Your Online Resource for Hiking, Backpacking, Cross-Country Skiing, and Snowshoeing at Lake Tahoe
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…
The hike up Mount Tallac is one of the iconic hikes in the Lake Tahoe Basin and should be on your list of places in which to travel at Lake Tahoe. The hike is not for the faint of heart, however, as it features approximately 3,500 feet of elevation gain and high exposure. But the…
“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….
Traveling through Lake Tahoe’s backcountry is always rewarding because the experience never fails to offer stunning views and plenty of character building opportunities. However, adventuring in the Lake Tahoe region during the winter presents additional obstacles (literally and figuratively) that you must overcome in order to return home safely. The following considerations may seem excessive…
Traveling to Winnemucca Lake, accessible from Carson Pass, is a favorite activity year-round for locals and visitors to South Tahoe. In the summer, people hike the trail to Winnemucca Lake in order to find Sierra Nevada Wildflowers, to go swimming, and to fish. During the winter, people backcountry ski, cross-country ski, and snowshoe to Winnemucca…
For similar reasons that I enjoy hiking to Red Lake Peak during the warmer months, I love cross-country skiing to Red Lake Peak in the winter. Those reasons include: ease of access via the north lot of the Carson Pass Sno-Park; line-of-sight travel thanks to the wide open terrain you’ll cover; sweeping panoramic views (again,…
Cross-country skiing and Hope Valley go together like peanut butter and jelly. Although it can take some time for snow to accumulate in Hope Valley, you’d be hard-pressed to find a better location in the mountains where the terrain is flat for so many miles yet high enough in elevation to actually receive snow. The…
Cross-country skiing at Big Meadow is totally rewarding when the conditions are right. The loop around Big Meadow is approximately 1.5 miles (depending on how far into the woods you want to ski), the terrain is flat, and the area is far less traveled than nearby Grass Lake. And, although Big Meadow essentially sits in…
When most people cross-country ski or snowshoe from the Echo Lake Sno-Park, they’ll automatically head toward Echo Lakes. There’s another option, however, if you’re in the mood to change things up and willing to travel off the beaten path. Although this alternative option doesn’t reward you with views looking into Desolation Wilderness like you would…