144 posts tagged “lake tahoe”
Because my life isn't full enough with work, teaching, playing and my feeble attempt at finding balance, I've started writing about telemark and backcountry skiing in the Lake Tahoe region for Examiner.com.
Check it out - and don't worry, I'll still be ranting about stupidity and posting photos of my latest culinary disaster here.
Ski season has finally started at Lake Tahoe, with the openings of Mt. Rose, Heavenly, Northstar-at-Tahoe and Squaw Valley this week. N and I actually had plans to head to Mammoth (which has been open since October), but his asymptomatic manflu reared up again, leaving him with no desire to move, much less drive 2+ hours to ski - especially after a snowstorm left the roads a bit messy, and the mountains with upwards of 6 inches of new snow.
The weeks before ski season always leave me in an uncomfortable state of limbo. The days are too short - and cold - for any long mountain bike rides, and hiking requires more layers and planning. Add to that a stupid injury (mine), the start of a bad cold (N) and unusual arctic temps, and we realized our options were limited this weekend. In the end we headed to Fallen Leaf Lake, an area neither of us had been to recently.
While cynics may claim this is but a dusting, last night's storm brought a few inches of snow to our house at lake level, and the resorts are reporting up to 6 inches.
While the phrase 'El Nino' has been used a lot when referring to this upcoming winter, I've remained cautiously pragmatic. Color me skeptical, but I know how fickle Mother Nature can be, so I like to err on the side of caution.
So I did get to play at Saturday's roller derby bout. Not for long, but long enough to really like the adrenaline, and appreciate all the practicing I've done up until this point. Lucy Crabapple was indeed, in the house (rather, on the track) for a brief moment in time.
Last weekend I convinced N that I was mentally ready to tackle a longer mountain bike ride, one that he'd done a few times in the past, and one that I really wanted to try. For someone of my fitness level, this sort of ride requires the comfort of a geared, full-suspension bike, so I traded up from my single-speed for the day.
Our route started at the Tahoe Rim Trail Kingsbury - Big Meadow segment at the Stagecoach Lodge parking lot, and ended up at our house. In between we rode 41 miles, with 5,100 feet of climbing and 6,200 feet of descent. For the statisticians out there, the ride can be broken down into the following summary:
- Number of wildflowers seen = a bazillion
- Number of llamas seen = 2
- Number of calories burned = over 3,000
- Number of rounds of applause I received = 1 (by a group towards the last descent who learned how far we'd ridden)
Overall it was a spectacular day, and was made much more pleasant by the moderate temps and blooming wildflowers. While it's likely not going to be a weekly ride for me, I'm definitely planning on doing more 30+ mile rides in the future. With or without the llama sightings.
So it wasn't much - just the trail I've been riding regularly on the SS, but yesterday's climbing and pedal stroke felt right, and I aggressed the short hill climbs before they bit me in the arse. Talking about technique (yes, there is some with one-gear riding) with N helped as well, and while I'm not yet ready to take on the 2,000 foot climb of Armstrong pass, I am thinking I might be ready to try one of the lower trails in the same area.
I figure if I keep this up and work real hard, at some point I'll be able to pass somebody, even if it's only the wacky old lady in the sunhat I occasionally see riding her cruiser on the trails.
I am the recent owner of a single speed hardtail mountain bike. While those non-cyclists may not understand the allure of riding with only ONE gear, I really like the simplicity, weight (light) and fact that I cannot dog it, as there's no granny gear to run to.
However, if one (read: me) is not feeling all that fresh due to a crappy night's sleep, an excess of pollen in the lungs and a 6 am riding start time, the single speed is not as fun as it usually is. I did my regular route (the only marginally hilly trail I feel comfortable on at this point) and it took a lot more effort to keep the pedals moving. Put simply, it was an ugly thing to watch, and I returned home exhausted and with lots more greenish yellow pollen in my mouth, nose and lungs.
I'm hoping that more sleep and some rain helps me do my new bike justice later this week.
The tree pollen has landed. Literally. Within the past few days, every pine tree in the region appears to be dropping its pollen simultaneously, leaving cars, driveways and sleeping dogs covered in a pale green film. If a breeze kicks up it means green clouds in the street, which is fun to watch if you're in the confines of a car or house with closed window. Less so if you're riding your bike through it.
On top of this pollen, a heat wave of sorts has hit South Lake Tahoe, with temps well into the 80s. With few homes in the area with air conditioning, this means that keeping the windows closed to keep the pollen out is simply not an option. Pollen vs. heat - it's really a case of the lesser of two evils. So I keep the windows open and accept that I'm miserable and can't breathe.
Yesterday I tried to beat the ridiculous heat and left the house early to ride uphill. While I felt pretty feeble and slow on the climb, I did have the satisfaction of passing 2 guys (one my age) on the ride down. Admittedly they appeared to be more of the roadie types (local road cycling club spandex tops, obvious discomfort on the sandy bits), but still - I passed them and made them eat my dust!!
I may suck horribly riding uphill, but my downhill skills have to be improving. Think of the possibilities once the pollen goes away!
