New this summer, Squaw Valley is offering free, guided hikes on the upper mountain, Friday, Saturday and Sunday at 12:30 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. The one-hour guided hikes leave from High Camp, at an elevation of 8,200 feet, and travel across Squaw Valley’s mountaintop meadow.
Navigating your kayak by moonlight is a mystical experience. California State Parks and West Shore Sports team up for this unique opportunity at Ed Z’berg-Sugar Pine Point State Park on the West Shore Thursday, August 2. No experience is necessary and all ages are welcome. The tour is $25/person and includes park entrance, kayak rental, life vests and instruction.

Tahoe Trips and Trails will host “Lake Tahoe Photography and Hiking” Thursday, August 2 through Sunday, August 5. The workshop will include individual photo instruction, hiking and gourmet trailside lunches. Cost is $1,350/person with lodging at Cedar House Sport Hotel in Truckee or $1,000 without lodging.

Northstar California hosts the 2012 USA Cycling Professional Mountain Bike Gravity Tour Friday, August 3 to Sunday, August 5, the final stop of this race series. Racers will showcase their skills with downhill and four-cross races.

The Incline Village Open Studio Tour is a great opportunity to meet local artists in their working venues, view their work in progress and purchase completed treasures. The self-guided tour, highlighting a multitude of media, takes place Friday, August 3 through Sunday, August 5, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Maps are available at the Incline Village Visitor’s Center.

Mountain Area Preservation will host the 4th Annual Sierra Forage Dinner Saturday, August 4, 5:30 p.m., with a family-style dinner at Stella Restaurant at the Cedar House Sport Hotel in Truckee. Tickets are $125/person.

See some of Lake Tahoe’s most spectacular homes at the Martis Camp Home Tour, which is scheduled for Sunday, August 5, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The event benefits the Tahoe Truckee Excellence in Education Foundation. Tickets are $45/person the day of the event.

The prestigious Lake Tahoe Concours d’Elegance is scheduled Friday, August 10 and Saturday, August 11. The event’s 2012 Marque Class, Riva Aquarama, will showcase one of the largest gatherings of these aristocratic boats known in their day to symbolize elegance, wealth and fame. 

Along with the 20 Marque Class boats, a total of 77 of the most pristine classic wooden boats in the world will compete for top honors, making this year’s show the most valuable collection ever gathered at approximately $15 million.

The Tahoe Rim Trail Association hosts its first Backcountry Trails camp for 2012 Friday, August 10 through Sunday, August 12. Participants will build and maintain trail near Barker Pass on the West Shore of Lake Tahoe. Camps are family friendly with food provided. Cost is $55/person.

Don't miss one of Tahoe’s most exciting human-powered events, the 2012 Ta-Hoe Nalu Paddle Festival, which is taking place the weekend of August 11-12 at Kings Beach State Recreation Area in Kings Beach. In addition to the competition, there will be free beginner stand up paddleboard instruction.

The historic Thunderbird Lodge, just outside Incline Village, continues with its 2012 Winemaker Dinner Series Sunday, August 12 with Chef and Owner Charlie Soule of the esteemed Soule Domain Restaurant at Lake Tahoe and Winemaker and Owner Ray Coursen of Elyse Winery. Tickets are $195/person.

Get your running shoes on. Northstar California hosts the 5th Annual Northstar Mountain Run Sunday, August 12, 9 a.m. Participants compete in a 10.2K run starting in the Village at Northstar (6,330-foot elevation) and ending at the top of Mt. Pluto (8,610 feet). The course ascends single and double track, offering scenic views of Lake Tahoe, wildflowers and the Sierra. Cost is $55/person.
The North Lake Tahoe Express daily airport shuttle service is available to and from North Lake Tahoe and the Reno-Tahoe International Airport. The shuttle runs from 3:30 a.m. until midnight. Fees are $40 per person, one-way, and $75 round trip. Discounts are available for groups of two or more. Reservations are required and can be made four hours in advance.