Trails & Vistas: “If Dreams Were Clouds” Art Hike

Squaw Valley USA - September 11 & 12, 2010


[Squaw Valley USA] August 13, 2010 – Music, art, dance and poetry unite in the Sierra Nevada at 6,200 feet in the seventh annual inspiring art hike produced by Trails and Vistas on September 11th and 12th at Squaw Valley USA in Olympic Valley (North Lake Tahoe), CA. Audience members, led by an experienced guide, hike in small groups pausing at ten art venues, each set against the striking backdrop of towering granite rock faces and cascading mountains. Blending art with nature, the hike has a profound effect on participants who become integral members of this unique experience. Sold out four years in a row, Trails and Vistas’ art hike, is an extraordinary experience for North Tahoe residents and visitors alike.

Artists and performers will present the expected and the unexpected; taking participants on a journey that will resonate deeply in their soul. This year’s theme, “If Dreams were Clouds” honors the dreamtime. Inspired by dream songs of the land and animals intertwined with the playful and powerful dance of clouds in the sky, artists play with the concept of dreamtime and clouds-floating, twisting, and holding a sculptural figurine before being carried away to another place or sculpted into a memory.

2010 Artists and Performers Capacitor, a renowned ensemble of dancers, headlines the 2010 Trails and Vistas art hikes throughout the weekend with poetic moving bodies in the landscape set to musical earthly sounds. San Francisco’s interdisciplinary dance company collaborates with the scientific and art community to create mind-expanding, heart-gripping live performances. One of Capacitor's recent projects, a dance work created in the Costa Rican jungle and called “Biome,” has been described as “an exploration of desire and yearning in the natural world.” The New York Times praised the dance troupe performances as "Ingenious...Within Outer Spaces compared heavenly bodies to human bodies and found them equally amazing."

Featured artists for Sunday, September 12 art hikes only is the Banana Slug String Band. It's toe-tappin' earth-lovin' music and science education at its best! The Banana Slug Band brings a fun-filled eco-music vocals and guitar performance which will display their commitment to fostering positive attitudes about the environment, and sparking a playful sense of wonder in all people. The Banana Slug’s musicianship is as strong as is its message. The band has performed at hundreds of venues across the U.S. and Canada including the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival and the Monterey Jazz Festival.

Trails and Vistas is also collaborating with more than 20 other artisans to cultivate a transformational experience for every participant. Last year’s stand out performer, Angelika’s Healing Music, returns with her musical magic from lands afar. Speaking about last year’s art hike in Truckee, Angelika reflects, “Performing at Trails and Vistas was one of those unique experiences that sticks out from all the rest. Singing for a whole weekend in a magical ancient Aspen Grove to all of nature and the people coming by under the blue and dreamy Sierra sky.” Additional returning performers include local dancers from InnerRhythms Dance Theatre and Arts For the Schools artist and poet Cathee van Rossem St. Clair.

Hike Information and Tickets
The nearly three mile long hike is strenuous and includes approximately 1,500 gain in elevation. Hikers must be comfortable traversing some rocky areas including some steep pitches. Hiking groups will depart every 15 minutes with a trail leader (dogs and photography are not allowed). Tickets are on sale now, cost $30 for adults and $15 for children. Tickets may be purchased at www.trailsandvistas.org or by calling the Truckee Chamber at (530) 587-2757.

Trails and Vistas Sky Sponsorship, the organization’s signature sponsor, has been secured thanks to The Richardson House. Trails and Vistas is thankful for the host sponsor of Squaw Valley USA, and funding from the Lahontan Foundation, Truckee Donner Chamber of Commerce, Truckee Rotary, For Goodness Sake and The Cedar House Sport Hotel. A complete description of the art hike is available at www.trailsandvistas.org.

About Trails and Vistas
Trails and Vistas is a 501(c)(3) organization that combines hiking with artistic expression in the majestic Sierra Nevada. The organization’s mission is to create art experiences in nature that inspire environmental awareness. Trails and Vistas’ distinctive art hike is a collaborative effort led by Trails and Vistas’ Artistic Director Nancy Tieken Lopez , Performance Director Elizabeth Archer with support from local non-profits including InnerRhythms Dance Theatre, Truckee Donner Land Trust, KidZone Museum, and Arts For the Schools. To learn more visit www.trailsandvistas.org.