The Tahoe Blues

Like most people everywhere the locals and visitors to Tahoe can get the blues but unlike many people they often go out looking for them. Sometimes they are out on kayaks or standup paddleboards. They could even be out on a sailboat or skiing when they get the blues.

There is over a foot of the best snow of the entire winter falling in Tahoe’s back-country today. I have already skied twice but I can’t help thinking about how much I would like to climb back up to the ridge above Lake Tahoe for one last run before sunset. I know that I could be on my paddleboard paddling out to Bucks Beach or kayaking out of Sand Harbor to Whale Beach or possibly sailing a Hobie Cat across Lake Tahoe to Chimney Beach but I can’t stop thinking about all that fresh powder that’s waiting to be skied on this bluebird day.

I have not been kayaking much this week (because of the fresh snow) and April is typically the best time of year to start paddling on a daily basis on Lake Tahoe. Don’t get me wrong I am not complaining in fact I have paddled quite a bit this winter. I was going out on Lake Tahoe nearly every other day in March and the kayaking was great. The North Shore of Lake Tahoe is truly magical this time of year, there’s so much to see and do and if you don’t like the weather wait ten minutes. I like to participate in as many as three or four different sports on a good day because it helps me with the blues.

There is so much incentive to get outside in Lake Tahoe the scenery for one, the fresh air, the peace and quiet and those unforgettable Lake Tahoe views. I did say views, not blues, at least not the cry in my beer kind of blues. Lake Tahoe blues are more often associated with the color of the Lake or maybe with summer music festivals but not usually associated with your frame of mind. I don’t think you can legally get the blues in Tahoe in fact it’s against the law, the law of nature that is. If you feel yourself slipping into the (nasty) blues then you simply slip on your ski boots or maybe your wet suit and drive those (low down) blues away by getting out into the great outdoors.

This time of year I like to start each day of adventure by watching the weather forecast. If the forecast is for two feet of fresh snow like today, I might start by getting up early and popping on my back-country skis and heading right out the backdoor to the ridge and beyond for skiing on what might be a perfect bluebird day. If the spring snow has set up hard as rock then I might strap on my bike shoes and climb the forest service roads and trails for an hour or two on my mountain bike. I like to stop at the top and take in the blues. After a hearty snack I ride the snow back down for some blue skies and big blue Tahoe views. If I have more time I might then check to see if the lake is glassy, if so I could suit up for a late morning paddle on a paddleboard or kayak, did somebody mention having the blues? If somehow I do feel a little glum I might then consider an afternoon ski on the corn snow, I love the corn. If there is still any chance of feeling a little down I might take a relaxing sail with a Hobie Island sailboat for an amazing Lake Tahoe sunset and some of the bluest blues available on the planet.

By the time I head home my brain is so full of endorphins that there is no room for the blues at least not the low down dirty kind. The only blues in my head now are the visions of blue skies draped against snowy cliffs and blue waves rolling over deeper blue waters and maybe the splashes of sunlight shining through dark blue clouds that reflect off the sparkling blue surface of Lake Tahoe. These are the kind of blues that will never get you down the bluest of blues I am talking about those awesome Tahoe blues.

Of course I know that winter has to end and that the snow will melt and I will have to put away my skis and studded bike tires for the season but I still won’t get those down and dirty blues. By the time the snow melts Lake Tahoe will have warmed up a bit and a record number of people will be breaking out their paddleboards and kayaks for a fun filled summer paddling on Lake Tahoe. Yes I will reluctantly put away my skis for a kayak or stand up paddleboard but I refuse to get those knock down, drag out blues because I really look forward to feeling the full effects of the sun on my pale skin while paddling, I can’t wait to peel away almost every layer of clothing and soak up huge amounts of vitamin D during a long paddle in the hot sun.

I can’t get enough of paddling paddleboards and the way SUP’s make me feel. Paddleboards take the kinks right out of your back and neck you know the kinks you get from sitting around too much on those long cold winter nights but soon there will be no more short days, no more going out after dark to get in a few short slippery miles and definitely no blues, at least not the low down dirty, crying in my beer, you’re a bad neighbor, hey don’t kick my dog, I’m stuck in traffic, you just crashed my car and how much is a gallon of gas…blues.