Lake Tahoe Boating

There are very few day-trips as spectacular as Lake Tahoe - summer or winter. Beginning with the first glimpse of the dark blue lake as you crest the peaks forming the rim of the valley, the scenery is spectacular. It is also a little tricky with the winds and turbulence caused by the same rugged peaks. That is probably why they don't fly any more commercial flights to speak of into the South Lake Tahoe Airport.

There is no operating control tower at the airport, but there is also very little traffic at this uncontrolled field. The folks at Trajen FBO network take good care of your plane, but it helps to remind them of any fuel or other services you need just to make sure. Of course, the density altitude is an issue at 6,264 feet MSL, but the 8,544 foot runway helps. Still, we appreciated the 10 knot headwind on takeoff on this 9,000' density altitude day.

Lunch was at the Hard Rock Cafe at Harvey's Resort on the Nevada side, then off to the Lakeside Marina (a 10 minute walk) for the boating. The Marina rents by the hour starting at $160 for boats and $100 for Jet Skis, or by the day and half-day. They seem to provide good service and the boats are "as expected" for a rental operation. There are no VHF radios provided, so bring your cell phone in case you get into trouble. We had a fairly calm mid-day, but the wind picked up in the late afternoon, and the 20' Reinell Open Bow boat slammed pretty hard through the white caps. A stop at Camp Richardson for drinks and a little outdoor live music was followed by a short boat trip to Emerald Bay just north and east of Camp Richardson.
Trajen has a crew car, if it's not already spoken for; otherwise, call "Ozzy" in cab # 40 (530-318-0462) for a quick ride into town.