Outdoors with Don Q: The last big outdoor weekend of the summer

Labor Day weekend, Friday Aug. 30 through Monday Sept. 2, is just around the corner and for many it will be the last big outdoor adventure of 2013. So, where to go on that weekend?

Well, be advised that no matter where you go (unless it is to some God forsaken location in the middle of nowhere), you can expect to encounter big crowds of people also wanting to enjoy an outdoor outing for the holiday.

So, be prepared for lots of company wherever you go or whatever you do. With that said, here are some Don Q suggestions on where to go, ranging from just staying home to traveling to nearby Northern California. Pick one and then enjoy the 2013 Labor Day Holiday.

Stay home, safe and sound:
This could be the best suggestion, because of worries about being laid off at work, businesses closing, the increasing cost of gasoline, big crowds, etc.
Just stay home and have a nice, quiet barbecue in the backyard with family members, relatives, neighbors or close friends, where you can enjoy visiting with one another, conversations, story telling, laughter, etc.
If you do stay home, consider this backyard Labor Day menu:
Barbecued hamburgers with a choice of cheeses, lettuce, tomatoes, onions, catsup, mustard, mayonnaise; dill pickles, potato chips; ear corn smeared with butter; and either potato or macaroni salad.
Then for dessert, how about strawberry shortcake, sliced fresh strawberries, fresh raspberries and a big gob of whipped cream.

Davis Creek Park:
If you don’t want to travel very far, drive to Washoe County’s Davis Creek Regional Park, just north of Bowers Mansion in nearby Washoe Valley.
At that park, you have a choice of day picnicking, hiking or horseback riding in the nearby mountains, camping, group camping, horseshoe pits, etc.
If you camp, the campground offers 62 camping spots, including 19 pull-through trailer sites (with no hook-ups) on a first-come, first-serve basis.
Best of all, this campground is one of a very few in our general area that offers hot showers. Hot showers! Not too shabby for “roughing it."
And, if there is any reason to terminate your trip away from home, you can quickly return to Carson because of the short distance.
For information, call the Park Ranger at 849-0684.

Topaz Lake:
Topaz Lake, which is along U.S. 395, about 40 miles south of Carson City, offers lots of choices for having a holiday weekend of fun.
At that lake, you will find a Douglas County campground and boat launch, the Topaz Lake Marina with another boat launch, The Topaz Lodge and Casino, an RV park, a general store and a gas station.
As a bonus, there is fishing for brown, rainbow and tiger trout and even bass, from shore, float tubes, canoes or boats.
Be advised if you plan to fish from a float tube, canoe or a boat, you will have lots of company from other boat fishermen, water skiers, jet skiers, speed boats, pontoon boats, etc. You won't be lonely!
And, as a bonus for traveling to Topaz Lake, be sure to stop at the Topaz Lodge restaurant for their (in-my-less-than-humble-opinion) "Best-In-The-World" steak and eggs for only $4.95
For information, call the Topaz Lodge at (775) 266-3338.

Alpine County, Calif.:
Take a combination of U.S. 395, Nevada S.R. 88 and California S.R. 88, south from Carson City.
That combination of highways will take you to Alpine County to all kinds of neat places like: Woodfords, Markleeville, Grover Hot Springs, Carson River Resort, Sorensen’s Resort, Caples Lake Resort, Kirkwood Resort, etc.
You can fish at Upper and Lower Blue Lakes, Caples Lake, East Carson River, West Carson River, Indian Creek Reservoir, Red Lake, Tamarack Lake, Upper Sunset Lake, Lower Sunset Lake, etc.
Both the West Carson River (near Woodfords) and the East Carson River (near Markleeville) will have been planted with lots of rainbow trout.
Those waters (and others in that area) will be stocked by the California Department of Fish and Game with planter-sized rainbow trout and by the Alpine County Fish and Game Commission with large rainbow trout (6-7-8 pounds!) from a private fish hatchery at Susanville.
You should have no trouble catching fish, unless you are an inept angler.
If you like to camp, there are all kinds of campgrounds and resorts, pick one and enjoy the holiday weekend in the beauty of Alpine County.
If you plan to camp in that general area: The BLM Campground at Indian Creek Reservoir has hot showers.
For Alpine County information, call the Alpine County Chamber of Commerce in Markleeville at (530) 694-2475.

Davis Lake, Calif.:
From Carson City, take the combination of U.S. 395 & I-580 to Reno, and then U.S.395 north to the Hallelujah Junction with California S.R. 70.
At that junction, take S.R. 70 west to Vinton and Beckwourth and finally to a junction with Grizzly Road.
Turn onto Grizzly Road and travel about five miles to Davis Lake.
The trip to Davis Lake is about a 1.5 hour drive from Carson City.
The Davis Lake area offers camping at a number of U.S.F.S. campgrounds, boat ramps and fishing from shore, float tubes or boats for rainbow trout.
If you forget to bring something or would like to eat out, visit the J & J Grizzly Store's Frosty on the south end of the lake.
My favorite lunch there is a cheeseburger with French fries and a soda pop, followed by chocolate ice cream.
For information, call the J & J Grizzly Store at (530) 832-0270.

Frenchman Reservoir, Calif.:
It is reached by a paved road from Chilcoot, which is on S.R. 70, between Hallelujah Junction and Portola.
The reservoir has both good shore and boat fishing for rainbow trout.
The area near the dam is popular with both shore and boat fishermen.
If you would like to fish at Frenchman, be sure to stop at Wiggins’ Trading Post in Chilcoot for the latest tips on where to go and what to use.
For information, call Wiggin’s Trading Post at (530) 993-4683.

Finally:
No matter what you do, who you do it with or where you go, have a fun-filled Labor Day weekend to end your summer.
If you stay home, try not to be too noisy for the next door neighbors.
If you travel, drive safely, drive courteous and be a defensive driver.
If you camp in a campground, try not to be too noisy for the neighbors.
If you drink, don’t drive, don’t drive, don’t drive.
Save the drinking for when you arrive at your destination. Don’t be a DUI.
Have a happy Labor Day Holiday!

Bet Your Favorite Pigeon
Bet your favorite pigeon he can’t tell you where we will be for the holiday.
If he grins and says, “Don and Elaine will be staying home, avoiding the heavy holiday traffic on the highways," he could be one of the folks invited to enjoy a barbecue in their backyard.

— Don Quilici is the Outdoor editor for Carson Now and www.SouthTahoeNow.com. He can be reached at donquilici@hotmail.com