Sports Basement Outdoors — Local services in Shaver Lake

I can't say enough great things about this trip! My family and I went on the 3 day backpacking excursion to Glen Aulin in Yosemite, where we were accompanied by our guides Paul and Brian (who were simply the BEST) and 6 fellow backpackers. We hiked between 6-9 miles a day (only the first and last with our ~40lb packs, the second day was a day hike to various swimming holes).

Overall, the trip was perfectly planned and executed. In terms of preparation, there was a lengthy list of items we were to bring ourselves, but Sports Basement offered most of the larger items as rentals. There were also a number of detailed emails and calls leading up to departure to ensure everyone was prepared!

Paul and Brian were the greatest guides because they really tailored the trip to everyone's needs. If a couple members of our group kept a slower pace, one guide always stayed with them. If someone (me) didn't listen to their warnings about blister hotspot prevention, they were quick to pull out the first aid kit and patch us up!

I have to say I was most appreciative that the guides handled breakfast and dinner- and these weren't any ordinary camp meals! Paul and Brian made delicious and well thought out recipes including sun-dried tomato tortellini with veggies, breakfast burritos, and chicken with couscous. They even asked ahead of time for dietary restrictions! My sister, a vegetarian, received her meals prior to any the meat additions and was equally as well fed.

Not only were the guides incredibly knowledgable about both backpacking and the area, but they were fun, personable, and a joy to be around. As a first time visitor to Yosemite (and fairly novice backpacker), I couldn't have imagined a better experience. Thank you Paul, Brian, and Sports Basement for the trip...

I did the Sept 19-20 2020 bike ride to Pt Reyes. It was awesome. My initial questions got answered promptly, and Jennifer's communication before the trip, especially with the smoke and Covid, were top shelf. Once we started the ride, Jennifer and Raymond kept us advised about what to expect so there were no surprises. There were plenty of water breaks and re-groupings so no one felt left out or abandoned, regardless of riding ability (though you need to be able to ride 40 miles at a 10-13 mph pace).

After lunch, which was delicious, we broke into two groups. I doubted my ability, but Raymond and Jennifer had been watching, and felt I could make the long route. I DID IT!!!!! What an awesome feeling, to accomplish more than I thought I could.

Davey had been nice at the loading zone, and I knew he drove the truck, but OMG, can that man cook! Dinner was fantastic, as was breakfast the next morning. Davey made sure we all had enough to eat throughout the trip. Oh yeah, he and Raymond were also the mechanics, and helped fix bikes when there were problems.

The unsung hero was Brian, who drove the support Jeep and was always there with water and electrolyte products. He knew everyone's needs, from simple encouragement to rides to the top of the hill.

I can't say enough good about this trip. Our ages ranged from 26 to 62, we had men and women, and experience of all levels. Jennifer and Raymond handled everything easily and seamlessly, and had fantastic support from Davey and Brian. I'll be taking another trip with them...

I would recommend the Sports Basement Tahoe ski bus to anyone. The 2 bus leaders were informative, funny, and attentive and the whole experience couldn’t have been more seamless. We arrived at the Sports Basement parking lot before the 5:30 departure and the breakfast was set up outside the bus. There were bagels + cream cheese, yogurt, eggs, cuties/bananas, cheese sticks, water/coffee/juice. The leaders went around checking people off as people trickled in and got breakfast (they’re super generous with the food so we even got to pack some extra for snacks/lunch!). We rented our gear and got our tickets as add-ons to our bus ticket, so they took care of loading and unloading everyone’s gear, and handed out lift tickets as soon as we got to Squaw. No waiting in lines to pick up lift tickets, no waiting in lines to rent from Squaw or having to lug rental gear in your own tiny trunk. Not to mention you can sleep the whole way or use the bus WiFi. When we got to the bus after skiing we had an apres ski waiting for us: drinks, meats/cheeses, more bagels + cream cheese, a TON of snacks and bars. It’s a perfect ending to a day of skiing. I didn’t have the expectation that this bus ticket would include such awesome service and food. Definitely the best way to do a day trip to Tahoe. My only wish is that they expand operation to other ski resorts...