Beyond the glitz and glitter of casinos, Nevada has wide open country for outdoor adventure. To the north, the Sierra Nevada Mountains are perfect for skiing in the winter and spring to live for adventure in warmer weather. An hour from Reno in the Sierras, there are 15 ski resorts and a dozen beautifully
... more groomed cross-country ski areas, many with breathtaking views of the sparkling blue waters of Lake Tahoe. Challenging moguls, powder chutes and half-pipes await, and the ski season usually runs from late November to late April, with spring skiers in T-shirts and sometimes bathing suits! For winter thrill-seekers, head to the Ruby Mountains in northeast Nevada, where there are more than 500 square miles of virgin snow for heli-skiing. Nevada's open country is perfect for hiking and mountain biking, as one of the least populated yet most mountainous states - eighty-five percent of Nevada is public land and there are 200 forested mountains. Areas like Lake Tahoe and Mount Charleston, close to Las Vegas (this is a nice place to cool off from the desert heat) are well developed. For backcountry adventures, the Toiyabe Range stretches 90 miles along the west side of Big Smoky Valley; the 40-mile Toiyabe Crest Trail follows the spine of these steep-sided giant. For a beautiful place to fish for trout and camp out, go to Angel Lake in the East Humboldt Range, where at 8,500 feet, the lake is ringed with aspen trees. There are more than 100 golf courses in Nevada, nearly equally split between the northern and southern regions. Throughout the southern desert, find seas of green courses along the rocky terrain, championship courses like the Tournament Players Club at Summerlin and The Canyons, home to the PGA's Las Vegas Invitational. Play up north at the Montreux Golf and Country Club, home of the Reno-Tahoe Open or be challenged at the Edgewood Tahoe, all the while taking in the beautiful scenery of the Sierras.
