It is with sadness that we share with you our board’s decision to cancel our SRSFL Three Day Event this weekend. Both the National Weather Service in Reno and for the west slope have issued Winter Storm Watches for Saturday through Monday. As most of you know there is an incredible amount of snow up here already and recent storms have exceeded predictions. While I’m heartbroken, after all the work put into this event and the excitement generated among new skiers and guides, we must err on the side of safety.
I’m Sadly Announcing That Our March 4th-6th Three Day Event Has Been Canceled Due to An Impending Storm!
February 11th Day Trip Coming Up!
It will be at Tahoe Donner Cross Country. VIP Children are welcome on day trips. The number of VIP persons we can accept depends upon the number of guides available. The fees for this day trip are as follows: First Time Young Adults 18 to 30: $25.00 including equipment rental. Other Adults: $50.00 including equipment rental. Children Under 18: No cost, due to a designated grant we have to get VIP Children out on the snow. Adults with their own equipment will receive a $25.00 discount.
Sierra Regional Ski for Light’s 3 Day Winter Event will be March 4th-6th
The 2023 SRSFL three-day cross-country ski event will be held in Truckee, CA Saturday, March 4, 2023–Monday March 6, 2023. This year all of our application forms are online forms! There is nothing to download. Simply go to our Skier, Guide or Volunteer Webpages on this website, read the information on the page, click on application link, read the application carefully, fill it in fully, answering all questions and click on “Submit.”
Very Sad News!

Sharon Guiding Mike Bitner
Sharon Fong, a long time accomplished guide for Sierra Regional Ski for Light, suffered a tragic accident and passed away in the early afternoon on Friday 10/7/2022, a week before her 65th birthday. She was a registered organ donor and was able to save the lives of two other people with her passing. She was an amazing partner, mother, grandmother and ski guide. We will miss her tremendously. Throughout her life she was an accomplished athlete, world traveler, and avid outdoor enthusiast. She loved playing with her grandkids, running with her dogs, backpacking, skiing and guiding for Ski for Light. Sharon’s passing will be a huge loss for Ski for Light and an almost unbearable one for her family.
I write this with sadness and thanks for all she contributed to our organization!
If you send me remembrances of Sharon from her Ski for Light, I will add them to this post.
Here is Sharlene Wills:
I was sitting at a table, one day, during an SRSFL event, when a voice
said, cheerfully, “Hi Sharlene, this is Sharon Fong. Do you remember
me?” Of course I remembered her and was absolutely thrilled to find
out that she was a guide for SRSFL. Sharon had guided me in running
races before (I believe one of them was the Tahoe Marathon) and she
had also trained with me, as well. Even though she was much faster
than I, she graciously slowed her running pace to match mine. And
then, most exciting of all, she guided me at an SRSFL event, and, for
only the second time in all my years at this winter fun-filled
weekend, I skied (more or less) down to the Euer Valley and we spent
the whole day there! Sharon was a wonderful person — gracious, kind
and giving, and I know we who had the pleasure of knowing her, even a
little bit, are going to miss her! My deepest sympathy to her family.
Our Monte Rowell Memorial Hiking Weekend Was Fabulous!
The hiking weekend was tremendously successful — from lovely trails, to delicious food, but most of all to wonderful camaraderie and the building of friendships! After coming back from a 2 year Covid induced halt of all activities it was great to be together in the mountains again!
Don’t Miss the “MONTE ROWELL MEMORIAL HIKING WEEKEND”
The ” Monte Rowell Memorial Hiking Weekend” will be held in Truckee, CA Saturday, June 11 through Monday, June 13, 2022. It will be held in Truckee with lodging available at the Truckee Best Western. For the VIP Hiker application and information go to the VIP Hiker page. A Hiker Guide Application is posted on the Guide Page
Sadly Our February 26th-28th, 2022 Tom Gorin Memorial3 Day Event Has Been Cancelled!

Our Beloved Monte Rowell Has Passed!
Monte died peacefully this morning at 1:35 am, at the wonderful age of 95. or, as Betsy said to me, he kayaked off to Heaven. Monte was one of the four cornerstones of SRSFL, contributing so much more to its growth than most of us could possibly know. Whatever
Betsy and SRSFL needed, he was there — driving, guiding, taking pictures, serving as Board treasurer, proofreading, being Betsy’s sounding board, making coffee for all the overnight folks who came up on the train for SRSFL events and so much more. Though quiet and unassuming, he was quite the power-house behind the scene, and had a way of saying what needed to be said at just the right moment.
There will be more details about a celebration or memorial at a later
date. For the moment, we send love and condolences to Betsy, who
cared so lovingly for him these last years. And we thank you, Monte, for all the hugs and memories, for leaving your corner of the world better than you found it, for all you did
for SRSFL, and for a life well-lived. Rest in Peace, dear Monte!
Thank you Vickie for this beautiful tribute!
You may leave your tributes to Monte in the comments below. If comments are hacked I may have to turn them off.
Our January 22nd Day Trip is Cancelled
Last night our board made the difficult decision to cancel our January 22nd Day Trip. With the current rise in covid cases we feel it would be irresponsible to hold the event on the 22nd. We are still hoping to hold our Tom Gorin Memorial 3 Day event on February 26th to 28th. If you are planning to ski or guide, and haven’t turned in your application yet, please do so now. A final decision on the 3 Day Event will be made on January 31st and will be dependent on covid numbers turning around. Watch this website for updates!
Join Us for our 30th Anniversary Tom Gorin Memorial Three Day Event!
Think snow!! Our 2022 30th Anniversary Tom Gorin Memorial Three Day Event will be held on February 26-28, 2022 at Tahoe Donner Cross Country Center, 15275 Alder Creek Road, Truckee, CA 96161. Thanks to generous donations in Tom’s memory we are able to offer greatly subsidized rates for the event. See skier and guide pages for more information and applications.