Plenty of indoor and outdoor options await at Lake Tahoe

For skiers and boarders looking for those powder days - that aren't quite here yet - and for those for which shopping just isn't their bag, there are loads of ways to get out and stay active until more snow falls.

Activities around Lake Tahoe's South Shore range from skating and skateboarding to hiking and biking. The lake's south shore is just 30 minutes up the mountain from the Eagle and Carson valleys.

Doug Anderson, who runs Anderson Bike Rentals, said it's the second time in 29 years in business that he's stayed open over Thanksgiving weekend. The other time was last year when the ski season got off to a late start.

"We'll stay open as long as we can," he said, while gearing up a big group on Wednesday at his location near Camp Richardson on Highway 89. "We hope the ski resorts get snow, but with five months of no income, we're taking advantage (of the dry ground)."

A bundled up clan from Santa Clara, Calif., rented bikes that afternoon.

"We've got to keep them active," Adam Zweber said of his 7-year-old son, Zachary, who was about to hop on a Diamond Back bike.

"We'll probably swim in the pool, too," said Zweber, who's been staying at the Embassy Vacation Resort since Sunday.

Ten-year-old Noah Pott, of San Diego, was also itching to be active while visiting his grandmother Eleanor Brown here with his family. He traded his snowboard for his skateboard when it appeared no ski resorts would be open. He found refuge at the Bijou Community Park on Wednesday.

"We're seriously bummed," Noah's aunt Andrea Pott of Pasadena said under her breath.

Still, the family was finding the charm of huddling on the beach with the nip in the air at the park as Noah rolled up and down the concrete venue.

Across the way, Danny Suarez of South Lake Tahoe and his buddies got in some disc golf tosses on Wednesday. He and Brent Struve claim they get a workout from walking between holes.

"It's nice to be out and enjoy nature," Suarez said.

That's precisely what Katrina Sanford has in mind in frequenting the Taylor Creek Sno-park area five times a week. She'll walk the path off Cathedral Road until the snowpack accumulates, then she'll put on snowshoes and cross country skis.

"Right now, this is a nice time to go," she said.

Runners are also out this time of year. Many have trained all summer and want to get in all the dry-ground runs before the snow hits.

"We still have runs every weekend," said David Cotter of the Tahoe Mountain Milers. "This is a gorgeous time of year, and we still have all the trails open."

Cotter enjoys the bike and pedestrian trail near Camp Richardson and the path on the meadow off Kahle Drive, which leads to Nevada Beach.

For those who want to stay indoors, the South Lake Tahoe Ice Arena on Rufus Allen Boulevard is preparing for what has turned out to be its busiest, biggest revenue weekend of the year.

In anticipation, the arena will add a few day sessions on Saturday and Sunday to complement the nighttime skating hours.

A sampling of things to do on the South Shore:

• Skating at the South Lake Tahoe Ice Arena

• Swimming at the South Lake Tahoe Recreation Center

• Hiking from Taylor Creek into the Desolation Wilderness

• Mountain biking the Camp Richardson trail

• Disc golfing at Bijou Community Park or Zephyr Cove Disc Golf Course

• Skateboarding at Bijou Community Park

• Running the Kahle trail to Nevada Beach

Ski resort information

Heavenly Mountain Resort: opened Thursday with one run

Kirkwood Mountain Resort: will open today

Sierra-at-Tahoe: TBA

Boreal Mountain Resort: open

Squaw Valley: TBA

Northstar-at-Tahoe: TBA

Alpine Meadows: TBA

Mount Rose: TBA