyll where the boundary between wilderness and civilization has all but disappeared.

Reports of giant goldfish wreaking havoc in Lake Tahoe may have garnered fresh attention this week, but officials say the feral fish are just part of an army of invasive critters that they've been battling for years. Searching for invasive species that have colonized the resort-town lake, researchers Sudeep Chandra and Christine Ngai at the University of Nevada, Reno, nabbed the monstrous fish in 2011. One of them, part of a school of about 15 fish, stretched 14 inches and tipped the scales at 4.2 pounds -- dwarfing its typically finger-length, aquarium-bound counterparts.

Bill Stall's article (Opinion, May 12), "Trouble at Tahoe: Water, Air and Traffic," is right in saying it is premature to declare Lake Tahoe "saved." The once crystal-clear waters of Lake Tahoe will always be in danger as long as there are people who want to build near the lake and other people who are willing to let them. I sincerely hope that representatives from California and Nevada will continue to negotiate through the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency and agree on a plan to prevent further development of the area and continue conservation efforts.

The zip line today is what mountain biking was 10 years ago: a hot new money-maker for ski resorts in the off-season. Among the latest places to add such an attraction is Kirkwood Mountain Resort in Lake Tahoe . The price of its just-opened zip line: $125 per person. Turns out gravity is its own thrill ride. Kirkwood’s zip course, which connects eight segments, can  reach speeds of 35 miles per hour. Offering scenic views, it bobs and weaves through heavily forested parts of the mountain.

Bring on the snow (and indeed there's already snow at Lake Tahoe and Mammoth ) to cash in on this foul-weather deal. Cottonwood Restaurant & Bar in Truckee, Calif., discounts eats and drinks each time a bona fide storm warning is issued in the Lake Tahoe area. It's a nice way to meet the locals and take a break from the slopes -- provided you can get there and back.  The deal: Stormy Weather Get-Togethers, a kind of happy hour that goes into effect when the stormy weather blows, feature $3 microbrews, $1 off a glass of wine and $6 margaritas as well as discounts on appetizers, salads and entrees.

Heavenly ski resort in South Lake Tahoe, Calif., is offering 33% off prices for three-day packages that include hotel room and two-day lift tickets. Prices start at $259 per person for skiing during spring break. The deal: The cost of this package depends on which of the 14 inns and hotels you select. Choice Hotels Rodeway Inn in South Lake Tahoe is the cheapest; the MontBleu Resort Casino and Spa in Lake Tahoe, Nev., the most expensive. The deal comes with two adult lift tickets good for two days on the mountain.

The monster goldfish that researchers retrieved from Lake Tahoe is the latest discovery that warns of the breakdown of ecological systems if people don't stop dumping their aquarium pets into lakes, rivers and the ocean. Researchers trawling for invasive fish species found a goldfish that was nearly 1 1/2 feet long and weighed more than 4 pounds. They're concerned about the fish's threat to the ecosystem of Lake Tahoe, LiveScience.com reported Thursday. University of Nevada Reno researchers found "a nice corner where there's about 15 other goldfish," environmental scientist Sudeep Chandra told LiveScience.

Reports of giant goldfish wreaking havoc in Lake Tahoe may have garnered fresh attention this week, but officials say the feral fish are just part of an army of invasive critters that they've been battling for years. Searching for invasive species that have colonized the resort-town lake, researchers Sudeep Chandra and Christine Ngai at the University of Nevada, Reno, nabbed the monstrous fish in 2011. One of them, part of a school of about 15 fish, stretched 14 inches and tipped the scales at 4.2 pounds -- dwarfing its typically finger-length, aquarium-bound counterparts.

Re "Town down on losing crown," Jan. 27 I was offended by this article's statements about Sacramento's "inferiority complex" and that the city's "biggest selling point is its proximity to other, more exciting places. " In 1977, I moved from Los Angeles to Sacramento to attend graduate school, and have happily remained. In L.A., I never spontaneously ran into another person I knew. But almost always while I'm out and about in Sacramento, I unexpectedly and delightfully run into someone I know.

A federal judge has blocked plans to greatly expand a small Placer County ski resort on the western shore of Lake Tahoe after finding that the project's environmental review was inadequate.  In a mixed decision issued Friday, U.S. District Court Judge William Shubb ruled that Placer County and regional planners had improperly decided that plans for a smaller project weren't economically feasible. He ordered them to reconsider a less ambitious proposal as part of a revised environmental review under California law and the bi-state compact that regulates development in the Tahoe basin.

HOMEWOOD, Calif. - She was born under a house on the west shore of Lake Tahoe and quickly became a beloved fixture in this rustic community. She rambled through backyards and climbed into open windows to snack. She swam in the lake's impossibly blue water and sunned herself on the beach as if on an extended vacation. Residents nicknamed her Sunny. She was one of Lake Tahoe's "celebrity bears" - animals so familiar, so seemingly at ease around humans that they've become de facto residents of this forested idyll where the boundary between wilderness and civilization has all but disappeared.

Now it snows? After a disappointing winter for snow sports, Mammoth and Lake Tahoe are bracing for wintry storms during the Memorial Day weekend. In Mammoth, the forecast for Friday is for an 80% chance of snow, with accumulations of a couple of inches overnight. Saturday's forecast calls for a 40% chance of snow, with skies drying out Sunday and Monday. Highs by Monday were expected to reach into the 60s. The ski area still has a base of 10-36 inches. Lifts still operating include Broadway, Facelift, Thunderbound and Chair 23. The Upper and Lower Panorama gondola will reopen for scenic rides and skiers this weekend.

The monster goldfish that researchers retrieved from Lake Tahoe is the latest discovery that warns of the breakdown of ecological systems if people don't stop dumping their aquarium pets into lakes, rivers and the ocean. Researchers trawling for invasive fish species found a goldfish that was nearly 1 1/2 feet long and weighed more than 4 pounds. They're concerned about the fish's threat to the ecosystem of Lake Tahoe, LiveScience.com reported Thursday. University of Nevada Reno researchers found "a nice corner where there's about 15 other goldfish," environmental scientist Sudeep Chandra told LiveScience.

Lake Tahoe towns will grow taller and denser under a new regional plan that supporters hope will quell a rebellion by Nevada against land use regulations that have restricted development in the basin. The new plan is intended to rid the area of some of its midcentury strip development and turn town centers into more inviting, greener destinations that will revive the area's ailing economy. But the success of the strategy is far from guaranteed. Some traditional environmental defenders of the lake - one of the world's deepest and clearest - endorsed the plan primarily to persuade Nevada to remain in a 1969 compact with California.

Disneyland is marking Three Kings Day - also known as the Twelfth Night or Feast of the Epiphany - in a big way this season. It's another milestone in the mainstreaming of a holiday that is beloved in Latin America and other cultures around the world. The Christian holiday takes place Jan. 6, ending the 12 days of Christmas. The park will host Three Kings Day Jan. 4-6 at the Big Thunder Ranch Jamboree in Disneyland's Frontierland . . . . A group called America's State Parks is calling on Americans to start the new year by getting off the couch and taking a hike.