Freshpond Trading Post / Chevron Station

The damn parking lot is not kept free of hard-​packed ice in the winter. Cars, including my own, were spinning their tires all over this lot which was also bumpy as hell being full of pock marks. Do people have to chain up to use the parking lots at local business around Tahoe?
They keep the roads, 50 and 80, in nice drive-​able shape with snow plows, why can’t local Sierras business do the same?
Some local businesses in the Sierras area small towns are assholes too. I had to have the AAA pull my car out of an icy pothole near Echo Summit in 1984. This was at a 7 – 11 to stop and get hot coffee one January night. The tow driver scolded me for not using chains though no chain laws were in effect and I had no trouble driving on the roads.
Another small store in the Sierras once falsely accused me of «changing price tags» on a jar of fishing bait one summer there.
The mountain people of the Sierras seem to hate the flat-​landers and don’t seem to act like they want to have any truck with us. They are often rude, hostile and not accommodating.
There might not be any local ambulance service in the Sierras if somebody gets hurt. I also tend to get altitude sickness and that is another thing that gives me reservations about driving through that place.

They could really use a Kubota/​small tractor to plow their parking lot. Huge weekend crowd, as always this time of year, crammed into their parking lot. I pulled off but soon realized this place is packed. Alot of flatlander cars were there spinning out on the ice making it quite unsafe for the freeway entrance/​exit. Also oddly enough, flatlanders were walking and slipping in front of moving vehicles in the lot… bad combo.
But a good plow over of the parking lot could have prevented the ice buildup thus the ensuing driving madness.

Might be convenient for those who space out about economy, but this place blatantly is greed in gas prices, anywhere from 15 to 30 cents more than 5 miles west. Now he complains that he may lose business because road is temporarily closed due to fire… gee, karma

Stopped in after camping at Ice House for my family to use the bathrooms (which were nicely clean), buy some sandwiches (they were yummy) and of course fill up on gas. The workers were friendly and the store had some cool gift shop items.

Ironically, I have never stopped for gas here. We have used the restrooms and I did have a breakfast burrito once. Restrooms are usually clean! Our dogs love to explore the forest next to the parking lot to explore. What I really like about this place is the variety of drinks. I didn’t realize until my last stop here that they have an amazing assortment of craft beers in 6 packs and 22 oz. bombers! Ballast Point, Knee Deep Brewing and Stone are just a few of the choices. And competitive prices too for a convenience store kinda in the middle of nowhere.

We were headed to Tahoe on a search for a great place to let our 11 y/​o son go tubing in the snow. We pulled into this place to fill up and get a drink and couldn’t believe it. Right behind the place was a big tubing area with lot’s of kids and it was completely free. You can buy a tube inside the store or bring your own. The parking lot was big so plenty of parking. We brought chairs and sat them in the snow and watched him play for about 3 hours. They sell food/​drinks and all kinds of things in the store including hot chocolate and of course those adult beverages to keep you warm as well. We live in the Natomas area of Sacramento and it was an hour drive to Polluck Pines. We will be heading back there to tube again in a week or so.

Everyone needs gas and that’s why we stopped here. We were on a road trip and stopped at many gas stations and this was one of the cleanest and well-​supplied. I tried on a tight faux coonskin cap that I regretted not purchasing. I called them a couple weeks later and Bruce was happy to help me. About 1 week later I had the hat in my hand. Bruce delivered great service. 5 Stars for customer service at Freshpond.

We stopped in the evening on the way to Lake Tahoe and used the restroom (super clean!) and picked up four hot chocolate for the Fam (hit the spot!). The shop is very clean and smelled like it! LoL … One gentleman was mopping up when we entered… I love seeing people keep busy even though there is no one in the shop! Shows that they at least like their job and tells me that they end up being happy and pleasant to customers… And yes the two gentleman working were very pleasant and funny too… Keep it up!

Gayle, the Kid, and I stopped at the Freshpond Chevron Station on our way home from Genoa NV last Sunday. That happened to be the last day of the July 4^th Holiday, and even with a 9 AM departure, it was a long drive home.
The gas prices here are more expensive than in Placerville down the road. But what you also get here is a friendly western store motif, lots of snack selections, a deli counter, and most important — clean restrooms. The Trading Post is definitely worth a stop, even if you have to cross the divided road to get here.

This is a great gas station. The bathrooms are some of the nicest around. The deli is really good. There is a gift shop with a nice selection of products, even higher end gifts. There is a large sledding hill that is prefect for anyone looking to have some fun and it even has lights.

One of our favorite stops each time we go to Tahoe and back down 50. We have our coffee break and sit in the booths of the little restaurant. We bring a thermos of coffee and they don’t mind letting us use the microwave to heat it.
The food looks good but we haven’t eaten there yet. We’re too cheap. LOL
The staff is the friendliest we have ever met in what is really a Chevron station. Gas prices are high right now but so are they everywhere else.
We live in the original Squaw Valley 93 675 east of Fresno in the foothills of the Sierras.

I stopped here to use the restroom and pick up a bite to eat. I do admit that the restroom was nice and clean but customer service was blatantly rude. Cashier did not seem to have the ability to say hello, good bye, or even thank you. It appeared that he was to busy looking at some list to acknowledge a customer. The only ability he had was to tell me my total and take my money. Too bad because the store is cute but I do not reward bad customer service.

Great location if you like tourist traps. If you don’t hit the Safeway off Sly Park road less than 5 miles away.
Fresh Pond staff is polite which helps the harsh pricing.
And if you ever needed native art pieces from a Chevron. this is your place.

We always stop by the Fresh Pond Trading Post /​Chevron Gas Station on our way up and down from Lake Tahoe. They have everything here if you forget something on your travels so it’s perfect to grab what you need in a hurry. They even have a deli counter that serves fresh sandwiches (I’ve never bought one but they look decent). Staff are always friendly and their bathroom facilities are pretty clean too. Outside they have an area with picnic tables if you want to stop and rest, and they have an area next to this where you can take your pets for a walk before heading out on the road again.

This place is great! Nice stop on the way to the Rubicon Trail or to Tahoe. Get gas and sandwich for the road. The Sandwiches are good! The store has just about everything you may need for a trip out in the Sierras.

On the way through this area we needed to stop by and get some gas. From the looks of nothing a gas station appeared and here we were at Freshpond. The name is semi cute and semi disturbing since it is a gas station.
But the bathrooms were super clean and the inside had a lot of different items that you could buy. If you wanted a pair or sheep skin shoes you could get them. If you needed a frame for a picture this could be the one.
Everything in the store was pretty random which I liked about it. The owners have such a cute way of thinking that it actually made me stop and look around for a while! :)

A friendly, inviting stop off Highway 50. They had these cute faux animal head beanie hats that a few friends and I tried on for fun. There’s pretty much every brand and type of roadtrip snack in there and a wide enough variety to make your 5 minute stop turn to a 15 minute browse.

Not bad for a Chevron. Has stuff you may need in a pinch (such as during a winter storm), but not at bargain prices.
The deli here is adequate (if you are in a pinch), but why not stop somewhere «real,» if not in a real pinch.
The parking is very, very spacious if you are stuck in a storm. There is a pet area and the market is clean and well-​kept…
Gas prices are what you’d expect, for being the only thing around (especially if you’re in a pinch… see a pattern here?)

Being quite a regular at driving on highway 50 by any kind of conditions, I have to say, I love the Fresh Pond Trading Post and Gas station.
Conveniently located, always welcoming, restrooms clean (and that’s definitely a HUGE plus on the road). On a snowy stormy drive, it is also quite a entertaining break, with the shopping section. Amazing what you can find (and I am a store owner, hehehe).
Don’t miss it, going up, you won’t find too much with the same standarts until you reach Strawberry or Meyers ;)

Stopped by this place on the way to Tahoe Christmas Day. Place a packed because of the amazing snow and sled hill. There are three in all.
Line for bathroom however, it wasn’t that bad. Owner stand in line to make sure no one cuts. Talked with him for 10 minutes or so, old fashion gentleman. Bathrooms are very clean.
You will find your favorite goodies and snow items at this locations. From kids snow boots, hats, hoodies and glasses, to chains for your vehicle. You can also order premade sandwiches.
A nice warm place to eat your meal.
What is shocking about this place is that they do not charge to use the bathroom or go down the sled hill. Which is crazy. The tube and sled places in Tahoe are $ 35.00 and hour per tube. This poor guy had at least 10,000 come through in two days and didn’t charge a dime.
Crazy!
We have decided to head to his place for our next sledding adventure and stay in Pollack Pines.