By Michelle Portesi
Sunset at Donner Lake. Photo by Michelle Portesi
Let’s face it, the big blue, Lake Tahoe, tends to get most of the attention and press during our busy summer months. But right here in Truckee is Donner Lake, chock full of fun things to do in a much less busy environment.
I’ve lived here off and on for years, and what’s nice about the area is that when crazy holiday weekends descend, I don’t have to venture very far for food and fun. Instead of fighting the crowds, I can hoof it to most anything I might want to do, including finding basic sustenance.
THINGS TO DO AT DONNER LAKE:
Take a bike ride. The bike trails are well defined along Donner Pass Road and goes most of the way around the lake. You can continue on through the campgrounds at Donner Memorial State Park to get back to Donner Pass Road.
Go Fishing! There is a dedicated fishing pier and handicapped ramp about half way down Donner Pass Road along the lake. Or try your luck off of the many public piers. Make sure to pick up your California fishing license online.
Have a picnic. Near the Fishing pier is a picnic area right on the lake complete with picnic tables and grills. Picnic areas are also available at Donner Memorial State Park. Plan ahead and come early, these spots fill up fast.
Go for a swim. Dunking oneself in Donner Lake during blistering hot days is a given, but many have been the evenings when the temperature doesn’t drop with the sun and my place still feels like a stuffy broiler. On those occasions, nothing is more refreshing than donning my bathing attire and taking a moonlight dip.
Kayaking at an inlet at Donner Lake. Photo by Michelle Portesi
Rent a kayak or paddle board at Donner Memorial State Park. The water in the mornings at Donner Lake are often a crystal clear glass calm. It’s the perfect time to ply the waters without fighting the waves whipped up by the winds, or even jet skis and boats.
Go for a boat ride. Donner Lake’s Marina is one of the few areas still deep enough in the Lake Tahoe basin despite the drought to launch your boat. Or you can call ahead to rent a pontoon boat ride.
Go Camping. Donner Memorial Park’s campground is right near the lake and features pleasant campsites, bathrooms and actual showers! The campground also hosts many campground events during the summer. Visit www.parks.ca.gov for more info.
Coldstream Canyon. Photo by Michelle Portesi
Go for a Hike. You can take a leisurely hike on the trails throughout Donner Memorial State Park, or for a little more effort, Coldstream Canyon starts at the east end of Donner Lake Campgound. Follow the creek over easy to moderate terrain to back country ponds and environmental reclamation sites. See Go Take a Hike # 4 for more info on this hike. yourfriendinhighplaces.net/2014/08/19/
Sunset over Donner Lake. Photo by Michelle Portesi
Get Yourself Some History. The new memorial museum at Donner State Park has reopened with new exhibits about the area’s history.
Just Hang Out. Read a book, sunbath, play fetch with your dog, have a glass of wine, watch the sun set. There are a wealth of public piers all along the north side of Donner Lake along Donner Pass Road just perfect for doing absolutely nothing.
If you’re a resident of Tahoe Donner, you can laze away the summer days at the Tahoe Donner Beach. There’s a snack bar and rental concessions for kayaks and paddle boats.
Dock at Tahoe Donner Beach area. Photo by Michelle Portesi
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Don’t want to venture into town for food and/or a few items? Then you’ll be grateful for these businesses:
STICKS MARKET. Located about a mile from Donner Memorial Park is Sticks Market, featuring fresh made deli sandwiches, espresso drinks and a generous selection of wines, beer and other beverages along with the usual basic staples. They even have a fairly decent array of meats, cheeses, fruits and vegetables if you just need a few items and don’t want to fight the crowds in town for them. For a small little market, they pack in quite a bit.
DONNER LAKE KITCHEN. Known for serving breakfast and lunch, now during the summer, they are open Saturday evenings too. They will be featuring ‘Oysters on the Deck’ from 2-8 pm and also serving dinner, including steaks, burgers and sandwiches from 4-8 pm.
You’ll always find plenty to do at Donner Lake!
THINK OF ME, LYNN RICHARDSON, FOR ALL OF YOUR LAKE TAHOE AND TRUCKEE REAL ESTATE NEEDS!
www.lynnrichardson.net
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By Tim Hauserman
View of the east shore of Lake Tahoe from Mt. Rose Hwy. Photo by Tim Hauserman
This mild winter is allowing Tahoe athletes to take on challenges that are usually not in the cards for March. My latest was to ride my bike from Incline Village to the top of the Mt. Rose Highway. It’s only eight miles to the top, but with 2700 feet of climbing and a destination elevation of just under 9000 feet, it will certainly get your heart pumping.
Pick your spot to begin in Incline and make your way over to the roundabout at the intersection of Highway 28 and Highway 431 and start heading up Highway 431 towards Reno. While the route is a steady uphill the entire way, the grade is mostly manageable and the shoulder is wide and smooth. While many people drive this road regularly, taking it at bike speed gives you a new appreciation of what it has to offer. About a mile up you start seeing Incline Peak standing high above. I’m not sure why it’s not called Pyramid Peak, because it certainly looks like a pyramid from this angle. More climbing brings you to the lookout point where you will find one of the best spots to see Lake Tahoe. And after over 3 miles of uphill, you will be ready for a break to check out those views. Check out Diamond Peak Ski Area below you. It was strange riding in bike shorts and looking down on the skiers still making their way down the few remaining ribbons of white.
Meadow area along Mt. Rose Hwy.
Photo by Tim Hauserman
Now the ride starts to get steeper, but the views of Rose Knob Peak and Relay Peak are sublime. You know you are getting closer when at 7 miles you reach Tahoe Meadows, still covered in snow but going fast. Just past the 8 mile mark is the summit and your turn around point at the Tahoe Rim Trail Mt. Rose Trailhead. The truly ambitious can keep going towards Reno but the heavily traveled road is narrow, often with little or no shoulder, and unless you left a car at the bottom you will have to come all the way back up. The ride back to Incline is a steady, long downhill with a nice shoulder.
Tip: Bring layers. The temperature difference from huffing and puffing up the hill, and roaring back down is pretty substantial.
THINK OF ME, LYNN RICHARDSON, FOR ALL OF YOUR LAKE TAHOE AND TRUCKEE REAL ESTATE NEEDS!
www.lynnrichardson.net
Share this: Lynn Richardson, Your Friend in High Places
3By Tim Hauserman
While many of the higher elevation trails around Tahoe and Truckee are still covered in snow, this mild winter has made it possible to hike a few lower elevation trails that you rarely encounter snow free before May, let alone March:
Negro Canyon and the Donner Lake Rim Trail
Photo by Tim Hauserman
A few miles east of Truckee, just off I-80 at the Donner Lake Exit, you will find the Wendin Way Access Trail to the Donner Lake Rim Trail. The snow melts fast off this sun baked south facing bowl, and the well graded trail is a pleasure to hike. After a mile, you join the Donner Lake Rim Trail, where you find another mile of steeper climbing to the Tahoe Donner Cross-Country Ski Area’s Drifter hut at the top of the ridge. If you’ve skied to Drifter before, you will find this hike a piece of cake in comparison, and yet you still get awesome views of the snow covered Sierra crest.
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Vikingsholm
Photo by Tim Hauserman
Now, when crowds are absent, is the time to enjoy Lake Tahoe’s most popular hiking trail to the Vikingsholm mansion in Emerald Bay. Take the one mile descent to the waters edge, then follow the south facing shoreline on the Rubicon Trail to the entrance of the bay, and then along Tahoe’s west shore towards Bliss State Park. A sit at the end of the Boat Campground pier, with it’s views of Maggies Peaks and Eagle Falls, makes for a nice break.
Tahoe Rim Trail-North from Tahoe City.
From the trailhead along Fairway Drive in Tahoe City, the Tahoe Rim Trail climbs through cedar and fir while dishing out views of Lake Tahoe and Tahoe City. In about a mile, a wide panorama of the lake opens up, as well as views of the Truckee River Canyon. If you have more time and energy, keep walking, as you pass nearly constant views of the Truckee River and Lake Tahoe.
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East shore beaches
Photo by Michelle Portesi
While skinny dipping in March might not be on your list of things to do, perhaps enjoying the lovely beaches of the east shore with clothes on, but crowds gone, sounds attractive. Several short trails lead from Highway 28 down to the lovely, rocky shore of Lake Tahoe. Wander past all the tidy little coves and pick your perfect little secluded beach to ponder the beauty of Tahoe.
THINK OF ME, LYNN RICHARDSON, FOR ALL OF YOUR LAKE TAHOE AND TRUCKEE REAL ESTATE NEEDS!
Share this: Lynn Richardson, Your Friend in High Places
YOUR FRIEND IN HIGH PLACES 