Welcome to Writers in the Wild, a new column by Tahoe Daily Tribune and Sierra Sun reporters, a regular column written by us to highlight the fun, adventurous and/or artistic activities we’ve done in and around the basin.

The goal of this column is twofold. The first is to give you, the reader, an opportunity to get to know us. You may see our bylines, or you may have even been interviewed by us a time or two, but you rarely get to know us as people. We live, recreate in and enjoy Lake Tahoe just as much as our readers do. So we want to share our experiences with you in a more informal way.

Which leads me to the second goal, to give first-hand recommendations and feedback on the many activities available in the basin. Whether that be a grueling bike ride, a wonderful bluebird ski day, a concert in an amazing venue or a laid-back artist meet-up, we want to share our favorite experiences or our failed adventures so you can learn from us.

So without further ado, please enjoy the first Writers in the Wild, written by our very own Victoria Mastrocola!

Laney Griffo
Editor

Enjoying time together before fire season

As my partner gears up for his fire season, we decided to spend our last weekend together outside, enjoying the beautiful weather before he goes off to fight fires for weeks on end. 

As we mulled over the many perfect options at our disposal for outdoor recreation in Lake Tahoe, we decided first on a mountain bike ride.

Keep in mind, my idea of a bike ride consists of a relaxing, strenuous–free time and a reasonable distance that doesn’t end with my legs screaming. My (firefighter) partner’s? – 20 miles, 1000+ feet elevation gain, and a whole lot of suffering. 

We came to a compromise: We’d take the bike path from our home in South Lake Tahoe to Pope Beach. A little bit of suffering for me, and a long enough distance for him to feel satisfied. 

Because it was the first warmer weekend of the season and also Mother’s Day weekend, South Lake Tahoe was bustling with people. Locals and visitors alike took to the sidewalks, bike paths and shops near Lakeview Commons and along Lake Tahoe Blvd. How could they not? The weather was absolutely gorgeous – mid 60’s, sunny, slight breeze to keep us cool enough. Seriously, I couldn’t hide the happy, little smile that was plastered on my face as we went on our merry way. 

From Ski Run Blvd, we went past the Bijou Community School, finding our way onto the South Tahoe Greenway bike path through Bijou Meadow to College Path. From there, we hit Trout Creek Crossing to Sierra Blvd and up to Highway 50. As part of Bike Tahoe’s Beach Bike Path Cruiser ride, we went from 50 to Ponderosa St. and then all the way down Eloise Ave., eventually riding adjacent to Emerald Bay Rd. 

As we arrived at Pope Beach, I was surprised to find the shores empty, save for one or two people on either side of us. This is the beauty of the spring shoulder season, where there’s enough tourism to keep things going, but not too crowded to find a secluded spot on the beach. We were in Heaven. 

All in all, we biked 14.6 miles with a 1,004-foot elevation gain. Win, win (and I definitely suffered). 

The next part of our weekend included a hike to Horsetail Falls, southwest of South Lake Tahoe in Desolation Wilderness. We hopped in the car and drove to Pyramid Creek Trailhead, through vast remnants of the Caldor Fire burn scar on our way past Echo Summit. The views here are breathtaking, and I stifled the urge to pull over just to take it all in, despite having seen it a number of times. 

The last time we hiked to Horsetail Falls was in August 2025, and the stark contrast between late summer and early spring was apparent. It seemed as though the winter winds brought more dead trees to the ground, and the bright orange blooms of California Mountain Ash had not made their appearance yet. Not to mention the surging current of Pyramid Creek, and the heavy flow of Horsetail Falls due to the season’s snowmelt.

Even with the change of seasons, this hike is one of my favorites, with a moderate 2-mile trek to the base of the falls. 

Our final weekend adventure was a mini kayak excursion from the Upper Truckee River to Regan Beach in Lake Tahoe. We decided to launch our two-seater kayak from the Tahoe Keys Marina, making it a short, but sweet paddle. 

We coasted our way through the beautiful marshes alongside the Upper Truckee Marsh, where red-winged blackbirds serenaded us with their funky, metallic sing-song before the mouth of the Truckee River spit us out into Lake Tahoe.

Our stellar weekend was both a greeting to the warm seasons ahead and a farewell to winter in the basin.