Tahoe Trail Guide

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

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Tag: trail journal

Jared Manninen’s Outdoor VLOG

April 1, 2022
| 6 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
Man cross-country skiing in rainy weather

Welcome to my series of outdoor-related video blogs aka vlogs! These short films are slightly less formal than my other informational and educational videos. Basically, I create these on-the-go videos while hiking, backpacking, cross-country skiing, and snowshoeing at Lake Tahoe. Once I return home, I perform some minimal editing to the footage. Then, I publish…

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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 backcountry travel considerations, cross-country skiing explained, trail journal, trip documenting, trip planning 6 Comments

Backpacking in Desolation Wilderness: Echo Lakes to Emerald Bay (Trail Journal & Data)

July 7, 2020
| 2 Comments
| Blog, South Lake Tahoe Hiking, Summer Trails

During my first summer of living at Lake Tahoe I took a mountaineering course offered through Lake Tahoe Community College’s wilderness education program. The course was a fantastic way in which to learn more about the new outdoor playground that I found myself living in. I moved to Lake Tahoe in the fall of 2005,…

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Posted in Blog, South Lake Tahoe Hiking, Summer Trails Tagged desolation wilderness, emerald bay, multi-day hike, south tahoe, trail journal, trip documenting 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

Tahoe Rim Trail Thru-Hike (Trail Overview and Photo Album)

January 12, 2020
| 3 Comments
| Blog, East Lake Tahoe Hiking, North Lake Tahoe Hiking, South Lake Tahoe Hiking, Summer Trails, West Lake Tahoe Hiking
Copyright © 2014 Jared Manninen

The Tahoe Rim Trail (TRT) is a 165+ mile trail that travels continuously around the mountainous rim of the Lake Tahoe Basin. Hiking the TRT was my first “thru-hike” since completing the Appalachian Trail (AT) back in 1999. I’ve backpacked plenty since the AT, but not for a continuous end-to-end journey of a specific trail….

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Posted in Blog, East Lake Tahoe Hiking, North Lake Tahoe Hiking, South Lake Tahoe Hiking, Summer Trails, West Lake Tahoe Hiking Tagged multi-day hike, tahoe rim trail, trail journal, trip documenting, trip planning 3 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

Beginner’s Mind: Becoming a Student of Sport

November 15, 2019
| 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 banks along a river running through a snowy forest

“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…

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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 trail journal, trip documenting Leave a comment

Backcountry Skiing on the Pacific Crest Trail

November 15, 2019
| No Comments
| Blog, 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
Cross-country skiers traveling along the Pacific Crest Trail past trees

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….

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Posted in Blog, 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 backcountry xc skiing, trail journal, trip documenting Leave a comment

Companionship in Desolation Wilderness (6-Page Comic)

November 11, 2019
| 2 Comments
| Backcountry Skills, Blog, West Lake Tahoe Hiking
Copyright © 2012 Jared Manninen

Presented here is a short black and white comic I created about an overnight backpacking trip I took into Desolation Wilderness with a former girlfriend back in 2012. Although our relationship did not last and the backpacking trip was only two days, the experience was rewarding. One of the reasons I enjoyed the trip was…

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Posted in Backcountry Skills, Blog, West Lake Tahoe Hiking Tagged desolation wilderness, trail journal, trip documenting, west tahoe 2 Comments

Unexpected Refuge: A Lesson in Humor and Humility (8-Page Zine about Backpacking)

November 11, 2019
| No Comments
| Blog, South Lake Tahoe Hiking, Summer Trails
Copyright © 2015 Jared Manninen

A humorous lesson in humility presented to you in a comic book format. I created this zine based on a backpacking trip I took in October of 2015 along the Tahoe Yosemite Trail. Needless to say, the trip was cut short due to heavy rains (and me not being prepared to deal with it!). A full…

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Posted in Blog, South Lake Tahoe Hiking, Summer Trails Tagged trail journal, trip documenting Leave a comment

“Hiking with the Dude” or “A Lesson Learned in Takin’ ‘Er Easy”

November 11, 2019
| 4 Comments
| Backcountry Skills, Blog
Copyright © 2011 Jared Manninen

In 2011, one of my Lake Tahoe friends and I resupplied two of his friends who were thru-hiking the John Muir Trail (JMT). They needed one last food drop to get them through the Whitney Portal, which is the southern terminus of the JMT. Our plan was simple, but our execution of it was not….

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Posted in Backcountry Skills, Blog Tagged trail journal, trip documenting 4 Comments

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FAQs about Waxing Your Waxless Cross-Country Skis
XC Skiing Explained (Part 2): Geometry of Classic Cross-Country Skis
Waxing Your “Waxless” Cross-Country Skis: Introduction
Overview of Off-Track and Backcountry Cross-Country Ski Gear
Donner Party History: Series Introduction
Hiking the Historic Donner Pass Train Tunnels in Truckee, CA
Cross-Country Skiing on the South Shore of Lake Tahoe
XC Skiing Explained (Part 4): Classic Cross-Country Ski Bindings
Snowshoeing on the South Shore of Lake Tahoe
XC Skiing Explained (Part 3): Grip Zone of Classic Cross-Country Skis

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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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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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Fun Vintage Lake Tahoe Map
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

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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.