Recreation & Outdoors

Sierra Nevada Journeys is hosting Family Camps at Grizzly Creek Ranch located in Portola, California, just 50 minutes north of Reno. You won't regret the quality time as a family and we make it easy for you as all of the meals are included and organized camp activities are led by our instructors. Choose from four different weekends with the first camp happening on March 19, 2021. Your family or “pandemic pod” will have exclusive use of a cabin (sleeps up to 12 people) for an action-packed weekend outdoors.

One thing has become clear during the pandemic, shut down and shelter in place orders — we really like to get outside. More than 40 percent of Americans said they plan to do more outside due to COVID-19 and social distancing rules.

With the travel restrictions due to COVID-19, many families are staying close to home and have turned to camping as an alternative to other types of vacation. Additionally, the RV dealerships are seeing an increase in sales by 30 percent over last year. With this influx of new campers and several months of closed campgrounds this past spring, it has been challenging to secure a camping reservation for this season.

It can definitely be a great deal of work to clear a defensible, fire-resistant space around structures during wildfire season. But don't tell that to the animal “employees” of one local goat-share herd, who are perfectly content to munch on what they consider candy — nuisance invaders like perennial pepper weed.

“They love coming to work … and they enjoy what they do,” said Vince Thomas, founder and owner of Goat Grazers, based in Sparks, Nev.

The idea that implementing a morning routine may steer your brain toward happiness and productivity is not new. 

Seven years and nine months ago, Cortney Knudson and Brooks McMullin, decided to go big — big air, big drops, big flow, big fun. They began creating a dirt playground for their community. It was the beginning of the Truckee Bike Park, the very definition of a passion project.

Humble beginnings

Growing up, Knudson and McMullin were both active, athletic kids. Brooks did team sports in school, and Cortney was a ski racer who later discovered bikes. But it wasn’t until they were well into adulthood that the bike-jumping bug bit them.

When Mariah Erickson’s then 10-year-old daughter started summer break a couple of years ago, the Double Diamond first-grade teacher knew she wanted to promote healthy habits for her. They decided they would run together every day for 1,000 days.

The rules? The runs had to be outside and they had to be at least a mile. That’s every day. For 1,000 days. Rain, sleet, snow or shine. No matter where they happened to be, how they felt, or if their running clothes were clean.  

It wasn’t until Janet Phillips finished her 21-year career as the Director of Water Resources at Sierra Pacific Power (now NV Energy) that she really got to work. That was back in 2001, when she got the idea to develop a 114-mile trail paralleling the Truckee River from Lake Tahoe to Pyramid Lake. The long-time river advocate saw an opportunity – to give folks ready access to the entirety of this beautiful community resource.

Tell us who you are and what do you do for the community that has a positive impact?

We are N.E.A.T. – Nevada Equine Assisted Therapy. So many people in our community, from young children to senior citizens, struggle with social, emotional, behavioral and mental health issues. Through work with horses, we provide a path to growth, change, learning and healing.