The record-breaking snow Tahoe received in December covered the emotional, physical, and mental scars from the Caldor Fire. After our epic powder party winter, the sunshine has put a glaring spotlight on what happened last summer. Like waking up with a bad hangover and a house that’s trashed, this spring it’s going to take a lot of work to help restore many of our favorite Lake Tahoe Mountain Bike trails.
South Lake Tahoe Almost Disappeared
For those unaware, California had yet another record-breaking fire season in 2021 and the Caldor Fire missed our community by a hair while devastating others. The forest fire was so close to our home that the Caldor Fire In Tahoe Forced Us To Evacuate. Fortunately, thanks in large part to the hardworking firefighters, our community was saved. Sadly though, many of our favorite trails were burnt to a crisp including the Corral loop as well as the famous Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride.
Re-Building Begins Right Away
Even as the fire was still smoldering, the Tahoe Area Mountain Bike Association was hard at work piecing back together the trail network. Most of the effort was done outside of the burn area. But as winter arrived, the re-building had to be put on pause.
How To Help
Now that the snow has receded to the upper elevations, the heavy lifting can begin. Here are a few ways you can help:
Donate
One of the easiest ways you can help restore the trail network is to donate. And this April, a few local businesses are doing their part to pump up the donations. For example, Tahoe Sports LTD will match every donation and our good friends at Lake Tahoe Yoga / Bliss Experiences are donating $1/person per class to TAMBA. If that doesn’t work for you, you can always donate directly to the Tahoe Area Mountain Bike Association as well.
Join Trail Days
Throughout the year, TAMBA hosts “trail days.” These are days where you can actually help work on the trails themselves. Here’s a list of all TAMBA events including the trail days.
Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is
We know what you’re going to ask – what about us? We made made it a priority to every event we could as well as became a TAMBA Core Supporter. If you love mountain biking in Tahoe, don’t just sit on the sidelines. This year we urge you to give what you can so that our biking community can rise up from the ashes.
