I stopped to gaze up at the smooth, lenticular clouds passing over Lake Tahoe and down at my mud spattered legs. Shaking the slop off my freezing feet I said to myself: "Hey, the season's changing." After six months of hiking, mountain biking, kayaking, and running, suddenly I knew it was time to change course, to get excited about skiing and snowshoeing--and of course, carrying firewood, shoveling snow, and blowing driveways. But I digress.

We are incredibly lucky to live here at 6,000 feet; but there is a little challenge with the "in-between seasons." In the spring we have to wait for the snow to melt to hike into Desolation Wilderness or bike the Flume Trail. In the fall...

It was suppose to snow this week (November 7-8). But the weather folks missed the call. Someday soon, however, we'll get enough show to make it difficult to ride, run, or hike; but there will not be enough to ski. Depending upon the year, this crossover period can last just a few days, or it can last a month or more. So what's an outdoor enthusiast to do?

In reverse order, here are my Top Ten Things to Do starting in early November, any November here in the High Sierra:
10) Take long walks around your neighborhood wearing sturdy boots with good soles to avoid ending up, butt first, on the ice.
9) Hit the gym or yoga studio. Get into better shape.
8) Take a vacation. (Who wants to leave Tahoe later when the skiing is good?)
7) Get skis and boots and gloves ready.
6) Go to a great early winter event. Not only will you probably eat well, you can do some good, too, since almost every event over the next month or so is a fundraiser for some cause or another. And chocolate is usually provided, which is a good thing.
5) Watch the Weather Channel and a local, Internet, weather site like Tahoetopia. Try to anticipate what "chance of scattered showers" means. In my experience it could be anything from a sunny, cloudless day to a blizzard.
4) Go Holiday shopping and beat the crowds.
3) Prepare your car for winter--snow tires, tune-up, shovel and emergency supplies, and scraper. Bring home a can of gas for the snow blower.
2) Go snowshoeing (soon). You can have fun with just a touch of snow on the ground.
1) Relax. Winter will get here.

So what are your in-between-seasons rituals? I'd love to hear from you.

Editor's Note: Tim's book is "The Tahoe Rim Trail, A complete guide for hikers, mountain bikers and equestrians." You can also visit his website: www.TimsTahoeAdventures.com.