Summer

by Gary Bell

For me, the ultimate week of riding would take place in early July. The trails are still holding plenty of moisture, and there is still some snow up high in the north-facing terrain (I love snow any time of year). I prefer point A to point B adventure-style riding with technical, scenic and precipitous terrain, and some amount of uncertainty about the reachability of point B. Over seven days, my choice would be to link each day to make it a huge A to B outing that would go something like this:

by Susan D. Rock

Summer is a great time to trade four wheels for two, a refreshing way to spend time outdoors and get somewhere at the same time. For those who don't want to deal with the dirt or the road, or who are looking for a family-friendly outing, Tahoe's popular, paved bike paths are the ticket to relaxed riding.

by Victor Babbitt

The Tahoe Basin offers some of the best small creek fly-fishing available in the Sierra Nevada. There are more than 60 tributaries to Lake Tahoe, some too small to fish, some closed to fishing all year and the others only open from July through September. Fly-fishing these creeks takes a special kind of angler: one who appreciates catching fish, not trophies. Small creeks with names like Meeks, Blackwood, Trout, Eagle and Cascade all hold four- to ten-inch-long brook, brown and rainbow trout. These brilliantly colored wild fish are well and distinctively marked and can be found in water no deeper than four inches and no wider than a foot or so.

by Elisabeth Korb

Lake Tahoe certainly offers plenty of activities, but come summer, the Truckee River rivals the Big Blue for fun things to do. River rafting, kayaking, inner tubing and swimming are all popular pastimes along The Lake's only outlet.

Need to drop off the dog for a few hours or few days? These options take the bored out of boarding.

Fido gives these digs two paws up.

by Elisabeth Korb

1. Go jump in The Lake at one of the beaches that permit pooches, which include Kiva Beach on South Shore, Chimney Beach on East Shore, Carnelian Bay Beach on North Shore and Kaspian Recreation Area on West Shore.
2. Take Squaw Valley USA's cable car to High Camp and explore mountaintop trails.

Approximately one million years ago, Lake Tahoe evolved to its current shape and size as glaciers scoured the land during the Ice Age. Here’s a look at some of the facts that make Tahoe such an amazing body of water today:

• Maximum depth: 1,645 feet (second deepest in United States, behind Crater Lake)
• Average depth: 1,000 feet
• Maximum length: 22 miles (north–south)
• Shoreline: 72 miles

by Elisabeth Korb

One look at Tahoe's pristine waters and it's clear why Lake Tahoe is an international treasure. Its surface mirrors the near perfect cobalt-blue sky above while huge boulders and stretches of white sand are easily visible feet below.

However, development and other man-made impacts have diminished Tahoe's once-crystal clarity, which, in the late 1960s, measured over 100 feet. Declining at a rate of some 9 inches per year, it has since dropped to 68 feet.

The League to Save Lake Tahoe's now-ubiquitous bumper sticker, "Keep Tahoe Blue," is a constant reminder that we all play a part in safeguarding, or degrading, The Lake. The motto has inspired plenty of offshoots, some maintaining the serious call-to-action tone, others just plain entertaining.