Sailing on High Mountain Lakes

Decades ago I was a boy scout. We didn't have sex, as we were GOOD BOYS, so there was no debate about Gay boy scouts. This was before it came out that the founder was a Paedophile, btw. Despite that, as GOOD BOYS we camped and hiked and whittled wood with pocket knives. Nobody got stabbed. We had hatchets and built fires that didn't go out of control because we knew how to put them out properly. We could pitch a tent, and that was a thing you slept inside because we were GOOD BOYS, not inner city rape gangs. I went to several different summer camps, but the one I liked best was about 25 miles from here, up off Highway 20.

Chubb Lake had little sailboats to learn how to sail in, called a Laser. I got my merit badge in a Laser, which is a type of small 12 foot long sailboat in that little lake. I learned today that the Laser is an actual Olympic qualified boat. How cool is that? The secret to making a sailboat work is they are dirt slow and won't sink even if you flip them over. You have to get them half on their side to get much speed, and that's barely 18-20 mph. It feels faster because you're at an angle.

About a mile to the northwest is Spaulding Lake, which is considerably larger in a valley surrounded by granite, pine trees, and stunning views. Its below I-80, with its access off of Highway 20. The power plant there provides light and A/C power here, as well as primary water supply.

Lake Spaulding has some serious potential for lake sailing. And fishing. Its above most of the gold mining so there's no poisonous Mercury in the water. You can eat the fish in there. So it is worth catching them. There should be plenty of trout. You sail to a good spot, drop a line over and see if you get a bite. I like Bass, and Trout. Sailboats, small ones, are light weight. Some can be put on your car roof, they are so light. The Pico is interesting that way, but I'd want to try one before I bought one. They're about $3K new. The Pico doesn't require a trailer like the full sized Laser sailboat does. As I'm likely to use it solo, having something I can lift by myself is important.

In the wide area that isn't exactly flat on the plateau around Truckee, which is an old logging town north of Lake Tahoe and is a major ski resort spot. Lots of places to stay. It is lovely there in the summer. I would live there, in the summer, in a trailer. The weather is really nice. There are several lakes around it, some of them natural. All of them are water supply for Reno, eventually. Donner Lake is carved by the glaciers off of Donner Pass. It was the source of ice blocks put on an express train for ice boxes in San Francisco and Sacramento, 100 years ago. The sawdust used to store the ice until summer poisoned the ground and you can still find it next to the rail yard east of Truckee's downtown.

Donner Lake is damned cold. Despite this, people use it for boating. Its very popular with skidoos and those stand up paddle boarders, none of whom look to be having much fun. It is about half a mile across and around 3 miles long. And just above freezing in the summertime. In the winter it often gets feet of ice. I hike a few miles west of the lake, up on the Pass itself. The road down (Old Hwy 40) is getting used for an Acura commercial these days. It is very scenic, and narrow, and slow, so is used by tourists. Near the top there's several ski resorts, including Sugar Bowl and Boreal and Soda Springs, and in the summer there's a fair bit of rock climbing there on the granite. It is steep and gives reliable handholds. The granite doesn't break off that frequently.

Scotts Flat: a couple miles across. 

Closer to home, and the place I'd likely use a small sailboat the most, is a lake contaminated with Mercury so don't eat the fish, but has a couple convenient boat ramps and an official Yacht Club. One that shares membership with the official ones like in San Francisco. Which only matters if you can keep it from being stolen. So not so valuable. Not as useful as being able to put your boat on the roof of your car, and lift it down solo. I can see some value there. Its about a mile across and a couple miles long. I'm currently leaning towards the Pico as a first boat due to convenience and storage options, and because what I really liked about the Laser was a light breeze would lift it up on its side and it FELT fast, even if it wasn't.

They look so cold. The lake waters are very chilly here, but mostly at the higher elevations. Down here they get a couple feet of warmth. So yeah, possible recreation there. If I decide I am willing to deal with a trailer, then the right answer is probably a Laser Bahia, as those are about 400 pounds and thus light to tow, and probably would store in the garage near the ceiling. Or under the house, if two people carried it there. Not as convenient as a baby boat. But able to actually carry people, and can use a motor, and even oars if need be. Nothing to dislike there. Some of the lakes worth fishing are too narrow and deep to visit without simple oars. Even after the big rains come this fall and refill all the lakes. Learning about boats and the local lakes is interesting. I'm not sure I will really throw any money at this, but at least I know.

Smoke blew in last night, starting at 10 PM. Got strong and was heavy by this morning. Didn't really blow away until noon, at which point it was hot again. So kinda miserable itchy night followed by a smoky hot morning. It finally blew away enough we could air out the house, when it was 85'F outside, and required a good hour for the stench to go. I managed my walk then, though I got sweaty in the process. Now we're back with A/C again and its 89'F outside. I hope that they get the fire out in the next couple days, but they are predicting 4 more days of this. Sigh. The local news is referring to You Bet and Red Dog as towns, but they're just roads that lead past old mining sites with no people, no buildings, no foundations. Nothing by mine scars. This is where they did hydraulic mining with fire hoses. This is where it was banned in the USA. Looks like most of the fire is out, from the pictures they just showed on the live news out of Sacramento.