The AIDS ride, Ride for the Cure, Ride for Kids … all across America people are getting outside, getting in shape, and getting the word out for the cause most meaningful to them.

These bicycle tours – ranging from 60 to 1,000s of miles – bring high visibility and raise money for these important issues. That’s why California Trout is launching the first Trout on Tour – a 1,400-mile bike ride to deliver an urgent message: Cold, clean water is the most important resource of the 21st century and fish are the best indicator of a healthy watershed.

CalTrout’s Outreach Manager Shannon Moon is cycling the state from Aug. 23-Sept. 29.

Along the way she’ll be hosting events, offering presentations, distributing information and highlighting top water and fisheries issues through CalTrout’s new blog, Twitter and Facebook. Visit www.caltrout.org/blog for more info.

The goal is to raise $10,000 to cover the costs of the education and awareness events and materials along the route.

For more information, email smoon@caltrout.org or call (415) 392.8887, ext. 107 or visit www.caltrout.org.

Route and date:

* August 19 – Event in San Francisco

* August 21 – Event in Mammoth Lakes

* August 22 – Spot the Trout riding around Mammoth Lakes

* August 23 – First day of the Ride: Mammoth to Bridgeport

* August 24 – Bridgeport to Topaz Lake

* August 25 – Topaz Lake to South Lake Tahoe – Event in Tahoe

* August 26 – Spot the Trout riding around South Lake Tahoe

* August 27 – Sierra Nevada Alliance Event – Tahoe to Sierraville

* August 28 – Sierraville to Quincy

* August 29 – Quincy to Lake Almanor

* August 30 – Lake Almanor to Lassen

* August 31 – Lassen to Fall River

* September 1 – Fall River to Mount Shasta

* September 2 – Event in Mount Shasta

* September 3 – Event in Mount Shasta

* September 4 – Mount Shasta to Cecilville

* September 5 – Cecilville to Orleans

* September 6 – Float to the Mouth of the Klamath with Yurok tribe

* September 7 – Float to the Mouth of the Klamath with Yurok tribe

* September 8 – Float to the Mouth of the Klamath with Yurok tribe

* September 9 – Requa to McKinleyville

* September 10 – Event in McKinleyville

* September 11 – McKinleyville to Weott

* September 12 – Weott to Legget

* September 13 – Legget to Mendocino

* September 14 – Mendocino to Gualala

* September 15 – Gualala to Jenner

* September 16 – Jenner to Calistoga

* September 17 – Calistoga to Napa – Event in Napa

* September 18 – Petaluma to San Francisco

* September 19 – Event in San Francisco

* September 20 – San Francisco to Big Basin

* September 21 – Big Basin to Pajaro

* September 22 – Pajaro to Monterey

* September 23 – Monterey to Limekiln

* September 24 – Limekiln to San Simeon

* September 25 – San Simeon to Pismo Beach

* September 26 – Pismo Beach to Santa Barbara

* September 27 – Santa Barbara to Ventura

* September 28 – Event in Ventura

Join the Lake Tahoe Water Trail for the Fall Paddle Day on Oct. 9 at 8:30am.

Paddle from Zephyr Cove Lodge with researchers at the forefront of protecting Lake Tahoe from aquatic invasive species. A barbecue will follow.

The cost is $30/person, $50/couple includes lunch (Members $25/person, $45/couple).

Kayak rental available on site.

Advance registration is required. Online registration begins Sept. 9 at www.laketahoewatertrail.org.

Join the Tahoe Rim Trail Association on Aug. 21 for the Galena Falls Wildflower Hike.

This leisurely hike starts with a climb up and over a ridge and through the forest to a cascading waterfall. It is followed by a moderate climb to a high mountain meadow.

It may be hot. so bring lots of water (two liters), lunch, camera, and wind/rain gear depending on the weather. This hike is open to participants, 10 years old and up; no pets; maximum number of participants is 15.

Hike Time: Four-five hours

Meeting time: 10am at the Mt. Rose Summit Welcome Plaza parking lot; north side of Highway 431 at the summit.

Distance: Six mile loop hike

Difficulty: Moderate; elevation ranges from 8,900 to 9,400 feet.

Register: Contact TRTA for pre-registration as space is limited;(775) 298.0012 or email jaimes@tahoerimtrail.org.

The Boys & Girls Club of Lake Tahoe Golf Tournament is set for Oct. 11 at Edgewood Tahoe Golf Course. The entire $195 entry fee goes directly to the Boys & Girls Club to continue its work with local children.

Last year the BGCLT raised more than $30,000 for local children and this year’s goal is to break $40,000.

The BGCLT’s golf tournament is a traditional prize bonanza with $10,000 for any hole-in-one, an all-expenses paid golf trip and more:

* Rounds of golf at Tahoe/Reno area’s top courses

* Ski trips

* Sports memorabilia

* Golf equipment

* Wines and spirits

* Stays at top area hotels

* Certificates for area restaurants, attractions, activities and merchandise.

Players have their choice of format, either Best Ball or Scramble, with prizes awarded in both categories. In addition to $10,000 for an ace on all par 3s, golfers have a shot at a Grand Prize Golf Vacation.

Golfers receive a gourmet breakfast buffet, a half dozen Titleist ProV balls, a box lunch, beverages on the course and an awards reception with appetizers.

Playing spots, hole sponsorships, and hole-in-one promotions are all available by contacting the Boys & Girls Club at (530) 542.0838 or email: khouser@bgclt.org. For a registration form, click here.

By Wendy West

Invasive weeds raise seasonal fire danger and threaten lake water quality. Preventing the introduction of invasive weeds is the best way to protect the Lake Tahoe Basin from the damage and impacts of these invaders.

By identifying new infestations early and controlling them quickly, landowners can protect their properties and the lake, and avoid the expensive control costs associated with larger infestations.

Late summer and fall are the perfect time to identify and report terrestrial — on land — invasive weeds. The Lake Tahoe Basin Weed Coordinating Group has a new online tool to make it easier. The new website provides maps of known invasive weed sites and allows landowners, concerned citizens and land managers to report sightings of new infestations. Users will also find extensive weed identification tools and photos to help recognize the area’s priority invasive plants. All reports are verified by a LTBWCG team member.

Group members then determine the best way to control the weeds before they become established.

Left unchecked, invasive weeds can damage forests, roads, trails, parks, neighborhoods and natural areas. Once established, weed infestations are difficult and expensive to control and can reduce land values, damage water quality and clarity, contribute to soil erosion, displace native plants and degrade wildlife habitat.

Area residents can help stop the spread of invasive weeds by making sure they are not moving seeds or plant parts that can start new weeds in uninfested areas. Hikers, bikers and fisherman should remove all plant parts and seeds from their boots, clothing and equipment before leaving an area to prevent weed spread.

Vehicle undercarriages and tires should be checked before moving from a weed-infested area and seeds and plant parts should be removed, bagged and placed in a garbage receptacle.

By taking a few simple steps to prevent introduction and report new invasive weed sites, concerned citizens, land managers and landowners can help protect the Lake Tahoe Basin. Prevention and early detection are always the most effective and least expensive options when managing invasive weeds.

Wendy West is chair of the UC Cooperative Extension in Placerville.

Join the Tahoe Rim Trail Association for volunteer trail building workdays on the Daggett Summit Trail System Project.

Workdays are Tuesdays and Saturdays 9am to 4pm from now until mid-October.

Learn new skills, meet likeminded trail enthusiasts, and give back to your community by joining a volunteer trail crew! Volunteers of all skill levels and ages are welcome—no prior experience necessary. Groups are welcome to participate.

To join a volunteer work crew, register online at www.tahoerimtrail.org or contact Amanda at (775) 298.0239 trails@tahoerimtrail.org. Register so we will have tools and crew leaders.

This is the second trail building season of the multi-year Daggett Summit project, which will connect the Tahoe Rim Trail (TRT) with the Van Sickle State Park, re-route the TRT off of paved roads, and provide stunning views of Lake Tahoe to more people. Last year we built 3.8 miles of new trail; however we still have more than 9 miles to go.

Volunteers should bring their own lunch, water, sunscreen, bug spray, and backpack. Volunteers must wear long-sleeved shirts, long pants, boots, & work gloves. The Tahoe Rim Trail Association will provide hard hats, trail building tools and expert crew leaders.

Trail Building Workdays:

Aug. 14 at end of South Benjamin Drive, Kingsbury

Aug. 17 at end of South Benjamin Drive, Kingsbury

Aug. 21 at Kingsbury South Trailhead, Kingsbury

Aug. 28 at end of South Benjamin Drive, Kingsbury

Aug. 31 at end of South Benjamin Drive, Kingsbury

By Chris Gabel, Reno Gazette-Journal

Not long after the sun rose over the Virginia Range on Thursday morning, high school football players around Washoe County hit the field for up-downs, wind sprints and the start of two-a-day practices.

“We hit it hard this morning, and the kids did good,” Carson High coach Blair Roman said.

The scene and the mood were similar at playing fields at Hug, Galena and Douglas, among others, as thousands of football players across Northern Nevada took part in the first day of official practices.

After weeks of voluntary workouts, Thursday marked the official start of the countdown to season-opener football games Aug. 27.

Read they whole story

By Lenita Powers, Reno Gazette-Journal

They’re fast, they’re bright and they’ll put on a free show in the nighttime sky in the next couple of days for Nevadans willing to give up an hour or two of sleep.

The Perseid meteor shower that shoots across the summer sky each year will be at its most prolific Thursday night and Friday morning, said amateur astronomer Tony Berendsen, owner of Tahoe Star Tours.

“The best time will be Thursday from 1 to 2 o’clock in the morning, but you don’t have to wait until 1 a.m.,” he said. “At 11 p.m., you can look high to the northeast, and you should see some meteors. You also can see them in the early morning any time before 4 a.m.”

The number of meteors have been increasing for the last couple of weeks and will peak Thursday and Friday, usually with more than 60 meteors per hour and sometimes up to 100, he said.

Read the whole story

The Tahoe Resource Conservation District is hosting the 3rd Annual Conservation Landscape Tour on Aug. 15th from 1-5pm.

Explore seven gardens in the Angora Burn area that highlight Lake Tahoe Basin conservation techniques. The tour highlights native and adapted plant selection, water conservation techniques, defensible space methods, Best Management Practice demonstrations and wildlife enhancement features.

Last year’s event brought together more than 150 Tahoe residents to enjoy a delightful summer afternoon learning about water efficient irrigation techniques and examples of defensible space through proper plant selection, arrangement and management. As you explore the gardens, feel free to ask garden stewards and homeowners questions related to the conservation landscapes.

Pick up your tour map between 1-3pm from 1383 Mount Olympia Circle. The other six locations are nearby. Please leave your pets at home. For more information, contact Courtney at (530) 543-1501, ext. 118 or visit www.tahoercd.org.

By Jeff Delong, Reno Gazette-Journal

A new trail system designed to link Reno’s foothills to wilderness terrain in the city’s backyard was unveiled last week by the U.S. Forest Service, Washoe County and recreation groups.

The full Rim-to-Reno trail, once envisioned as a straight-shot 17-mile hike, stretching through the Mount Rose Wilderness from the Tahoe Rim Trail to Reno’s Hunter Creek, has gone away.

But the new trail strategy still will improve access from Reno into the backcountry, including to the famous trail that circles the rim of the Lake Tahoe Basin.

“We’re trying to make a connection between the community and the mountains,” said Doug Doolittle, Washoe County’s parks and open space director.

Read the whole story