Touring * Fitness * Street * Slalom * Scene * Artistic *

From Interstate 80, exit south on State Highway 89 and proceed to Tahoe City 12 miles south. Turn right at the stoplight on the edge of town to stay on the highway. Less than a quarter mile down, turn right at the sign marked Truckee River Recreation Trail and Public Access. There's a parking lot located .10 mile into the trees; the trail passes near the north end of the lot, close to the bridge over the Truckee River.

Map: Recreation Map of Lake Tahoe, Tom Harrison Cartography,

2 Falmouth Cove, San Rafael, CA 94901-4465; (415) 456-7940.

Tahoe's West Shore trail is a long and thrilling roll that solid intermediate skaters can enjoy from end to end. The divided, smoothly paved asphalt path passes through tall pine forests and right along a beach at the edge of the lake. However, this hilly route does have a few drawbacks. As you might expect in such a gorgeous setting, traffic on the path becomes increasingly crowded with bicyclists, joggers, and pedestrians toward midday on weekends, so get an early start. Besides negotiating many hills, stay alert for cars, especially in the business districts, where the trail is often replaced by driveways and parking lots. There are four busy highway crossings along the route; none have stoplights, and one doesn't even have a crosswalk.

Starting from the Truckee River Recreation Trail parking lot, access the trail on the west side of the lot and follow it through the trees, back toward the Highway 89 roadside. Go right at the three-way trail intersection. (A left takes you to the parking lot entrance road and just beyond, to the trail's northern end across from the Truckee River Bank.) The trail climbs a long and fairly gentle hill leading up to Grant Road and then passes through the business district. In front of Corpus Christi Catholic Church, where the trail passes through the parking lot, the devout tend to park on top of your pavement on Sundays. A mile from the start, the trail crosses to the east side of Highway 89 at Timberland Lane. Be very careful crossing here, because fast-moving cars appear suddenly from around the corner on either side.

On the lake side of the road, the trail makes a fast descent to merge onto a residential street. Slalom skaters will love this widely paved, fairly steep hill where few cars pass. Follow the bike route signs posted next to the sometimes roughly paved street until you reach the small park on the lake shore to the left. Next to the rest rooms, the dedicated bike path picks up once again, taking you back to Highway 89.

A cruise through the trees brings you to the next highway crossing a quarter of a mile south. Across the highway, a short, steep climb introduces you to a nice roll through more pines for half a mile, followed by an even steeper drop down to the next highway crossing, where

the trail returns to the highway's shore side. Here is where the most recently repaved section of trail begins.

Another quarter of a mile south, the trail meets the beach and follows Lake Tahoe's western shore for nearly a mile. The rocky beach makes an ideal spot for a short rest or a lazy picnic, offering views of the docks, bikini-clad sunbathers, boaters, and the silhouettes of the Nevada mountains far to the east. After a wet winter, a cloak of white may still cover the shoulders of Freel Peak.

Just before the trail once again veers away from shore, you can look across the highway to find Blackwood Canyon, another excellent skating location (see the previous listing). At the gates of the ritzy community that was once the Kaiser family estate, the trail crosses one last time to the west side of Highway 89, and soon you regain your view of Lake Tahoe. The dedicated path gives way to a roadside bike lane at Cherry Street.

• Blackwood Canyon
• North Lake Boulevard Bike Path
• Truckee River Bike Trail