The Mission Mountain Wood Band will play a long-awaited return to Tahoe on Friday, Nov. 27 – the night after Thanksgiving. Booked into the Harrah’s-Tahoe South Shore Room, MMWB will once again charm the crowd with their inimitable blend of bluegrass, rock, country and whatever else the band may blend in that night.

In their old days of touring, the boys from Mission Mountain covered the country many times, traveling to over 300 gigs each year. In the decade they were originally together, the band opened for The Allman Brothers, The Grateful Dead, Bonnie Raitt, Jimmy Buffet and the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, to list just a few.

Mission Mountain Wood Band currently consists of four original band members, who met circa 1970 while at the University of Montana. Rob Quist is on guitar and banjo, Greg Reichenberg is the longtime drummer, Steve Riddle plays bass and Christian Johnson is the multi-instrument wiz – switching deftly and often from electric guitar, mandolin and fiddle. In 1987, the fifth original player – Terry Robinson – was killed in a plane crash with his then-current group, The Montana Band.

Lately, his place on stage-left has been filled by another Montanan, singer/songwriter, Tim Ryan. Of his current gig with MMWB, Ryan says, “Right now, people want to go to live shows. After a Mission Mountain concert, you’ll hear people say ‘That was a great evening, and you know what? Those guys entertained me.’ Many acts now, if they lost power – no video, no lights – it’d be over. Mission Mountain can handle any venue there is – they are master performers.”

Bruce Young

Ryan, who has penned songs for many top Nashville acts, has written four new tunes that Mission Mountain has been adding to their line-up. But, as Rob Quist points out, “Songs that will probably never leave our set list are Mountain Standard Time, Sweet Maria and Take a Whiff On Me.”

For a group who has always ‘considered the audience the sixth member of our band,’ check them out personally – the show is Nov. 27 at 7:30pm, Harrah’s South Shore Room. Tickets are $25. 800-786-8208

Gunmount Trail

Fast Facts

Mary Cook

Length: 5 miles out-and-back

Technical: Beginner

Highlights: Seneca Pond, Osgood Swamp

Time: 1-2 hours

Season: Spring – Fall

Tread: Singletrack

Getting There

Mary Cook

Start your Gunmount adventure at the avalanche Gun Tower on the north side of Hwy 50, just a half mile west of Meyers past North Upper Truckee Road, before the highway turns south to climb Echo Summit.

Logging roads have cropped up throughout the Angora burn area, erasing the former Gunmount singletrack that clung below the Angora ridgeline. Try as you may, picking up the trailhead at the opposite end by the South Lake Tahoe High School sign on Vikings Road or similarly, across from Sawmill Pond, at the intersection of Lake Tahoe Boulevard and Sawmill Road, will not connect you with the described Gunmount trail that skirts the shores of Seneca Pond and leaks out at the avalanche Gun Tower.

The Basics

Mary Cook

Starting from the Gun Tower on Highway 50, two trails present themselves. Take the trail to the left to traverse northwest along the escarpment below Flagpole Peak. The trail to the right plunges into deep forest, eventually bordering Osgood swamp. Shortly after leaving Osgood, the only technical section of the right-hand trail appears as wood plank creek-crossing. My advice for novice riders: walk the plank!

Eventually, the right and left-hand trails merge onto a lone, pine needle-covered singletrack, meandering through at-first vivacious woods, which thin out into ebony, telephone-pole-like silhouettes – products of the Angora fire. In the midst of this bittersweet burn area, Seneca Pond, also called Hippy Pond, sits, like a glistening, untouched mirror in the scorched wreckage of a tragic fire. Seneca Pond marks the turn-around point of this short and flat, out-and-back route.

There are many spurs trails on Gunmount, and if you bailout on an eastward spur trail, you will eventually end up on North Upper Truckee Road, resulting in a shorter loop.

Sierra Tract

Fast Facts

Mary Cook

Length: Your choice, many short loops

Technical: Beginner

Highlights: Spur trails to Lake Tahoe Community College

Season: Spring – Fall

Tread: Singletrack

Getting There

From Highway 50 in South Lake Tahoe, turn onto Sierra Boulevard and follow it all the way to its end. At a T intersection, make a right onto Barbara Avenue and the entrance to the trail is located at the end of Barbara at the corner with Lodi Avenue.

The Basics

Mary Cook

Pedal through pine-shaded forest on dirt, planar trails, which put the flat in the phrase “paper flat.” Sierra Tract’s section of woods is bound by two meadows – an eastern square containing Trout Creek and a larger, western strip embracing South Lake Tahoe’s airport as well as the Upper Truckee River.

This maze of interconnecting trails can be confusing at first. When navigating the Sierra Tract spider web, try to keep a mental tally of the turns you took, so an out-and-back route, if not a loop, is always an option. Keep it simple. The humble act of exploring is your best bet to discovering longer and shorter loops in this novice mountain biking area.

Persisting on an eastward trail will eventually dump you out onto Black Bart Avenue, upon which you can link up with trails to Lake Tahoe Community College off of connecting Meadow Crest Drive.

Washoe Meadows Out-and-Back

Fast Facts

Mary Cook

Length: 5.2 miles out-and-back

Technical: Beginner

Time: 1 hour

Season: Summer – Fall

Tread: 50% single track, 25% dirt road, 25% gravel road

Getting There

From South Lake Tahoe, head south on Highway 50 towards Meyers. Turn right onto North Upper Truckee Road. Turn right at West San Bernardino Avenue, left on Cholula Street, and left on Chilicothe Street.

The ride begins at the end of Chilicothe Street at the gate to Washoe Meadows State Park.

The Basics

Mary Cook

Starting from the gate into Washoe Meadows State Park, head north on a gravel road which changes to packed dirt about halfway down.

The dirt road parallels the Upper Truckee River at the start. If gushing water or perhaps fishing captivates you, keep your eyes akimbo for several spur paths to the banks of the Upper Truckee.

Follow the road along a 90 degree curve in the middle of the meadow, ignoring the singletrack on the right. Veer right as the dirt road makes an acute-angle turn at a historic wooden building.

Turn left onto a doubletrack through the split-rail fence, while avoiding the dirt road to the right which leads to private property. Cross two raised boardwalks and two wooden bridges. Just past the second bridge, a fork in the trail presents itself. Veer right onto singletrack.

The singletrack roams through lush meadow, crosses Angora Creek, and all the while, offers a backdrop of towering Sierra Nevada peaks. The gate at the north end of the park, at the corner of Lake Tahoe Boulevard and Tahoe Mountain Road, designates your turn-around point for this out-and-back route.

Upper Truckee River Out-and-Back

Fast Facts

Mary Cook

Length: 4.6 mile out-and-back

Technical: Beginner

Time: 30-45 minutes

Season: Summer – Fall

Tread: Singletrack

Getting There

From the intersection of Highway 50 and Highway 89, at South Lake Tahoe’s “Y,” head south for 2.8 miles on Highway 50 towards Meyers. Turn left onto Elks Club Road. Look for the trailhead just past the Elks Lodge on the left near a gate. On Sunday and occasional Saturdays, the Tahoe Flea Market is up and running next to the trailhead, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The Basics

Mary Cook

From the gate, jump on the dual track peppered with woodchips which gives way to dirt. As a heads up, ignore side trails for the entirety of this ride. Continue on the dual track which fades into singletrack, just as it reaches the banks of the Upper Truckee River.

From here on out, the singletrack winds, dips, and levels through meadow and forest on a route parallel to the Upper Truckee River. Left-ward spurs will take you even closer to the river’s edge. Mid-journey, you will reach a hike-and-bike section up a steep slope, littered with tree roots.

Continue straight to the 2.3-mile-turn-around point where the trail meets pavement leading across the river to the airport.

Mary Cook

Length: 4.9 mile loop

Technical: Beginner

Highlights: Break for lunch at Fallen Leaf Lake’s shoreline

Time: 1 hour

Season: Spring – Fall

Tread: 70 % singletrack, 21% paved road, 9% paved bike path

Getting There

From South Lake Tahoe’s “Y” intersection, take Highway 89 towards Emerald Bay. Drive three miles north, through Camp Richardson Resort, and shortly after, turn left onto Fallen Leaf Lake Road, which is across from the entrance to the Tallac Historic Site. Continue for about 0.8 mile, pass the entrance to Fallen Leaf Lake Campground, and 0.25 miles ahead, after the road curves right, there are small parking areas on both sides of the road. The trailhead is located on the right-side (west side) of the road.

Overview of the 4.9 Miler

At the 0.2-mile mark the trail forks. Veer left onto a wider, gravely trail that skirts a large meadow, clasping Aspens whose autumn yellow hues are especially postcard picturesque in October.

Mary Cook

This trail rambles onward towards the crystal clear waters of Fallen Leaf Lake, located at the base of Mount Tallac. If you packed a swimsuit, take left-hand spur trails to the water’s edge for a quick dip. For shorter loops, take right-hand spurs back to Fallen Leaf Lake Campground.

Otherwise, continue leisurely counterclockwise on this mellow, shoreline singletrack, profiting from what locals consider some of the most beautiful scenery in South Lake Tahoe. Ride straight through the intersection of trails and cross a narrow spillway, where, in October, pedestrians might be parked for viewing rainbow-colored, spawning Kokanee salmon in the waters close to the outlet.

David Goldman

On the other side of the spillway, pedal to a T intersection and turn left for a short stint to yet another fork in the trail. A right-hand turn will steer you in the direction of Taylor Creek and Cathedral trail. Veer left, towards Fallen Leaf Lake, for the Sawmill Cove Loop.

After a short, rewarding climb, an inviting picnic table is visible on Sawmill Cove. This perfect lunch stop, offer views of Fallen Leaf Lake’s opposite shoreline, on which, just a short time ago, you were peacefully navigating by bike.

At the Sawmill Cove junction of trails, veer right onto a dirt road, pass an old foundation on the left, and swerve right around an isolated, log cabin onto a doubletrack which soon shrinks into singletrack. Turn right at another T intersection onto a wider trail and veer left at the fork, completing the Sawmill Cove Loop.

David Goldman

Continue straight onto Cathedral trail, which channels its way through dense pine and aspen, between Taylor Creek, another popular Kokanee salmon vista spot, and Cathedral Road. Follow the blue diamond markers for this winter cross-country ski route of the Taylor Creek Sno-Park to its bleed-out point onto Cathedral Road, close to the intersection of Highway 89.

Now it’s pavement all the way back to the car! Take the Camp Richardson Bike Path, which parallels Highway 89, for a quarter-mile, to the Fallen Leaf Lake Road turn-off on the right. Follow Fallen Leaf Lake Road up the trailhead to complete the 4.9-mile loop.

Award-Winning Documentary “FLOW”

Where: Lake Tahoe Community College’s Aspen Room
When: Thursday, November 12^th, 6:30 p.m.
Cost: Free

LTCC’s Geology Club and Library presents Irena Salina’s award-winning documentary, “Flow.” The film investigates one of the most significant environmental issues of the new millennium – The World Water Crisis. Salina exposes the increasing privatization of the world’s declining fresh water reserves through a series of interviews with scientists and activists, all the while, petitioning the lingering question “Can anyone truly own water?”

The Importance of Being Earnest

Lake Tahoe Community College

Where: Duke Theatre, Lake Tahoe Community College
When: Thursday – Saturday

• Nov 12 – 14 and Nov 19-21 at 8 p.m.

• Sunday, Nov 22 matinee at 2 p.m.

Cost: $7 general admission, $5 seniors, $4 LTCC student body cardholders

Take a seat in Lake Tahoe Community College’s Duke Theater for Oscar Wilde’s beloved classic romantic comedy, “The Importance of Being Earnest,” put on by LTCC’s Theatre Department. Laugh as Jack, a frequent runaway from his mundane country life, makes numerous visits to his new love Gwendolen in the city, under a fabricated brother façade, conveniently named Earnest. Meanwhile, Jack’s buddy Algernon is leather tramping around the country, also under the fictitious name Earnest, and becomes enamored with Jack’s ward, Cecily. Without a doubt, LTCC’s presentation of Wilde’s stealth-loaded plotline, witty dialogue and comical characters, will leave viewers red in the face from laughter.

Sierra-at-Tahoe Pray for Snow Party

Where: Murphy’s Irish Pub
When: Thursday, November 12^th

• 6 p.m. – Sierra-at-Tahoe and Double Whammy season pass holders only
• 7 p.m. – Doors open to the public
• 8 p.m. – 10 p.m. – Snow Calling Contests

Sierra-at-Tahoe gives back to their loyal season pass holders, sponsoring free appetizers and drinks at Murphy’s Irish Pub, starting at 6 p.m. At 7 p.m., doors open to the public and the waiting-for-winter bash begins with live DJ performances on the back deck along side an outdoor mini ramp where local skaters can do their thing.

The snow-call contest begins at 8 p.m. Sierria-at-Tahoe is calling all local singers, dancers, musicians, yodelers, rappers, poets and other talents to grace the floors of Murphy’s Irish Pub on November 12^th. Snow rituals are judged on volume, audience involvement, and creativity. The winner of the snow-call contest will receive a 2010 Sierra-at-Tahoe season pass! Other contests will follow, awarding gear from DC, Skull, Candy, Nikita, Vex, Opal, and Powderhouse.

Soroptimist International “An Evening of Food & Wine Tasting”

Where: Harrah’s Lake Tahoe Convention Center
When: Friday, November 13^th, 6 P.M. – 9:30 P.M.
Cost: $65
Must be 21 to attend

Take this opportunity to give back to the community! Voted “Best of Tahoe” year after year, the annual food and wine tasting event will feature tasty respite from 18 plus local restaurants as well as 32 wineries and breweries. In addition to toothsome wine and food pairings, a silent auction and raffle will take place.

Tickets can be purchased from a Soroptimist International of South Lake Tahoe member or through a mail-in fax ticket order form.

Soroptimist International of South Lake Tahoe has been a long-time philanthropist to women and children in the South Shore community, via educational scholarships, youth activity sponsorships, and donations to the Lake Tahoe Women’s Center.

Jose Feliciano

Where: Harrah’s South Shore Room
When: Saturday, November 14^th, 7:30 P.M.
Cost: $45

Witness illustrious guitar legend and eight-time-Grammy-winner Jose Feliciano in Harrah’s massive South Shore Room on November 14th. Internationally acclaimed as “the greatest living guitarist,” Feliciano was one of the first Latin musicians to break into the English music industry. Guitar Player Magazine tagged him with a “Best Pop Guitarist” title, adding him to their “Gallery of the Greats.”

Jose has showcased his talent all over the world, accompanying many top-notch symphonic orchestras, like the London Symphony, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, and the Vienna Symphony Orchestra. Born blind in 1945, Jose breathes life into the modern music industry, demonstrating that bona fide talent is still rewarded.

The Fresh Ketch Pray For Snow Party

Where: The Fresh Ketch
When: Wednesday, November 18^th at 8 p.m.

A local tradition for over two decades, the annual Pray for Snow Party at The Fresh Ketch showcases entertainment, prizes, contests, and of course, praying. Abiding by the law of attraction, winter worshipers and party participants engage in the supported notion of group prayer, urging the Tahoe heavens to gloriously dump powder on its avid ski towns below.

Pints & Paddles Cruise Aboard the Tahoe Queen

Where: The Tahoe Queen, Ski Run Marina
When: Thursday, Nov 19^th 6:30 P.M. – 9:30 P.M.
Cost: $30, $5 off with local identification

Beginning boarding the Tahoe Queen this November 19th at 6 P.M., for a night of renowned Sierra Nevada brews and roots reggae with live local band Truckee Tribe. A complimentary first beer and a keepsake pint glass are included in the ticket price. Food is available for purchase onboard. Whether you opt to gawk at a high-altitude rendition of Van Gogh’s starry night on the top deck of the Queen, or sway to Truckee Tribe’s funky bluegrass, ska, and reggae beats on the bottom floor, a memorable evening awaits.

The Heavenly Ski & Snowboard Foundation Ski Swap

Where: Montbleu Convention Center
When: Friday & Saturday, November 20 and 21

• Friday: 6 p.m. – 11 p.m. – “Moonlight Madness Pre-Sale” $5 admission, kids under 12 free

• Saturday: 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. – free admission

Come support The Heavenly Ski and Snowboard Foundation, which aims to benefit young athletes interested in Alpine Ski Racing, competitive Freestyle, and Snowboard Programs. Beyond skiing and riding, The Heavenly Ski and Snowboard Foundation organization builds social skills among its young athletes, through friendly competition and team bonding.

The ski swap, which has become an annual staple of the South Shore, offers deals on new and used equipment, as well as clothing and accessories. Now is the time to gear up for the upcoming winter season!

Mission Mountain Wood Band

Bruce Young

Where: Harrah’s South Shore Room
When: Friday, November 27^th, 7:30 P.M.
Cost: $25

Nurse your ears this November with a masterpiece performance by five-piece Mission Mountain Wood Band, in cahoots since 1970. Hailing from Montana, Mission Mountain Wood Band plays every genre from bluegrass, to rock, to country – often fusing the three. In addition to an eclectic set list, Mission Mountain Wood Band has acquired an impressive show record, playing over 300 gigs each year, notably running as an opener for The Allman Brothers, The Grateful Dead, Bonnie Raitt, and Jimmy Buffet.

Sierra Ski and Cycle Works is a tiny, bohemian hole-in-the-wall, located on Highway 50 next to Safeway. As the name implies, Sierra Ski and Cycle Works focuses solely on ski products, both alpine and telemark. Notable brands from their ski rental line are Rossignol, Elan, Voile, and Alpina. In addition to multi-day rental discounts, Sierra Ski and Cycle Works rents backcountry equipment for your safety and hiking comfort, like avalanche transceivers, shovels, and adjustable poles.

Store Location

Sierra Ski and Cycle Works

Sierra Ski and Cycle Works
3430 Lake Tahoe Blvd
South Lake Tahoe, CA 96150
(530) 541-7505
Hours: 8 a.m. – 6 p.m.

Winter 2009-2010 Rental Rates

Ski Rentals

Downhill Sport Package $18 the first day, $14 additional days

Performance Alpine Ski Package $25 the first day, $20 additional days
Performance Skis Only $20 the first day, $15 additional days

Performance Telemark Package $25 the first day, $20 additional days

Cross-Country Package $15 the first day, $10 additional days

Kids Ski Package $10 the first day, $6 additional days

Clothing & Accessories

Adjustable Poles $8 the first day, $6 additional days

Bibs/Jackets $8 the first day, $6 additional days

Alpine Trekkers $10 daily

Climbing Skins $8 daily

Avalanche Transceivers $10 daily

Shovels $8 daily

Mary Cook

Length: 12 miles out-and-back

Technical: Beginner – Intermediate

Highlights: Commuter trail

Time: 1.5 – 3 hours

Season: Spring – Fall

Tread: Singletrack

Getting There

If driving or biking up Ski Run Blvd, take a right onto Saddle Road and pick up the trailhead where Saddle Road dead-ends. Coming at it from the reverse direction, follow Oneidas Road, off Pioneer Trail near Meyers, to Fountain Place Road (FS 1201) and park at the last dirt pull-out before the road begins to ascend (bottom of Corral Trail). The trailhead at this end takes the form of a double-track dirt road called Powerline Road.

The Basics

This non-technical trail is a great training ride through spacious pine forests. Practice shifting up and down in your second ring on Powerline’s signature smooth rollers – sometimes steep, but often times mellow.

Mary Cook

The first stint of Powerline trail off Saddle Road forks immediately. The right-hand fork offers a quick climb up to an open, sandy apex, where one can gawk at an overwhelmingly picturesque backdrop of Desolation Wilderness peaks. The trail then descends for a short, yet steep, dusty spell and curves to the left to begin following the overhead power lines which parallel Pioneer Trail.

The left-hand fork travels away from Pioneer Trail, hugging bouldery knolls as the trail climbs higher up onto a pine-shaded mountainside. Both forks merge at the Al Tahoe turn-off.

The first bailout point, if starting from the Saddle Road trailhead, is at Al Tahoe Road. A marker indicating a right turn will place you on a sandy zigzagging path that dumps out onto Pioneer Trail at its intersection with Al Tahoe. Stay straight for more of that undulating singetrack, which beginning mountain bikers’ dream of.

The trail twists and turns, climbs and descends, through sagebrush, manzanita, storybook forests, and over Cold Creek’s wooden bridge to High Meadows Road. Turn right onto High Meadows Road for a paper flat gravely avenue to a left-hand turn onto Powerline’s continuing singletrack.

As a side note, one can embark on intersecting High Meadows Road or Cold Creek trail, in the eastern direction away from Pioneer Trail, for a punishing climb out-and-back to Star Lake.

Mary Cook

The singletrack widens into a dusty double-lane Powerline Road, caked with whoop-de-doos from dirt bikers. Powerline Road passes left-hand Cedar trailhead and Corral trailhead, eventually bleeding out into a dirt parking lot at the corner of Fountain Place Road.

Fortunately, Powerline trail is one of the best marked mountain biking trails in South Lake Tahoe. At every crossroads, there is a trail marker indicating the direction one needs to pedal to stay on Powerline trail.

Because of its parallel nature to Pioneer Trail, many locals use Powerline as a commuter path to-and-from work. South Lake Tahoe residents can hop on at Oneidas, High Meadows Road, Cold Creek trail, and Al Tahoe, to link up with Powerline trail.

Mary Cook

Pseudonym: Tahoe Mountain

Length: 1.0 mile (southern fork), 3.1 miles (northern fork)

Highlights: Incorporate Valley View into a loop around Tahoe Mountain

Technical: Intermediate – Advanced

Time: 1-3 hours

Season: Late Spring – Fall

Tread: Singletrack

Valley View is a short n’sweet, unpopulated, somewhat cluttered downhill singetrack. Not a soul crossed my path while I visited this trail on a crisp, fall afternoon. Such low traffic might explain the trail’s scattered feel. Loose rocks, speckled twigs, pinecone debris, broken shards of bark, and intermittent, overgrown manzanita patches spice up an already challenging mountain biking path.

Mary Cook

Yet after observing one of the most picturesque sunsets over Mount Tallac from Tahoe Mountain’s summit, I raise the question – why don’t more mountain bikers flock to Valley View trail?

Ambitious local riders usually incorporate Valley View into a loop around Tahoe Mountain, piecing together a half-day journey, cross-country in nature.

I will describe the loop I tackled recently, incorporating explanations of alternative off-shoots when necessary.

My Loop – Getting There

Mary Cook

From South Lake Tahoe’s “Y” intersection take Highway 89 towards Emerald Bay. Drive through Camp Richardson Resort and shortly after, turn left onto Fallen Leaf Lake Road. Continue for about a mile, pass the entrance to Fallen Leaf Lake Campground, and after the road curves right, park on the left-hand side of the pavement, near the forest service green gate.

1.3 Miles of Rock Garden Trail

Mary Cook

Rock Garden trail, paralleling Fallen Leaf Lake Road, is famous for its early opening after snowmelt. Locals frequent Rock Garden in May to get a jump-start on the mountain biking season. Enter onto a forest service road at the green gate and take an immediate right onto this punchy, rock-littered trail, equipped with peripheral log stunts for the gutsy. With this approach, Rock Garden is a steady, at times technical, climb to its wrap-up at Tahoe Mountain Road. Watch for downhillers if utilizing this trail as I did – an alternative to gradually ascending, paved Fallen Leaf Lake Road.

1.2 Miles of Pavement

From Rock Garden trail, turn left onto Tahoe Mountain Road for a heart-pumping climb up to a stop sign. Continue straight onto Dundee Circle and follow this road to dead-end Tartan Way. Turn left, witness one of South Lake Tahoe’s log cabin mansions at the corner, and peddle to the lot’s end where Valley View trail commences.

3.1 Miles of Valley View Trail

The trail descends for a bit, traversing tight turns of loose dirt. Enjoy this short-lived downhill, for the singletrack then scales up Tahoe Mountain along a series of significantly graded switchbacks, amidst torched trees and spiny, smoked-out manzanita clusters, redolent of the Angora fire.

Mary Cook

Close to the beginning of the ascent, the trail will fork. Take bail-out southern fork (a right-hand turn) for a quick, 0.8 miles of steep, downhill singletrack to Lake Tahoe Boulevard, near Sawmill Pond. Turn left onto a wide, paper flat, parallel trail to Lake Tahoe Boulevard, which dumps out at the South Lake Tahoe High School sign, on the corner of Viking Road and Lake Tahoe Boulevard. Continue on Viking Road to 13^th Street, which intersects with the Pope-Baldwin Bike Path (sometimes christened the Camp Richardson Bike Path) just after its crossing with Highway 89. Turn left onto the bike path and follow its rolling course over bridges, through meadows, and past Camp Richardson Resort, to the Fallen Leaf Lake Road turn-off, where your parked car sits.

Mary Cook

Otherwise, continue churning up the northern fork of Valley View trail, to Tahoe Mountain’s summit at 7,249 feet elevation, while channeling a masochistic, feel-good sensation evident by lungs gasping for air and legs burning with lactic acid build-up. Near the pinnacle of this trail’s climb, its name comes into play – Valley View. While traversing along the ridgeline of Tahoe Mountain, enjoy vistas of lush valley embracing Fallen Leaf Lake and Lake Tahoe, hemmed in by a western border of Mount Tallac and Desolation Wilderness peaks, as well as a southeastern rim of Heavenly Mountain Resort, Freel Peak, Monument Peak, and Genoa Peak.

For a brief section at a false summit, the trail morphs into a double-lane, dirt forest road. Look for double-track spur trail on the right to funnel you up to the true apex of the climb, marked by a flimsy wooden shack and ride-on, ride-off log stunt.

Mary Cook

Thereafter, Valley View’s padded singletrack finally embarks on a descent, weaving in and out of pencil-thin, charcoal trees and low-lying, unkempt, prickly, blue-green brush. The final section of downhill stretches on a seemingly endless straightaway, covered with consecutive, packed dirt kickers. Pre-load your suspension for a launching good time on this unexpectedly speedy slice of downhill.

Logging roads in the burn area have spoiled the system of connector trails and forest roads at the end of Valley View trail. My best advice is to stay on the singletrack that traverses east, or to the right. While it may cross dugout logging roads, the trail eventually unloads behind South Lake Tahoe High School’s football field.

Follow aforementioned directions to Camp Richardson’s Bike Path for the last leg of asphalt back to your parked car on Fallen Leaf Lake Road.

Michael Escalera Photography

Michael is based out of Lake Tahoe and travels throughout the country for weddings.  He has photographed at some of the most beautiful venues in the area including Montreux, the West Shore Cafe, Glenbrook, the Resort at Squaw Creek, Edgewood, Plumpjack, the Ehrman Mansion, Tannenbaum, Granlibakken, and the beautiful Sand Harbor bay.  In addition to photographing weddings in Lake Tahoe, Michael Escalera is available for destination weddings wherever love takes you.

His imagery is a blend of romance, fashion, and fun.  Michael captures his images using film for many reasons, but simply stated, it’s because he wants his clients to experience the beautiful, natural quality that it provides.

Michael values his faith in God, his beautiful wife Leah, and their wonderful children.

For more information, contact Michael at 775.835.1074 or email him at michael@escaleraphotography.com.

Sports LTD is located in the Heavenly Village, right next to Raley’s, walking distance from the Heavenly Gondola. Like other rental shops, Sports LTD allows the application of two days of demo package payments towards the purchase of new equipment. However, when it comes to brand names, Sports LTD steers clear of the mainstream Atomic and Burton rental products, offering compelling, alternative labels like K2, Fischer, Scott, Elan, Salomon, Rossignol, Volkl, Ride, Lib Tech, Rome, Morrow, and Head.

Store Location

Tahoe Sports LTD
4008 Lake Tahoe Blvd.
South Lake Tahoe, CA 96150
(530) 542-4000
Winter Store Hours: 8 a.m. – 8 p.m.

Winter 2009-2010 Rental Rates

4^th day is free on all rentals!

Adults

Demo Ski Package $50
Demo Skis Only $40
Performance Ski Package $40
Performance Skis Only $30
Basic Ski Package $30
Basic Skis Only $20
Ski Boots Only (whatever fits your foot, demo or basic) $10
Randonee Backcountry Set-up $40 plus $10 for skins
Telemark Package $40
X-Country Package $20
Snowshoes $15

Mary CookDemo Snowboard Package $50

Demo Snowboard Only $40
Performance Snowboard Package $40
Performance Snowboard Only $40
Snowboard Bindings Only $10
Snowboard Boots Only $10
Sorel Snow Boots $10

Children
Basic Ski Package $15
Basic Skis Only $10
Ski Boots Only $5
Basic Snowboard Package $15
Basic Snowboard Only $10
Snowboard Boots Only $5

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