Archive for the ‘Lake Tahoe Summer Recreation’ Tag
By Michelle Portesi
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Here at ‘Your Friend In High Places’, the plan is to get all of our favorite hikes archived on the blog. There are many popular hikes in the area that are local favorites. Yet, with so much close access to the High Sierra back country, there are always new ones to discover.
This post is focusing on The Rubicon Trail out of D.L. Bliss State Park on Tahoe’s West Shore. The California State Park and Campground is located on the lake side just before Emerald Bay. Day parking is $10 per car. If you frequent our state parks often during the year and don’t already have a membership pass, you might want to spring for one of the many day use options the California State Park Foundation has to offer that can really save you some money.
Along the Rubicon Trail, West Shore, Lake Tahoe (Photo by Michelle Portesi)
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After turning into the park, drive all the way down to the bottom (You’ll be paying your fees at the campground kiosk near the day use beach and hiking parking lots.) There are bathrooms at the parking lot, so take the opportunity, as you will not see another bathroom until you get to the boat campground on Emerald Bay. While you can turn around at any time, if you want to make it to Emerald Bay, plan for this hike to take most of the day. This is a relatively easy to moderate hike, but I guarantee that you will be stopping to take many photos along the way.
The Rubicon Trail out of Bliss follows the lake for most of the way to Emerald Bay. You will be high above the lake for panoramic views, occasional glimpses of osprey and/or their nests and insanely vivid hues of blue waters. What makes this hike so amazing is the underwater geography of this particular part of the lake. Many millennia ago, part of the lake’s rim in this area sheered off down to the incredible depths below, creating sheer drop offs from the waters edge. In these areas, the color of the water stuns in deep shades of cobalt blue, as if someone had dropped many gallons of dye off Lake Tahoe’s shore. Further along the hike, shallow coves appear with white sand bottoms, in as many vivid shades of aqua as any exotic oceanic island.
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Boating in cobalt waters, Lake Tahoe (Photo by Michelle Portesi – no photo color adjusting required…)
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As you near Emerald Bay, there is a separate trail that veers to the left that will take you to the headland of the entrance to the bay. Here you will see the many boats on the lake that come for a glimpse of the bays many charms.
Back on the main trail that veers to the right, you are now down close to the shoreline. Many sandy beaches appear along the way. Continue on to the boat campground, thus named because most people boat in their camping gear for a stay instead of slogging it the long hike down. (Only park rangers and the camp host is allowed to drive down the fire road to the campsites.) From here you can view Fannette island in the middle of the bay, with the still visible remains of the stone tea house where the original owners used to ferry their guests for high tea in the afternoons. You can also see part of Eagle Falls in the distance.
If you’re feeling up to it, you can continue along the trail to the Vikingsholm Historic Site and the museum right next to it at the end of Emerald Bay. (Bring money with you if you want to do the tour through the estate). While you could theoretically hike back up to the highway from here, remember, your car is still at the base of Bliss State Park several miles away. Unless you’ve got some elaborate carpool plans going, most of us just turn around and hike the Rubicon trail back to our cars.
Congratulate yourself on getting a substantive amount of exercise. Now treat yourself to a margarita or an ice cold beer at one of the many West Shore establishments. You’ve earned it!
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Rubicon Trail, Lake Tahoe
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Continued from Part 1 – Your Summer Checklist- All Through the House.
In Part 2 of our Summer Checklist, focus is on summer recreation and prepping all of your outdoor gear.
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7) Get outdoor gear ready. This is a biggie here in outdoor recreation nirvana. I once saw a cartoon that had a VW Bug packed with every sort of bike, ski, canoe, outdoor recreation toy, etc. one could possibly imagine. Two guys looked on admiringly at this feat of car packing magnificence. The caption read: “All the toys ON and IN my car are worth more than the car itself!!! How true this is! I can’t help but laugh about it as I pull out my winter gear from the back of the car; ice skates, snowshoes and snow boots, etc… and replace them with beach chairs, towels, bike rack and hiking boots. Here are just a few suggestions to get you ready for summer.
Camping Gear: Now is the time to check your tent for holes and leaks, (as apposed to pitching it out in the wilderness and discovering during a downpour that what you really have is an enclosed camping shower). Check and fill propane tanks for camp stoves and lanterns. Pack matches in waterproof containers. Find all of your sleeping bags, coolers, cooking and eating utensils, backpacks, fanny packs, hiking boots, etc and have them ready to go. It’s annoying to have to spend hours scrounging around the Christmas ornaments and winter gear in the garage looking for all these items when you’re trying to ‘Get Out Of Dodge’ for a last minute camping trip.
Bikes: Check your bike tires and brakes. Replace flat or cracked tires. There are plenty of places in town that do bike tune ups if you’re like me and don’t have time to do it yourself. It’s a messy job anyway. Invest in a small bicycle pump and a few emergency bike tools. Add a basket or pannier to touring bikes for carrying everything from groceries to day trip picnics.
Canoes, kayaks, small boats, etc. Make sure there are no leaks, and all the equipment is in the craft. Life vests and paddles are a must. I’ve overheard many a person groaning that they forgot their paddles after the kayak was already in the water.
Beach Bag of Summer Stuff. I always try to have these items in a large beach bag or day pack in my car at all times: Sunscreen, chapstick, sun hat or visor, tissues, small flashlight, small fanny pack, water bottle, towel, dry socks, flip flops, small rain poncho in a pouch and Swiss army knife. These items are a life saver for impromptu beach or hiking outings to Summer night events. (You’ll thank me later when you have a handy little flash light so you’re not stumbling back to your car in the pitch black darkness after a late night event – for which Shakespeare at Sand Harbor comes immediately to mind…)
Low backed beach chair and outdoor blanket. There are so many summer events for which these are a must, that I always have them in the back of my car. You’ll also want them for those trips to the beach or a campsite rendezvous too.
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Summer at Sunnyside Deck Opening
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8) Make a list of everything you want to do this summer. Like I said, summer’s here are glorious, but brief. Time tends to slip away, we lose track of half the things we wanted to do, and before you know it, summer is gone. I’m usually not one for lists, but having one on the ‘fridge keeps my goals daily in my face so I remember to do them, and there is a real feeling of accomplishment as I check them off. My personal to do list usually involves favorite hikes, bike rides along the river or lake, hanging out on the deck at some of my favorite restaurants and BBQ’s with friends. I started my list already! We attended Sunnyside Restaurant and Lodge’s official opening of their outdoor deck kick off (see photo above) and did the popular Shirley Lake Hike, (see last year’s post on this hike here):
https://yourfriendinhighplaces.wordpress.com/2013/08/16/go-take-a-hike/
From Houzz Summer Checklist: www.houzz.com/ideabooks/25486546
How about you? Do you have any tips for summer to do lists or summer must haves? Things to do, places to go, events to see? Let us know in the Comments section. And we’ll keep you posted on all the fun happenings at Lake Tahoe, Truckee and the surrounding area.
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The Rainbow Lodge, tucked next to a lovely pool of the Yuba River on Old Highway 40 just a few miles west of Donner Summit, has reopened for business under new ownership and with a new name (Rainbow Tavern and Lodge) on February 20th. Currently it is open to bed and breakfast guests, with plans underway to open the bar and once popular restaurant in the spring.
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The Rainbow Lodge was most recently owned by Royal Gorge Cross-Country Ski Area. A fond memory for many a Tahoe area Nordic skier was having the rare opportunity of skiing from Summit Station at Royal Gorge all the way to Rainbow Lodge. With the failure a few years ago of the previous ownership of Royal Gorge, the Lodge set vacant until Craig and Wendy Mitchell from Rocklin recently purchased the property. The Mitchell’s plan on remodeling and upgrading the facility, while keeping its classic Sierra charm.
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The charming wood and rock structure that is Rainbow Lodge was built in the late 1800s. With it’s rustic wood bar, and comfy fireplace, it was always a happy place to spend a night in the snow. It has been a gambling hall, a stage stop, and a popular fishing spot where the Rainbow trout you caught could be cooked by the Rainbow Lodge chef for your enjoyment. It also sits next to an artesian spring water source that has been a supplier for drinking water companies. The popular Loch Levon Lakes hiking trail is just down the road, and the Lodge is on the route of one of the Tahoe-Truckee area’s most popular road bike routes from Donner Lake to Cisco Grove.
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YOUR FRIEND IN HIGH PLACES 