Recreation Briefs for April 9

Group bike to ride from Genoa to Woodfords

Muscle Powered will lead a bike ride from Genoa to Woodfords on Saturday.

All ages and ability levels are welcome. Interested riders should meet at 10 a.m. at Mormon Station Park in Genoa. The group bike rides will run through the month, building up to the Chico Wildflower Century at the end of April.

To participate in these rides, you must be a Muscle Powered member. Memberships and donations provide the primary source of funding for Muscle Powered projects.

For more information, go to musclepowered.org.

All rides meet at 10 a.m.

April 3 - Meet at Mormon Station Park in Genoa: Genoa to Woodfords, back River Road, approximately 40 miles

April 10 - Meet at Mormon Station Park in Genoa: Genoa to Woodfords, back Diamond Valley Loop, approximately 44 miles

April 17 - Meet at Target: Target to Cottonwoods, approximately 40 miles

April 25 - Chico Wildflower Ride

April speaker series with the Tahoe Rim Trail

Beat the shoulder-season blues and get excited for summer with the Tahoe Rim Trail Association's second annual April Speaker Series.

Monday: "Latest and Greatest in Gear" by Dave Hess from REI. Dave will bring his coolest new backpacking and hiking gear to do a show and tell of what to get (and give) this year.

April 19: "Geology of the Lake Tahoe Basin" by Mark Vollmer. Mark is a free-lance photographer and writer and joins us for a presentation of the geology of the Basin as seen from the Tahoe Rim Trail.

April 26: "Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Hiking and Backpacking the Tahoe Rim Trail" by Mark Kimbrough and Tim Hauserman, who divulge the secrets of the trail from where to get water to the best wildflowers and the easiest way to shuttle for day hikes.

All presentations will take place 6-7 p.m. at the DWR Nonprofit center, Incline Way, Incline Village.

RSVP to programs@tahoerimtrail.org or 775-298-0012.

Complete the Tahoe Rim Trail in 2010

Make this your year to finish the Tahoe Rim Trail and become a member of the 165-mile club.

Hike the trail in seven guided day-hikes and a backpack trip or nine guided day-hikes.

The Tahoe Rim Trail Association is offering the 165-mile Segment Hiking Program and a five weekend Hiking Program for the summer. All hikes are guided by a fully trained and competent volunteer guides. The hiking groups will be composed of the same people every week, so you'll get a chance to get to know them well.

Hikes start on either June 18 or June 19 and finish with the backpack on Aug. 13-15 or the last day hike on Aug. 21. The five Weekend Hiking Program will start July 17 and end Aug. 15.

For details, call Mila at 775- 298-0238 or e-mail programs@tahoerimtrail.org.

Mammoth extends ski season to July 4

Thanks to incredible snowfall throughout the 2009/10 winter season, Mammoth Mountain will extend its winter operations for daily skiing and riding to July 4.

The mountain has received more than 41 feet of snowfall this season, including more than three feet of snow in the first week of April. With a current base depth of 11 feet to 15 feet of snow, Mammoth is experiencing the best snowfall season since the record breaking 2005/06 season, when more than 50 feet of snow fell on the mountain.

Squaw plans uphill race

Each spring hundreds of Nordic skiers, snowshoers and fit bodies race up the mountain in the Annual Billy Dutton Uphill Sunday, in honor of late local luminary, Billy Dutton, who helped establish the Tahoe Nordic Search and Rescue in 1976.

Starting from the bottom of KT-22, the course climbs 2,000 vertical feet over 3.2 miles to the finish at High Camp, at 8,200 feet.

The Billy Dutton Uphill race is open to Nordic skiers, snowshoers, runners and outdoor enthusiasts of all ages. Registration begins at 7 a.m at Dave's Deli and the race starts at 8 at the Funitel. Entry fee is $20 and benefits Far West Nordic's juniors program. More information is available on www.farwestnordic.org.

The always smiling Billy Dutton helped establish the Tahoe Nordic Search and Rescue (TNSR) in 1976, based on his passion for cross country skiing and his vast knowledge of the Tahoe Basin and the surrounding back country