It’s a classically beautiful Lake Tahoe summer morning at Nevada Beach, a morning where the lake is so still that it looks like glass, the air is crisp but the sun is beginning to warm my skin and the sand, as I struggle to pull my kayak off my car’s rack.
I look around at the dozens of other people there, also unloading their kayaks. They do it with such ease, that I know it’s old hat for them and I try to mimic their confidence, as if I’m also accustomed to handling my unwieldy boat. I’m nervous to be a novice around such experienced kayakers but there is no need to feel that way. As soon I drag my boat to the water’s edge, several people come to greet me, ask about my kayak and even offer me a donut.
While I’m joining for just the day, most people gathered on the beach that morning are on day six of their seven-day trip around the lake. Since 2020, a group of kayak, science and Lake Tahoe enthusiasts get together to circumnavigate the lake by kayak. The annual event, organized and led by UC Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center, acts as a fundraising opportunity for the organization, as well as a bonding and educational experience for participants.
HOW IT STARTED
The annual trip was started by Dr. Geoff Schladow, Director Emeritus, Tahoe Environmental Research Center and Incline Village resident Scott Fitzgerrell in 2020.
That year, Schladow was walking by Fitzgerrell’s house while Fitzgerrell was out in his driveway building a kayak.
“I said to Geoff, ‘when I get this stupid boat finished, I’m going to paddle it around the lake,’” said Fitzgerrell said.
As they talked about the logistics of such a trip around the lake, Schladow suggested to Fitzgerrell that they invite people to join and make it a fundraiser for TERC.
“It was the depths of COVID and I think there was just a desire to do something outside,” said Schladow.
The first year had to be cancelled because of wildfire smoke but in 2021, Schladow and Fitzgerrell reconnected and decided it was still a good idea.
So, in June 2021, the Inaugural TERC Circ(umnavigation) of Lake Tahoe launched with 35 paddlers including Schladow, who was excited to do something he’d always wanted to do.
“I’ve been to most parts of Tahoe but by motorized boat, so for me, it was actually pretty exciting, this is in a way, forcing me to get out there and do. A little bit of motivation doesn’t hurt anybody,” said Schladow.
LOGISTICS
While many people have circumnavigated the lake by kayak, one of the things holding a lot of people back from trying are the logistics; how to pack enough food, where to get out each day, where to sleep, where to store the kayak.
The benefit of participating in TERC’s event is that they plan all of that for you.
The trip is split into seven days, 5-13 miles each day. The full trip starts and finishes at Sand Harbor State Park. TERC offers transportation to the start or finish each day or helps coordinate kayak storage each night if possible.
Each day starts with a skill lesson, such as different paddle strokes or howto self rescue if the your kayak flips. Each day also has a break spot where participants can get out and stretch their legs. There is usually a lecture included at each stop.
There have also been other activities over the years, including yoga, a tour of the Tahoe Science Center and a celebration of the completion, which includes free food, beer and wine.
The other benefit to participating in TERC’s event is safety in numbers. While the group naturally splits into different speed categories, nobody is left behind. Experienced kayak tour guides accompany the group daily and the U.S. Coast Guard Station at Tahoe City is made aware of each day’s plans.
WHY
“The purpose of the trip is to educate people about the research that we do at the Tahoe Environmental Research Center and to raise money for the activities the grants don’t cover. Its a fundraiser for science,” said Christine Parks of UC Davis.
Speaking to past participants, the lectures at each stop seem to be the highlight of the trip.
“Its a unique experience, anybody can go paddling in any lake if they want but Tahoe is Tahoe, its a unique lake. More importantly, doing it with people, many of whom have spent their lives studying the lake, it means that you’re there with people who’ve not just read something about the lake, or heard something about it, but they’re the people who’ve done the work,” said Schladow. “You’re hearing the stories, you’re the science firsthand from the experts and I think that makes it different from any other lake kayaking trip that I know of.”
In addition to the education, its an accomplishment for people to complete the trip. Mary Buxton has completed the event three times and hopes to continue it annually.
“Its a challenge… having a goal like that is actually very thrilling,” said Buxton who first began training in her early 70’s. “Now, its kind of what I expect to be doing these three months out of the year. I have to practice at home, then come up here to acclimate to the altitude.”
Of course, there is also just the draw to get to be on Lake Tahoe and experience it in a different way.
“Every part of the lake we stop has its own unique character, its own unique stories. Part of this is to talk to people about each part of the lake and what the challenges are,” said Schladow. “The geography of the lake lends itself to those stops and engaging with people.”
Schladow’s favorite day is the last day, which also happens to be the longest day, from Cave Rock to Sand Harbor.
“There are parts of the lake that are just hard to get to and you just paddle by them. They are just gorgeous,” said Schladow.
Buxton on the other hand loves the Meeks Bay to Baldwin Beach day, noting the walls of the Rubicon and the stop in Emerald Bay for making that leg memorable.
This year’s event will be held starting Monday, June 23 to Sunday, June 29, 2025. To learn more, or sign up to participate, visit tahoe.ucdavis.edu/events/ kayak-lake-tahoe.