Tahoe’s signature ski town offers breweries, stargazing, snowshoeing and other delights.
Anyone who visits Tahoe even once or twice a year doesn’t need a “cool list” to know that the North Shore town of Truckee is consistently rated one of the top winter sports meccas in the country. The legions of all-wheel-drive SUVS in the parking lots and the Patagonia puff jackets worn by just about everyone are all part of the vibe — along with seven downhill ski areas, a half-dozen cross-country venues and endless backcountry opportunities within a half-hour’s drive. Thing is, you don’t have to ski or snowboard to have a great winter getaway in Tahoe’s signature ski town; all you need are a pair of warm boots and a credit card — and maybe one of those oh-so-practical puff jackets. From beguiling boutiques and seductive sporting goods shops to a diverse array of places to eat and drink, there are lots of ways to play without a lift ticket. Here are a few new or often overlooked suggestions.
Hike, bike, walk the dog
Winter hiking or biking at Tahoe? You betcha. In the past few years, municipalities around the lake have been plowing paved, multi-use trails covering dozens of miles. For a taste of the possibilities, head out on the 5-mile Truckee River Legacy Trail, which can be accessed right in town or from Truckee River Regional Park, where there’s also an ice-skating rink. The Tahoe Bicycle Coalition has an online map at tahoebike.org/map, while more options are spelled out at visittruckee.com and chamber.truckee.com.
Canopy of stars
Snow-cloaked landscapes can be downright luminescent at night. And the stars? Ahh … You don’t get views like this in the city. On Saturday, you can join “star guide,” poet and amateur astronomer Tony Berendson on a 2 1/2-hour guided snowshoe tour ($57-$79) that begins at Northstar California’s Cross-country Center and concludes over hot chocolate at the midmountain Ritz-carlton Lake Tahoe. In summer, attend a presentation at Northstar’s Dark Skies Cosmoarium, where you’ll gather around a fire pit, learn about the cosmos and get an in-depth look at the heavens through powerful Celestron telescopes. Find details at tahoestartours.com.
Elevated pub grub
While at Northstar, check out the new Bourbon Pub at the base of the gondola in the village. Acclaimed chef Michael Mina’s take on elevated pub food runs the gamut from burgers to sashimi. The nachos, which took gold for executive in-house chef Jon Blackley at the 2019 Lake Tahoe Autumn Food & Wine Festival, are a production featuring whole corn tortillas layered with beans, cheese, guacamole and sour cream. Topped with a soft-cooked egg, the entire nacho affair is presented like a trophy and dramatically cut into quarters tableside by a kitchen staffer wielding a crescent-shaped knife called a mezzaluna. Salud!
Cheers for beers
Truckee’s craft-beer scene expanded in January with the addition of The Good Wolf Brewing Co., named for a parable about the good vs. evil within us. It’s an intimate and outof-the-way place with a forest theme, a cozy fireplace, a hops-forward beer menu and occasional entertainment. The most unusual brew is the Sparrow IPA, made with a hard-to-source hops strain from South Africa.
It’s not the only brewery in town, either. Good Wolf joins 3-year old Alibi Ale Works in downtown Truckee, 2-year-old Truckee Brewing Co. and stalwart Fiftyfifty Brewing, which pioneered craft brew in Truckee in 2007. Later this year, Fiftyfifty will open a restaurant and tasting room for its sister establishment, Old Trestle Distillery.
DETAILS » Good Wolf Brewing is open Tuesday-sunday at 10990 Industrial Way, Truckee; thegoodwolfbrewing.com. Find more suds at alibialeworks.com, truckeebrewco.com, fiftyfiftybrewing.com and oldtrestle.com.
Snow stuff
Coalition Snow, a woman-founded, owned and operated brand dedicated to producing performance skis and snowboards designed just for women, recently opened a brickand-mortar showroom at 10015 Palisades Drive. It’s worth a visit just to admire the beautiful board graphics (you can rent or demo, too), peruse a selection of gift items from Africa and chat with founders Jen Gurecki and Lauren Bello Okerman, who run the show. Or get comfortable in the Coalition Clubhouse for talks by and about women change-makers. Details: www.coalitionsnow.com
On the way home …
Make time for a visit to Donner Memorial State Park just outside Truckee. A newish museum here (it opened in 2015) features excellently curated artifacts and stories of the 19th-century emigrant experience. A thoughtful video about the snowbound Donner Party is well worth watching.
From the museum, follow Donner Lake Road/old Highway 40 — a segment of the original Lincoln Highway — past the lake and up through some very dramatic scenery to Sugar Bowl, one of the oldest ski areas in the West. Admire the historic photos in the main lodge’s Belt Room Bar (named for a famous ski race) and enjoy a casual lunch there or a more formal one at the upscale Dining Room at Village Lodge before heading back to Interstate 80 and the homeward grind.
DETAILS » The museum is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily at 12593 Donner Pass Road; www.parks.ca.gov. Find menus and details on Sugar Bowl’s dining options at www.sugarbowl. com/dining.