Fishing in Lake Tahoe is said to be quite good right now, with Mackinaw being the big biters, and Tahoe City being one of the hot spots.  Rainbow trout are also becoming quite active.  And as the weather continues to get warmer, fishing conditions will only improve.  Also, Cal Neva and Dollar Points have reported great fishing turnouts as well.

Lake Tahoe will be hosting a variety fishing events this season, including the renowned Jakes on the Lake Annual Fishing Derby that will be taking place on June 1st of this year.  Call 530-583-0188 for more information.

In the way of fishing licenses, California requires you purchase one yearly, with prices ranging somewhere around $40.00 for residents, and $100.00 for non-residents.  For Nevada, the pricing is approximately $30.00 for residents and $70.00 for non-residents.  Day-by-day license are also available for much cheaper. 

Also, once a year, California offers what’s called “Free Fishing Day,” where you can drop in anywhere you’d like, and for free!  California’s Free Fishing Day takes place twice this year, on June 7th, and September 27th.

If you don't have equipment, and want to fish in style, then visit Lake Tahoe Sportfishing.  They have great boats, great guides, and they'll do everything they can to catch fish!

Heavenly Mountain is widely considered one of the premier ski resorts in the nation, and I knew I would enjoy this day.  I started early, and arrived at the Gondola at about 10am.  I couldn’t have picked a better day.  The temperature was in the mid 40’s, no wind at all, and not a cloud in sight.  I stopped off at the Gondola’s Scenic Deck. What a view!  Not that I hadn’t seen it before, but anytime you see Lake Tahoe from 9000 feet (3000 feet above the lake) it is entirely breathtaking.  I made my way through the Adventure Peak Outdoor Dining Area and bar and also got to watch some people tubing on their massive tubing hill that sports huge banked turns.  It's even outfitted with its own chair lift.  I saw as many smiles there that I usually would from the skiers.  

That's the great thing about Heavenly - it's just not for skiers & snowboarders!  Everyday you'll find people riding up the gondola without any ski gear. That's because the sledding, scenic overlooks, and the great food and drink are fantastic stand-alone activities!

But I came up to do a little snowboarding. So I took the Tamarack chair to the very top of the mountain and again, amazing views. Next was the Sky Express lift and an awesome ride down Ridge Run where the snow was perfect.  Perfectly groomed wide open runs and fantastic lake views.  I rode from the very top all the way down to “Snow Beach”.  Snow Beach is another great place to relax.  They play Reggae music and have Adirondack style seating so everyone can kick up there feet and take a nice break from the grueling efforts of skiing and riding.  After a brief stop I rode Patsy’s lift over the Groove Terrain Park.  This is the beginner terrain park and all ages were sliding the boxes and rails and taking big jumps over the table tops.  The younger crowd has really stepped up and make it all look so easy.  Finally I made it to the Lakeview Lodge at The Top of the Tram.  I took the extremely exhausting ride down Gunbarrel, one of Heavenly’s most renowned & daring runs.

All this and I've only scratched the surface.  Heavenly is an enormous resort, you could easily spend an entire week exploring the California side of Heavenly, and never get bored.  And there is a whole other side of Heavenly to go - the Nevada side!  We'll explore that area next time - stay tuned.

Lake Tahoe winters have always held a special place in my heart and they are the main reason why I love living here and will continue to do so.  The 2007/2008 winter season is no exception but it has been completely different than any other. 

I originally moved to Lake Tahoe in June of 1999 to be able to snowboard through long winters.  My first three seasons I had become a complete “diehard” riding and average of about 80 days per season.  I was enjoying all of South Shore Ski Resorts including Heavenly, Kirkwood, and Sierra-at-Tahoe.  After the first few years I had met my wife, found a day job, and was only able to ride about 30 days per season.  To me, this was still fantastic.  We would ride on Sundays and Mondays missing a lot of the crowds and always craved the new winter season.  Finishing off the 2006/2007 we had ridden more than 30 days when my wife found out she was pregnant.  How awesome is this? The last day on the mountain last season we had a foot of fresh snow and we knew my son, little baby Nathan, was on his way. 

Obviously, as most of you know, things change very quickly.  My son was born on December 06, 2007 and he is the joy of our lives.  There is nothing I would change about my life and I look forward to every moment I get to spend with “My Little Man.” There has been one major change though…. Time.

We were smart enough to not waste money on buying our season passes which we do at the end of every winter season.  And I am glad we didn’t.  Up until yesterday, February 08, 2008, I haven’t been on the mountain one single time.  Sounds terrible huh?  Actually no, I have had so many wonderful days with my son and wife, the mountain can wait until he gets a little older.  Until yesterday!

Lake Tahoe Accommodations asked if I would take photos and write review of Heavenly Ski Mountain.  How could I say no?  That would require a some serious riding with a free lift ticket, and I'd be on the clock getting paid for my time.  Unbelievable! This will be one more amazing experience I get to add to my life as a Lake Tahoe local. 

Stay tuned for my Heavenly - California review, coming soon! 

Attention all adrenaline junkies! Want to experience the thrill of viewing Lake Tahoe from high above while freefalling through the air uncontrollably? Then Lake Tahoe Skydiving is the thing for you!

This opportunity exists at the Minden-Tahoe Airport, a 25 minute drive from South Lake Tahoe. Skydive Tahoe offers courses of instruction for first time skydivers and programs for those who desire to become certified skydivers. Most of the instructors have several thousand jumps each, and have won accolades participating in worldwide competitions.

We recommend the tandem jump for those vacationing in Lake Tahoe. For roughly $200 you will be strapped to an instructor and experience a free-fall from approximately 13,500 feet. This provides excellent views of Lake Tahoe and the surrounding mountains, and a rush that you’ll never forget!

For more information visit Skydive Tahoe, or call: 775-783-8708

 
Beyond Limits Adventures has been offering guided whitewater rafting trips on the American River near Coloma, CA for over 25 years. Beyond Limits now offers a Lake Tahoe rafting tour that includes round trip transportation from the Gondola station in Stateline. These trips depart at 8:30am and include class 3 rafting, lunch and roundtrip transportation (80 minutes each way). The price for this trip is $130 per person. Reservations can be made at 1-800-234-7238.

The American is the most popular whitewater rafting river in the western US. The river is perfect for groups, families, first timers and veteran rafters and kayakers since it is rated class 3+. There are over 50 rapids on its 20 mile course through the Sierra foothills.

According to Mike Doyle, of Beyond Limits, about 120 people a day take their rafting tours. “Our half and one day trips feature fun rapids and beautiful river scenery. Guests can swim, splash fight, relax and ride the rapids all day long”, says Mike.

Mike has reason to be excited. Last year the governing agency that controls the water flow made it a mandatory requirement for the PGE and SMUD to release recreational flows on the South Fork American. Mike says, “There is now a set schedule which allows rafting practically every day throughout the summer. This is a real boost for our business since we can now depend on good water throughout the season.”

Beyond Limits will operate trips 6 days a week (closed on Mondays) during July and August. The shuttle bus holds up to 25 people and departs Stateline at 8:45AM. The trip will include round trip transportation, rafting on the upper south fork - an 8 mile section of class 3+ rapids, and lunch. Guests may purchase souvenirs, photos, beverages and snacks at our resort in Coloma. The trip will be back to Lake Tahoe by 5:00PM. The price for this trip is $119 per person plus a 6% river use fee. For more information call 1-800-234-RAFT, or visit their website at www.rivertrip.com.