Your Online Resource for Hiking, Backpacking, Cross-Country Skiing, and Snowshoeing at Lake Tahoe
Realizing your dreams of thru-hiking the Tahoe Rim Trail, embarking on an extended backcountry ski tour, or even just going on your first overnight backpacking trip can be a daunting task. However, it’s not impossible! In the first part of this Backcountry Trip Planning series I argued the importance of establishing a goal for your…
Up to this point I’ve discussed the importance of selecting a goal for your next backcountry trip, as well as how to determine whether or not it’s a SMART goal. In this installment, I provide an overview of a basic 7-step decision-making process that will enable you to appropriately plan for and execute a longer…
Gathering information is the second step in the decision-making process, and one of the most important phases of the backcountry trip planning process. Without accurate information you can’t make informed decisions, which then erodes confidence in the overall plan. Gathering information can also be one of the most enjoyable steps to planning out your trip…
At this point in planning your next backcountry trip, you should’ve already performed the lion’s share of research for your adventure. In the example for this series of backcountry planning articles, we’re going to thru-hike the Tahoe Rim Trail. So, this research would’ve included asking and answering all of your questions regarding extended backpacking adventures…
Winter at Lake Tahoe is great for choose-your-own adventures in the backcountry. There are additional considerations to take into account during winter travel. However, your options are plentiful when the snowpack is stable, you know your gear and its capabilities, and you’re willing to embrace your inner pioneer spirit. For this article, I outline one…
“Beginner’s mind” is a phrase that was used often during my dozen years of active training in the Japanese martial art of Aikido. The phrase originated with Zen Buddhism and denotes an approach to learning or, in a broad sense, experiencing life with an open mind and a willingness to embrace the new, unknown, and…
My grin morphed into a grimace the moment I saw the tips of my skis torpedo beneath a three-inch layer of wind-scoured crust and disappear. A split second later, the inevitable happened. My lower body came to a halt while my upper body continued to move. I pitched forward, landing face first in the snow….
Washoe Meadows State Park is open year-round. Hike through the park during the warmer months and snowshoe and cross-country ski in the snowy ones. Angora Creek and the Upper Truckee River run through Washoe Meadows State Park. Therefore, much of the park’s terrain is moist and home to many varieties of wildflowers throughout the spring…
So far in this series of backcountry trip planning articles we’ve established a goal for our adventure (which is to thru-hike the Tahoe Rim Trail), put it to the SMART goals test, and used the decision-making process to guide our research. We’ve gathered relevant information, evaluated it, and hopefully have chosen the best option(s) for…
Tahoe Donner Cross Country was founded in 1984 by Glenn Jobe, in partnership with Peter Werbel. Since then it’s gone through a number of evolutions. The most recent major overhaul to the cross country ski area was the construction of a new state-of-the-art ski center called the Alder Creek Adventure Center. This center replaced all…