When I first moved to Northern Nevada in 1987, one of the first places I discovered was Hidden Beach near Incline Village at Lake Tahoe. Back in the day, Hidden Beach was a favorite spot for au naturel sunbathers, which is one of those things that you think is pretty cool at first and then get used to after about 15 minutes. (“Look! There’s another one!” gets played out pretty quickly.) In the drought years of the late 1980s, my friends and I would swim literally for hours without stopping, because the water was noticeably warmer than it seems to be today. Over the years, though, Hidden Beach became a little less hidden (you can’t help but notice its Caribbean-colored waters from nearby Hwy 28 on the way to Sand Harbor), and frequented by throngs who make the trek from the south end of Incline Village, where there’s some parking, along the guardrail about ¼ mile or more down to the sands of this relaxing little cove. Today, the Parks folks have installed restroom facilities and even a staircase leading down to the beach, so it’s more accessible than ever. On Sunday, August 7^th, Debbie and I decided to motor Splendido over to Hidden Beach on a windless morning to check it out and maybe go for a swim. Tahoe was placid and gorgeous on the way over, and we got a kick out of watching the depth meter go from 20 feet to a blinking “bottomlessness” as we crossed the state line off of the point where Crystal Bay begins and the water color changes from emerald-blue to blue-black.

When we pulled in to the cove, there were five or six other boats already anchored or pulled up on the beach, so we kept to the west side of the cove and anchored near a Catalina 30. I immediately dove in for a swim, while Debbie relaxed on the foredeck with a glass of wine. After not too long, the owner of a wakeboarding boat that was pulled up on the beach decided it was time to crank up Billy Idol’s White Wedding for the enjoyment of everyone within a 1/2 mile. Luckily, someone asked him to turn it down, so we were able to hang out for an hour or so before the wind began to kick up and we felt the pull to get out and sail. Breezes on the way back were in the 15-20 mph range, with pretty decent swells on the east side of the lake, making for a more “sea-going” experience than our earlier sails along the west shore. Splendido handled it all beautifully, and we got back to Tahoe City Marina  around 7:30 p.m.

Fair winds and smooth sailing. DB