Tahoe Quarterly

Mountain Biking in South Lake Tahoe

Click here for more top athletes' preferred playgrounds

Athlete: Tasa Herndon
Spot: South Lake Tahoe

I love where I live, at the "Y" on Kyburz Avenue in South Lake Tahoe. It's not touristy or rich; there are just happy Tahoe people around me.

To hit the trail, I simply cross the street, ride through an apartment parking lot and then it's straight to single track. From here, I can go anywhere: to Lodi, by Lake Tahoe Community College, by Cold Creek or to the mellow, rolling Powerline trails, which parallel Pioneer Trail. From there, I can dive down on the bike path to the BMX track by the middle school, or connect to the scenic Tahoe Rim Trail, the more technical Mr. Toad's Wild Ride or the mellow Christmas Valley Trail near Dardanelles Lake.

Best of all, from my house to my store, Island Framing, on lower Kingsbury Grade, I am able to ride mostly dirt and single track. A lot of us like to take the Chinese downhill trail from Bratovich Park off Kingsbury Grade down to the restaurant Elevation 6310, where they really cater to riders with a burger and a brew special.

Stats: While she bought her first mountain bike only seven years ago, South Lake Tahoe resident Tasa Herndon is now the 2007 Nevada State Downhill Champion. She opened Island Framing in 2007, the same year she turned pro.

Originally published in TQ Best of Tahoe 2008