Tahoe Trail Guide

Your Online Resource for Hiking, Backpacking, Cross-Country Skiing, and Snowshoeing at Lake Tahoe

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Tag: backcountry xc skiing

Invest in Technique More than Gear

March 30, 2022
| No Comments
| Backcountry Skills, Blog
Groomed cross-country ski tracks and pine trees

Gear is specific. Technique is universal. Now, I agree that your potential can be limited based on your gear’s capabilities. So, investing in quality gear is definitely worth it when diving deeper into your chosen endeavor. I also agree that buying new gear contributes to the long-term sustainability of the industry in which you’re participating….

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Posted in Backcountry Skills, Blog Tagged backcountry xc skiing, cross-country skiing explained

Overview of Off-Track and Backcountry Cross-Country Ski Gear

February 3, 2022
| No Comments
| Blog
Mountains and snow and pine trees

Cabin fever can get to the best of us during the winter. So, many people feel an inherent need to get outside and explore the world around them when the snow starts to accumulate. Traveling into the backcountry via cross-country skis can fulfill this desire in so many ways. Whether you’re an athlete who wants…

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Posted in Blog Tagged backcountry xc skiing, buying xc skis, cross-country skiing explained

FAQs about Classic Cross-Country Ski Gear

May 1, 2021
| 19 Comments
| Backcountry Skills, Blog
Snow covered mountains with evergreen trees

This article featuring frequently asked questions about classic cross-country ski gear is a “greatest hits” list I’ve compiled about classic xc ski gear. I’ve been asked these questions (and more) frequently enough to warrant collecting them in one convenient article. Please note, however, that the answers I provide are succinct and abridged. Like any art,…

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Posted in Backcountry Skills, Blog Tagged backcountry xc skiing, buying xc skis, cross-country skiing explained, gear maintenance 19 Comments

Cross-Country Skiing in Challenging Conditions

November 15, 2020
| 4 Comments
| Backcountry Skills, Blog, East Lake Tahoe Cross-Country Skiing and Snowshoeing, North Lake Tahoe Cross-Country Skiing and Snowshoeing, South Lake Tahoe Cross-Country Skiing and Snowshoeing, West Lake Tahoe Cross-Country Skiing and Snowshoeing
Copyright © 2017 Jared Manninen

The mountaineering adage of “there’s no bad weather, only bad gear” holds true in many ways in cross-country skiing. But you could take that statement even further. Not only does choosing the correct cross country gear to run in challenging conditions help. But, modifying your attitude and technique will surely contribute toward having a quality…

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Posted in Backcountry Skills, Blog, East Lake Tahoe Cross-Country Skiing and Snowshoeing, North Lake Tahoe Cross-Country Skiing and Snowshoeing, South Lake Tahoe Cross-Country Skiing and Snowshoeing, West Lake Tahoe Cross-Country Skiing and Snowshoeing Tagged advanced, backcountry travel considerations, backcountry xc skiing, beginner, cross-country skiing explained, intermediate, ski tour, trip planning 4 Comments

Considerations for Winter Adventure in Lake Tahoe’s Backcountry

October 23, 2020
| 2 Comments
| Backcountry Skills, Blog, East Lake Tahoe Cross-Country Skiing and Snowshoeing, North Lake Tahoe Cross-Country Skiing and Snowshoeing, South Lake Tahoe Cross-Country Skiing and Snowshoeing, West Lake Tahoe Cross-Country Skiing and Snowshoeing, Winter Trails
Copyright © 2016 Jared Manninen

Traveling through Lake Tahoe’s backcountry is always rewarding. The experience never fails to offer stunning views and plenty of character building opportunities. However, winter adventuring in the Lake Tahoe region presents additional obstacles you must overcome in order to return home safely. And, these obstacles come in the literal and figurative variety. The following considerations…

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Posted in Backcountry Skills, Blog, East Lake Tahoe Cross-Country Skiing and Snowshoeing, North Lake Tahoe Cross-Country Skiing and Snowshoeing, South Lake Tahoe Cross-Country Skiing and Snowshoeing, West Lake Tahoe Cross-Country Skiing and Snowshoeing, Winter Trails Tagged advanced, backcountry travel considerations, backcountry xc skiing, beginner, cross-country skiing explained, intermediate, ski tour, snowshoeing basics, trip planning 2 Comments

Cross-Country Skiing Technique: Using the Side-Step and Herringbone Techniques in the Backcountry

July 20, 2020
| 2 Comments
| Backcountry Skills, Blog
Backcountry Cross-Country Skiing Technique: Side-Step and Herringbone Technique

Safety is paramount when traveling in the backcountry regardless of your mode of winter adventure. This is especially true for cross-country skiing in mountainous landscapes. Due to their long and lightweight design, cross-country skis are ideal for flat and rolling terrain. Unfortunately, they can be problematic when it comes to dealing with the steep conditions…

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Posted in Backcountry Skills, Blog Tagged backcountry xc skiing, cross-country skiing explained 2 Comments

10 Tips for Spring Cross-Country Skiing in the Backcountry

March 3, 2020
| No Comments
| Blog, East Lake Tahoe Cross-Country Skiing and Snowshoeing, North Lake Tahoe Cross-Country Skiing and Snowshoeing, South Lake Tahoe Cross-Country Skiing and Snowshoeing, West Lake Tahoe Cross-Country Skiing and Snowshoeing, Winter Trails
Snow-covered trail to Winnemucca Lake with Round Top in the distance and blue skies overhead

People call me weird and bizarre. Some even say possessed. They look at me as if I’d lost all connection with reality as I sit eating my lunch at the local sandwich shop while still wearing my cross-country ski boots. Later in the day I call my best friend to tell him about the morning’s…

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Posted in Blog, East Lake Tahoe Cross-Country Skiing and Snowshoeing, North Lake Tahoe Cross-Country Skiing and Snowshoeing, South Lake Tahoe Cross-Country Skiing and Snowshoeing, West Lake Tahoe Cross-Country Skiing and Snowshoeing, Winter Trails Tagged advanced, backcountry xc skiing, beginner, cross-country skiing explained, intermediate, ski tour

5 Reasons to Love Spring Cross-Country Skiing

March 2, 2020
| 2 Comments
| Blog, East Lake Tahoe Cross-Country Skiing and Snowshoeing, North Lake Tahoe Cross-Country Skiing and Snowshoeing, South Lake Tahoe Cross-Country Skiing and Snowshoeing, West Lake Tahoe Cross-Country Skiing and Snowshoeing, Winter Trails
Snow-flocked trees and cross-country ski tracks near Hope Valley

When springtime rolls around and normal people are tending gardens, cleaning garages, and planning summer hikes, we mountain folk are still out cross-country skiing, alpine skiing, snowboarding, and snowshoeing. “How can that be?” you ask. “Aren’t all the Lake Tahoe ski resorts closed by March or April?” Many groomed ski areas at Lake Tahoe do,…

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Posted in Blog, East Lake Tahoe Cross-Country Skiing and Snowshoeing, North Lake Tahoe Cross-Country Skiing and Snowshoeing, South Lake Tahoe Cross-Country Skiing and Snowshoeing, West Lake Tahoe Cross-Country Skiing and Snowshoeing, Winter Trails Tagged advanced, backcountry xc skiing, beginner, cross-country skiing explained, intermediate, ski tour 2 Comments

An Ode to Cross-Country Skiing or My First Overnight Cross-Country Ski Tour

February 4, 2020
| 4 Comments
| Blog, South Lake Tahoe Cross-Country Skiing and Snowshoeing, Winter Trails
Copyright © 2016 Jared Manninen

When I was introduced to cross-country skiing as an adult (what child from the upper Midwest hasn’t tried it at least once in middle school?), I had already forsaken snow sports. The reasons weren’t because I didn’t love winter or I had an aversion to carving turns in fresh powder. Forgive my condescending attitude, but…

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Posted in Blog, South Lake Tahoe Cross-Country Skiing and Snowshoeing, Winter Trails Tagged advanced, backcountry xc skiing, cross-country skiing explained, luther pass, ski tour, south tahoe, trail journal, trip documenting 4 Comments

Overnight Cross-Country Ski Tour to Little Round Top Mountain (Carson Pass)

November 17, 2019
| 4 Comments
| Blog, South Lake Tahoe Cross-Country Skiing and Snowshoeing, Winter Trails
Copyright © 2017 Jared Manninen

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…

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Posted in Blog, South Lake Tahoe Cross-Country Skiing and Snowshoeing, Winter Trails Tagged advanced, backcountry xc skiing, carson pass, ski tour, trail journal, trip documenting 4 Comments
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Top Tahoe Trail Guide Posts

Hiking the Historic Donner Pass Train Tunnels in Truckee, CA
Short and Easy Hikes in South Lake Tahoe
Hiking Mount Rose (via Mount Rose HWY/SR 431 near Incline Village, NV)
Hiking Winnemucca Lake (via Carson Pass in South Tahoe)
Behind-the-Scenes Action Photos of Tom Cruise Filming Top Gun: Maverick (aka Top Gun 2) in South Lake Tahoe
Hiking Freel Peak (via Forest Service RD 051 near Luther Pass in South Tahoe)
Hiking Rubicon Trail (via Emerald Bay in South Tahoe)
Buying Cross-Country Ski Gear, for Beginners (Part 1): Intention, Types of XC Skis, and Whether to Buy New or Used
Hiking Castle Rock (via Kingsbury Grade/SR 207 near Stateline, NV)
Hiking Meeks Creek Falls (via SR 89 at Meeks Creek in West Tahoe)

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Recent Tahoe Trail Guide Posts

  • Considerations and Reasons for Doing a Big Year
  • Behind-the-Scenes Action Photos of Tom Cruise Filming Top Gun: Maverick (aka Top Gun 2) in South Lake Tahoe
  • Lake Tahoe Wildflowers: Big Yellow Wildflowers with Big Green Leaves called Woolly Mule’s Ears and Arrowleaf Balsamroot
  • Considerations for Spring Hiking and Backpacking at Lake Tahoe
  • Tips for Spring Hiking in the Mountains at Lake Tahoe
Mosquitoes be damned, I'm finding all the wildflow Mosquitoes be damned, I'm finding all the wildflowers after work 🤣
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Four of the species I uploaded today (from last week's excursion to Round Top/Carson Pass) for the 2022 Tahoe Wildflower Big Year didn't count as they aren't included in the project list (because they're too rare, I guess). Regardless, I still managed to officially log my 500th plant species for the year. That said, there's always the chance that I've incorrectly ID'd something (i.e. it ends up being a duplicate of one I already have). But I still have a number of unknown species to ID and upload (my photo backlog is getting bigger!). And there are plenty more wildflowers left to find this summer. So I'm feeling confident that I'll retain (and actually surpass) my 500 species goal for 2022 😊
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#tahoe #tahoelife #laketahoe #southlaketahoe #tahome #tahoesouth #tahoesnaps #dailyadventure #outdooradventure #getoutside #mountainliving #optoutside #naturephotography #sierranevada #hiking #hike #mountainlife #lifeofadventure #lovewhereyoulive #livelifeoutside #wildernessadventure #outdoorphotography #adventurelife #mountainculture #wildernessculture #sierranevadamountains
Not too shabby out there today 😊 . But now I ha Not too shabby out there today 😊
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But now I have 1,000 more photos and well over a dozen new wildflower species to sort through and upload to iNaturalist. And that doesn't include the 100s of photos that I took during the past few days. So, yeah, I might get to them in the next week or two. Fortunately, it doesn't really matter when I upload them so long as they get submitted before December 31, 2022 😂 
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The bottom line is that these Big Years are big time sucks 🤣
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Felt a little like hiking on Mars last night 😗 Felt a little like hiking on Mars last night 😗
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View from the other day's high altitude wildflower View from the other day's high altitude wildflower hunt (Freel Peak - 10,881ft).
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Pacific Hulsea (Hulsea algida) near the summit 🤗
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Jared Manninen has been a Tahoe local since 2005. He began building Tahoe Trail Guide (c. 2017) in order to inspire people to embrace the outdoors as a place in which to learn and play.

Popular Tahoe Trail Guide Posts

  • Considerations and Reasons for Doing a Big Year
  • Behind-the-Scenes Action Photos of Tom Cruise Filming Top Gun: Maverick (aka Top Gun 2) in South Lake Tahoe
  • Lake Tahoe Wildflowers: Big Yellow Wildflowers with Big Green Leaves called Woolly Mule’s Ears and Arrowleaf Balsamroot
  • Considerations for Spring Hiking and Backpacking at Lake Tahoe
  • Tips for Spring Hiking in the Mountains at Lake Tahoe
  • Lake Tahoe Wildflowers: Tips for Finding Wildflowers at Tahoe
  • Lake Tahoe Wildflowers: Two Major Factors that Determine Peak Bloom Times for Wildflowers at Tahoe

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