14th Annual Tahoe Sierra Nordic Ski & Snowshoe Guide | Winter 20-21

NORDIC SKI & SNOWSHOE GUIDE

Tahoe Sierra

14th annual

nordic ski & snowshoe guide winter 2020-21

Courtesy Kirkwood

Brian Walker Photography | Sierra-at-Tahoe

BY K AT H E R I N E E . H I L L

note: As of press time, Camp

these are the days we dream of

Richardson Resort, Hope Valley Outdoors, Lake Tahoe Community College trails and Resort at Squaw Creek were not operating. Follow us @TheTahoeWeekly on Facebook and Instagram for updates on winter operations for these areas.

masks required

biathlon

dog friendly

food

nordic ski

cat skiing

gondola

hot springs

camping

back-country access

tubing & sledding

back-country huts

night skiing/ snowshoeing

ropes course

ice skating

fat tire biking

mini snowmobiling

long boarding

snow shoeing

downhill skiing

NORDIC SKI & SNOWSHOE GUIDE

auburn ski club training center Courtesy Auburn Ski Club

50 30

20

NOVICE | INTERMEDIATE | ADVANCED

% of terrain Events Jan. 23 | Biathlon Challenge Feb. 14-15 | Chuck Lyda Race Feb. 20-21 | Nordic Races

kilometers

25 # of trails

20

The trails are open to the general public with the 25km trail system groomed nightly to competition standards providing an always-perfect snow surface.

Its wide, overlapping loops for all abilities keeps skiers no more than 5km from the lodge with lots of terrain options. At 7,200 feet elevation, its season is the longest in the Sierra.

grooming

25km warming huts

1

bijou community park

ASCTC is a national level training and racing venue hosting the XC Junior National Championships in 1971, 2005, 2009, 2015 and 2020. It offers youth programs in alpine, snowboard, cross-county and biathlon. Auburn Ski Club is one of the oldest winter sports organizations, founded in 1928.

Lodge limitations | The lodge will be closed, and guests will need to use their vehicles to put on gear and eat. As well, there will be no lockers.

Portable toilets will be available at the Green Building.

Passholder access | Trail passes will be color-coded this year, and staff will perform routine checks to ensure all skiers are passholders. There will be times when blue-colored passes are blacked out and unusable, mostly during weekend mornings and race days. Too many skiers or limited groomed runs may also trigger trail closures.

kilometers

4 warming huts

0 Centrally located in South Lake Tahoe, Bijou features 4km of marked trails that is mostly flat and great for beginners at Bijou Community Park.

Free access | There is no fee for skiing or snowshoeing. No rentals or services are available on site.

Day passes & equipment | Only season passes are available and daily rentals are not being offered.

Fun for all | The park features a historic railroad exhibit, skateboard park and fenced dog park. n

Live webcam | Check the live webcam at asctrainingcenter.org/webcam. n

asctrainingcenter.org

(530) 542-6056

clair tappaan lodge 60

donner memorial state park 67

40

20

13

0 NOVICE | INTERMEDIATE | ADVANCED

% of terrain

% of terrain

kilometers

14 # of trails

7 grooming

no warming huts

0

Courtesy Sierra Club

NOVICE | INTERMEDIATE | ADVANCED

Individuals and small groups can access the grounds for skiing, snowshoeing and walking this winter, but the lodge is closed for the winter.

However, the trails are not being groomed this season, nor is the sled hill being grooming. There is no building access offered and no services available.

Large groups will be asked to leave, however, if they gather on the grounds following local and state guidelines. Masks and physical distancing is required on the property.

Lodging reopening | A tentative reopening of Clair Tappaan Lodge is scheduled for March 1, but that may change based on state restric-

clairtappaanlodge.com

kilometers

tions. Reservations will be accepted starting Feb. 1; check the website for updates. During the closure, the Lodge is undergoing renovations.

Hutchinson Lodge is also closed until summer.

Back-country huts closed | Sierra Club has closed its back-country hut system in the Sierra Nevada until at least April 1, which includes the Benson, Bradley, Ludlow and Peter Grubb huts.

The reservation system may reopen on Feb. 1 depending on current restrictions and hut reservations will be available online or by phone at (530) 426-3632 on a first-come, firstserved basis. n

16+ # of trails

5 grooming

no warming huts

0

Donner Memorial State Park has more than 16km of trails throughout the park. Although the trails are not groomed, visitors can make his or her own route to Schallenberger Ridge, Coldstream Canyon or along the shores of Donner Lake.

Annual parking pass | Purchase a Tahoe Regional Parking Pass for $75 good at all of the state parks in the Tahoe region for a year – D.L. Bliss, Donner Memorial, Ed Z’Berg Sugar Pine Point, Emerald Bay and Kings Beach State Recreation Area.

Free trail access | Access to the trails is free; parking is $5 for the winter. Dogs are welcome but must be on leash.

Donner Project | The Sierra State Parks Foundation is currently fundraising to restore the more than 100-year-old Pioneer Monument at the park. The Pioneer Monument was dedicated on June 6, 1918, and was erected in honor of all who made the difficult trek across the western plains and mountains to reach California during the 1840s.

Donate at sierrastateparks.org. n

Sierra history | The Visitor Center exhibits and theater are currently closed due to state restrictions, but the restrooms and gift shop with a great selection of local books are open.

parks.ca.gov

NORDIC SKI & SNOWSHOE GUIDE

granlibakken

grover hot springs state park

75 25 0 NOVICE | INTERMEDIATE | ADVANCED

Courtesy Granlibakken

kilometers

Courtesy CA State Parks

% of terrain

7.5 # of trails

2 grooming

1.5 miles warming huts

1

Cross-country skiers and snowshoers can explore the historic resort’s 74 acres. Follow a 1.5-mile trail around the property and a groomed access trail to Paige Meadows (flat-groomed, without stride-skiing tracks) when weather and snow conditions permit.

Resort access | All guests must purchase both sledding and ski lift tickets online. Guests will be able to make reservations for 1.5-hour sledding time blocks. The ski hill will be open and offering learn-to-ski lessons for private groups and/or families.

Dining | The Cedar House Pub is open for to-go orders with ordering available online.

Kids ski & sled free | Kids younger than 3 ski and sled for free.

Treetop adventures | The Tahoe City Treetop Park offers 97 tree platforms within a secluded forest with large pine trees and old-growth cedars with 27 zip lines and 60 bridges/events to accommodate participants ages 5 and older. Book a session at tahoetreetop.com. n

granlibakken.com

Grover Hot Springs is open for day use and visitors may snowshoe or ski on the of trails in the park.

There are no groomed ski trails in the park, but snowshoeing to Grover Falls is a popular outing at the park.

Call in advance to check on snow conditions. Parking is $8.

Hot springs access | The hot springs are open year-round with access available using an online pool reservation system at reservecalifornia.com. The springs were still closed as of press time due to state restrictions but check

with the park for updates on reopening. Check the schedule by calling (530) 694-2249.

Winter camping | Winter camping is available at the park on a firstcome, first-served basis for tents and RVs with access to water and restrooms. The campground was still closed as of press time due to state restrictions but check with the park for updates on reopening.

Dogs OK | Dogs are allowed on leash in the park. n

parks.ca.gov

kirkwood’s cross country &

snowshoe center

60 20

20

TAHOE’S BEST XC PHYSICAL DISTANCING HAS NEVER BEEN SO FUN

% of terrain kilometers

60 # of trails

18 grooming

60km warming huts

3

Courtesy Kirkwood Mountain Resort

NOVICE | INTERMEDIATE | ADVANCED

Offering 60km of groomed trails at 7,800 feet, Kirkwood features three interconnected trail systems and two trailhead facilities with parking areas. Reservations are required for all guests for the season at all Vail Resorts.

Lift tickets | There will be no inperson ticket sales. All sales will be online only. Lessons are also being offered by advance reservation only.

Cashless | All transactions will be cashless this year at all Vail Resorts.

kirkwood.com

Dining | The nearby historic Kirkwood Inn was closed as of press time but limited to-go options are available in the valley at Monte Wolfe, the General Store and at Timber Creek.

Fat Bikes | Rent a fat bike or bring your own to explore three interconnected trail systems.

Dogs welcome | Dogs are allowed on the High Trail located behind the Kirkwood Inn and the Outer Loop on the meadow. n

TAHOE DONNER CROSS COUNTRY SKI CENTER VOTED BEST CROSS COUNTRY SKI AREA IN NORTH LAKE TAHOE + TRUCKEE

5 YEARS IN A ROW

Over 100 km of groomed trails across 3,000+ acres of diverse terrain 65 trails climbing as high as 7,729 ft Pristine grooming for skating + classic skiing

Top-of-the-line rental + demo gear Dedicated snowshoe trails Professional ski school offering private lessons Masks + physical distancing required

VISIT TAHOEDONNER.COM/XC FOR MORE INFORMATION

NORDIC SKI & SNOWSHOE GUIDE

northstar cross country telemark & Courtesy LTCC

nevada nordic

snowshoe center

47

32

21

Courtesy Nevada Nordic

% of terrain

2+ # of trails

4+

Nevada Nordic is a nonprofit organization bringing a groomed crosscountry ski presence back to the state of Nevada. Trails are offered at several locations in the region and are groomed and open depending on conditions. Donations are needed to continue to offer groomed trails and may be made online.

grooming

12km+ warming huts

0

Tahoe Meadows | Trails are operated at Tahoe Meadows near the Mount Rose summit off Highway 431 with 2km of groomed skating and striding trails. Dogs are allowed on the trails, but owners must pack out all dog waste.

kilometers

35 # of trails

Parking is available along Highway 431 on either end of the trail system.

There is no parking fee and detailed driving instructions are available on the website.

Spooner Lake | When conditions permit, skating trails will be groomed by volunteers at Spooner Lake State Park on the East Shore with a new PistenBully 130 the group has been waiting to be delivered. State Parks will need to determine if and where snow levels are sufficient to permit grooming. There is a $10 parking fee.

18 grooming

35km warming huts

2

Lift tickets | There will be no inperson ticket sales. All sales will be online only. Lessons are also being offered by advance reservation only.

Cashless | All transactions will be cashless this year at all Vail Resorts.

Telemark skiers welcome | Northstar is one of the few resorts offering a full line of downhill telemark equipment and instruction.

Kids ski free | Kids 4 and younger ski free.

Fat tire biking for everyone | Northstar offers fat tire bike rentals, as well as rentals for pedal assist e-bikes. All rentals require advance reservations. n

Dining | A numbers of to-go options are available in the Village and at the mid-mountain area near the crosscountry center.

Check for updates and grooming reports at facebook.com/inclinemeadowsxc. n

nevadanordic.org

northstarcalifornia.com

north tahoe regional park 45

Northstar California provides 32.5km of Nordic terrain right in the middle of a world-class downhill ski resort.

Reservations are required for all guests for the season at all Vail Resorts.

plumas-eureka state park

50 5

NOVICE | INTERMEDIATE | ADVANCED

kilometers

11 grooming

11km warming huts

0

Pam Emmerich | NTPUD

% of terrain

Trail access is free in the park, but parking is $5. No rentals are available on site. The trails are groomed when conditions permit. Check the North Tahoe Regional Park Facebook page for updates.

Snowshoe tours | Guided snowshoe tours are offered through Tahoe Adventure Company including full moon, sunset and star tours.

Visit tahoeadventurecompany.com for upcoming dates.

Sled hills | North Tahoe Winter Adventures operates the main groomed sled hill and a sled is included with a sled hill ticket. A children’s sled hill

northtahoeparks.com

kilometers

12 # of trails

is located at the entrance of the park and is not groomed; bring your own sled or tube.

Snowmobile track | The park boasts a snowmobile track for those wanting to try out a snowmobile; personal snowmobiles are not permitted.

Ropes course | Tahoe Treetop Adventure Park consists of 70 tree platforms connected by a variety of bridges and/or ziplines open on select dates in the winter. Visit tahoetreetop.com for details. n

8 grooming

12km warming huts

0

Plumas-Eureka State Park in the Lost Sierra offers 12km of groomed trails for skating and classis skiers, along with three designated snowshoe trails that are snowmobile groomed. The trail system is managed by Plumas-Eureka State Park Association volunteers and trail maps are available at each trailhead.

Visit plumas-eureka.org for grooming report, a trail map and information on the trails.

Free trail access | The use of the trails is free, but donations are requested to maintain the trails for $5 per day or $20 for the season.

parks.ca.gov

Longboard races | The Plumas Ski Club hosts the Historic Longboard Revival Races each year at the Plumas Eureka Ski Bowl at Johnsville in the park. The races are open to everyone. The Jan. 17 race has been cancelled, but as of press time the February and March dates are still on schedule. Check in advance before visiting at plumasskiclub.org for details and current plans.

Skiing with Fido | Dogs are not allowed on the main trails, but a separate dog trail is groomed and accessible across from the Jamison Trailhead, a beginner, 1 mile out and back trail. n

Courtesy Johnsville Ski Bowl

kilometers

Courtesy Northstar California

NOVICE | INTERMEDIATE | ADVANCED

royal gorge 32

Courtesy Royal Gorge

NORDIC SKI & SNOWSHOE GUIDE

Winter Fun Everyone! for

50 18

NOVICE | INTERMEDIATE | ADVANCED

% of terrain kilometers

169.7 137 grooming

169.7

Courtesy Royal Gorge

# of trails

SLEDDING · CROSS COUNTRY SKIING SNOWSHOEING · ICE SKATING

warming huts

9

North America’s largest crosscountry resort, Royal Gorge offers six distinct trail systems featuring eight warming huts across 6,000 acres, seamlessly integrated with the Village at Sugar Bowl. From classic striding to cross-country skating, snowshoeing and dog trails, Royal Gorge offers a wonderful opportunity to enjoy scenic winter adventures with some of the finest views in the Sierra.

Lift tickets & rentals | All trail passes need to be purchased at least one day in advance online. and rentals and lessons need to be purchased at least two days in advance online.

Trail updates | Yuba was widening for the season. The teaching area near Summit Station was also increased by 30 percent allowing for more space between lesson groups.

In the Van Norden area, the removal of the Van Norden Dam resulted in a loss of the Dam Trail. In its place, there is a new trail from Summit Connection to West End Hut to complete a loop around Van Norden Meadow.

There is new directional signage along each snowshoe trail and the snowshoe-only Hawks Run, Fast Draw and Mountain View trails have been modified to accommodate for snowshoe trail grooming.

Limited indoor access | Summit Station lodge will be closed to the public with few exceptions (such as picking up rental equipment). There will be no opportunity to enter the lodge for restroom use, booting up or to warm up. Portable restrooms are available outside.

ADVANCE RESERVATIONS ARE REQUIRED FOR THE ‘20-21 SEASON

RESERVE ONLINE AT

TCPUD.ORG/WINTER No walk-ups will be permitted.

Face mask/covering is required at the park this season.

Visit tcpud.org/winter for more Know Before You Go tips, details on sessions, health and safety protocols, season passes, and reservations.

Dining options | Select grab and go food and beverage items will be available for purchase outside. There will be no indoor dining available.

The Royal Gorge | One of the most breathtaking experiences in the Tahoe Sierra is skiing to The Royal Gorge. The Gorge is one of the natural wonders of the Sierra – a 4,417-foot deep gorge that is the namesake for the ski area. n

530.583.1516 251 NORTH LAKE BLVD. TAHOE CITY royalgorge.com

NORDIC SKI & SNOWSHOE GUIDE

Snow Trails

Tahoe Donner celebrates 50 years S TO RY & P H OTO S C O U R T E SY TA H O E D O N N E R

SKI TOURING, SNOWSHOEING & SNOWMOBILING Explore more snow trails at TheTahoeWeekly.com. Click on the Winter tab under the Get Outside menu. See the Events calendar for guided snowshoe treks.

TRUCKEE

CABIN CREEK TRAIL Easy to moderate

Marked route follows old logging roads and Cabin Creek Road for 3 to 6 miles. The terrain has gentle, rolling slopes.

Cabin Creek Road south of Truckee on Highway 89. The unmarked trailhead is 1 mile from the highway. Limited parking is available in a road cut, when plowed.

DONNER MEMORIAL STATE PARK Easy | (530) 582-7892 or parks.ca.gov

The park is mostly flat and open year-round. Skiers can enjoy the forests and boulder fields, glide down to the lake and meander through the park. Unmarked, 9.6-km, skier-packed trail starting near the Emigrant Trail Museum.

For the more adventuresome, glide over the hills into Coldstream Canyon. Parking fee. TART

LITTLE TRUCKEE SUMMIT

Easy to advanced | (530) 994-3401 or fs.usda.gov Marked routes with 110 miles of groomed trails follow roads to Webber Lake and Yuba Pass, Rim and Ridge Loops, Bald Ridge Loop and Treasure Mountain, Pass Creek Loop, Independence Lake Loop, Meadow Lake Loop and Jackson Meadow. Trailhead at Jackson Meadow Road, 14 miles north of Truckee on Highway 89. Overnight camping OK in parking area. Heavy use.*

PETER GRUBB HUT & CASTLE PEAK

Moderate to advanced | clairtappaanlodge.com A marked Nordic ski trail begins at the Castle Peak/Boreal interchange on Donner Summit off Interstate 80, west of Truckee. Take the Castle Peak exit and follow it for one-quarter mile to the intersection for the trailhead to the north. Follow unmarked trail to Peter Grubb Hut. Overnight parking available at the Sno-Park*. For overnight stays at the hut, call (530) 426-3632 for reservations.

POLE CREEK TRAIL SYSTEM Easy to strenuous

Unmarked trails follow roads along Pole Creek and Silver Creek Drainages. Trailhead 6 miles south of Truckee on Highway 89. Some parking on west side of highway.

TAHOE MEADOWS Easy to advanced

On Mount Rose high above Lake Tahoe, Tahoe Meadows offers an expansive area where skiers can stretch their legs. Head up Highway 431 from Incline Village until you reach the meadows before the summit. South side designated for skiers and snowshoers, while the north side is designated for snowmobilers. Heavy weekend use.

WEST SHORE

BLACKWOOD CANYON Easy to advanced

The meadows in Blackwood Canyon offer a great place to get into the wilderness off Highway 89 on the West Shore. Follow Highway 89 south from Tahoe City and park at the Kaspian Recreation Area. Skiers can glide along the road (not plowed) or through the meadows. Snowmobilers should follow the road about 2.5 miles, then take a left across the bridge and continue up Barker Pass Road to large open areas, steep bowls and many roads.

Limited parking.*

MEEKS MEADOWS Easy | fs.usda.gov

Meeks Meadows on the West Shore off Highway 89 offers a vast area to ski. The trailhead is across from the Meeks Bay Fire Station; look for the log cabin with red trim. Follow the U.S. Forest Service road or meander through the meadow and down to Meeks Creek.

SUGAR PINE POINT STATE PARK

Easy to moderate | (530) 525-7982 or parks.ca.gov The Ed Z’berg/Sugar Pine Point State Park is a spectacular spot to cross-country ski or snowshoe among the dense forests of the West Shore or along Lake Tahoe’s shores.

The park offers more than 18 km of marked ski trails. Three groomed trails begin at the campground, 9 miles south of Tahoe City, with two skier-packed trails on the lake side of the park, accessed from the Day Use entrance. Winter camping available. Guided tours and programs. Parking fee. TART

HOPE VALLEY

An unmarked route follows the road to the creek bottom.

Lateral roads offer many side trips. Trailhead at Sagehen Summit on the west side of Highway 89, 8 miles north of Truckee. Limited parking.

Sno-park on the south side of Highway 88 at Blue Lakes Road. Much of Hope Valley is open to snowmobiling, but some areas are not; stay in designated areas. Ungroomed routes to Willow Creek (8.5 miles) and Tamarack Lake (1 mile) and groomed routes to Blue Lakes (11.5 miles) and Forestdale (3.5 miles). Stage from Hope Valley Sno-Park.*

CISCO GROVE

TAYLOR CREEK

Steep canyon and side slopes at lower end of trail with 7 miles of groomed access. Upper elevations feature ridges and bowls. Route follows Rattlesnake Road to Magonigal Summit. Trailhead at Cisco Grove exit north off Interstate 80.*

Developed for beginners, this well-marked series of trails allows skiers to explore the area. Terrain is mostly flat and is good for the entire family. Take Highway 89 to Cathedral Road and park in the Sno-Park. Marked trails start at the parking lot with three trails near Fallen Leaf Lake. On the lake side of Highway 89, follow the road to access the Tallac Historic Trail.*

NORTH SHORE

BROCKWAY SUMMIT & MARTIS PEAK Easy to advanced

Brockway Summit off Highway 267 offers an abundance of areas to ski with turnouts on both sides of the highway where Nordic skiers and snowshoers can follow logging and utility roads. For snowmobilers, the best access and limited parking about one-quarter mile north of Brockway Summit below the top of Highway 267 on the Truckee side.

No groomed trails, but many old lumber roads exist. Take a good map, as it’s easy to become turned around.

PAGE MEADOWS Easy to moderate

Ski or snowshoe along an old road that meanders through a forest and into a cluster of meadows. Take Highway 89 south from Tahoe City, then turn right on Pine Avenue and right on Tahoe Park Heights Road. At the crest of the hill, take the middle fork, which becomes Big Pine Road, then take a left on Silver Tip. The parking area is at the top of the road.

more than 25,000 member homeowners.

Members and guests today enjoy a18-hole championship golf course, cross-country ski center, downhill ski area, beach club marina, tennis center, equestrian center, campground, 60-plus miles of a multiuse trail system, recreation center and multiple year-round restaurants such as The Lodge Restaurant & Pub and Alder Creek Cafe.

Easy to moderate

RATTLESNAKE Easy to advanced

Tahoe Donner Downhill Ski Resort

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE

SAGEHEN SUMMIT Easy to moderate

T

ahoe Donner kicks off its 50th anniversary and will be celebrating this historical milestone throughout 2021.

In celebration, Tahoe Donner will offer special discounts and surprise giveaways at Tahoe Donner Downhill Ski Resort and Cross Country Ski Center and other celebratory offers as COVID-19 safety restrictions allow throughout the year.

In the late 1960s, former Navy pilot and professional NFL football player Jack Kirby purchased 4,020 acres from a Christmas tree farmer in Truckee. As an entrepreneur and real estate developer, Kirby saw the potential to create a familyfriendly mountain community with endless recreational opportunities. After visiting the property and viewing an area

Easy | (530) 573-2600 or fs.usda.gov

LOST SIERRA

YUBA PASS

Easy to advanced | fs.usda.gov The route north from Yuba Pass off Highway 49 is popular for snowmobilers, and shares the trail system with Nordic skiers for the first mile before branching off. For skiers and snowshoers, the route goes north for 2 miles with views of the Sierra Valley, then leads west for 1 mile and rejoins the snowmobile trail. For a short loop, go south (a left) on the snowmobile route back to Yuba Pass.

Alternately, you can continue west through a meadow for 1.5 miles, then head south (a left) onto the Lunch Creek Ski Trail 1.25 miles, then north (a left) on 3 Knobs Trail for 1.5 miles. 3 Knobs Trail ends back at the snowmobile trail. Snowmobilers can head north from the branch 1 mile in and travel through Gold Lake Highway. Then, head south to Bassett’s or north to Gold Lake. This route offers a variety of terrain and beautiful views of the Sierra Buttes and the Lakes Basin. More than 100 miles of trails. Take Highway 89 north of Truckee, and then take Highway 49 to Yuba Pass. Trailhead parking is 6 miles east of Bassett’s Station.*

* SNO-PARK PERMIT REQUIRED; (916) 324-1222 OR OHV.PARKS.CA.GOV/SNOPARKS.

badly burned by the Donner Ridge fire in 1960, Kirby believed the scorched area would be ideal for a downhill ski resort that appeals to beginners and intermediate skiers. The downhill ski resort became Tahoe Donner’s first amenity.

In 1971, Tahoe Donner started selling lots, exceeding $20 million in homesite sales before the golf course or ski hill even opened.

“Tahoe Donner was built on a vision for a vibrant and desirable mountain community for generations to enjoy,” said David Mickaelian, general manager of Tahoe Donner, in a press release.

“We are proud to celebrate 50 years of memorable history and the spirit and adventurous community that is Tahoe Donner today.”

Tahoe Donner is Northern California’s largest resort community and one of the largest homeowners associations in the United States. The community includes nearly 6,500 homes on 7,300 acres, with

Tahoe Donner also boasts an awardwinning forestry department recognized nationally for its work in fire safety and responsible forest management.

Tahoe Donner continues to invest in capital projects and community improvements. Recent examples include the new energy-efficient Alder Creek Adventure Center, completed in 2015, and the remodel of its Trout Creek Recreation Center, completed in early 2020.

In honor of its 50th anniversary, Tahoe Donner completed tee and fairway repairs, as well as a greens replacement project at the Tahoe Donner Golf Course in summer and fall 2020. The golf course is scheduled to reopen in early summer 2021.

In the fall of 2020, Tahoe Donner completed the recent construction on its Nature Loop Trail and the paving of the Bermgarten Trail parking lot. Looking forward, the association is in the planning phase of building a new downhill ski lodge and is adding snowmaking capabilities at its cross-country ski center and Snowplay area. Visit the website for a timeline of historical highlights. | tahoedonner.com/50years n

NORDIC SKI & SNOWSHOE GUIDE

tahoe city winter sports park

Courtesy California State Parks

sugar pine point state park

kilometers

kilometers

Courtesy TCPUD

4

20

# of trails

# of trails

The Ed Z’berg/Sugar Pine Point State Park is a spectacular spot to cross-country ski and snowshoe along the dense forests of the West Shore or along Lake Tahoe’s shores.

The park offers more than 20km of marked trails for all levels. However, the trails are not being groomed this year. It is also a popular sledding location.

grooming

no warming huts

0

Free trail access | Use of the trails is free; it is $5 to park. Dogs on leash are allowed only within the developed areas but are not allowed on the beaches or in the Nature Preserve. Restrooms are available in the parking lot.

2

Winter camping | Sugar Pine Point is one of the only winter campgrounds open year-round in the Tahoe area, offering 16 campsites on a first-come, first-served basis. The campground was closed due to state restrictions as of press time; check for reopening as conditions change.

grooming

4km+

The Tahoe City Winter Sports Park offers ice skating, sledding, crosscountry skiing and snowshoeing and is a great spot for family fun.

warming huts

0

Annual parking pass | Purchase a Tahoe Regional Parking Pass for $75 good at all of the state parks in the Tahoe region for a year – D.L. Bliss, Donner Memorial, Ed Z’Berg Sugar Pine Point, Emerald Bay and Kings Beach State Recreation Area.

Tickets | Reservations for all activities are available in one-week blocks and open for registration on Tuesdays at 10 a.m. (subject to change). Season Passes are available, and no walk-ups will be permitted this season.

30

Courtesy Tahoe Cross Country

wintersportspark.com

tahoe cross country 20

tahoe donner cross country 40 36

24

NOVICE | INTERMEDIATE | ADVANCED

NOVICE | INTERMEDIATE | ADVANCED

% of terrain

% of terrain

kilometers

kilometers

50 # of trails

21 grooming

50km warming huts

3

Dining | The on-site restaurant Café Zenon is open for to-go ordering from the bar window or online.

Webcam | Check out the webcam of the action on the ice rink at tcpud. org/winter-webcam. n

parks.ca.gov

50

Trail access | The park provides 4km for both skating and striding, as well as a snowshoe loop/walking trail. Online reservations for skiing and snowshoe will be available as conditions allow the trails to open. Dogs are allowed on the trail system.

Tahoe Donner | Tahoe Donner

5

100+ Events Jan. 22-26 | Old Skool Klassic Race Feb 7 | Shooter Bowl Sunday Tennis Ball Biathlon Feb 14 | Share the Love Valentine’s Day Ski Feb. 19-22 | Alpenglow 20k Race The nonprofit Tahoe Cross-Country Ski Area offers stunning lake views along the trails making it one of the area’s best spots for cross-country skiing. Fat tire bikes are not allowed on the trail system.

Tickets & lessons | The ski area offers lessons and equipment rentals for cross-country and skate skis by advance online reservations only.

tahoexc.org

Ski free | Youth ages 18 and younger ski for free, as well as seniors ages 70 and older.

# of trails

79 grooming

Dog trails | Dogs are allowed on the 9km of dog trails only from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, except Saturday.

On Saturdays, dogs are not allowed from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Read the full dog trail rules online.

Trail cam | A web camera was installed last year at the trailhead on Yellow Trail. Navigate to all the web cams, weather and snow gauge by clicking the camera icon on the top corner of the website. n

100km+ warming huts

4

Tahoe Donner Cross Country Ski Center offers more than 100km of world-class trails open to cross-country skiing and snowshoeing. Tahoe Donner celebrates its 50th in 2021 and special discounts and surprise giveaways will be offered at the cross-country center and Tahoe Donner Downhill Ski Resort.

Fat biking is no longer allowed on Tahoe Donner trails beginning this winter. No clinics will be offered this season.

tahoedonner.com

Tickets | No reservations are required for season passholders. All day trail passes and rentals must be prepurchased in advance online. No walkup purchases will be available.

Dogs | Those that already have dog season passes may bring their dogs, however, no additional dog passes will be available this winter.

Dining | Enjoy grab-and-go options at Alder Creek Cafe open daily for breakfast, lunch and snacks. No indoor dining is available. n

WINTER RECREATION ACCESS

WINTER

RECREATION ACCESS A B OV E

A busy day at the Spooner Summit sledding area at the intersections of Highways 50 and 28. | Courtesy Tahoe Fund

“I think access is a big question for Tahoe all year-round. With winter, there is less pavement to put cars on.

That exacerbates the situation … We don’t have enough parking for everyone who wants to access the public lands.”

–Amy Berry

P U S H E D TO L I M IT S TO RY BY S E A N M c A L I N D I N

We’ve all been there. You packed everything you need to safely enjoy a snowy day in the Tahoe Sierra. You’re out of the house and on your way. Everything is going great. Until you arrive at your destination.

The parking lot is packed and there’s nowhere to go. You sit in a traffic jam or drive around aimlessly hoping for something to open up. We used to think this was only a problem in a city, but not anymore. These days, it’s more than likely the crux of your Tahoe adventure will be finding a place to park.

Many have experienced this phenomenon on a powder day at local ski resorts. However, in recent years the parking dilemma has become even more acute at the trailheads accessing local public lands.

With the pandemic limiting ski resort capacity, more people are seeking off-the-grid recreation opportunities as land managers struggle to keep up.

“This summer we had an incredible onslaught of visitors, more than we usually have,” says Eldorado National Forest spokesperson Kristi Schroeder.

“That wasn’t expected because it was a closure order and you were supposed to stay home. Ironically, many of them were people who had never been hiking or camping before, so they didn’t know what they were doing.”

The U.S. Forest Service oversees land use and public access in the Tahoe Sierra through its six districts – Eldorado, Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit, Humboldt-Toiyabe, Plumas, Stanislaus and Tahoe.

In addition, there are also five wilderness areas in the region – Carson-Iceberg, Desolation, Granite Chief, Mt. Rose and Mokelumne – that are popular areas for back-country skiers and snowmobilers, all looking for parking. Read our story on “Back-country Access in 2021” in this edition and at TheTahoeWeekly.com.

While the tidal wave of tourists used to be more of a summer occurrence, winter travel is steadily on the rise. When the parking areas close for the season and snow plowing operations limit roadside parking, the conundrum of where to put all the cars only grows worse.

Why is parking closed?

Once folks get into the woods, there is plenty of space to spread out, physically distance and enjoy a bit of solitude. The biggest challenges often occur at the last stop before the adventure: the parking lot.

Or, in this case, a lack thereof. There are only a handful of official parking lots open for the winter.

“The problem with [Forest Service] winter parking areas is they are only open if they are sponsored by the state Sno-Park program,” says Schroeder. “We can’t open any of our other facilities because we don’t have a budget for it. And the areas are not engineered with the use of snow in mind. It could be a perfectly safe parking lot in the summer, but with a ton a snow on it, it may not be. It’s not as simple as running a plow through it and we’re good to go.”

WINTER RECREATION ACCESS

Ice Skating & Tubing EXCLUSIVE CONTENT AT

TheTahoeWeekly.com Find more family-friendly activities to enjoy.

MASKS ARE REQUIRED & MOST LOCATIONS REQUIRE RESERVATIONS.

ICE SKATING

ECHO LAKE

EDGEWOOD TAHOE

Highway 50 at Echo Lake Road. Bring equipment.*

(530) 644-2324

(888) 769-1924 | edgewoodtahoe.com Open air rink. Rentals available. Open until April 18.

HANSEN’S RESORT

HEAVENLY VILLAGE

400-foot-long groomed tube run on Ski Run Blvd. First-come, first-served.

(530) 542-4230 | theshopsatheavenly.com Open air rink. South Tahoe

HEAVENLY

NORTHSTAR

(530) 562-1010 | northstarcalifornia.com Open air rink. Free access. TART

Off Highway 207. Bring equipment. South Tahoe

Indoor facility open year-round. South Tahoe

TAHOE CITY WINTER SPORTS PARK

RESOURCES

(530) 583-1516 | wintersportspark.com

California Sno-Parks | ohv.parks.ca.gov

(530) 582-7720 | tdrpd.com

Tahoe Fund | tahoefund.org

Opening existing summer parking areas to winter use would be a sizable project for the Forest Service and the costs associated with designing, approving and operating the lots year-round are not currently budgeted. While Sierra Nevada snow falls from the sky by the foot, money unfortunately doesn’t.

“In the winter, you can’t see the parking stalls,” says Schroeder. “The signage is not designed for winter; it’s all under snow. Can we get to the bathroom?

Does it have to be dug out? ... When you have snow berms out there do you still have that parking? Generally, you’d design winter ones to be larger.”

The heart of the issue dates back to 1972 when President Richard Nixon issued an executive order requiring federal land-management agencies to minimize environmental impacts and conflicts on public lands. While the Forest Service invested millions of dollars to create sustainable public access for the summer months, it by and large neglected to consider winter travelers.

“Most National Forest facilities were designed for summer use that doesn’t require the type of road grades that are safe to plow,” says Joseph Flannery, Tahoe National Forest public affairs officer. “We’re talking 1-inch overlay over dirt.”

As a result, National Forests in the Sierra Nevada enter a seasonal road closure period each year from Dec. 31 through March 31, at a minimum, in order to protect the dirt roads from damage. A full list of road closures is available on the Motor Vehicle Use Map for each district at fs.usda.gov.

“It goes back to these factors,” says Flannery.

“Were they analyzed for winter use? And were they designed for winter use? Once those two questions are answered, we have a short list of places that are available for plowed parking. The next challenge is then finding a cooperator or partner to provide that access, to do the actual plowing. You can see we’re starting to go down a narrow path here.”

In response, California State Parks built 18 SnoParks throughout the Sierra Nevada to accommodate back-country access and snow play. The maintenance costs are paid for by winter and summer use permits with Caltrans providing snow plowing. But even with seven Sno-Parks in the greater Tahoe area, it’s simply not enough to accommodate the ever-increasing demand. As well, users must purchase a permit online CONTINUED

On Lake Tahoe Blvd. Bring equipment. South Tahoe

SIERRA-AT-TAHOE

TRUCKEE

Blizzard Mountain offers two lift-accessible snow tubing lanes, snow play and sledding area. Opening TBD

(530) 659-7453 | sierraattahoe.com

At Truckee River Regional Park. Skate rentals, broomball leagues, ice dancing & hockey lessons. Skate rentals & season passes available. TART

TAHOE SNOWMOBILE TUBING

SLEDDING & TUBING

TAYLOR CREEK

OPEN AS CONDITIONS PERMIT.

Highway 89, north of Camp Richardson Road. Bring equipment.* South Tahoe

(530) 542-3294 | tahoesnowmobiles.com Two locations at Tahoe Paradise & Stateline, Nev. Reserve online.

(530) 543-2600

SPOONER LAKE

TUBETAHOE

State park open for general snow play. Bring equipment.

Parking fee.

500 feet of machine-groomed tubing lanes in Meyers.

Equipment provided. South Tahoe

(530) 600-2304 | tubetahoe.com

(775) 831-0494

Cars routinely park along busy highways to access closed recreation areas in the winter.

Pictured are cars parked on Highway 28 on the East Shore near the closed Chimney Beach entrance in late December. | Katherine E. Hill

SAWMILL POND

Ice skating & rentals. Clubhouse. TART

EAST SHORE

A B OV E

Tubing at top of gondola with four lanes. Opening TBD

(775) 586-7271 | douglascountynv.gov

(530) 542-6262 | cityofslt.com

Forest Service Recreation Site Status | go.usa.gov/xwurX

skiheavenly.com

KAHLE PARK

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE

Forest Service Motor Vehicle Use Map | fs.usda.gov

(530) 544-3361 | hansensresort.com

TRUCKEE & BEYOND

HOPE VALLEY AREA

CARSON PASS

BOREAL MOUNTAIN

Highway 88 near Carson Pass. Bring equipment.*

HOPE VALLEY

Tubing open to everyone 42” and taller; smaller children are limited to snow play area only. Personal sleds not permitted.

Night sessions available. Reserve online.

Highway 88 at Blue Lakes Road. Bring equipment.*

DONNER SKI RANCH

MEISS MEADOW

Tubing hills with moving carpet.

rideboreal.com

(209) 295-4251

(775) 882-2766

(209) 295-4251

Highway 88 near Carson Pass. Bring equipment.*

donnerskiranch.com

DONNER SUMMIT (530) 587-3558

South side of I-80, Castle Peak exit. Bring equipment.*

NORTH SHORE

INCLINE VILLAGE

NORTHSTAR CALIFORNIA

Snow Play Area on Fairway Blvd., next to the Chateau, on the driving range. Bring equipment.

northstarcalifornia.com

Closed for the 2020-21 season. TART

MOUNT ROSE

SODA SPRINGS

Near the Mount Rose summit, enjoy sledding in Tahoe Meadows off Highway 431. Bring equipment.

NORTH TAHOE REGIONAL PARK

(530) 546-0605 | northtahoeparks.com End of National Avenue off Hwy 28. Rentals available.

Opening TBD. TART

TAHOE CITY WINTER SPORTS PARK

skisodasprings.com Mountain Adventure offers kids tubing carousel, all-age tubing, Snow Jeep rides, Start Park, snow play area and mini snowmobiles. Reserve online.

TAHOE DONNER

(530) 587-9437 | tahoedonner.com At Trout Creek Recreation Ctr. No personal sleds. Reserve online.

(530) 583-1516 | wintersportspark.com

YUBA PASS

Sledding & cross-country trails. Rentals available. Clubhouse. Reserve online. TART

Highway 49 at Yuba Pass. Bring equipment.*

(530) 994-3401 WEST SHORE

OLYMPIC VALLEY

SQUAW VALLEY

BLACKWOOD CANYON

Tubing area. TART

Snowplay area off Hwy. 89, 3 miles south of Tahoe City.

Bring equipment.*

(530) 452-4511 | squawalpine.com

SQUAW VALLEY PARK

(530) 543-2600

GRANLIBAKKEN

placer.ca.gov

Free snowplay area. Free parking to access cleared walking paths in Olympic Valley to Tahoe City. Bring equipment. TART

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE

(530) 581-7533 | granlibakken.com Machine-groomed snow play area; no tubes or toboggans allowed. All ages. Reserve online.

HOMEWOOD ADVENTURE CENTER (530) 525-2992 | skihomewood.com

ADVENTURE MOUNTAIN

(530) 659-7217 | adventuremountaintahoe.com

At Homewood Mountain Resort with Magic Carpet. Reserve online.

On top of Echo Summit with machine-groomed sledding, tubing & snowplay. First-come, first-served.

TAHOE CITY Gentle slope on Highway 89 South, one-eighth mile south of the wye. Bring equipment. TART

ALL ACTIVITIES ARE WEATHER DEPENDENT. * Sno-park permits required. Go to ohv.parks.ca.gov/snoparks or find locations at (916) 324-1222.

BUS & SHUTTLE SCHEDULES

North Tahoe & Truckee: laketahoetransit.com (TART) | South Tahoe: tahoetransportation.org

WINTER RECREATION ACCESS

C O N T I N U E D F R O M P R E V I O U S PAG E

or at a local retailer before they arrive. There are no kiosks to pay for parking onsite and a permit doesn’t guarantee that visitors will have a parking space.

“I think access is a big question for Tahoe all yearround,” says Amy Berry, CEO of Tahoe Fund. “With winter, there is less pavement to put cars on. That exacerbates the situation … We don’t have enough parking for everyone who wants to access the public lands. We appreciate that Tahoe is finite space and the number of people who want to enjoy it continues to grow and grow.”

Limited parking in Tahoe Basin These issues are especially prevalent within the Lake Tahoe Basin itself, where the majority of public lands are supervised by the Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit (LTBMU).

In order to host more than 8 million visitors per year, most of whom arrive in personal vehicles, the LTBMU manages more than 50 parking areas with

“We keep open as long as we can depending on ice and snow conditions,” says Dan Canfield, acting deputy director for the Sierra District of California State Parks. “[In December] the snow and ice got the point where we couldn’t get to it safely. The first 20 or 30 yards of the trail [at Vikingsholm] was a like a steep skating rink. It took great care not to crack my head open … It becomes a liability issue at some point.”

State parks on the West Shore conduct winter maintenance with one front loader and a pickup truck with a plow blade. According to Canfield, the paved areas at Vikingsholm and D.L. Bliss are simply too steep and icy to safely clear for public access with this limited equipment.

“It’s not perfect,” he says. “A big thing on the horizon is what equipment or improvements we need to make it all seasons. It’s my commitment as a manager to keep looking at those things.”

With state budget cuts looming on the horizon, however, improvement projects like these have been left to the wayside, at least for now.

“The state is sending the message that it’s going to

The one Conservancy area that does have its own parking, Van Sickle Bi-State Park in South Lake Tahoe, closes its lot in the winter.

“The access road is a little bit steep in spots,” says Butler. “Van Sickle was designed as a walk-in park to accommodate the tourist core. It’s a beautiful place to hike and snowshoe.”

On the North Shore, the Conservancy’s lakeside lands in Carnelian Bay and King’s Beach do have parking areas that are plowed by California State Parks or adjacent businesses such as Gar Woods Grill & Pier.

Eagle Rock, south of Tahoe City, is a popular destination owned by the Conservancy. Although it doesn’t have its own parking lot, Caltrans typically carves a few spaces alongside Highway 89 where people can park.

“If they’re blocking our ability to maintain the highway and the opportunity for our plows and blowers to operate, or if there is a ‘No Parking’ sign and one of our workers sees that, we would report it,” said Caltrans spokesperson Steve Nelson in an interview with Tahoe Weekly last year. “If they are completely off the highway and it’s not signed as ‘No Parking,’ that’s fine.”

Nevertheless, on busy days, popular places like Eagle Rock or the turnouts nearby D.L. Bliss can quickly overflow with folks pulling up outside the white lines while cars and trucks zip past.

A dangerous situation

more than 2,800 spaces. Unfortunately, the vast majority of these parking areas are closed for the winter.

“I think this year we reached a tipping point in the perception of the issue,” says Forest Service landscape architect Ashley Sibr. “People are really starting to feel the actual impacts.”

Considering its environmentally sensitive mountain environment and the plethora of land management agencies involved, the process to increase winter parking in the Tahoe Basin is especially complicated.

“In the Emerald Bay area, for example, we’d have to work with rock fall issues to allow Caltrans to do avalanche blasting, so someone could actually get to the parking lot in question,” says Sibr. “Then you have to find someone to get there to plow. You have the maintain the trash clean up, etcetera. For one [agency], it doesn’t make a lot sense … It’s hard. It takes money.”

For years, LTBMU has been collaborating with numerous organizations including Tahoe Regional Planning Agency to develop long-term plans for development in the Basin. While some of these proposals will be coming to fruition in 2021-22, there is nothing concrete on the table for this season.

“As of right now, we don’t have any plans to do anything mainly because we don’t have the resources to plow those areas and we haven’t had anyone come to us to offer to plow those areas,” says Sibr. “It’s a basin-wide effort and it does take a lot of resources to spool together these projects … I really do think it’s taken a long road to get to where we have some of the planning in place to make some of these specific steps going forward.”

California State Parks takes a slightly more progressive view toward keeping its parking lots open through the winter, albeit with varying success.

Rather than having a hard closing date, decisions are based on weather and safety.

All of the parks are currently open from sunrise to sunset with about half providing winter parking including Sugar Pine Point, Donner Memorial, Grover Hot Springs, D.L. Bliss visitor center lot and Kings Beach State Recreation Area. Parking at Emerald Bay including Vikingsholm and Tahoe State Recreation Area are all closed for the winter. In Nevada, Spooner Lake, Sand Harbor and Cave Rock parks are all open with parking.

be tough economic times,” says Canfield. “Eventually, things are going to turn around. At some point, the pandemic will be gone and we’ll be back to normal.

Right now, we’re just trying to nibble away at it with the resources we have at hand to provide as many recreation opportunities as we can.”

While Martis Creek Lake in Truckee is open to public access, the federally-run Army Corps of Engineers doesn’t provide winter parking for similar reasons. Meanwhile, many local towns and cities along with recreation districts in unincorporated areas do cover the costs of parking access to most of its beaches and parks year-round.

Like other land management agencies, the California Tahoe Conservancy relies on town, county and state services to take care of snow removal.

While all of its 4,700 parcels and 6,500 acres are open to public use year-round, there are no specific parking lots providing access at most of these locations.

“It’s mostly street parking that the city and county are keeping clear,” says Shawn Butler, program director for California Tahoe Conservancy.

“General parking impact is becoming more and more prevalent. Especially in the last year or two we’ve seen tremendous roadside parking issues. It leads to the need for better transit options to get people to their sites. The parking has simply exceeded the capacity to be sustainable.”

A recently installed sled corral with new signage: ‘Leave sleds here.

Take your memories and trash home.’ | Katherine E. Hill

On the weekend after Christmas, there were reports of “No Parking” signs being stolen from Crystal Bay Road at Emigrant Gap. According to Nevada County Public Works, an officer arrived at the scene to find more than 20 cars parked illegally while families sledded into the road. The officer declined to ticket anyone because he couldn’t give a citation without a sign.

“In general, even on the state highways there have been issues with parking, mostly by people not familiar with snow removal,” says Nevada County public works director Trisha Tillotson. “Nowhere on county-maintained roads do we have a specific location for people to pull over and do that type of activity and, in fact, it’s not legal to park on county roads where snow removal activity is occurring.”

This incident is just one example of how a scarcity

WINTER RECREATION ACCESS

Winter Paved Walking Paths

of parking access amid soaring demand can quickly lead to hazardous circumstances.

“Once people leave the house, they are determined to do what they are going to do,” says Schroeder of Eldorado National Forest. “They don’t have a back-up plan. When they get there, it’s ‘I will stuff myself in.’

You need to have a plan B and C if your first spot is full of people, so you don’t put yourself at risk.”

“Once people leave the house, they are determined to do what they are going to do. They don’t have a back-up plan.

When they get there, it’s ‘I will stuff myself

DOGS OK

BOOT-PACKED PATH

PLOWED PATH

Distancing guidelines remain in place & masks are required in California and Nevada.

in.’ You need to have a plan B and C if your

PAVED MULTIUSE TRAILS

first spot is full of people, so you don’t

• Keep dogs leashed

CHECK CONDITIONS AT TAHOEBIKE.ORG.

• Pedestrians must yield to bikes • Don’t stop on the trail; move to the side

put yourself at risk.”

• E-bikes allowed on most paths; check in advance

–Kristi Schroeder

• Cyclists call out when passing pedestrians • Limited service in winter. Pack out all trash, including dog waste bags.

No sled left behind The harsh reality is once people make the snowy trek up to the Tahoe Sierra, they are going to find a place to recreate one way or another. Many end up at unsupervised locations where evidence of their winter merriment lives on long after they’ve gone.

Exhibit A: The sledding at hill at Spooner Summit at the intersections of Highways 50 and 28.

“Last year, the litter on the sled hill got out of control,” says Berry of the Tahoe Fund. “It’s so hard in the winter because there is no official manager. If you leave a Dumpster unattended, random people will fill it with their garage. So that doesn’t work. We thought maybe if we had someone go out once a week and clean it up, we’d have better success.”

This year, the Fund has organized a pilot program to alleviate litter by allocating $3,900 to Clean Up Tahoe to gather trash once a week for pickup by Nevada Department of Transportation. Citing the broken window theory popularized by Malcolm Gladwell, Berry hopes that by limiting the amount of visible trash each week, visitors will be deterred from leaving their own.

For the past five years, the Fund has also installed sled corrals for people to leave broken sleds, rather than discarding bits of plastic all across the frozen landscape.

Tahoe Fund is running billboards on I-80 and Highway 50 encouraging people to clean up after their plastic sleds.

The campaign includes humorous signs about Leave No Trace sledding etiquette. | Courtesy Tahoe Fund

Easy | 4 miles RT | tcpud.org A 2-mile trail runs beside Squaw Valley Road to the ski area from the Squaw Valley condos to Victoria Road, with views of the meadow and surrounding peaks. Public parking at Squaw Valley Park or Village at Squaw. Electric assist OK. TART SOUTH LAKE TAHOE Easy | 3.2 miles RT Connections Lake Tahoe Boulevard (Highway 50) and Pioneer Trail with access to Lake Tahoe Community College.

EAST SHORE TRAIL

O P P O S I T E & I N S ET

OLYMPIC VALLEY

OLYMPIC VALLEY

AL TAHOE BOULEVARD EAST SHORE

The secret to safe winter travel through the Sierra Nevada is preparation, planning and flexibility. The Forest Service recommends being prepared with tire chains, water, blankets, warm clothes, flashlights, food and other items to survive a winter emergency.

“A key thing for us is know before you go,” says Schroeder. “Do your research. Our rangers spend a lot of time teaching people how to do things. We try to get people to know what they need to do.

We give citations when we need to give citations, but we spend a ton of time doing education so people know how to use the forest. They need to be prepared if they want to do it safely.”

BIKES OK

Easy-moderate | 6 miles RT | tahoefund.org Runs along Lake Tahoe and connects to Hwy. 28 from south end of Incline Village, Nev., to Sand Harbor State Park. Parking near Ponderosa Ranch Road. Electric assist OK. Paid parking. TART NORTH SHORE

CAMP RICHARDSON BIKE PATH Easy | 6 miles RT The trail parallels State Route 89 (Emerald Bay Road) for more than 3 miles, offering access to a number of local historic and recreational amenities. Limited parking.

SAWMILL TO MEYERS

INCLINE VILLAGE Easy | 7.4 miles RT | washoecounty.us Walking path runs along Hwy. 28 through Incline Village.

Access to shopping and parks. Paved between both intersections of Southwood Blvd. Boot packed between east intersection of Southwood Blvd. and Country Club Drive. TART

LAKESHORE BOULEVARD

Easy | 7 miles RT Section cleared along Sawmill Road starting at Lake Tahoe Boulevard then connects to run along Highway 89 to Meyers ending at Luther Pass Road.

SIERRA BOULEVARD Easy | 1.2 miles RT Connects from Lake Tahoe Boulevard to Barbara Avenue.

Easy | 5 miles RT | washoecounty.us Runs along Lake Tahoe Boulevard and connects to Hwy. 28 at each end of Incline Village. Park at Preston Field on Hwy. 28. Electric assist OK. TART

SKI RUN BOULEVARD

NATIONAL AVENUE

Easy | 7 miles RT | cityofslt.us Follow the bike trail along South Shore, with sections along Lakeview Commons, Reagan Beach and playgrounds. Public parking at Parks and Recreation lot on Rufus Allen Boulevard.

Easy | 1.8 miles RT Starts on shore of Lake Tahoe at Tahoe Vista Recreation Area and continues up National Avenue past Grey Lane.

Parking at Tahoe Vista Recreation Area. TART

PINE DROP TRAIL Easy | 3 miles RT | northtahoeparks.com Located at North Tahoe Regional Park the trail connects to to Pinedrop Lane off Highway 267. Parking fee.

TAHOE CITY TO CARNELIAN BAY Easy-moderate | 8+ miles RT | tcpud.org First 2.5 miles mostly level with a half-mile climb up Dollar Hill. Cross Highway 28 to access 2.2-mile section to Fulton Crescent above Carnelian Bay. Public parking at 64 Acres, Commons Beach, Jackpine and Grove Street. Electric assist OK. Section from Dollar Hill to Fulton Crescent bootpacked only. TART

TRUCKEE RIVER CANYON Easy | 9+ miles RT | tcpud.org 4.5 miles from the Tahoe City wye to Alpine Meadows Road, with trails continuing to Olympic Valley. The trail is scenic, separate from the highway, and is mostly flat terrain with a few short, gentle grades with trout fishing, river rafting and picnicking along the way. Connects with Squaw Valley Road or continue to Truckee. Public parking at 64 Acres and Squaw Valley Park at Squaw Valley Road. Electric assist OK. TART

Easy | 1.2 miles RT Connects from Lake Tahoe Boulevard to Pioneer Trail.

SOUTH SHORE BIKE PATH

TRUCKEE

DONNER PASS ROAD Easy | 5.4 miles RT Runs through the heart of the town of Truckee from the west end to historic downtown Truckee.

DONNER PASS ROAD TO MOUSEHOLE Easy | 1.8 miles RT Runs along Highway 89 connecting Donner Pass Road to the Mousehole.

JOEGER DRIVE Easy | 1.2 miles RT Connects from Soaring Way and runs along Joeger Drive to River View Sports Park.

STEVENS LANE TO ALDER DRIVE Easy | 2 miles RT Runs from Stevens Lane along Donner Pass Road, turns down Rue Ivy to connect to Alder Drive. Park at U.S. Forest Service office on Stevens Lane.

TROUT CREEK TRAIL Moderate | 3 miles RT Wooded path from Trout Creek Park (paid parking) in downtown Truckee to Northwoods Boulevard (parking free).

WEST SHORE

TAHOE CITY TO MEEKS BAY Moderate | 25+ miles RT | tcpud.org Mostly separate from the highway, the trail includes a few miles of highway shoulder and residential streets.

Terrain is varied with a few steep sections. Access to picnicking, beaches and playgrounds. Public parking at 64 Acres. Electric assist OK. Boot-packed only starting at Timberland. TART

TRUCKEE LEGACY TRAIL Easy | 10 miles RT | tdrpd.org Stretches from downtown Truckee to Truckee River Regional Park, River View Sports Park and Glenshire.

Park at either park or East River Street. Electric assist OK. TART

BUS & SHUTTLE SCHEDULES CONTINUED

North Tahoe & Truckee: laketahoetransit.com (TART) | South Tahoe: tahoetransportation.org

WINTER RECREATION ACCESS

“We’ve got to look at it holistically,” she says.

“If one entity closes something, it doesn’t mean the people who went there disappear.

They just go somewhere else. When Sand Harbor went to half capacity last summer we had more people leaving cars on the side of the road.”

In reaction to environmental damage and parking issues, the Town of Truckee relocated the popular sledding hill at McIver Dairy meadow in 2019 but doesn’t provide any parking in that area.

While there are still a number of free and paid sledding areas available within town limits, it’s one more example of how a lack of planning and oversight can lead to the destruction of public access for all.

This winter, TruckeeDonner Recreation and Parks District attempted to leave West End Beach open for outdoor recreation, but within the first couple weeks of it not being staffed, large graffiti showed up. So, the gate is now closed Map of California Sno-Parks in the Tahoe Sierra. | Courtesy California State Parks for the winter.

“What we are tryC O N T I N U E D F R O M P R E V I O U S PAG E ing to do is find ways to support people still “We want them to take their sleds, but they won’t being able to access these areas without the negative do it,” says Berry. “We have an internal struggle with impacts on our community and environment,” says this. We are not encouraging them to do it, but we Truckee mayor Anna Klovstad. “Particularly since have compassion for it. You have this great vision of fewer people are going to actual resorts, it means getting you kids out there, but then their hands get more people are going to areas not specifically built to cold and their piece of junk sleds breaks into a milaccommodate public access. That is a problem for us. lion pieces. At that point you have to get in the car We need to look at the big picture as how we function and get out of there.” as a community with the ski resorts and without the This season, Tahoe Fund invested more than ski resorts. We want to create access, but it needs to be $30,000 in sledding clean-up projects, including responsible to the community and the environment.” $23,000 for billboards signs along Highway 50 and I-80, which provide humorous public messaging Any new ideas out there? around Leave No Trace sledding etiquette.

Berry sees the environmental impacts as one aspect While there has been a lot of talk about how to of the larger questions about long-term sustainability solve the ongoing parking issues in the Tahoe Sierra, in the region. solutions have not materialized.

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When the Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit released its initial proposal of Over-the-Snow Vehicle (OSV ) management in late 2019, it proposed expanding West Shore parking at Spring Creek Tract from eight to 20 spaces and Fountain Place Road from 30 to 40 spaces. It designated new sites suitable for snow play on the west side of Spooner Junction and nearby Sawmill Pond in South Lake Tahoe. (OSV management refers to winter use of Forest Service lands by motorized vehicles including snowmobiles.)

In an idea welcomed by both motorized and human-powered users, the proposal also called for additional areas allowed for groomed trails at Blackwood Canyon, Watson Creek, Granlibakken, Taylor Creek, Rabe Meadow, Echo Lake Road and Meeks Meadow.

However, like other Forest Service proposals, this one remains in hiatus as the coronavirus pandemic slows down projects at most government agencies.

That being said, there are a few bright spots where creative thinkers are working to collaborate on solutions for this winter. In efforts to increase public access, the Town of Truckee is working with the Tahoe National Forest to analyze the potential for three new plowed lots at Cabin Creek, Penny Pines and Castle Valley.

Download the list of

California Sno-Parks & the Forest Service’s

Winter Recreation guide at TheTahoeWeekly.com “We have initiated resource surveys in support of a potential proposed action to improve these access points,” said Jonathan Cook-Fisher, district ranger at Tahoe National Forest, in a Dec. 31 email. “From an environmental analysis perspective, all three sites are fairly straightforward as there are not unique resources that might otherwise limit activities. However, we have not yet found the right partnerships to make it a reality.”

While recent Forest Service documents clearly identify the need to address trailhead access parking for a variety of recreational uses, so far, the solutions have yet to be realized.

“Across the entire Truckee Ranger District, I believe that the record level of visitation that we experienced last spring and summer is likely to continue,” says Cook-Fisher. “As such, we are at a crossroads and the challenge before us is to either proactivity address our antiquated facilities as a community, or remain reactionary and unsatisfied with how we access our cherished National Forest.” 

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