Archive for the ‘Local Events’ Category
.
No, I’m not trying to tell you to get lost. The high Sierra are filled with many wonderful places to explore the beaten or unbeaten paths, back country, hidden lakes, gorgeous waterfalls, or just enjoy nature while getting some exercise and fresh air.
One of the favorite hikes is what locals call the ‘Shirley Lake’ hike. Located at Squaw Valley, you can either take the tram up to the top and hike down (you’re now committed to doing the entire hike. No taxi to pick you up if you decide you’ve had enough fun halfway down), or you can start at the bottom and hike up as far as you like, and turn around when you choose to. (Take the road that is right of the tram building. Follow the road straight until you see some boulders in front of the dirt trail head veering off to your right. Follow until you meet up with the main trial head which will veer to the left and start rising uphill).
The bottom half of the hike is relatively easy, and even most kids can manage it. It’s the prettiest part of the hike as it follows Squaw Creek and there are waterfalls aplenty for most of the way…depending on what month you do the hike. Some years bless us with ample winter snowpack and the creek is flowing well into the fall. On years that mother nature gets stingy with the white stuff, the creek can stop flowing by August. Hike early in the summer and the water rushes and gushes. Later in the summer and you can hike up the middle of the falls while water gently flows around you.
Wild shooting star columbine and thimbleberry
Wildflowers greet you throughout the hike. Look for columbine, penstemon, squaw carpet and thimbleberry, among many others along the trail.
Partway up the hike you enter the area we call ‘the enchanted forest’. Here the trees are thick and the area heavily shaded and mysterious. It has the look straight out of an illustration for any given book of fairy tales. One half expects to greet little red riding hood along the trail or a few pixies peeking out from behind the flora.
The top of the hike is much more strenuous. Most of it is above the treeline, so it can feel pretty toasty up there on a hot summer day as you scramble across granite sheets of rock. Wear plenty of sunscreen. You’re at altitude and can burn easily here…and don’t forget plenty of water.
You eventually will come to Shirley Lake, which is at the bottom of one of Squaw Valley’s famous ski runs. After taking some time here to relax and catch your breath, hike the rest of the way up to Squaw’s high camp for some refreshments, swim in their pool, and/or to take the tram back down. Make sure to bring money or a credit card. You’ll need to pay to use the pool or take the tram to get back to the bottom again. Otherwise you’re hoofing it all the way back down again.
Share this: Lynn Richardson, Your Friend in High Places
I maybe late posting this for tonight, but did you know that Squaw Valley has free music each Tuesday? Bluesdays are free blues concerts in the Village at Squaw and at High Camp. Click the link below to see the calendar.
Bluesday music
There is awesome free music all around the Tahoe Basin. I try to stay on top of it and let you know what’s going on so take a look at some of my previous posts to see what’s happening this summer.
Share this: Lynn Richardson, Your Friend in High Places
We like to think that Tahoe/Truckee has something for everyone in the summer. Your two year old can play in the sand on one of our glorious lakeside beaches. The more culturally inclined can spend an evening watching a concert or a Shakespeare performance along the lakeshore. The adrenaline junkie can hop on a road bike and climb to the top of Donner Summit, join in a mountain biking race, kayak around the lake, or take a hike into the wilderness. But perhaps the quintessential Tahoe activity that will make everybody happy on a warm summer day is to take a rafting trip down the Truckee River.
You begin just below the dam in Tahoe City, and travel downstream four miles to The River Ranch. While there are a few stretches of minor rapids to keep you on your toes, in comparison to real white water, it’s a piece of cake. So what’s the attraction? While it’s often close to the busy highway and bike trail, being on the river feels like another world. It’s a ribbon of water pulsing through a zone of green, and it’s an incredibly relaxing way to spend a few hours.
On a mid-summer weekend, it’s also a lively place. Water shooting devices are highly recommended to help those poor overheated folks in the next raft over get a chance to cool down. It’s also doesn’t require any forethought. You just drive right up to one of the two rafting companies, and in fairly short order you will find yourself in a boat. Once you disembark at River Ranch, you can dine alfresco with several hundred of your new friends on the patio and then catch the rafting company shuttle back to town. You can also buy your own float or tube, and arrange your own shuttle. Obviously this is a more cumbersome procedure, but if you plan on taking the trip a number of times per summer it might be worth it. Do remember to find a floating object that is built strong enough to actually make it down the river still full of air. It is not fun to have to walk several miles along the river carrying the remains of your $12 raft that couldn’t quite make it all the way downstream.
Note, From July 1st to July 7th , alcohol is not allowed in rafts or on the shore of the Truckee River.
Where to go: Contact Truckee River Rafting by Mountain Air Sports, at 530-583-1111 or http://www.truckeeriverrafting.com
Share this: Lynn Richardson, Your Friend in High Places
YOUR FRIEND IN HIGH PLACES 