Tahoe Trail Guide

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

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Tag: trip documenting

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

September 28, 2023
| 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

Deepen Your Outdoor Experience By Documenting Your Nature-Related Observations

July 26, 2023
| 1 Comment
| Backcountry Skills, Blog, Natural History
Deepen your outdoor experience by documenting your nature-related observations

For most of us, being outdoors offers two very broad but critical benefits. Nature provides relief from our daily grind. And, it can also inspire us in countless ways. Even just going outside to watch the trees sway in the wind during a ten minute break from work will provide some stress relief. And if…

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Posted in Backcountry Skills, Blog, Natural History Tagged trip documenting 1 Comment

Considerations and Reasons for Doing a Big Year

April 27, 2023
| No Comments
| Backcountry Skills, Blog, Natural History
Birder looking through binoculars in the forest

Take what I’m about to recommend in this article with a grain of salt. Don’t get me wrong. I totally recommend that you participate in at least one Big Year during your lifetime. Just know that this recommendation comes from someone who’s both obsessive and compulsive. I’m also very competitive. And I love to collect…

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Posted in Backcountry Skills, Blog, Natural History Tagged Birds of Lake Tahoe, lake tahoe wildflowers, trip documenting Leave a comment

Behind-the-Scenes Action Photos of Tom Cruise Filming Top Gun: Maverick (aka Top Gun 2) in South Lake Tahoe

May 29, 2022
| No Comments
| Blog, Local History
Tom Cruise running through the snow while filming Top Gun 2

One unique aspect of Tahoe’s local history is that Lake Tahoe and the surrounding Sierra Nevada Mountains have provided the backdrop or centerpiece for countless Hollywood movies. In fact, during December of 2018, mega-star Tom Cruise was filming a pivotal winter action scene for Top Gun: Maverick aka Top Gun 2 in Washoe Meadows State…

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Posted in Blog, Local History Tagged south tahoe, trip documenting Leave a comment

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

Cultivating Adventure in Your Daily Life

May 17, 2020
| 4 Comments
| Backcountry Skills, Blog
Mountains with snow and shrubs in the foreground

Many people equate “adventure” with adrenaline-producing activities involving high risk and steep terrain. Or, they believe adventure can only be found through extended world travel and exposure to exotic locales. This is simply not true. It’s like saying that the cosmos is more expansive than the subatomic level of life. As above, so below ……

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Posted in Backcountry Skills, Blog Tagged trip documenting, trip planning 4 Comments

Share Your Story: Tips for Documenting and Sharing Your Backcountry Experience (Introduction)

March 5, 2020
| 1 Comment
| Backcountry Skills, Blog
Pileated Woodpecker flying out of a tree

In a time where “it didn’t happen if you didn’t get a picture,” there’s pressure to constantly be documenting. We’ve all seen that yahoo stuck behind their camera or device trying desperately to capture an experience at its zenith. But, in their mania, they wind up missing the actual moment. They were either too busy…

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Posted in Backcountry Skills, Blog Tagged trip documenting 1 Comment

Share Your Story: Is the Creation or Capture of a Perfect Image a Worthwhile Pursuit?

February 12, 2020
| No Comments
| Backcountry Skills, Blog
Copyright © 2018 Jared Manninen

All artists struggle with definitively completing a piece of art, whether it be a written work, movie, sculpture, painting, or photograph. The challenge stems from not knowing when to stop working or editing the piece in question. We all believe that if we just added a few more highlights or brushstrokes over here or cut…

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Posted in Backcountry Skills, Blog Tagged trip documenting Leave a comment

Making an 8-Page Zine From a Single Sheet of Paper

February 4, 2020
| No Comments
| Backcountry Skills, Blog
Copyright © 2018 Jared Manninen

Zines (pronounced zeens) are self-published magazines, fanZINES, mini-books, or mini-comics that are often small in size and short in number of pages. The beauty of a zine is that you can create one with nothing more than a pen and a single sheet of paper. Then you just need a ream of paper and access…

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Posted in Backcountry Skills, Blog Tagged trip documenting Leave a comment
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The mission of Tahoe Trail Guide is to provide information, education, and inspiration to all people seeking to recreate outdoors.

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

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Copyright © 2016 Jared Manninen
  • All Winter Tahoe Trails
    • Trails Overview
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    • South Lake Tahoe XC Skiing and Snowshoeing
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Top Tahoe Trail Guide Posts

Short and Easy Hikes in South Lake Tahoe
Hiking the Historic Donner Pass Train Tunnels in Truckee, CA
Hiking Rubicon Trail (via Emerald Bay in South Tahoe)
Considerations for Spring Hiking and Backpacking at Lake Tahoe
Hiking Emerald Point (north side of Emerald Bay in South Tahoe)
Hiking Freel Peak (via Forest Service RD 051 near Luther Pass in South Tahoe)
Hiking Meeks Creek Falls (via SR 89 at Meeks Creek in West Tahoe)
Hiking Mount Rose (via Mount Rose HWY/SR 431 near Incline Village, NV)
Hiking Fallen Leaf Lake (on its East Side via SR 89)
Behind-the-Scenes Action Photos of Tom Cruise Filming Top Gun: Maverick (aka Top Gun 2) in South Lake Tahoe

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  • All Tahoe Trail Guide Articles (published chronologically)

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Recent Tahoe Trail Guide Posts

  • Cross-Country Skiing on the South Shore of Lake Tahoe
  • FAQs about Waxing Your Waxless Cross-Country Skis
  • Overview of Off-Track and Backcountry Cross-Country Ski Gear
  • Buying Cross-Country Ski Gear, for Beginners (Part 1): Intention, Types of XC Skis, and Whether to Buy New or Used
  • Buying Cross-Country Ski Gear, for Beginners (Part 2): How Much Gear to Acquire, Evaluating Your Commitment, and the Value of Taking XC Ski Lessons

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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.
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Popular Tahoe Trail Guide Posts

  • Cross-Country Skiing on the South Shore of Lake Tahoe
  • FAQs about Waxing Your Waxless Cross-Country Skis
  • Overview of Off-Track and Backcountry Cross-Country Ski Gear
  • Buying Cross-Country Ski Gear, for Beginners (Part 1): Intention, Types of XC Skis, and Whether to Buy New or Used
  • Buying Cross-Country Ski Gear, for Beginners (Part 2): How Much Gear to Acquire, Evaluating Your Commitment, and the Value of Taking XC Ski Lessons
  • Buying Cross-Country Ski Gear, for Beginners (Part 3): Can One Set of Classic Cross-Country Skis Work for Groomed and Off-Track XC Skiing?
  • Buying Cross-Country Ski Gear, for Beginners (Part 4): Can I Use One Set of XC Ski Boots for All of My Cross-Country Skiing Needs?

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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.