Your Online Resource for Hiking, Backpacking, Cross-Country Skiing, and Snowshoeing at Lake Tahoe
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…
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 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…
Cross-country skiing and snowshoeing to Echo Lakes (and further into Desolation Wilderness via this route) is a favorite winter tour for Tahoe locals and visitors to the Lake Tahoe Basin. There is dedicated parking (unlike many Tahoe backcountry locations) at Echo Lake Sno-Park, the route is easy to navigate, and there is little elevation to…
Cross-country skiing to Woods Lake, Winnemucca Lake, and Frog Lake in a loop is one of my favorite cross-country ski tours at Carson Pass. Although the route is only 6-7 miles, it features over 1,000 feet of elevation gain and it’s all in backcountry terrain above 8,000 feet. The higher elevation also makes Carson Pass…
Scotts Lake is a fun Tahoe day hike that features a walk through groves of Aspen and Juniper trees, a great selection of wildflowers (when in season), some elevation gain to get your heart pumping, and free and convenient trailhead parking. Bring a swimsuit and towel to take advantage of the fact you’re hiking to…