Our late snow melt is providing impeccable hiking conditions all summer! Reno Tahoe has the perfect combo: spring’s rolling green hills with late blossoming flowers and summer’s warm weather.

This July, join the Tahoe Rim Trail Association for FREE guided hikes every week. There are hikes for all abilities so anyone can discover this fun and easy way to exercise, socialize and visit beautiful vistas during the summer months in the Tahoe Basin.

Saturday, July 9 – Grandma, Grandpa & Me Hikes

10am, at the Tahoe Meadows Trailhead

10am, at the Big Meadows Trailhead

Happening at two locations due to popular demand, kids will learn about neighboring animals, their habitat and wilderness safety on this unforgettable adventure.

Saturday, July 9 – Castle Rock

8am, at the Kingsbury Grade North Trailhead

Hike the awe-inspiring Tahoe Rim Trail over rolling terrain with panoramic views of Lake Tahoe along the way to Castle Rock.

Saturday, July 16 – Dardanelles Lake

8am, at the Big Meadows Trailhead

Passing through shallow creeks, strikingly beautiful cliffs and the Big Meadow, you’ll reach the Dardanelles Lakes.

Saturday, July 23 – Echo Lakes

8am, at Echo Summit North Trailhead

This 10.6 mile trek will pass spectacular granite formations, allowing you to enjoy the deep blue surface of Lower and Upper Echo Lakes.

Sunday, July 24 – Birds, Views and Falls

7am, at the Mount Rose Trailhead

Hike from the Mount Rose Trailhead to Galena Falls to enjoy the birds and soak in great views before arriving at Galena Falls and the surrounding alpine meadows. Possible avian participants are Green-tailed Towhee, Clark’s Nutcracker, Mountain Bluebird and MacGillivray’s Warbler.

Saturday, July 30 – Barker Pass

8am, at the Barker Pass Trailhead

Not only will you enjoy some great vistas and wildflowers on this hike, but you will also learn how TRTA Trail Builders build and maintain this incredible trail. Don’t worry, this is a “hands-off” trail building lesson.

THREE PEAKS IN THREE WEEKS

Friday, July 15 – Mt. Rose

7am, at the Mt. Rose Parking Plaza and Trailhead

Friday, July 22 – Freel Peak

6:30am, at the Big Meadows Trailhead

Friday, July 29 – Mt. Tallac

7am, at the Glenn Alpine Trailhead.

FULL MOON HIKES – TRTA Members Only

Friday, July 15

7:30pm, at the Tahoe Meadows Trailhead

Not a member of the TRTA? Join! Afterwards, enjoy a three mile moonlit tromp through the Tahoe Meadows up to the Tahoe Basin ridge. Expect casually paced hikes for all ages, while slowing down to enjoy the flora and fauna and to explore with your nighttime senses.

You must register in advance for these summer hikes. Online registration is now required for all TRTA programs and can be completed on the TRTA website at www.tahoerimtrail.org. For more information call 775-298-0012 or email Tom at programs@tahoerimtrail.org.

For more Lake Tahoe hiking trails click here.

HAPPY HIKING!

Why is this ultimate American pride event famously known as “The Wildest Richest Rodeo in the West?” We will break it down for you.

Wild.

“There ain’t a bull that can’t be rode and ain’t a rider that can’t be throwed.” Toss aside your city-slicker suit, put on your boots and cowboy up. From the rock ’em toss ’em chaos in the arena to the hoedown at the Jack Daniel’s tent, you’ll need to tighten your spurs to survive this event.

Rich.

Bulls in the chute, cowgirls in miniskirts and beer in hand, does more need to be said? I guess we can mention the contestants are competing for over $500,000 in prize money. This year’s Rodeo will definitely be rich with cash and culture.

Rodeo.

Here, you either “do it right or get off the horse,” literally. Willingly riding a bucking bull or bronco is not easy and those eight seconds could be the longest of your life. Luckily, fans get to soak up the summer evening and relax instead of being tossed around. The only thing we need to worry about is kicking a cow patty after a hot day.

West.

There’s a reason the famous phrase is the “Wild Wild West.” Out West we do things bigger, better and a little different. The Reno Rodeo never disappoints. It’s truly the best in the West.

We will see you there for a bucking good time! For more information visit www.renorodeo.com.

Hot summer weekends are finally here and you can jump into the summer season by enjoying Tahoe’s “coolest” attraction. Lake Tahoe is renowned for its cobalt blue waters, providing a clear view of depths up to 75 feet. And hey, what better way to explore its depths than to skim its surface via paddle? Here’s something unexpected: Lake Tahoe is the largest stand up flat-water paddleboard venue in the country!

“Stand up paddle boarding is one of the most scenic and green ways to take in Lake Tahoe,” said Ernie Brassard, president of the 2011 Quiksilver Ta-Hoe Nalu Stand-Up Paddle Classic, August 13-14 in Kings Beach. “You get a completely different perspective of the lake and the surrounding mountains from the water than you do from the trail.”

The sport continues to skyrocket in popularity, as evidenced by a recent increase in Tahoe rental shops and outfitters, as well as festivals taking center stage during the summer and fall months.

A popular event you won’t want to miss is the Jam from the Dam, July 9, which has participants racing six miles from Commons Beach in Tahoe City to the Waterman’s Landing – a new restaurant and stand up paddleboard shop. Like the Ta-Hoe Nalu, it’s a great opportunity for spectators to demo equipment in a fun and festive environment.

Need equipment? Tahoe Paddle & Oar caters to the canoe and kayak audience with rentals available, including wetsuits and life vests, along with on-water lessons. If it’s a lazy Sunday and you want your paddleboards and beaches all in one place, rentals are available at one of Tahoe’s most well-known beaches, Sand Harbor State Park, located outside of Incline Village. Kayaks and paddleboards are a must to explore San Harbor’s hidden coves, cathedral of massive white boulders and lively beach activities. The infamous white sand is also a great picnic spot!

Click here to watch a video!

Sportsman Channel has announced its Top Sportsman Summer Destinations and lo and behold, the Truckee River is on the list! Hosts of Sportsman Channel spend their days hunting, fishing and shooting throughout North America. That’s their job! So they should know a quality, living body of water when they see one. With summer now officially upon us, Sportsman Channel surveyed its talent, as well as its newly appointed CEO, to create the Top “Sportsman” Summer Destinations List.

The Truckee River came in 4^th place! Here’s what Chad Belding had to say about our river:

Chad Belding of The Fowl Life: “My favorite summer destination is the Truckee River between Lake Tahoe and Reno in the beautiful eastern Sierra Nevada mountains. The river provides some excellent fishing during the summer months and the guides at the Reno Fly Shop are experts on the local water. They know the hatches, the timetables, the riverbeds, and food beds. Bottom line, they know how to get you on the fish. This in addition to these guided trips, being very affordable is what keeps me coming back to this area year after year. I love to either navigate the river on a float trip or by cruising the shorelines in search of some new honey holes. My favorite locations to fly fish on the Truckee River are literally minutes from Downtown Reno Nevada and Lake Tahoe. There is a ton to do after I get off of the river with great food, summertime activities, concerts, sporting events, and of course the mountains. I suggest staying at the El Dorado Hotel Casino in Reno. The Eldorado is a locally owned Hotel-Casino that offers nothing but first class accommodations.” Fishing with Reno Fly Shop Guides – El Dorado Hotel Casino in Reno: www.EldoradoReno.com and www.renoflyshop.com

You said it best, brother!

For a complete list of the top Sportsman Channel summer destinations, click here.

There are few guarantees in life, but when it comes to Lake Tahoe summers, you can pretty much count on 1) consist sun 2) warm, moderate temperatures 3) and breezy afternoons. And there may be no better way to capture the essence of Tahoe than aboard a sailboat.

Several charter companies throughout the lake offer sailboat rides, complete with cocktails and bonus sunsets. So get on board and experience Tahoe under wind power. Check out this “Reno Tahoe Experience” aboard the Tahoe Cruz, a boat that sails out of Tahoe City on the lake’s North Shore for a taste of what you’ll experience.

Though there are some hart core paddlers who get out in the at night in the dead of winter storms, the good stuff is coming this spring. The above average snow pack and full reservoirs up-stream are going to make for an awesome Kayaking season. Maybe this will be the year I finally get into it.

This video from X-Terra Planet should get your blood moving as the days get longer and and the snow starts melting…

-MTB