“When we formed in 2015, we had a pretty narrow lane and that was trailhead access. As we’ve matured as an organization and tasted some success, we’ve expanded our vision of access. It should go beyond the trailheads. Access should also mean all people in our community should have access to winter backcountry recreation experiences.”
— Geoff QuineAsskiers head into the backcountry this winter, Tahoe Weekly caught up with members of Tahoe Backcountry Alliance (TBA) to get the skinny on current developments in local winter recreation access.
“We are kind of in a holding pattern while Tahoe Regional Planning Agency and the Forest Service work on their regional trails plan,” says TBA executive director Anthony Cupaiuolo. “We are also engaging with Tahoe Conservancy as they are in the middle of creating a recreation access plan with some of these parcels that go up against Forest Service land and have the potential to be a trail access point. We want to see safe, legal parking, however it happens.”
It was changes to roadside parking near Jake’s Run overlooking Emerald Bay on the West Shore that prompted the creation of the Alliance in 2015. After gaining grassroots support, they were able to negotiate changes to the highway department’s plowing practices to increase winter parking access after an erosion control project along Highway 89 eliminated many parking areas once used by backcountry skiers.
Two years ago, Tahoe Backcountry Alliance partnered with Truckee Donner Land Trust, Visit Truckee Tahoe and Town of Truckee to expand winter parking on South Shore Drive for access to Donner Lake Run. This historic backcountry ski route descends from the summit of Mount Judah high on Donner Summit to the neighborhood surrounding the lake. TBA paid to have the West End Beach parking lot repaved and all agencies split the annual cost of snowplowing, which is more than $10,000. Last year, TBA installed signage with QR codes linked to online maps at the parking lot and directional signs along the main line of the run. These efforts aimed at minimizing conflicts between skiers and property owners have largely been
a success. The joint investment represents a win for backcountry access and the type of creative collaboration TBA is hoping to repeat in its ongoing meetings with Tahoe Regional Planning Agency, the U.S. Forest Service, Tahoe Conservancy and countless other land holders in the region.
Some of the popular backcountry zones on TBA’s radar are Rubicon Peak, Trimmer Peak, Echo Peak and Flagpole Peak. What these trailheads have in common is they are all public lands that rise out of neighborhoods, which has led to ticketing and towing during storm cycles. Remedying these parking situations is not cheap. The estimated design and construction costs for a new Rubicon trailhead exceeds $250,000. Similar estimates at Ward Creek are north of $180,000 with maintenance and snow removal costs estimated to total $3,500 annually.
Like at Jake’s, Pole Creek and Deep Creek, parking for one of the Tahoe Sierra’s most iconic backcountry runs at Mount Tallac is set along the shoulder of Highway 89 without an officially designated parking area. Since the Forest Service started closing the gate at Spring Creek Road close to 10 years ago, safety issues have arisen for recreators and challenges for snow-plow drivers, not to mention nearly 2 miles of additional travel through neighborhoods to reach the trailhead.
“The Forest Service is doing a tree-thinning grading project, which I think affords us a chance for a new winter parking lot,” says Cupaiuolo. “We’d love to see parking at the end of the road, but we don’t think that’s realistic. It could be one of those things we don’t get exactly what they want, but we get something. Having safe and legal parking rather than no parking is still a net positive.”
Part of advocating for winter recreation access means having a clear picture of how our public lands are being used. In 2020, Tahoe Backcountry Ski Patrol began to install and monitor infrared laser-counter technology mounted to trees at the primary trailheads for Castle Peak, Incline Peak and later Deep Creek.
Castle Peak is by far the most popular trailhead of the three with a total of 9,961 users between December 2021 and May 2022. Incline Peak counted 995 users and Deep Creek 745 users during the same five-month time span. This is down from a high of 13,386 users at Castle Peak and 2,327 at Incline Peak during the 2020-21 winter season. Deep Creek counters were not installed until last year.
“While there definitely was a pandemic surge, I think some of this can be attributed to the fact that it wasn’t a great snow year,” says Cupaiuolo. While peak use occurs between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. on weekends, the counters also recorded steady use on weekdays. Total user amounts are certainly higher than recorded considering those who do not directly pass counters when entering or leaving the area. The counters need to be moved up and down along the tree trunks throughout the season to adjust to changing snowpack levels.
“I feel like backcountry skiers and snowboarders fly kind of under the radar in a lot of ways,” says TBA board member Geoff Quine. “So having this concrete data that we can use to advocate for and push our policy initiatives is super helpful. After we have a significant sample size, we’d like to put together an analysis to be able to quantify how much of an economic impact backcountry skiers have in the area.”
Tahoe Backcountry Ski Patrol has obtained a grant from Tahoe Truckee Community Foundation to install counters at additional sites including Donner Summit, Pole Creek, Tamarack Peak, Tahoe Meadows, Johnson Canyon, Mount Rose Summit and alternate trailheads at Incline Peak and Castle Peak.
Creating backcountry access for all This year, the TBA has partnered with the Washo Tribe to bring 30 youth out for three days of snowshoeing and cross-country skiing at Tahoe Donner Cross Country Ski Center and Chickadee Ridge on Mount Rose. The outings feature educational components provided by faculty of Tahoe Institute of Natural Science and University of Nevada, Reno at Lake Tahoe.
“When we formed in 2015, we had a pretty narrow lane and that was trailhead access,” says Quine. “As we’ve matured as an organization and tasted some success, we’ve expanded our vision of access. It should go beyond the trailheads. Access should also mean all people in our community should have access to winter backcountry recreation experiences.”
At the end of the outings, the kids get to keep the equipment so they can continue to pursue winter recreation on their own.
“Unlike the other things we are talking about, we can control this,” says Cupaiuolo. “Access should also be about who gets to get out there.”
In a bid to highlight the potential for innovative transportation solutions in the region, the TBA’s microtransit program that started in 2019 with three days has now expanded to 20 days.
“We want to showcase to the larger organizations in the region that there’s a need and desire for this and it will be beneficial,” says Cupaiuolo. “We’d love to see South Shore busing up the West Shore to Tallac and Jake’s. We just want to keep that conversation going and keep people thinking about it.”
It costs TBA $1,200 a day to run the free shuttle through Tahoe Sierra Transportation
As well, the free TART Connect door-to-door shuttle operates in Placer County, Washoe County and the Town of Truckee offering access to some trailheads in the region.
Another part of TBA’s mission is spreading the word about proper ethics and etiquette for backcountry winter travel. They hosted a Backcountry Awareness Week in December during which they collaborated with area nonprofits to spread the word about how to recreate safely and respectfully in the backcountry. TBA will also host cleanup days at popular trailheads in the spring.
“We’re pushing that ‘ski kind’ messaging,” says Cupaiuolo. “Park kind, hike kind, be respectful. When you’re parking at 6 a.m., don’t let your dogs run across people’s property. It makes it hard for us to win access when there are negative stories. Being good stewards goes a long way for us to be able to get more wins.” | tahoebackcountryalliance.org n
WEST SHORE SHUTTLES
Reservations (530) 550-5300, info@tahoesierratransportation.com
From North Shore Saturdays until March 25; Sundays Jan. 15 & Feb. 19
From South Shore Saturdays Feb. 4-25
“We intervened on the side of the Forest Service, but also independently brought claims against the Forest Service. We think the snowmobiling groups’ claims are unfounded. But at the same time, we think the Forest Service didn’t do enough to analyze winter travel in Stanislaus ...”
—Chris Krupp, WildEarth Guardians
months after its decision to update overthe-snow vehicle (OSV) policy in Stanislaus National Forest, the legal battle between the U.S. Forest Service, snowmobilers and environmental advocates is only just beginning.
Now the Forest Service finds itself challenged on two fronts as WildEarth Guardians have joined the fight, alleging Stanislaus’s 2021 decision did not do enough to protect endangered animals. The Forest Service was already defending itself against Sierra Snowmobile Foundation and others in a lawsuit claiming Forest Supervisor Jason Kuiken went too far when he approved a 67 percent reduction in OSV access last year.
“We intervened on the side of the Forest Service, but also independently brought claims against the Forest Service,” says WildEarth Guardians public lands attorney Chris Krupp. “We think the snowmobiling groups’ claims are unfounded. But at the same time, we think the Forest Service didn’t do enough to analyze winter travel in Stanislaus, particularly in regards to winter wildlife. We are asking the court to keep the travel plan in place but direct the Forest Service to reconsider protections for endangered species.”
Stanislaus National Forest was the first forest in the Tahoe Sierra, and one of the first in the nation, to update its OSV policy as required by a 2013 federal court ruling. Now only 13 percent (119,104 of the District’s 898,099 total acres) remain open to snowmobiling and other motorized winter sports. The policy closed all terrain below 5,000 feet and imposed 12- to 24-inch snowpack minimums depending on location. The new rules took effect last winter.
Stanislaus’ OSV maps are a court-ordered attempt at diplomacy between various public interest groups including snowmobilers; nonmotorized, backcountry travelers such as skiers, splitboarders and snowshoers; private landowners; environmental scientists and stewards; and more than a dozen government agencies. It is part of an ongoing process that began when a 1972 executive order required federal land-management agencies to minimize environmental impacts and conflicts associated with the use of motorized off-road vehicles on federal public lands.
While requirements were completed in the forests of Tahoe Sierra for dirt bikes, quads and other vehicles by 2010, that same analysis for winter machines was not performed. Three groups – Snowlands Network, Winter Wildlands Alliance and the Center for Biological Diversity – subsequently sued the Forest Service in 2011 to perform that study. The result was a 2013 settlement to complete the analyses. Each National Forest that sees significant OSV use is now required by the National Environmental Policy Act to assess potential environmental impact and release updated maps on where OSVs, including snowmobiles, snowbikes and utility terrain vehicles, may be used.
Since 2017, Tahoe Weekly has reported on this process for the six Forest Service districts that encompass the Tahoe Sierra — Eldorado, Humboldt-Toiyabe, Plumas, Tahoe, Stanislaus and the Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit, as well as Lassen National Forest, which is a frequent destination for Tahoe locals and visitors. Follow our complete coverage at TheTahoeWeekly.com/access.
TAHOE NATIONAL FOREST
ELDORADO
The newest group to join the legal debate, WildEarth Guardians, is a nonprofit grassroots environmental organization headquartered in Santa Fe, N.M., whose mission is to “protect and restore the wildlife, wild places, wild rivers and the health of the American West.”
Founded by a joining of several environmental groups in 2007, they’ve since worked to stop illegal grazing, halt fracking and coal mining, protect more than 21 million acres of forest in the Southwest and push for endangered protections for hundreds of species.
Its lawyers assert the Stanislaus plan did not adequately analyze the effects to four species of endangered or threatened wildlife: the Sierra Nevada red fox, Pacific marten, Sierra Nevada yellow-legged frog and Yosemite toad.
Court filings cite a distinct population segment of Sierra Nevada red foxes known to live at Sonora Pass. Once thought to be extinct, the foxes were rediscovered in 2010. According to U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, while they previously ranged throughout the Sierra Nevada, there are now estimated to be less than 50 individual foxes in this region. This sub-species was granted federal endangered status in 2021, only three weeks after the Stanislaus OSV plan was released.
“This species is on the brink of extinction and impacts to individual members risk extirpation of the entire population,” states WildEarth Guardians’ court motion. “The best available science thus supports
a full closure of the Sonora Pass OSV play area to adequately protect the fox during its entire critically important breeding season.”
Under the new policy, OSV access at Sonora Pass has been limited to a relatively small area that now closes after April 15 each year.
Benjamin Sacks, director of Mammalian Ecology and Conservation Unit at University of California, Davis, an expert on Sierra Nevada red foxes has been studying the mammal since 2010. He says that dens are chosen in December with pups born between March and May and that OSV use throughout winter can impact the pups’ chances of survival by compacting the dens and allowing their main competitor, coyotes, easier access to the high country.
“Any activity in this area after February risks impacts to Sierra Nevada red fox reproduction,” Sacks wrote in his 2018 public comments to the Forest Service. “Our preliminary data suggests that coyotes actively used groomed or well-used OSV trails to access higher-elevation locations they might otherwise have been unable to access under those high snow conditions. Studies in the Rocky Mountains also suggest that snowmobile trails increase coyote access.”
However, available studies on the impact of snowmobiles on wildlife are less than conclusive. A 2016 study published in the Journal of Wildlife Management showed “the overall influence of snowmobile trails on coyote movements and foraging success during winter appeared to be minimal.”
“I think it’s a philosophical question,” says David Page, executive director of Winter Wildlands Alliance.
Eldorado
Decision expected in 2023 bit.ly/eldoradoOSV
Humboldt-Toiyabe
Not yet begun analysis | fs.usda.gov/htnf
LTBMU
Draft environmental assessment expected late 2023 | bit.ly/ltbmuOSV
Lassen
OSV plan in effect (released 2022) bit.ly/lassenOSV
Plumas
Decision expected late 2024 bit.ly/plumasOSV
Stanislaus
OSV plan in effect (released 2021) bit.ly/stanislausOSV
Tahoe
Decision expected in 2023 bit.ly/tahoeOSV
Follow
“These impacts are expensive and hard to prove. So, do we take action before we know or wait until a species is extirpated before we take action? Do we sit back and say we can’t prove it, so let’s not do anything differently? And then they’re gone.”
Both snowmobilers and wildlife advocates have pointed to inconsistencies in the Stanislaus plan. For example, while it requires 24-inch snowpack minimums in some wetland areas suitable for the endangered Yosemite toad and Sierra Nevada yellow-legged frog such as Stanislaus Meadow and Highland Lands, it only calls for 12 inches at others such as Summit Lake, Niagara Creek, Herring Creek, Tryon Meadow and Bear Tree Meadow.
In their suit, snowmobilers claim Stanislaus’ new restrictions on OSV access to be arbitrary and capricious and that environmental studies have demonstrated no measurable effects of OSVs on the environment or wildlife.
“The decision will prevent me and numerous other SSF members from riding snowmobiles in areas of the Stanislaus National Forest we have historically accessed and visited,” wrote Sierra Snowmobile Foundation land use director Kevin Bazar in a court
declaration. “Nor will I be able to legally access areas outside of the small, designated area on Sonora pass, which are all popular snowmobile areas. I will also no longer be able to access via snowmobile Lookout Peak between Pacific Valley and Highland Lakes Road. I will also potentially be subject to citation for traveling on ice-packed roads if the snow depth is less than 12 inches, even if there is no contact with the surface. These are all actual and imminent injuries to me.”
The case is working its way through the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California.
“We’re approaching the time where it will go before the judge who will review the administrative record and evaluate whether Forest Service made a reasonable determination,” says Krupp.
Meanwhile, the new policy has been in effect since last winter with paper maps and QR codes for digital maps available at Forest Service stations.
“We’re going through maps like they’re going out of style,” says Stanislaus spokesperson Benjamin Cossell. “Our message is to have that info before you load up your OSV and head to the sno-park. Last year, we weren’t in a ticket-issuing mode. It was more about educating people on the rules and boundaries and helping them make the right choices and be on the right path. I feel like the word is being heard that people need to have a better understanding of where they should and should not be.”
While maps are crucial, others argue a current lack of signage in the forest itself makes it difficult for users to stay in approved areas, especially when the boundaries don’t follow natural terrain features, as is the case with Pacific Valley. Stanislaus National Forest
was able to install some temporary signage along trails last year and hopes to install more permanent signage this year, says Cossell.
The forest’s general counsel and Sierra Snowmobile Foundation both declined to comment on the pending litigation.
Lassen National Forest became the second forest in the region to update its OSV policy when forest supervisor Deb Bumpus released her final decision on July 19, 2022. The selected alternative allocates 747,192 acres as open to OSV use, which represents 65 percent of the total forest. This is a 216,838 acre, or 22 percent, decrease from previous access.
Twelve-inch snow-pack minimums off trail and 6 inches on groomed trails are now required. While OSV use along the Pacific Crest Trail is prohibited by the National Trails System Act, 12 crossing points are designated. The plan outlines six specific OSV use areas including Ashpan, Bogard, Fredonyer, Jonesville, Morgan Summit and Swain Mountain.
The new policy is in effect for this winter. Lassen National Forest did not respond to request for comment on the plan.
According to Forest officials, Eldorado and Tahoe National forests expect a decision on their plans sometime this year with implementation for winter 202324. Plumas National Forest is aiming for a decision by the end of 2024, pointing to recent wildfires as the reason OSV policy changes have taken a back seat.
“While we didn’t have big wildfires this season, the forest priority right now is community protection,
reducing fuel around communities to reduce the risk,” says Plumas public affairs officer Tamara Schmidt. “There is also repair and restoration work tied to those fires.”
The 6.3-million-acre Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest, the largest in the lower 48, has yet to commence its OSV policy analysis.
Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit hopes to release a draft environmental assessment with possible alternatives by late 2023. There will be another period of public comment at that time.
“For almost each letter received by the Forest Service supporting one approach, there were also comments supporting the alternate viewpoint to the issues raised,” states a Dec. 20, 2022, Forest Service press release. “The Forest Service will be developing alternatives that include balanced approaches. Alternatives that globally favor one user group over another are not being considered. This will ensure that any alternative available for the Forest Supervisor to choose from could be truly implementable, provides high quality opportunities for all members of the public, and conserves natural resources.”
Of course, things could always get pushed back again. After all, many of these forest releases said the same thing last year.
“We’re waiting like everyone else,” says Page. “I think as a community everyone is frustrated it is taking as long as it has. But the agencies are underfunded. They have other priorities they are trying to deal with. All these forests were sort of the guinea pigs.” n
It’s a beautiful day, a fresh layer of snow blankets the mountains and forests. It’s the perfect opportunity to get into the woods, skin a mountain or take a snowshoe hike. Going out in the backcountry offers a sense of solace, beauty and awe, but if you aren’t paying attention to the weather, it can be a life-threatening situation.
Weather in Tahoe changes rapidly and getting caught in a snowstorm can be problematic. Getting lost in a storm happens, whether one is at a ski resort, in the backcountry or taking a hike in the meadow.
Tahoe Nordic Search & Rescue (TNSAR) is one of the local organizations at the forefront of searching for people who get lost in the winter or summer. They also educate people about what they need and what to do if they find themselves lost.
According to Sarah Krammen, a board member of TNSAR and an A team skier for the organization, one of the most important things when venturing out into the backcountry is to tell someone. TNSAR volunteers go out in the worst conditions imaginable looking for people who get lost.
“Having a buddy, telling a friend or putting your plan somewhere is important. We end up going out to search for someone who generally told their wife what trailhead they were going to and we find their car, but then the question is, ‘Where did they go?’” says Krammen.
“Be prepared for not what you think is going to happen but be prepared for what you would have to deal with in the event of an injury or equipment malfunction.”
— Eric PetlockTahoe Nordic Searh & Rescue | TNSR
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Whether you are backcountry skiing, cross-country touring, snowmobiling, hunting or snowshoeing, it’s essential to check the weather and be prepared. Even when venturing out for a couple of hours in familiar territory, bad weather can quickly become a challenging situation.
“Be prepared for the weather. Make sure you have something that you use to get warm. Pack an extra puffy, carry hand and toe warmer packets and a lighter to start a fire,” says Krammen.
Krammen recommends carrying a mini Garmin that links to a satellite and is helpful in the event the cell phone dies or doesn’t work. TNSAR uses the tracking app, Cal Topo, which helps the team keep in touch with each other and track a lost person.
What is the best approach if you get lost or injured while recreating? Krammen says that TNSAR uses the STOP acronym: Stop, Think, Observe and Plan. Stay put. Evaluate your options. Check the surroundings and equipment and formulate an action plan.
If you are stuck or lost in a storm, Krammen says, call 911. If you need to shelter, it’s important to know that it’s hard to find someone under a tree. Set up clear markers with branches making an X or tie a piece of clothing to mark where you are.
Krammen says that if you get lost, avoid assuming you need to go downhill. Follow your tracks back if they aren’t covered by snow. Look for lights to guide you back to the ski resort, road or house. Make sure to keep warm.
Backcountry skiing has grown in popularity and with more people visiting the Tahoe region, it’s important to understand what to do when issues arise. For backcountry skiers, avalanche courses and proper gear are a must. Eric Petlock has been ski guiding in the backcountry for 30 years.
“There are a couple of really important things for people to be aware of. The first is to realize how easy it is to get disoriented when in the backcountry,” says Petlock.
He suggests using an app such as Gaia, onX, CalTopo or the iPhone mapping app and knowing how to use them and how to read a map. Petlock suggests setting a pin on your phone for the location of your car.
When he backcountry skis, he brings a small, insulated inflatable air mattress, which can keep someone off the snow in the event of an injury.
“When backcountry skiing, the possibility of injury is higher. The possibility of equipment malfunction is higher. And you’re generally much farther away from help. Either an equipment malfunction or a minor injury can create a serious situation,” he says. “Be prepared for not what you think is going to happen but be prepared for what you would have to deal with in the event of an injury or equipment malfunction.”
Jeff Brunings spends a lot of time in the backcountry. He suggests if you are going into the backcountry alone, leave a temporary voicemail recording on your phone that says what you are doing: “I’m heading out to Judah Peak and I’ll be back by 4 p.m.”
If your cell phone dies, people will receive a voicemail message and realize you might be in trouble. | tahoenordicsar.org n
resources
AIARE courses avtraining.org
Avalanche information & education avalanche.org
Backcountry shuttle (530) 550-5300
Sierra Avalanche Training Center sierraavalanchecenter.org
Sno-Park Permits (916) 324-1222, ohv.parks.ca.gov
Tahoe Backcountry Alliance tahoebackcountryalliance.org
Take Care Tahoe backcountry safety takecaretahoe.org/backcountry
Tahoe Rim Trail Association tahoerimtrail.org
The key advantage to nextgeneration mapping tools revolves around route planning. Instead of plotting lines from point A to point B on a digital map, the snap-to feature wraps a potential route around terrain contours providing a more accurate estimate of distance and travel time.
mapping apps
CalTopo
$50/year | caltopo.com
FatMap
$31.65/year | fatmap.com
GaiaGPS
$27.99/year | gaiagps.com
onX Backcountry
$29.99/year | onxmaps.com
mapping apps are a critical tool for exploring, planning and tracking your next adventure. Handheld navigation has evolved from the basics of displaying current location or logging trip distance. Now you can add map layers for aspect and slope angle to help determine a safer approach to an objective. The latest app additions include trip sharing and snow depth to discover new terrain.
With these insightful layers and the ability to glean social beta, today’s mapping apps improve a traveler’s backcountry calculus. And, as with any decision, the more information you have, the better decisions you can make.
In years past, backcountry route planning involved translating the contours of a topographic map. A traveler would estimate the climb and ballpark the travel time (several hours, all day?). Do those bunched lines indicate a rollover, a cliff band or a fun run?
Fast forward to powerful navigation tools in our hands and pockets and a lifetime of routes become more accessible. In recent years, new players such as onX Backcountry and FatMap have joined more established mapping tools like GaiaGPS and CalTopo to create an arms race of features, layers and real-time information integration.
These and other mapping apps offer the basics for free. But spend $30 to $50 for an annual subscription to unlock professional toolkits of information and downloadable maps for offline use. All four apps featured here offer similar capabilities with some bells and whistles that make each unique. Take advantage of free trials to compare what interface and features appeal to you.
The key advantage to next-generation mapping tools revolves around route planning. Instead of plotting lines from point A to point B on a digital map, the snap-to feature wraps a potential route around terrain contours providing a more accurate estimate of distance and travel time. Use color-shaded overlays such as slope angle and aspect to avoid tracks below steeper avalanche terrain or slopes that may undergo rapid warming during the day.
GaiaGPS at different times, he found himself using CalTopo exclusively by the end of the trip. He says CalTopo is a powerful tool that uses high-resolution elevation data.
“It can help you pick out microterrain more readily and help you avoid cliff bands when setting an up track,” he says. “OnX is a great tool for folks just starting to get into maps. And GaiaGPS is a happy medium.”
Chris Rochefort, director of huts, camping, facilities and external events for Tahoe Donner Land Trust, likes the vivid, 3D imagery of FatMap. He is also a fan of the avalanche terrain layer.
“It’s detailed and clearly shows where problematic areas are and how to skirt around them,” he says. This tool highlights in 3D the gradients most likely to cause an avalanche, between 25° and 45º.
In addition to making a day in the backcountry safer, these platforms also help users discover new routes and terrain. On opening the app, onX offers trail suggestions for the immediate area. FatMap features shared trip reports from other adventurers and guidebooks, a collection of must-do routes for specific regions.
There is a deep knowledge base to learn more about the tools and features for each platform. GaiaGPS offers a wealth of articles and blog posts. Check out FatMaps’ YouTube channel or onX’s masterclasses. Smith recommends CalTopo’s Instagram feed for weekly nuggets of tips and info.
Whatever app you choose, buy or print out a paper map and carry a compass because as Rochefort says, “Printed maps don’t run out of battery power.”
“Go out into the mountains with more than one tool. And the most important tool you can use is your brain.” n