The week ahead looks cooler with a trough of low pressure hanging around the West Coast all week. Thunderstorm activity will increase today and they should be wetter and windier than those on Sunday. The threat of thunderstorms will be with us for most of the week, although the area of stronger storms should move south and east of Tahoe. We are approaching the monsoon season, usually August and September, when a high over the four corners region drives moisture up the Sierra range and thunderstorms erupt in the afternoon as the sun heats the moist atmosphere. There's nothing like a little thunder, lightning, and hail to add some excitement and adventure to the day.
This week, I thought I'd take a look at where to find adventure in the mountains of the Tahoe-Truckee area. Not Indiana Jones style
adventure, where you're flying down a mine shaft in an ore car with a boulder the size of a house bouncing behind you ready to squash you like a bug. Not the typical daily adventure that most of us experience, either, like ordering a strange new dish at our favorite restaurant. The activities I'm targeting are enough to get your adrenalin going, yet relatively safe and responsible. We'll start at our nearby neighbor, Squaw Valley USA. Squaw Valley’s world famous mountain bike park reopened on July 16, 2010 and will be open on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays for the summer. It's been out of action for almost a decade and has over fifteen miles of downhill single track and mountaintop cross-country trails. It's been the site of the Mountain Bike World Cup, Fat Tire Festivals and Downhill Mania events. It's been rebuilt to give the the trails better flow and allow the bikes to run more freely using the mountain’s natural terrain.Squaw Valley has also opened three intermediate cross-country trails on top of the mountain. You can enjoy scenic loops through fields of wildflowers with breathtaking views overlooking Lake Tahoe and the Sierra peaks. There is no better way to enjoy the mountains and challenge yourself than on a mountain bike. Cruise the single track trails in silence or fly downhill as fast as you dare. The combination of adrenaline, endorphins and high altitude will make you feel alive. For a more leisurely cruise, you can take the bike path from Squaw Valley's trails and peddle along the Truckee River all the way to Lake Tahoe. You can rent your bike and all your equipment at Squaw Valley and a ticket includes unlimited cable car rides. Read more about it at www.squaw.com/mountain-trail-biking.
Two more action activities at Squaw Valley are Paintball and the Zip-Line. Two Paintball courses, "Woodsball" and "Speedball" will provide upper mountain adventure. The "Woodsball" paintball course uses natural terrain along the Silverado ridgeline adjacent to High Camp, el. 8200'. The "Speedball" course is still under construction and will be open sometime in mid-July. See www.squaw.com/paintball for details. The Zip-Line provides thrilling fun for kids. Located at the mountain's base next to the Funitel, it overlooks the granite peaks of Red Dog and KT-22. Enclosed in a harness, kids climb the launch tower and fly across a field landing safely 200 feet away. Read about it at www.squaw.com/zip-line.
What could be more exciting and adventurous than flying high above Lake Tahoe? Why not try Para-sailing? North Tahoe Water Sports offers equipment and boat tows with lines from 500 feet to 1400 feet, depending on how brave you feel. They operate out of multiple locations in Kings Beach, and in Tahoe City at the Tahoe City Marina, they operate as Lake Tahoe Para-sailing. As you're lifted out of the water and start to gain altitude, you try to catch your breath as you sail above the sparking blue water of Lake Tahoe with the surrounding mountains in the background. It's a thrilling and memorable experience that will fulfill your need for adventure. Visit www.northtahoewatersportsinc.com for details and www.theweeklymagazineonline.com for an enjoyable account of the experience.
If you'd like some exercise with your adventure and are feeling competitive, the Tahoe 24 hr Adventure Race is taking place on July 31st in the beauty of the Sierra Mountains and Lake Tahoe. Racers spend 24 hrs navigating, trekking, running, paddling, and mountain biking. The race takes advantage of Tahoe’s famous mountain biking and hiking trail network. Racers explore areas of Tahoe and other parts of the region that very few ever experience. A 24 hour race is a real challenge, even for those of us that are feeling fit, and qualifies as a true adventure. See www.gotahoenorth.com and www.bigblueadventure.com for more information.
Adventure is where you find it and means different things to different people. These are just a few ideas to show you some of the adventurous activities our area has to offer. Don't be afraid to try anything that moves you out of your comfort zone and gets your adrenaline flowing. You'll find the exhilaration you feel is well worth the effort. Have a great week!
This week, I thought I'd take a look at where to find adventure in the mountains of the Tahoe-Truckee area. Not Indiana Jones style
Two more action activities at Squaw Valley are Paintball and the Zip-Line. Two Paintball courses, "Woodsball" and "Speedball" will provide upper mountain adventure. The "Woodsball" paintball course uses natural terrain along the Silverado ridgeline adjacent to High Camp, el. 8200'. The "Speedball" course is still under construction and will be open sometime in mid-July. See www.squaw.com/paintball for details. The Zip-Line provides thrilling fun for kids. Located at the mountain's base next to the Funitel, it overlooks the granite peaks of Red Dog and KT-22. Enclosed in a harness, kids climb the launch tower and fly across a field landing safely 200 feet away. Read about it at www.squaw.com/zip-line.
What could be more exciting and adventurous than flying high above Lake Tahoe? Why not try Para-sailing? North Tahoe Water Sports offers equipment and boat tows with lines from 500 feet to 1400 feet, depending on how brave you feel. They operate out of multiple locations in Kings Beach, and in Tahoe City at the Tahoe City Marina, they operate as Lake Tahoe Para-sailing. As you're lifted out of the water and start to gain altitude, you try to catch your breath as you sail above the sparking blue water of Lake Tahoe with the surrounding mountains in the background. It's a thrilling and memorable experience that will fulfill your need for adventure. Visit www.northtahoewatersportsinc.com for details and www.theweeklymagazineonline.com for an enjoyable account of the experience.
If you'd like some exercise with your adventure and are feeling competitive, the Tahoe 24 hr Adventure Race is taking place on July 31st in the beauty of the Sierra Mountains and Lake Tahoe. Racers spend 24 hrs navigating, trekking, running, paddling, and mountain biking. The race takes advantage of Tahoe’s famous mountain biking and hiking trail network. Racers explore areas of Tahoe and other parts of the region that very few ever experience. A 24 hour race is a real challenge, even for those of us that are feeling fit, and qualifies as a true adventure. See www.gotahoenorth.com and www.bigblueadventure.com for more information.
Adventure is where you find it and means different things to different people. These are just a few ideas to show you some of the adventurous activities our area has to offer. Don't be afraid to try anything that moves you out of your comfort zone and gets your adrenaline flowing. You'll find the exhilaration you feel is well worth the effort. Have a great week!
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