North Lake Tahoe Human Powered Sports eBook

A North Lake Tahoe Guide to Human-Powered Sports North Lake Tahoe is a human-powered sports paradise. From the simple act of lacing up hiking boots and hitting the trail, to the pure pleasure of slicing across Lake Tahoe on a paddleboard, Lake Tahoe has an endless array of outdoor options. In fact, at times there are so many options for North Tahoe residents and visitors that it is hard to choose which sport to tackle on a summer day.

Here is a guide to eight human-powered sports perfect for North Tahoe’s summer months. They range from a relaxed floating of the Truckee River to heart-pounding mountain biking on Tahoe’s most technical trails. Read on to learn how to spend your next summer day in North Tahoe, whether you want to spend the day in spandex or bend yourself into a pretzel while bobbing on a paddleboard.

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SUPYOGA SUP Yoga This hybrid of stand-up paddleboarding and yoga is sweeping Lake Tahoe. Instead of rolling out the yoga mat in an enclosed studio, yogis are taking their practice to the waters of Lake Tahoe, and finding that balancing on paddleboards makes yoga more challenging and more rewarding.

Beginning SUP yogis even find it easy to turn it into a dual sport activity, where a difficult yoga pose one minute effortlessly transitions into an unplanned swim in the waters of Lake Tahoe the next.

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SUPYOGA

Dress the Part SUP Yoga is a fashion blood sport. While the rest of the Tahoe sports dress code require wandering around in items like mud-stained mountain bike shorts, SUP yoga requires you to go athletic chic. We recommend looking good by going local in some local Dude Girl duds, or a Big Truck beanie if you are doing some early-morning yoga moves. Or just embrace summertime and rock a bikini or board shorts during your yoga session, preparing you for an easy post-yoga dip into the lake at the end of Savasana.

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SUPYOGA

Pose for Photos There is a widely held belief that all SUP yoga that has ever been attempted at Lake Tahoe has been done for the sake of showing off on social media.

We could not confirm this, but if you have any yogi friends on Facebook, you might have photographic evidence to back up this assertion. Take selfies of your Sun Salutations and Downward Dogs. Run them through a sweet filter on Instagram. Then tweet them or upload them to Facebook. Maybe even create a new set of yoga poses on the fly — Savasana while Instagramming, Warrior Pose While Tweeting, or “#ChildsPoseonTahoe #YOLO #FeelingFlexible #Don’tFallIn.” A North Lake Tahoe Guide to Human-Powered Sports | Share this eBook on Social Media | #TahoeNorth

SUPYOGA Fake it

‘til you Make it

SUP Yoga is a delicate and complex activity. You have to get in touch with your inner chakra and find your vinyassa flow — and then there is that thing about sticking your butt high into the air while balancing on a floating object in the middle of the lake without laughing uproariously. It might take you years to master the art. But don’t worry, SUP yoga can be fun even for the inexperienced. Look serious, breathe rhythmically, and contort your body into interesting shapes. And most of all — Don’t. Fall. In. If you just stay afloat and stretch a little bit, there is almost no way you can have a bad time. You’re in the middle of one of the most beautiful lakes in the world wearing hot pants, for crying out loud.

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SUPYOGA Get Started Mountain Lotus Yoga offers SUP yoga classes at their lakefront North Lake Tahoe studio and Tahoe Adventure Company runs SUP yoga classes.

If you have your own stand-up paddleboard, or have a rented board, there are numerous locations that work well for SUP Yoga. The East Shore of Lake Tahoe from Incline Village to Sand Harbor and beyond is a particularly scenic stretch of shoreline to master your floating yoga moves.

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Tahoe’s mountain bike trails are some of the most spectacular in the world

You can pedal high above Tahoe’s East Shore on a sandy trail that seems suspended over Tahoe’s aquamarine waters (the Flume Trail) or link together long sections of the Tahoe Rim Trail with exhilarating downhills and heart-pumping climbs.

Some North Tahoe trails come with fast, fluid singletrack and others challenge you to some of the most technical, rocky descents you can imagine. Here is how to enjoy some of the best that Tahoe has to offer on two wheels.

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MOUNTAINBIKING Singlespeed or Geared?

One of the first questions you have to ask yourself is: do you want to be a mountain hipster or a regular ol’ mountain biker? Just like urban hipsters ride ludicrously inefficient fixed-gear bikes throughout the cities, their mountain cousins the high-altitude hipsters pedal bikes with one gear on mountain bike trails around Tahoe. If you wear skinny jeans, have grown an ironic mustache before, and have superhuman lung capacity you may be in the market for a singlespeed. Otherwise, stick to a geared bike that you can downshift into granny gear when you hit a never-ending hill climb. Your lungs and your pride will thank you for that decision.

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MOUNTAINBIKING Slap a GoPro on Your Bike Helmet Want to be able to relive that epic downhill or do you have the urge to laugh at your buddy who bit the dust in front of you when he couldn’t unclip from his pedals? You can do this long after your ride is over by watching your GoPro footage on TV at your vacation home while relaxing with post-ride beers.

Of course, GoPro footage is also great for social media bragging. There is nothing like posting video of you ripping singletrack with a 180-degree view of Lake Tahoe to make your cubicled co-workers jealous of your sweet vacation.

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MOUNTAINBIKING Get Started Need to know where to ride, and what trails might fit your ability? Check this list of North Tahoe trails and choose your own adventure.

Would you rather have a mountain bike guide drive you to the trailhead and then show you around some of the best trails in North Tahoe?

Tahoe Mountain Guides can show you around North Tahoe’s singletrack in either a group guided tour or a customized private mountain bike ride. They’ll even set you up with a rental bike if you need one.

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ROADBIKING

Road

Biking

If pedaling sounds good to you, but pavement is more your speed, North Tahoe has a wealth of aesthetic asphalt to ride. So slap on that Spandex, Velcro your cycling shoes and saddle up to some awe-inspiring lakeviews, riverfront rides and challenging hill climbs.

Spandex

Yourself

Road bike rides are one of the only acceptable times to wear clothing that looks like it has been suctioned onto your body with a vacuum. Take full advantage by choosing a head-to-toe spandex outfit that shows the world you are serious about being aerodynamic and fashionable at the same time.

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ROADBIKING Tick off a Classic Tahoe Climb

Test your fitness by pedaling your bike up several thousand vertical feet of Tahoe pavement and then indulge your adrenaline by turning around and bombing back down. Tick off a giant by tackling Mount Rose’s 2,700 vertical feet of winding asphalt that leads to panoramic views of Lake Tahoe. The combination of the steep climb and the thin air will test your lungs and legs, but you will top out to spectacular views of Lake Tahoe, Desolation Wilderness and Mount Tallac. If you need a second helping of uphill and aren’t afraid of skinny shoulders, point your handlebars toward Reno. The long, winding descent sets you up for an even larger climb back to the top of Mount Rose. If Mount Rose is too much of a lung-burner, pick any of the other Tahoe summits spread around Tahoe’s North Shore, throw the bike into granny gear and begin pedaling.

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ROADBIKING Ride Around the Lake

If you happen to be in North Tahoe during spring or fall, the slower pace of traffic levels allows cyclists to ride the 72 miles around Lake Tahoe without battling as many vehicles. The around-the-lake ride showcases all that Tahoe has to offer, from the crystal clear, boulder-studded waters of the East Shore to the tranquil bays of the West Shore. Consider riding clockwise, which allows you to stay on the lakeside of the road all day long.

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ROADBIKING

Find Out-of-the-Way Asphalt It is no secret that North Tahoe can be busy on summer weekends. Sometimes the amount of cars whizzing by or turning into parking spots can make a road cyclist nervous. These are the times to find a piece of asphalt that is more or less empty — and luckily North Tahoe has plenty of out-of-the-way roadway to accommodate that need.

Try Barker Pass on the West Shore, a long climb up to the crest of the Sierra on a narrow road that rarely sees more than a few cars. Further north, Ward Creek Boulevard gives a similarly quiet road ride. Or pedal any of the long residential streets that top out to stunning lake views.

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ROADBIKING

Get Started Air up the tires, throw on the spandex and try one of the rides listed above, or pick form this list of North Tahoe road routes.

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AERIALFABRICS

Aerial Fabrics The newest sport to hit North Tahoe is a combination of trapeze artistry and yoga. Using fabric sheets hung from the ceiling and without safety lines, performers use the fabric to wrap, suspend, fall, swing, and spiral their bodies into and out of various positions. Aerial fabrics can be used to fly through the air and strike poses and figures. The three main categories of tricks are climbs, wraps and drops and it is considered one of the hardest Aerial Arts in the industry.

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AERIALFABRICS

Find a Qualified Instructor You’ll want a qualified instructor to guide you through the learning process. It is important to build core strength in order to progress, and there are a variety of classes for every skill level.

North Tahoe has several studios with a full aerial set-up and expert teachers who will have you twirling from the ceiling in no time. Check out North Lake Tahoe’s Tahoe Flow Arts Studio or Tahoe Players in Incline Village.

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AERIALFABRICS Stretch Before Attempting

Aerial fabrics can force your body into some shapes it has

Don’t Fear

not been in since you were a teenager playing Twister.

Going Face Down

Avoid shredding your hamstrings or pulling a hip flexor

Aerial fabrics require you to eventually

muscle by warming up and stretching before getting

go face down in inverted positions.

airborne. No one wants to see an injured aerial artist

Be cautious to not lose grip on your

writhing around in a tangle of fabrics overhead.

fabric when flipping, but don’t be afraid of falling. The artistry and fluidity of aerial performance comes from being confident and relaxed while in the air.

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AERIALFABRICS Get Started Aerial Fabrics are not a do-it-yourself type of sport, especially in the beginning. The fabric needs to be professionally rigged, and you’ll need some instruction to start. So don’t go wrapping a couple long silk scarves over a tree limb and getting all tribal in your front yard. Find a Tahoe Flow Arts Studio or Tahoe Players class and enjoy the camaraderie and comfort of learning the sport with an instructor and in a professional studio.

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PADDLEBOARDING Paddleboarding

Do you like the idea of kayaking, but find that stuffing your legs into a restrictive plastic hull is a little confining?

Do you dream of paddling a canoe down Tahoe’s East Shore, but the hassle of loading up and launching a bulky boat deters you? Paddleboarding might be your sport.

Flat-water paddleboarding takes a little getting used to, but once you get the hang of balancing on a board and digging your paddle deep into the water, the rhythm and the core workout of paddling your way across vast stretches of Lake Tahoe is a meditative, serene workout like no other. Throw in a little wind or weather, and the sport becomes downright challenging.

Lake Tahoe is one of the most amazing spots in the world to paddleboard. More than 71 miles of beautiful shoreline and huge expanses of often glassy water makes for an otherworldly adventure on the lake.

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PADDLEBOARDING

Pick the Right Board Stand-up paddleboards come in all shapes and sizes. There are sleek racing boards and rounder-nosed shapes made for surfing ocean waves. Pick a thicker-bodied board to start off. Its inherent stability will make learning easier. If you stick with the sport, and continue to perfect your talents, start looking for a board that suits your style.

If you want to fly across glassy water, look for a long, thin, spear of a board. If paddleboarding is more of a recreational activity — say you want to load up the children and maybe even the dog on the board — sacrifice speed by going for something more stable.

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PADDLEBOARDING

Start Slow Your first paddleboard experience will most likely involve a couple big splashes and a little swimming. Your legs need to get familiar with the wobbling movement of the board underneath them. Stay close to shore until you master the technique of keeping your board stable even when paddling hard in some chop.

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PADDLEBOARDING Watch for Wake Once you have figured out the not-falling-in part of paddleboarding, you will be able to handle most conditions on the lake, even some wind and small waves. But watch for motorboats, as their wakes are enough to send you into the water.

And there is nothing like splashing down in front of a boat full of bikini-clad revelers to lower your selfesteem. If you see a boat coming, try to position your paddleboard so that you take the wake head-on or at a 45-degree angle. Relax your legs and roll over the wake like a pro. Then wave to the ladies, and confidently ask them to toss you a cold beer.

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PADDLEBOARDING

Get Started Paddleboard shops now line the shores of North Tahoe, so options for renting or buying a board are available in almost all North Tahoe communities. Once equipped with a board and paddle, there are a couple perfect places to gain your balance and learn paddling technique. The shallow waters of Tahoe City’s Commons Beach warm faster in the spring and are a great confidence builder for learning paddleboarders.

Kings Beach’s long expanse of sandy shoreline is another forgiving place to gain skills. Once you have picked up the basics and are more confident on a board, venture to more challenging locations like Sand Harbor or D.L. Bliss State Park, where you can weave through granite boulders and paddle to sandy coves.

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HIKING

Hiking Despite all the rowdy mountain biking, cool paddleboarding and whitewater rafting options available, lacing up a pair of boots and walking into the wilderness is still one of the most popular activities in North Tahoe. There is good reason for that. Hiking around North Tahoe is family friendly and requires minimal gear. You can walk your way to jawdropping vistas of Lake Tahoe along the Tahoe Rim Trail, scale peaks or walk to secluded lakes.

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HIKING

Consider Section Hiking the Tahoe Rim Trail

One of Tahoe’s recreational gems is the 165-mile Tahoe Rim Trail that rings the lake. While it takes some fitness and planning to hike the entire trail in one shot, the convenient trailheads scattered across North Tahoe allow hikers to break off sections of the trail one at a time.

If you are a regular visitor to North Tahoe, considering hiking at least the entire North Shore section of the Tahoe Rim Trail at a time.

Long trailhead-to-trailhead day hikes like Mt. Rose to Spooner Summit or Mt. Rose to Brockway Summit abound.

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HIKING

Take a Day Hike

Followed by a Dip

Summers are all about swimming, and you can do this by making your destination one of the many backcountry lakes around North Tahoe.

Loch Leven lakes out of Big Bend west of Truckee, Five Lakes out of Alpine Meadows or Marlette Lake near Spooner Summit are all worthy and fairly short day hike destinations that offer great swimming.

Click here for a full list of North Tahoe hiking trails.

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HIKING

Hike to your own Private Tahoe Beach Tahoe’s East Shore beaches resemble a secluded slice of the Caribbean — aquamarine water and white sand beaches dot the roadless shoreline.

The beaches take a little time to get to, but the more you work for it, the better it is. Check out Skunk Harbor, Chimney Beach or Hidden Beach. You can find similar sections of shoreline deep on the West Shore (although some beaches have campgrounds nearby) at D.L Bliss and Emerald Bay state parks.

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HIKING

Get Started Hiking is all about simplicity.

Lace up the boots, make sure to pack sunscreen, water, food and a map, and hit the trail.

Check this list to make sure you have everything you need.

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DISCGOLF

Disc Golf Real golf’s irreverent cousin that is more hemp shorts than plaid pants, disc golf is a great way to go nine holes without breaking the bank for clubs and a cart. Participants throw discs (if you call them Frisbees you will be laughed at) toward a disc golf basket that acts as the hole. Just like golf, the object is to throw the disc into the basket in the last amount of tries, and special discs are used for throwing off the tee, mediumranged shots, or “putting” into the basket from close range.

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DISCGOLF

Go Tie Dye Remember that old Grateful Dead T-shirt from college that you never wear anymore? Now is the time to take it out of the closet and wear it proudly. Disc golf’s dress code is less performance attire and more 20-year-old band T-shirt. Use your time in this sport to wear the items in your closet that you thought would never again see the light of day. That tie dye shirt that makes your torso look like a rainbow explosion? It’s back in style.

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DISCGOLF Wear your Disc

Fannypack with Pride

Carting multiple discs around a several-mile-long course requires you to either wear a backpack or a disc fannypack of questionable fashion taste (don’t mind the people who call it a “belt caddy”).

You might find walking around the woods toting Frisbees in a huge fannypack embarrassing, but this is the wrong

Focus on

attitude. Wear your fannypack with confidence and pride.

Tree Avoidance

Rock it like it is the 1980s. Maybe even color coordinate

Nothing puts a dent into your score like

it with your rainbow explosion of a T-shirt.

whipping your disc against a stout Ponderosa Pine right off the tee. Avoid embarrassment by focusing first and foremost on not hitting trees along the course.

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DISCGOLF

Don’t Lose Discs Just like you can shank a golf ball into impenetrable woods, you can lose your discs on a disc golf course. When you tee off, track the disc with eagle eyes and make sure you know where to go hunting if your disc goes off course. Nothing puts a premature end to a disc golf outing than a lost disc, and disc golf becomes a little more expensive if you keep losing your equipment each round.

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DISCGOLF

Get Started Disc golfers have numerous North Tahoe courses to choose from — an 18-hole, par-three course in Incline Village, another 18-hole course at the North Tahoe Regional Park in Tahoe Vista, and Squaw Valley’s high-altitude, mountainous course are all great options. Just up the road in Truckee, the Truckee Regional Park offers 18 holes along the Truckee River, and the 18 holes at the Sierra College campus serve up plenty of woods with challenging tight trees.

Gear up before you golf at Tahoe Mountain Sports in Kings Beach, Tahoe Dave’s in Tahoe City or the Sports Exchange in Truckee.

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