Just like that . . . Winter turns to Spring and Spring turns to Summer. . . .
Plenty of snow left in the mountains and Heavenly will remain open Fri-Sun, and through Memorial Day, May 27, conditions permitting. Access will be by the Heavenly Gondola . . . Squaw will remain open, daily thru Memorial Day, May 27, then weekends, Fri-Sun till July 1; and finally Wed-Sun, July 3-7 . . . Mammoth Mountain will remain open through July 7 as well. Season passes at your favorite resorts have been on sale, so purchase yours while prices are the lowest —
And with that, we move on to the bicycling season!
Warmer temperatures allowing road bikers to get their miles down and mountain bikers accessing the trails
With warmer temperatures the road construction and repair season also starts on May 1, with many projects slated in and around Lake Tahoe. NDOT & Granite Construction will be working on Hwy 28 from Incline Village to Sand Harbor to complete the multi-use path that is scheduled to be open this summer and Caltrans will be working on Echo Summit that will also feature road closures, as well as other projects in Meyers, South Lake Tahoe and Tahoe City. Consult: www.nvroads.com and www.tahoeroads.com
For road bikers, Bike Habitat and Muscle Power will host the 12th Annual Tour of Carson City, May 5, meeting at Fuji Park and starting at 9 am, a 27-30 mile moderately paced ride with lunch provided by San Marcos Grill at the finish. This is a FREE ride and everyone is encourage to join in. Bike the West will be on hand to provide SAG transport services for this ride if anyone needs assistance.
The Amgen Tour of California is also returning to South Shore on Monday May 13, as Stage 2 of the men’s races starts in Rancho Cordova and ends at the Heavenly California Base parking lot. Stage 2 the biggest elevation gain of the tour with over 14,000 feet of climbing over 121 miles.
The community is welcomed to join in the festivities at the Finish Line Lifestyle Expo starting mid-morning with the finish estimate time of 3:43pm. Bike the West will be on hand to greet the finishers and community with infamous “Spin to Win” wheel with free giveaways.
Alta Alpina Cycling Club activities are up and running with weekend rides and their Thursday evening club racing series. They will host the Ray Rickart Memorial Ride on Sunday, May 26 and planning continues for their premier ride, Alta Alpina Challenge – Wild Sierra Ride on June 29. This fully supported ride features a variety of ride distances and up to 200 miles. Online registration is open at: http://www.altaalpina.org/challenge/
Bike the West will also be on hand to assist with communications and SAG Support. For more info visit: www.altaalpina.org
Bike the West is in full production mode preparing for the 28th Annual America’s Most Beautiful Bike Ride in partnership with the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. The big event is Sunday, June 2, 2019 with over 3000 riders riding clockwise around Lake Tahoe, including to Truckee, starting and finishing from the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino at Stateline. This fully supported ride features Rest Stops with food and beverage, bike mechanics, first aid, SAG support /transport, lunch and after ride pool party with live entertainment at the Hard Rock Pool.
Bike the West will also continue to produce the 17th Annual Tour de Tahoe on Sunday, September 8, and the 28th Annual OATBRAN tour across Nevada, September 22-28, 2019. Online registration for all Bike the West events are open and For more info visit: www.bikethewest.com
The Lake Tahoe Bicycle Coalition is hosting their annual Lake Tahoe Bike Challenge in partnership with TRPA, starting June 1-14, 2019, challenging individuals and teams get out of the vehicles and to ride to work, school or play and log miles for prizes.
LTBC is also updating and reprinting maps for distribution, installing 200 bike racks around the Lake, providing free secured Bike Valet services at community events and will be kicking off their Bike Safe Lake Tahoe bicycle safety campaign… The Bike Safe Lake Tahoe bicycle safety campaign is funded from a $5 per rider fee donated from America’s Most Beautiful Bike Ride participants, totaling nearly $15,000. For more info visit. www.tahoebike.org
The Tahoe Area Mountain Biking Association (TAMBA) continues to host trails days and has moved their Tahoe Mountain Bike Festival to the weekend of June 22-23, 2019. This festival features their “Rose to Toads” Triple Crown ride, Demos with shuttles, live music and brews.
Lots of options as spring and summer arrives in Lake Tahoe to continue to ride snow or ride your bike. Either way — Get Out and Get After it!
