Tahoe Trail Guide

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

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Tag: cross-country skiing explained

Cross-Country Skiing on the South Shore of Lake Tahoe

December 5, 2020
| 22 Comments
| Blog, South Lake Tahoe Cross-Country Skiing and Snowshoeing, Winter Trails
Snow-flocked trees in a snowstorm on a mountainside

People have been cross-country skiing at Lake Tahoe since the mid-1850s. The incredible Snowshoe Thompson is one of the most notable people to ever ski in the Lake Tahoe region. For 20 years, Snowshoe Thompson transported mail across the Sierra Nevada Mountains. His 180-mile, 5-day round trip journeys extended from Genoa, NV, to Placerville, CA….

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Posted in Blog, South Lake Tahoe Cross-Country Skiing and Snowshoeing, Winter Trails Tagged advanced, beginner, cross-country skiing explained, intermediate, ski tour, south tahoe 22 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 no matter 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 difficult to control when it comes to dealing with the…

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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 Leave a comment

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
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The mission of Tahoe Trail Guide is to provide information, education, and inspiration to all people seeking to recreate outdoors.

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Jared Manninen (Tahoe Trail Guide) Wins Sierra Nevada Alliance’s 2020 Frank Wells Last Best Place Award

2020 Frank Wells Last Best Place Award - Jared Manninen

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Top Tahoe Trail Guide Posts

FAQs about Waxing Your Waxless Cross-Country Skis
Hiking the Historic Donner Pass Train Tunnels in Truckee, CA
Overview of Off-Track and Backcountry Cross-Country Ski Gear
Donner Party History: Series Introduction
Waxing Your “Waxless” Cross-Country Skis: Introduction
XC Skiing Explained (Part 2): Geometry of Classic Cross-Country Skis
XC Skiing Explained (Part 4): Classic Cross-Country Ski Bindings
Cross-Country Skiing on the South Shore of Lake Tahoe
Snowshoeing on the South Shore of Lake Tahoe
Buying Cross-Country Ski Gear, for Beginners (Part 1): Intention, Types of XC Skis, and Whether to Buy New or Used

Backcountry Skills Articles

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  • All Tahoe Trail Guide Articles (published chronologically)

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Recent Tahoe Trail Guide Posts

  • The Cross-Country Skiing Experience: Immersing Yourself in Winter
  • Discussing the Goal of Becoming a Better Cross-Country Skier and Embracing Backcountry and Groomed Terrain in Pursuit of that Goal
  • Considerations for Cross-Country Skiing During the Fall and Early Winter
  • Donner Party History: Series Introduction
  • Hiking Emerald Point (via north side of Emerald Bay in South Tahoe)
Wind blown in some areas and glazed in others, but Wind blown in some areas and glazed in others, but this was a super nice surprise! Thanks to whoever recently laid the classic tracks in the burn area 🤗
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#tahoe #tahoelife #tahome #visitlaketahoe #tahoesouth #tahoesnaps #mybackyard #mountainliving #playoutside #optoutside #adventurelife #outdoorculture #outdooradventure #mountainculture #findmeoutside #southlaketahoe #laketahoe #exploretahoe #lovewhereyoulive #adventurelifestyle #livelifeoutside #backcountryskiing #dailyadventure #earnyourturns #xcskiing #xcski #nordicskier #nordicskiing #crosscountryskiing
Morning xc ski session in rain soaked snow, but it Morning xc ski session in rain soaked snow, but it was lovely just the same 🤗
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#tahoe #tahoelife #tahome #visitlaketahoe #tahoesouth #tahoesnaps #mybackyard #mountainliving #playoutside #optoutside #adventurelife #outdoorculture #outdooradventure #mountainculture #findmeoutside #southlaketahoe #laketahoe #exploretahoe #lovewhereyoulive #adventurelifestyle #livelifeoutside #backcountryskiing #dailyadventure #earnyourturns #xcskiing #xcski #nordicskier #nordicskiing #crosscountryskiing
Bluebird skies yesterday, and then this today 😆 Bluebird skies yesterday, and then this today 😆
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Read my latest newsletter (March, 2023) about embracing agency in our lives at JaredManninen.com 🤗
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At this point, things have become a bit ridiculous At this point, things have become a bit ridiculous. I've received between 4-5 feet of new snow at my house in the past 48 hours 😆
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And there's still a couple of feet of snow forecasted for Tahoe beginning Saturday night (3/4/23) and lasting beyond the following Thursday (3/9/23) 😬
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If you wanna see some blizzardy conditions, check out my last few cross-country ski videos on YouTube.com/@JaredManninen
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Self-portrait of Jared Manninen
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

  • The Cross-Country Skiing Experience: Immersing Yourself in Winter
  • Discussing the Goal of Becoming a Better Cross-Country Skier and Embracing Backcountry and Groomed Terrain in Pursuit of that Goal
  • Considerations for Cross-Country Skiing During the Fall and Early Winter
  • Donner Party History: Series Introduction
  • Hiking Emerald Point (via north side of Emerald Bay in South Tahoe)
  • 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 Trails

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  • All Winter Tahoe Trails
    • North Lake Tahoe XC Skiing and Snowshoeing
    • South Lake Tahoe XC Skiing and Snowshoeing
    • East Lake Tahoe XC Skiing and Snowshoeing
    • West Lake Tahoe XC Skiing and Snowshoeing

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Although I encourage you to venture out of your comfort zone, you need to know your limits and when to turn back. Tahoe Trail Guide and its contributors are not liable for property loss or damage, personal injury, or death. Always consult multiple sources when venturing into the backcountry. Always be prepared for the worst case scenario. Your safety is your responsibility. Tahoe Trail Guide copyright © 2016-2023 by Jared Manninen. All rights reserved.  This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Per the Associates Program Operating Agreement I must disclose the following statement: “As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases” when you buy something via an Amazon.com advertisement.