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With ski season winding down, it's time for spring sports |
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Written by Paul Raymore
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Tuesday, 17 April 2007 |
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What can you do in the Tahoe/Truckee area once the snow melts? Anyone who's ever spent a summer here will tell you that there are even more outdoor adventures awaiting you during the warmer months.
Lake Kayaking
 Melting snow turns into water. Water is great for kayaking. And becase Lake Tahoe is almost free of motorized boats this time of year, it might just be the perfect time to get out on that water in a kayak.
Matt Wafkiewicz, sales manager at Tahoe City Kayak, said, “There was an influx of customers earlier in the season [this year] than we’ve ever seen because of the weather. As a result our sales are some of the highest they’ve been for this time of year.”
And while early-season sales might be chalked up to eager paddlers excited about the new 2007 gear, Wafkiewicz said that they’ve had a number of folks in the store to rent kayaks as well.
Be warned: Because the lake is still very cold, and spring winds can pick up without warning (often in the afternoon), paddlers should dress in layers and have the appropriate safety equipment on board in case of an accident.
Coated nylon rain pants and jackets or custom paddling gear is great for keeping dry, and fleece or other base layers should do the trick to keep you warm while on the water. And definitely don’t forget the sunscreen and a life jacket.
“There’s not a lot of people using the lake, which makes it a nice time to kayak,” Wafkiewicz said. “But that also makes for a safety issue because there aren’t a lot of people to rescure you either.”
Another issue this time of year can be finding a spot to launch from. Both Commons Beach in Tahoe City and the Kings Beach boat ramp are open and convenient right now, while state parks such as D.L. Bliss and Sand Harbor might need a couple of weeks to clean up from winter before they open (call to confirm).
Guided tours, at Tahoe City Kayak at least, will begin in May, though other shops might have different schedules.
Rock Climbing
 While the low snowpack might mean an early end to the ski season, that just means that climbing season can start that much sooner.
According to Brent Cutler, owner of The Sports Exchange in Truckee, the climbing gym in the back of his shop is already starting to see less traffic as folks are going outside to climb on the real deal.
“Because of the light snowfall there are a lot of folks going out to Donner Summit already,” Cutler said.
And while there is still some snow left in the higher elevations, the bases of many popular routes around the Tahoe area are pretty much snow free. Add to that the low snowpack on top of many of the routes and it all adds up to a nice early season of dry rock to climb.
 “The climbing goods have been going nuts for the last three weeks,” Cutler said. “And we're starting to bring in all our retail stuff: climbing shoes, cams, harnesses, all that stuff.”
In addition to regular climbing routes, Cutler said that a lot of his customers have been coming into the gym to get in shape, or heading out to popular bouldering spots like Split Rock at Donner Lake, Old County Road near Dollar Point, D.L. Bliss State Park on the West Shore and 90-foot wall down by Emerald Bay.
Get the kids ready for the rock:
The Sports Exchange holds kids rock climbing classes in their climbing gym every Monday and Thursday from 3:30-5 p.m. The classes cost $15 and are appropriate for kids ages 7+ of all abilities. Please call 530-582-4510 a day in advance to make a reservation.
Dirt Biking
 Sure there may be a lot of brown patches dotting your favorite ski hill already, but for those with a dirt bike in the garage, that’s just a welcome sign that it’s almost time to get out and ride.
“It’s been kind of a weird winter,” said Thor Schjelderup, co-owner of Thin Air Motorsports in Truckee. “We’re actually seeing a lot of people snowmobiling still. You have to get up a little higher, but once you get up above 7,500 feet, the coverage is still good. So guys are still riding their sleds, but they’re also riding their dirtbikes.”
Locally, Schjelderup said that the Prosser Reservoir and Russell Valley areas were great until our latest storm dropped a couple of snow on the region, which should make things pretty mucky for a while yet.
To keep the trails from getting rutted, most riders prefer to let the dirt up here set up a bit longer, and head down the hill to Moon Rocks outside of Reno for their fix.
“Definitely, people are excited to get out there,” Schjelderup said.
Mountain Biking
 Due to lack of snow pack, mountain bikers have been getting an early start to the season riding on local trails that usually are not accessible until summer.
“Trails are melting out a full month before they were last year,” said John Svahn, a bike mechanic at Paco’s Bike and Ski in Truckee.
One of the first rides to clear is the Emigrant Trail, which has been packed for a couple of weeks.
“I’ve never been able to ride the Emigrant Trail before May,” Randall Ussery, who also works at Paco’s, said.
Another quick ride to do early in the season is up Tunnel Creek because the recent snow melt means it’s firmer than during the summer when it gets a lot of downhill traffic from the Flume. It’s all uphill, but that’s just an opportunity for good early-season conditioning.
Some bikers still travel out of the basin to Auburn and Reno to get in longer rides.
Riders from Incline Village often drive down to Galena Creek Park for the first ride of the season, which is a little muddy but in good shape.
“Hidden Valley was awesome,” Svahn said. “There are some new single tracks and you can ride for hours and hours.”
“Pioneer Trail above Nevada City, that’s pretty fun,” said Ben Milikien of Cyclepaths in Truckee, who said he likes riding in the foothills early season because it isn’t too crowded.
Mountain bikers can still expect to see snow pack above 7,500 feet, so downhill riders will have to wait a little longer.
“A lot of stuff hasn’t melted out because you start at a higher elevation,” said Mike Vaughan of Cyclepaths. “You can ride the lower part of Tyrolean Downhill (in Incline Village.)”
Local bike shops have been slammed tuning bikes as the sport appears to be more popular than skiing recently.
“Our bike racks are full,” said Mike Fresco, manager of the Village Ski Loft in Incline Village. “The bike business has been as good, if not better than the ski business for the last two to three weeks.”
As is the case during the early ski season, cyclists are encouraged to take it easy until regaining their midseason form.
“Slowly phase back into it,” Milikien said. “Don’t try to kill it the first day.”
— mountain biking section by Emma Garrard/Tahoe World
Preppin’ for the trails
Giving bikes a spring tune-up and clean is highly recommended. Make sure suspension is working, check the handle bar, stem and frame for signs of fatigue, and that linkages are tight. Also apply lube to the pivot point and chain, check the brakes, the rims for cracks and the tires for cuts after they have been stored in a garage all winter.
As for the weather, bikers still need to dress warmly as temperatures can drop below freezing at night.
Like most seasonal sports, remember to start off slow.
Local mountain bike trails
• Emigrant Trail, Truckee — Smooth riding, no fallen trees and little water on the trails.
• Sawtooth Ridge, Truckee — Western half has a few patches of snow.
• Rim trail to Mt. Watson — Sections of the trail are clear for riding.
• North Tahoe Regional Park — Trails are ready to ride.
• Tunnel Creek, Incline Village — Sand is relatively packed with no ruts. Can ride to Tunnel Creek Station without hitting snow. Can hike and bike part of Flume but snow pack is still on the northeast facing slopes.
• Tyrolean Downhill, Incline Village — The lower half of the trail is ready to ride.
• Galena Creek, Reno — A little muddy but trails are in good shape.
• Slaughter House Canyon, East Shore — From Spooner to Glenbrook, clear of snow.
• Evans and Keystone Canyon, Reno — North of UNR campus, open year round.
• Hidden Valley, Reno — New Single tracks open year round.
Photos (top to bottom) by Jason Kelly, Ryan Salm, Ryan Salm, Keith Sheffield, and Emma Garrard.
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Last Updated ( Wednesday, 18 April 2007 )
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