Princeton in the Sierra – October 7-10, 2021 – Princeton Club of Northern California

WHEN
Thursday, October 7, 2021 - Sunday, October 10, 2021
All Day

WHERE
Stanford Sierra Camp
130 Fallen Leaf Rd, South Lake Tahoe

2021 West Coast Princeton Alumni Retreat – October 7-10, 2021

Caldor Fire Update: The fire bypassed Fallen Leaf Lake and the Stanford Sierra Camp. Air quality has improved dramatically and by October 7 we can reasonably expect the Princeton Sierra Camp will proceed as normal. We’re grateful under the circumstances, but of course still saddened by the damage the fire has inflicted in the region. We’ll continue to monitor events and update accordingly.

COVID Safety: We expect to have a program similar to pre-COVID years, but all adult guests will be required to provide proof of vaccination OR a negative PCR test result within 72 hours prior to arrival at Camp. All individuals, regardless of vaccination status required to wear masks in indoors shared spaces (while not eating). We will have outdoor dining seating available for people to space out more if they would like.

Daily Housekeeping service is available on request, but staff will not go into guest rooms unless it is requested. All food service in the dining room will be served by the staff (not self-serve buffet line). Outside activity, dining, and spacing will be encouraged when possible. The Stanford Sierra Camp ran through 9 weeks of their summer program without a single COVID case or exposure at Camp, so they feel confident in their ability to maintain high health standards during the Princeton in the Sierra event.

Join us for the 2021 annual Princeton in the Sierra alumni weekend retreat at a spectacular location in the Sierra! We’re on track to bring back this very popular event after having to cancel plans for 2020. Hope you can join us!

This very popular event attracts over 150 attendees each year. Princetonians stay at the famed Stanford Sierra Camp on secluded Fallen Leaf Lake near Lake Tahoe. The Camp, which normally has a five-year plus wait list for the popular summer family weeks, offers two and three bedroom private cabins and lodge rooms with views of the lake and surrounding mountains. Delicious meals will be included. You will be able to enjoy a range of organized and on-your-own activities, appropriate for any age, including use of a full boat dock, magnificent hikes and mountain biking, swimming, fishing, nearby horseback riding and golf, a beach campfire, crafts, music, and lots of other fun things. It will be a great time to get together and enjoy an incredible weekend with old and new Princeton friends, as much for couples and singles as for families with children. Further details below.

Our faculty guest speaker will be Gabe Vecchi, Professor of Geosciences at Princeton. Professor Vecchi is also Director of the High Meadows Environmental Institute, and the Deputy Director of the Cooperative Institute for Modeling the Earth System. His areas of research include climate science, extreme weather events, hurricanes, mechanisms of precipitation variability and change, ocean-atmosphere interaction, and detection and attribution. At Princeton he is known for having a passion for teaching people about both the workings of climate, as well as how to generate new understanding through scientific research. Professor Vecchi will speak about how climate change is affecting California. Here is a recent AP article quoting Professor Vecchi. For questions, contact Josh Rafner ’77 (josh@rafner.com).

Note: The map at the top of this listing shows an incorrect location for Stanford Sierra Camp (it does have the correct street address though). A topological map showing the actual location is at the bottom of this event listing and at https://mapcarta.com/W234239618.

Registration: Register now! Spaces are limited. To reserve your space and pay, please check this page for the event details, and complete BOTH of these steps:

Fill out the Google Docs reservation and accommodation form at https://forms.gle/iX8D63WWwefp27fw9 and submit, AND
Fill out the payment form below, and click the “PayPal Check Out” button. To pay by debit or credit card, just follow the PayPal link and specify your card on the next screen.

If you find you need to cancel, if we receive your cancellation by September 15 you will receive a refund (minus a $40 admin charge), but after September 15 refunds will be made only if the space can be filled. No exceptions!

Many attendees wish they could stay longer than a weekend…so there is an optional Thursday arrival (at additional cost).

Accommodations: There are charming, rustic two- and three-bedroom, one-bath cabins with lake views from private balconies. There are also rooms with private bath in the main lodge, some of which have lake views. Guests may indicate their accommodation preference, which will be honored where possible. Cots and cribs are available. There is a business center with desktop computers and Wi-Fi.

What’s Included:

Lodging
Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner each day
Coffee, tea, decaf and whole fruit available all day
High speed wireless internet access
Courtesy transportation to and from South Lake Tahoe to meet the Reno Airport shuttle and the Lake Tahoe Airport on the first and last days
Social hour with hors d’oeuvres and beverages including assorted beers, sodas and wine
Soda fountain (items must be purchased separately)
Use of on-site recreation facilities (weather and other conditions permitting): tennis, volleyball, basketball, horseshoes, Ping-Pong, rowboats, sailboats and kayaks
Morning kids’ groups for ages 5-12
For children under 5, babysitting can be arranged with individual staff members at additional cost.

Meals: Delicious food, served family style or buffet, with a selection of wine and beer available for purchase

Program: In addition to do-it-yourself fun, including use of a full boat dock, magnificent hikes and mountain biking, swimming, fishing, nearby horseback riding and golf, crafts, music, there is a program of organized activities including group hikes, a beach campfire with s’mores and a sing along, boatster cruises on the lake and the nighttime astrocruise, yoga, kids’ Capture the Flag and other games, story hour, disco bingo, a dance party, movie night, wine tasting, and a Princeton faculty member talk. Hanging out in the old lodge by the fire is popular as is late night card games and conversation. There will be lots to do! See the photo gallery from past years’ weekend posted on the PCNC website.

Cost (inclusive of all taxes and gratuities):

For Friday, October 8 arrival (2 nights):

The single participant rate is $660, and the PCNC member discounted rate is $620 (you can join the PCNC now and recover the $40 price of membership with the member discount!). The spouse/partner/guest rate sharing the same accommodation is $282 per person.
The child rate, ages 5-12, is $192 per child. The child rate includes supervised activities each morning between breakfast and lunch.
The toddler rate, ages 3-4, is $102 per child (2 and under, free).

For Thursday, October 7 arrival (3 nights):

The single participant rate is $990, and the PCNC member discounted rate is $950 (you can join the PCNC now and recover the $40 price of membership with the member discount!). The spouse/partner/guest rate sharing the same accommodation is $423 per person.
The child rate, ages 5-12, is $288 per child. The child rate includes supervised activities each morning between breakfast and lunch.
The toddler rate, ages 3-4 is $153 per child (2 and under, free)

Topographical map of the Sierra Camp area — interactive map at https://mapcarta.com/W234239618