Nearly every winter weekend I'm in the Tahoe snow. November through May my ski racing kids, my ski coaching husband, and my ski mama driving self spend lots of family time near Tahoe City - but it certainly never looks like this. A cold, snow covered river is replaced with cold, clear running water, beautiful meadows, wildflowers, and river rafters. Tahoe in the summer is an entirely different place, with a huge variety of activities. As much as I love Tahoe in the snow, it's a nice change of pace to abandon the boots and grab a pair of running shoes and hit the beach and trails.
This weekend we decided to get up early to beat the 4th of July tourist crowds and hit the bike trail between Tahoe City and Squaw Valley. We headed off from the west shore, about 2 miles from Tahoe City.The Truckee River in Tahoe City, just below the lake outlet. We're the only ones around. For now. There are a series of bridges across the Truckee River - some in much better shape than others. The bike path is an easy ride...fairly flat, and very close to the water. I found myself getting lost in the scenery usually covered in snow. I love how easy it is to stop along the river and get up close and personal. I couldn't help myself. It's a lot colder than it looks - remember, it's Sierra snow we're looking at!
I love thinking about who has gazed at the magnificent rocks that line this river. My ancestors journaled about them in the 1800s- they must have looked identical to today. In fact, these rocks were actually formed by glaciers millions of years ago. Just think about the generations who have witnessed their majesty. My husband's family has been coming to Tahoe for generations. We stopped here, at the blue bridge, where he remembers fishing with his grandfather. Thirty-five years later, the bridge has deteriorated and is now closed off as a 'hazardous area'.
The Truckee River flows out into a meadow-like spaces, smooth and gentle. Turns out my husband is incredibly patient with my bike riding strategy. I'm s.l.o.w...not only am I looking side to side instead of straight ahead, I'm like a two year old, constantly stopping to take a closer look. So he sat and waited.
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Many bikers and rafters stop at River Ranch, located at the entrance to Alpine Meadows Ski Resort, It's also the landing place for river rafters. We beat them...but not for long! From here on out, the Truckee River is much rougher.
A couple miles away from Alpine, the bike trail cleverly crosses under Highway 89 just before Squaw Valley. The stretch between Alpine and Squaw is a treat for fishermen and women!
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At Squaw Valley, the Olympic flame burns 24/7. The path ends here, 7.1 miles from our house. Time to turn around and head back. Unfortunately, we just missed wildflower season..but there were still a few brightening the trail. Despite the busy weekend, we were able to escape most of the traffic, but the rafters always come...so when we arrived back in Tahoe City, we looked up river on the last bridge...and down river...and saw the rafters coming in droves. I think we finished just in time.
What a beautiful morning on the Truckee River bike trail. 14.2 miles...and I didn't miss the snow one bit!
