As August comes to an end it’s easy to bemoan the loss of summer. The mornings are getting chilly, and our thoughts start to turn to the the colder days of autumn. But put away that sad face, often September is the best month of the year. The weather is usually warm and dry. The bike riding, kayaking and boating are still available for the taking. And the best part is that while Tahoe is certainly not dead, there is now plenty of room to roam, the traffic headaches are gone, and the locals have big smiles on their faces because they’ve been waiting anxiously for the crowds to disappear in September since mid-July.
Now you can paddleboard at 9 am and not have to face all those boat wakes. You can go for a mountain bike ride with less dust. Ride your bike on the roads with fewer cars. Go backpacking in Desolation Wilderness and be able to find a quiet campsite. Even go out to breakfast or dinner without having to worry about long lines.
Later in September the leaves start to turn which makes for a whole new set of hiking and biking opportunities. Page Meadows, Marlette Lake, Ward and Blackwood Canyons, and Ophir Creek are some of my favorite leaf peeping places. And don’t miss the Kokanee salmon spawning at Taylor Creek, which happens from late September into early October.
While September weather is most likely glorious, it is a bit less dependable then July. Keep your eye on the forecast and the hourly temperature readings. The days are shorter, the mornings are colder, and sometimes little storm fronts come rolling through and dump a good dousing of rain. Take that day off and enjoy the much needed wet stuff laying down the dust, then head out onto the freshly packed trails and enjoy.
One of my favorite September activities is to go to the shore of the lake, look out over the still calm waters, breathe deep and enjoy that elusive sense that you don’t find often in the middle of the summer: quiet stillness. Ahh…