Tim Hauserman
TheTahoeWeekly.com
TIM’S TOP BY TIM HAUSERMAN
SPRING OUTINGS
NLTRA
Tim Hauserman
Find links for details on these outings and more to explore at TheTahoeWeekly.com
A
h, April, the in-between month. Ski season is winding down, but there is still not a lot of bare dirt popping up waiting for exploration. So, I thought I’d rack my brain to come up with 10 fun outdoor things that you can do to span the gap between the seasons. A big caveat, of course, to getting outside in April is that spring in Tahoe means a myriad of weather possibilities. It could dump mega feet of snow or it could be sunny and warm for days on end. Plan accordingly.
Road bike
CARSON VALLEY TO CARSON CITY, NEV.
Spring is a good time to bring your road bike to the Carson Valley where it is warmer than Tahoe, but not near as hot as it will be in a few months. I like to park at Davis Creek Regional Park or Bowers Mansion, then head south along Old Highway 395 to Franktown Road. Now you are in a land of pastoral splendor with green grass dotted with horses, cows and llamas. Four miles on Franktown Road brings you back to Old Highway 395, where a right turn leads in another mile to the Lakeview neighborhood just before the road becomes a freeway. From there, for a shorter ride turn around or you can climb and then descend to a back-door entrance into Carson City via Combs Canyon Road. If you ride to the outskirts of downtown and back it’s about 30 miles.
Cycle or walk
TAHOE EAST SHORE TRAIL
The 3-mile-long Tahoe East Shore Trail from Tunnel Creek Cafe to Sand Harbor is a stunning engineering marvel. It’s a spectacular paved path that was carved out of the rocky shoreline and includes what is now the longest bridge in the Tahoe Basin. However, if you build it, they will certainly come. The trail is busy on weekends and during the summer, mostly with walkers, which can make a ride on the trail a bit challenging. The paid parking at Tunnel Creek can also fill to overflowing. One way to avoid the parking fiasco and extend the ride is to ride your bike from anywhere in Incline Village along Lakeshore Boulevard to Highway 28 where a crosswalk provides easy access to the trail. To avoid the crowds, ride midweek, off-season and early or late in the day. 12
Snowshoe to a mountain lake
CARSON PASS
Located at more than 8,600 feet in elevation, Carson Pass holds its hefty snowpack well into June in most years, making it a great spot for an April snowshoe. Put on those snowshoes and head south from the parking lot (fee required) on what is most likely a well-traveled snowshoe path for 2 miles to Winnemucca Lake. The first mile is through a forest of ancient pines, then the route opens to spectacular open views of nearby Round Top, Caples Lake and finally, Winnemucca Lake. The combination of those views and easy terrain make this my favorite place to snowshoe in the Tahoe region. A Sno-Park permit is required, which must be purchased in advance online at ohv.parks.ca.gov or from a local vendor; no on-site purchase available.
Bird watch
SIERRA VALLEY
Sierra Valley is an expansive, lightly populated valley 25 miles north of Truckee. It consists of ranch land, sagebrush and in the springtime, ponds and watercourses that are full of birds. Sandhill cranes, yellow-winged blackbirds and ibis are some of the fascinating birds to search for. The best spots to find water and thus birds are Heriot Lane and Marble Hot Springs Road (dirt) where you can cross over a single-lane bridge built in 1908. Sierra Valley Preserve on both A-23 and A-24 is another spot to bird watch with the added advantage of public access to the land — the rest of the valley is situated on private land. If a short stroll on the preserve trails is not enough exercise for you, park in Sierraville or Loyalton and look for birds while enjoying a lovely level ride through the rangelands.
Hike
Sagehen Creek
The Sagehen Creek Trail to Stampede Reservoir is located just off of Highway 89, 8 miles north of Truckee. In late spring this trail takes you to a camas lilies paradise. Depending on the year, the flowers are best in late April or early May. The 6-mile out and back is gentle and a nice first hike of the season. As one of the first easy, hiking trails to emerge from snow, it can be a busy place and parking is limited; come early and skip the weekends.
