SNOWMOBILING AROUND AND ABOVE LAKE TAHOE
There are few things more exhilarating than racing around on a snowmobile—and this year’s great snow pack has produced some awesome snowmobiling conditions.
One of the best ways to enjoy snowmobiling is to take a guided tour at Zephyr Cove Snowmobile Center of Lake Tahoe. There, you can rent everything you need from the snowmobile to the helmet, gloves, boots, parka and snow bib. The company has more than 100 Ski-Doo snowmobiles.
After registering at the Zephyr Cove Resort, you’re taken by bus to a spot above Tahoe where you’re fitted onto a machine and given basic instructions about its operations.
Riding a snowmobile is easy. A button starts it up and all you have to remember is that the brake is on the left side, the gas is a thumb-lever on the right. It only takes a few minutes to get comfortable with the machine.
As with a motorcycle, the guide instructs you to lean into a turn rather than away. You’re also told how to use hand-signals to instruct other drivers of your intentions, such as slowing, turning or stopping. For safety purposes, taking your thumb off the gas immediately kills the engine.
Once you get started, you soon find yourself racing through snow-coated pines and groves of skinny, bare aspen trees sprayed with frost. The trail gradually climbs higher into the mountains, twisting and turning through the trees. Eventually, the road reaches the crest of the mountains and you’re riding parallel to the lake, enjoying one of the most magnificent views in the world.
During our tour, the guide parked at a place that allowed us to just sit on our vehicles and enjoy the bright blue sky, deep blue water, brilliant sunlight and pure white snow. Writer Mark Twain was right about Lake Tahoe—it is the fairest picture the whole earth affords.
After stopping, we began the ride back down the mountain, which was even more fun than going up. Since I’ve only ridden a handful of times, I found that the longer I rode, the more confident I became with the vehicle. In fact, I found that if I lagged back a little, I could create a gap between my vehicle and the rider ahead, then, on the straight-aways, pour on the speed to catch up.
These thing are so fun that maybe I’m going to have to buy one…..
Zephyr Cove Snowmobile Center is located 25 miles west of Carson City at the Zephyr Cove Resort, 760 U.S. 50. Guided tours are offered daily at 9:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m., 1:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. Cost is $99 for a single rider and $145 for a double rider. Clothing rental is $15 for everything or $5 per item. For more information, call 800-23-TAHOE. A $7 discount coupon is available at www.laketahoesnowmobiles.com/coupon.php.
