White magic 

Having over 300 days of sunshine, 396 inches of annual snowfall, 18 world-class ski and snowboarding resorts, golf courses and a host of activities to suit every season,
Akanksha Bhalla Ahluwalia finds Lake Tahoe an ideal holiday destination


Nestled in the mountains, Lake Tahoe boasts of having the deepest snow in the US Photo by the writer

OFTEN called the vacationers’ paradise, the beautiful, bright blue, Lake Tahoe is an ideal holiday destination in any season whether summer or winter. Although the area’s scenery and facilities draw visitors year-round, it is as a skiing and snowboarding destination that Lake Tahoe really thrives on. The winter scene at Lake Tahoe can numb your mind with its exquisite wonders as much as with its cold.

Surrounded by mountains of Sierra Nevada, Lake Tahoe, a large freshwater lake, is the second deepest lake in the US. The area surrounding the lake is referred to as Lake Tahoe, or simply Tahoe. The California-Nevada border cuts through the lake. With a part of the lake on the California side of the border and a part lying on the Nevada side, the lake also boasts of two different cultures.

Gambling being legal in Nevada, this part of the lake has some of the hottest casinos, clubs and bars. The visitors can opt for entertainment and a lively nightlife or the peace and beauty of the Tahoe, according to their mood.

The lake, with its crystal clear blue and emerald green waters has a vast shore size. However, the panorama of surrounding mountains and green conifers lining the banks offer some beautiful vistas instead of empty horizons.

The soft carpet-like sand below your feet, the loop of slopes circling the lake which only a wide-angle camera lens can capture and the clarity of water (60-feet deep); all are a delight to senses. Mark Twain, in his book Roughing It, rightly describes Lake Tahoe as "The fairest picture the whole earth affords ... three months of camp life on Lake Tahoe would restore an Egyptian mummy to his pristine vigour, and give him the appetite like an alligator."

The Tahoe Basin is mostly undeveloped and is designated as national forest, state parks and wilderness area, affording plenty of opportunities for nature camping, hiking or biking. The Tahoe Rim Trail, which circumnavigates the lake for 165 miles, is the favourite among tourists.

Tahoe’s beauty is, of course, markedly distinct in different seasons. But visitors, who have seen Tahoe in both the summer and the winter, decidedly vouch for the winter scene as something unfathomed by the human imagination.

Snow falls in tiny, light flakes that disappear as soon as they touch ground. The whole area, as far as the eye can see, is a rolling vista of white. Snow covers everything without distinction from trees tops to car tops, houses to bushes to curbs. White being the colour of purity everything looks sanitised.

However, despite the sub-zero temperatures, proud in its own majestic beauty, the lake never freezes.

Nestled in the mountains, the lake boasts of having the deepest snow in the US and mind-bending steeps. Tahoe also has numerous world-class ski resorts. It’s a haven for winter zealots. The Winter Olympics of 1960 were hosted in Tahoe. Snow mobiling is yet another spectacular sport here. Snow and skiing form a significant part of the area’s economy.

Emerald Bay, a California underwater state park, is one of the most popular vista points around Lake Tahoe. It is said to be one of the most photographed spots in the world. It’s an inland on the west side of the lake where water turns emerald, hence the name.

Another great viewpoint is at the Heavenly Valley Ski Resort. Gondolas (cable cars) take you up at a height of 9,123 sq feet and land you at an observation deck where you are treated to shore-to-shore views of the lake, the Carson Valley and Desolation Wilderness.

It is little wonder then that Tahoe is touted as the "No.1 Travel Destination in the US" and the "No. 10 Destination Worldwide" by travel freaks and websites. Tahoe’s beauty has been captured on celluloid time and again. It even has a movie of the same name. In The Godfather Part II, Tahoe is the place where the Corleone family lives in a compound on the shores of the Nevada side of the lake. Both The Bodyguard and City Of Angels also had their climactic scenes at and around Lake Tahoe

Lake Tahoe is accessible via Reno-Tahoe International Airport.

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