ZEPHYR COVE, Nev. — With the continuous snowfall during the past winter season, Lake Tahoe Basin locals and businesses are eager to ramp up for the warmer months ahead. With outdoor activities such as kayaking and biking in the near future for locals and visitors to enjoy, businesses are in preparation mode for the summer ahead while the snow starts to melt. 

Founded in 2016, Clearly Tahoe has been a pillar in Lake Tahoe’s outdoor recreation scene for over half a decade. The business has recently expanded, now having a retail location in the Round Hill Shopping Center in Zephyr Cove. 

“We developed Clearly Tahoe as a means of enabling guests, both visitors and locals, that want to just experience the lake and really optimize their full experience while they’re here with us,” Kelsey Weist, founder and owner of Clearly Tahoe said. “We began as the first clear kayak tour company on Lake Tahoe and one of the first globally.” 

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When Weist founded Clearly Tahoe eight years ago, she blended the idea of experiencing Lake Tahoe’s scenery in a unique, memorable way for all to enjoy. 

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“The clear kayaks stray away from traditional kayaks of paddling fast, and we encourage all our guests to take it slow and enjoy everything around you,” Weist said. “You’ll miss everything around you if you paddle too fast. Part of the experience is going slow and taking in the scenery.” 

Weist has proactively worked towards providing an interactive experience to all Clearly Tahoe guests that is easily accessible. In doing so, Clearly Tahoe offers full-service guided tours by trained professionals as well as rentals from designated locations. 

In the past several years, the Clearly Tahoe brand has become further rooted throughout the Lake Tahoe Basin. The business opened their first shop in Incline Village in 2021, and a year later in 2022, opened their shop in Zephyr Cove. In total, Clearly Tahoe has four locations, spanning between the North Shore and South Lake Tahoe, all providing services under the Clearly Tahoe name. 

“When we opened our first shop in Incline Village, we brought in local art and unique recreational items to inspire adventure in the Lake Tahoe area, and it was designed to entertain our guests while waiting for their tour, the locals ended up loving it, and it took off,” Weist said. “Our small shop in Incline is typically only open when tours are in session, so we decided to replicate what we did in Incline Village and opened a larger shop in Zephyr Cove in December 2022.” 

Clearly Tahoe’s largest shop that is open daily is the brand-new Zephyr Cove location in the Round Hill Shopping Center. Upon walking in, guests are immediately immersed in the welcoming ambiance that embodies Lake Tahoe. 

“We don’t necessarily carry recreational supplies, we’re trying to facilitate adventure and inspire gifts and decor,” Weist said. “There’s a lot of people that live in Tahoe and visit the area for the same reason that I originally moved here, and it is for the lifestyle that Lake Tahoe has to offer, and we all want to be reminded by that original inspiration.”

With Clearly Tahoe having four locations, each location varies in services that are provided. The Incline Village shop offers North Lake Tahoe guided kayak tours. The Zephyr Cove location offers guided tours and retail, and is open year-round. The business also has a location in the Tahoe Keys Marina, where they offer guided LED-light Night Kayak Tours, as well as Explorer Tours on the Clearly Explore, a 46-foot tri-toon. Lastly, the kayaking company also offers rentals at Sand Harbor State Park. 

With a passion for the outdoors herself, Weist and her staff proactively bridge the gap between the beauty of Lake Tahoe along with sustainable efforts to educate both locals and tourists on the importance of Tahoe’s environment. 

“My favorite thing, which has been the same thing since we first opened, is having the ability to share an incredible experience with guests and help them fall in love with Lake Tahoe,” Weist said. “In doing so, also educating them on a lot of the threats to Lake Tahoe, such as the invasive species and trash, and really helping educate them on what they can do to help preserve and protect it.”

At the forefront of importance in the Clearly Tahoe business model, the business strives to consistently educate their guests on a better, sustainable Lake Tahoe, with facts about Tahoe’s ecology and environment through their tours. 

Weist’s passion to educate Clearly Tahoe guests has reverberated throughout her staff, and she is also grateful to provide opportunity to the community of Tahoe locals, providing sustainable employment. 

“Taking a moment to make a difference by educating guests on safety or environmental awareness is really where I felt the most fulfilled, along with our incredible team,” Weist said. “Our team is so important to me. Being able to provide sustainable employment opportunities in the Tahoe Basin is such a great feeling.” 

Clearly Tahoe’s growth is synchronous amongst their locations and their staff, continuously growing, educating, and providing new opportunities throughout the Lake Tahoe Basin.

“What drives all of our team is the same thing that caused us to want to initially start Clearly Tahoe in the first place, which is striving and feeling so rewarded for being able to share that experience and educate visitors the same way I do,” Weist said. “We really all share common values that radiate throughout the whole company, which is very rewarding.” 

For more information on Clearly Tahoe’s locations, services, tours, and products, visit clearlytahoe.com. 

Madison Schultz is a reporter for the Tahoe Daily Tribune and Sierra Sun.