“Race the Lake of the Sky” paddle race.
It was my 3rd weekend in a row of being on road for standup paddle races. Last weekend I was at the Jay Race in Capitola and this weekend I was up in South Lake Tahoe at the “Race the Lake of the Sky” paddle race. This race is a two-day paddle festival that’s fun for the whole family with a 5-mile race, 14-mile race to Emerald Bay, kids race and the crazy fun event called SUPCross. The race takes place at another one of my favorite paddle places called El Dorado Beach. El Dorado Beach went through a major renovation a couple of years back and is now a local destination for all types of paddling, boating and has a small amphitheater for music events. There are lots of paddle destinations that can be accessed from El Dorado including the mouth of the Upper Truckee River and Timber Cove. The water level is quite low this year so the beach is bigger than previous years giving plenty of room to launch and hang out on the beach. Shallow hip deep waters right off of the beach make it very safe for beginners to get the hang of paddling on Lake Tahoe. If you are traveling to South Lake Tahoe and want to visit El Dorado Beach, be sure to check the local shop called South Tahoe Standup Paddle, they have the rental operation there at the beach and can get you dialed into gear.
What I really love about El Dorado Beach is its central location to restaurants and other activities. There’s a great health food restaurant called Café Sprout a short walk from the beach and, for Italian, the old school Villa Roma Restaurant is nearby. For the “Race the Lake of the Sky” race we always stay at Aston’s Lakeland Village right on Lake Tahoe, again centrally located and decent accommodations.