Archive for the ‘Fall Recreation’ Category
One of the great things about life in Truckee/Tahoe is that just a short distance away there are beautiful places that feel like they are in a whole different world. One of these places is Sierraville and the rest of the Sierra Valley. It’s a land of tiny towns, cattle ranches, not too many people and lots of open space. In the spring and summer it is a place of wildflowers and the cutest little farmers market you ever did see. In the fall it is a place of fall colors and wide variety of birds including hawks and herons.
Long Lake in Lakes Basin
What’s the best way to see the Sierra Valley? Grab your road bike and head down for a ride. Start your ride in Sierraville and head towards Loyalton on Highway 49. Once in Loyalton, stay on 49 to Dyson Lane north of town, or save a few miles by turning left on Heriot Lane a few miles before Loyalton, and then riding up to Dyson Lane, where you turn left. Either way, Dyson becomes A24, as it winds through the middle of the Sierra Valley, which is loaded with marshes and streams-a birders paradise. Eventually you reach Highway 70 where a left turn takes you past the Beckworth Airport to Highway A23 where you turn left and head back towards Sierraville. Your total riding distance is between 40-50 miles depending upon which route you take, with the vast bulk of it nice and flat.
Another great spot for a ride is to head a bit further north on Highway 89 to the charming town of Graeagle and the Lakes Basin. Perhaps begin your day with a yoga class in Graeagle’s new studio, Trails Within. It is located in one of those charming red buildings that make up Graeagle’s teensy downtown. Then get your heart pumping with the seven mile uphill on Gold Lakes Road to Lakes Basin, a land of beautiful lakes tucked in between granite outcroppings. Of course if you really wanted to complete your day and get a good nights sleep, you can continue past spectacular views of the Sierra Buttes to Bassets, head up over Yuba Pass back to Highway 89, and head north back to your car in Graeagle. Whew. Yes, that is a long way, but an incredible ride.
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Ah September/October…it just doesn’t get much better than this. You have the hiking, biking, boating and all that other fun stuff that you have in August…but without all the people. Sure by the end of the month swimming in Tahoe and Donner will begin to get a bit brisk, but the hiking is bug free and glorious. We may even see the aspen leaves start to turn reminding us that snow is on the way.
Fall is when folks begin the discussion that will keep people talking all throughout the fall: What kind of winter will it be? At least until the middle of November, we are all optimistic that we will be skiing by Thanksgiving, and that Christmas we will be wallowing in snow. This fall after our poor excuse for a winter last year there will be an extra added push with people saying, “Well after last winter, we are due for a big one!”
Ah, but let’s not be in such a hurry. That snow stuff is at least a month or more away. For now it is time to get out there and enjoy the still warm days. Remember all those wonderful places that you love that are too crowded in August. Go for an early morning kayak without boat waves. Hike along the shore of Lake Tahoe between Bliss and Emerald Bay passing only a few other hikers. Ride the Emigrant Trail all by yourself. It’s local Summertime! Enjoy!
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It finally happened. After a winter that seemed to go on forever, and a summer that could never seem to get traction, we blinked a few times and it is fall. The aspens have turned from green to gold in just the last week, and the smaller shrubs and maples are shining bright red. It’s a beautiful time for hiking and bike riding. Where to go?
-At Spooner Summit you can take your bike up North Canyon Road and catch the wave of yellow along the shores of Marlette Lake.
-On Tahoe’s west shore, ride or walk your way around Page Meadows with the aspens framing the view of Twin Peaks.
-Take an easy stroll along Donner Lake, or hike through Negro Canyon on the Donner Lake Rim Trail.
Fall is also the time that all Tahoeites talk about the impending winter. How big a year will it be? Is it La Nina? Or El Nino? Or El Greco? Are the squirrels active and does that mean anything? Actually, while we live in an age where everybody seems to know everything about what will happen next, isn’t it nice to know that we don’t know what sort of winter it will be.
Whatever sort of winter it will be, there are some important changes affecting the Truckee-Tahoe region and winter sports.
The first big piece of news is that Squaw Valley has merged with Alpine Meadows. Check out this story for more information on what that might mean to skiers and the community.
http://moonshineink.com/articles.php/6/2507
Meanwhile on Donner Summit, the landowners of Royal Gorge Cross-Country, formerly the largest Nordic ski area in the United States, are in bankruptcy. What does that mean for the ski area and for folks living on Donner Summit? Follow this link for more details:
http://moonshineink.com/articles.php/93/2535
Share this: Lynn Richardson, Your Friend in High Places
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