Archive for the ‘Fall Recreation’ Category
By Michelle Portesi
I’m embarrassed to admit this, but I’ve lived at Donner Lake off and on for years, and I’m just now discovering this hike…literally a mile from my home. That’s what’s so great about living here in the Sierra’s – no matter how long you’ve lived here, there is always something new to discover. Coldstream Canyon is actually considered part of the Donner Memorial State Park, with the entrance road literally hugging the campgrounds.
Located right off the I-80 freeway’s Donner Pass Road/Donner Lake exit on the east end of Donner Lake, go straight from the off ramp and drive to the end of the road, park your car and hike up along the creek. This is also a great area for mountain biking, cross country skiing and snowshoeing. The Truckee River Watershed Council has been working diligently to return this area to its original wetlands and has been an active steward of the creek area, as Cold Creek feeds into the Truckee River. It is still a railroad corridor, and there are plans for housing development in the lower section that was once a gravel quarry.
With so little snow last winter, I was surprised to see the creek still flowing with water. About a mile in you’ll reach meadows and marshland. I didn’t hike in as far as I would have liked this foray, but rumor has it that for a true back country experience, you can make your way to Lost Trail Lodge. It’s completely off the grid, but this is no Quonset hut. In the summer there is a jeep road that can take you all the way up if you have a 4 x 4 but you’ll have to park a 1/4 mile away from the lodge if you only have 2 wheel drive. In the winter however, you’ll be snowshoeing, cross country skiing or snowmobiling your way in and out.
Heavy rains just days before this picture was shot caused a landslide further upstream that made for some murky waters running through the creek. Photo by Michelle Portesi
You can read more about the history of Coldstream Canyon and the ongoing projects on the Truckee Watershed website. Be sure to check their calendar for upcoming events. There will be a River Talk this Thursday, August 21 at 8am and another in Tahoe City on August 25.
You can read an overview of the proposed development at Coldstream Canyon at the Tahoe Daily Tribune
For ongoing updates on the Coldstream Canyon Development, you can check in on the Town of Truckee website.
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Recently I was speaking with a client of mine about the migration of the Monarch Butterfly. He asked if I had seen them this year since he was hoping to time their migration over the Sierras. Several times I have seen the Monarch Butterfly’s migration here at Tahoe/Truckee, a path that seems to run right along the Hwy 267 corridor and over the Sierras. Although catching them in the act is often a catch as catch can scenario, I have been fortunate enough to witness this phenomenon while I was traversing between Truckee and Lake Tahoe. Sometimes it’s a few here and there flitting amongst the plants at Northstar, and sometimes it feels like a blizzard of butterflies swirling around my car in a thick, ethereal dance of black and orange gossamer wings.
The Monarch Butterfly migrates back to its wintering grounds in Mexico, where it will spend winter’s frigid months. Recent reports claim that the Monarch is having a rough year of it, with their numbers not what they normally are. I haven’t been traversing Hwy 267 recently, so I couldn’t tell you if that claim seems true or not, and like I said, it’s a catch as catch can thing anyway. But for those of you out and about enjoying the fall colors, be sure to be on the look out for these beautiful creatures. Who doesn’t feel pleasantly serene when a butterfly crosses your path?
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Arrival at wintering grounds in Mexico
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For more images of the Monarch butterfly migration or to read more about the plight of the Monarch butterfly, and what you can do to help, go to these links:
http://www.pri.org/stories/2013-09-30/monarchs-were-missing-summer-and-we-and-weather-were-blame
National Geographic
http://www.learner.org/jnorth/tm/monarch/gallery_mx.html
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Welcome to my updated blog! I hope the new format will make it easier for you to find pertinent information about North Lake Tahoe, ”The Magical West Shore’, Truckee, Donner Lake and Donner Summit. Visit the links to the left to explore the North Lake Tahoe area that USA Today voted the best lake in the country. You can also use the links to help you plan your trip. Come up for a visit, and when you fall in love with the area, I’ll be here to help you find your perfect new home or vacation hideaway.
The seasons are changing, and the glory of Fall at Lake Tahoe is one of the areas best kept secrets. Gone are the summer crowds, unaware of the spectacular show they are missing. With aspen groves dressed in their most brilliant hues of shimmering gold against the backdrop of crisp blue skies and a nip in the air, it’s the perfect time for a bike ride or stroll along the areas many bike trails.
Lake Tahoe and Truckee abound in bike trails, perfect for a ride or a leisurely stroll.
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Though it’s near the end of the spawning season, there is still time to visit Taylor Creek to see the Kokanee salmon and the stream profile chamber, where you can view a slice of the stream bed through the glass of the partially below ground facility. Wander through the grounds, but do keep a look out for bears fattening up for the winter on the abundance of fish along the creek’s shores.
Kokanee salmon spawning in Taylor Creek, CA
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Come up and see for yourself what locals have known about for years. The Splendor of Fall in the Mountains
And do plan for changing weather, as winter can make an unannounced and early appearance on a whim- only to be followed soon thereafter back to the lovely days of a typical Tahoe Indian Summer.
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The Truckee River, Truckee, CA
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