July 09, 2004 5:53 P.M.

The River from Tahoe to Reno

Lake Tahoe is the beautiful centerpiece of the Truckee River, which flows from high in the Sierra Nevada Mountains along the California/Nevada border. The tiny Upper Truckee forms South Lake, before it continues on and pours itself into the Tahoe basin. The Tahoe Basin was formed about 5 to 10 million years ago, due to the rise and fall of geological rifts. I was surprised to learn this, as I had always thought that Lake Tahoe was in the mouth of a pre-historic volcano. I had heard wild stories about it being �bottomless� in places and the depth was unknown. Another urban legend, I suppose. I think I subconsciously expected some black night, for a Loc Ness type of creature to surface from the lake�s unknown depths and scare the begeebers out of both locals and tourists. But there is far less mystery than that, I learned. Much more recently, about two million years ago, there was some volcanic activity in the area, which produced enough lava to form a natural dam across the basin�s outlet at the lower Truckee River. . The river subsequently overflows from the northern rim of the lake, down into the town of Truckee, CA which lies just below the historic Donner Pass; then turns eastward along I-80 to the Nevada State Line; through downtown Reno; on out into the desert hills, where it forms Pyramid Lake. Such a tiny river�so many huge lakes�this is the volume of melting snow in the Sierra Nevada range.

North Lake Tahoe outlet of Truckee River flowing through the village of Tahoe City�

� as it begins its trek down the mountain to Truckee, below.

Truckee River running through downtown Reno.

In Reno, Tahoe is simply known as �The Lake�. We drove right beside the river from �The Lake�, down to Truckee (forest all the way down.) There we picked up I-80, descended into high desert, and through the heart of Reno, �never leaving the side of the river. We saw remnants of old mines with stretches of ore-carrying track, rolling downhill parallel to the flow of the river. The Truckee River is the lifeline of that area. Everything seems to be built in close proximity to it, and wherever it flows, there is irrigation and the land is green for miles.

(To Be Continued: Virginia City)

PHRASE CATCHER �In this life, you (llike Moses) will not enter the Promised Land. That is why ;the journey; is so important.� (Dennis Prager)

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