Royal Gorge Cross Country Resort
is celebrating 50 years in business with celebrations planned on Dec. 30. Touted as the largest cross-country ski area in North America, it is located at the crest of Donner Summit, which often competes for the most snow in the country.
While the management and facilities have gone through lots of changes in the past 50 years, the terrain and network of trails are much the same. There are always an amazing variety of skiing opportunities from gentle glides through thick lodgepole forests to spectacular open views of the crest of the Sierra Nevada.
Established in 1972 by John Slouber, the ski area began with just seven trails and a $1 pass fee. They gave lessons on the Van Norden trails and took people by sleigh out to the remote Wilderness Lodge, but they didn’t have a real lodge until Summit Station was built in 1984. That was when the ski area really took off with more huts along the trails and a dramatic expansion into eight distinct trail systems with several hundred kilometers of trails. They even had four Poma lifts operating for steep, practice areas.
Starting in the 1980s, Royal Gorge was home to some of the best ski races in the region, including the Gold Rush Festival, which attracts racers from around the country.
Maureen Brandon, who is called Wink by her friends, began skiing at Royal Gorge in the late 1970s. She worked at what was then Sq**w Valley Ski Resort but wanted to avoid downhill skiing on the crowded weekends. A friend suggested she try Royal Gorge. She quickly
started racing, fell in love with the sport and ended up buying a home that backs up to the trail system in Serene Lakes. She remembers Slouber as the heart and soul of the area and always seemed to be there when she went to ski: “He was often in the parking lot showing people how to park.”
Brandon remembers the centerpiece of the ski area was Wilderness Lodge. You would be transported in by sleigh under thick blankets and spend a few nights at the remote lodge in the middle of the trail system. The food was excellent, the lodge was rustic but comfy and relaxing and the skiing was literally out the front door. It was a hub of activity that would keep the ski area busy during slow times. It was a sad day when the Wilderness Lodge burned down in 2004.
Slouber, who was a true innovator in the cross-country ski world, also purchased Rainbow Lodge on Highway 40 near Big Bend. In addition to running the lodge and restaurant, he sold truck loads full of water to bottling companies from the delicious spring on the property. For several years, the ski area would groom a trail from Summit Station to Rainbow Lodge a few weekends a year.
The challenging route began in the Royal Gorge trail system, but then required the ski area to groom an additional 12km of trail to get to Rainbow Lodge. You had to take your skis off at one point to cross the railroad tracks. After enjoying a well-deserved lunch, you could catch a shuttle back to Summit Station.
Finding employees for a resort on top of snowy Donner Summit was always
FROM LEFT: Riding the sleigh to the Wilderness Lodge. Royal Gorge built the first lift exclusively for cross-country skiing. The Wilderness Lodge.The fare at Wilderness Lodge. | Royal Gorge
Established in 1972 by John Slouber, [Royal Gorge] began with just seven trails and a $1 pass fee. They gave lessons on the Van Norden trails and took people by sleigh out to the remote Wilderness Lodge.
a challenge, but Slouber would get Australians to come over during the Southern Hemisphere summer. He also bought several houses in the neighborhood to provide housing for his employees.
Foster and Symes Development Company purchased Royal Gorge and Rainbow Lodge from Slouber in 2005, the year after the Wilderness Lodge burned down. They proposed a major development of 950 housing units tied into the ski area, which would be a dramatic change to the quiet community of Serene Lakes.
There was a great deal of community opposition to the development plan and it failed to come to fruition. Instead, supported by more than 1,000 donors, mostly folks on Donner Summit, the Truckee Donner Land Trust was able to purchase the 3,000-acre property in 2012. They arranged for Sugar Bowl to lease the land and provide for operations.
“Typically, we write in a contract that we have a two-year fundraising period, but this time we had just five months to come up with the money,” said Greyson Howard, the Land Trust’s communications director.
In the 10 years since the purchase, Sugar Bowl has been operating the still largest cross-country ski area in the U.S. This includes the Interconnect Trail, which connects Royal Gorge trails with the base of Sugar Bowl Resort.
Because I live close to Tahoe XC, I’ve done most of my skiing there in the past 40 years, but I always made a few special trips each year to Royal Gorge. A sunny spring day was always my favorite, whether I was checking out the view of Devil’s Peak from the Stage Coach Trail or making the long jaunt out to Point Moriah where I could ponder the 4,000-foot deep Royal Gorge of the American River.
My fondest memories of Royal Gorge were the times in the 1990s when I got to experience the Wilderness Lodge. It was such a relaxing and invigorating escape. You arrived by sleigh, spent the night in a cozy lodge with great food surrounded by like-minded skiers. Then you got up and stepped out the door to ski for a few hours, took a quick break for more food and a comfy couch before heading out for more skiing. You then slept like a log and the next day, got up and did it again, without ever having to get into a car. | royalgorge.com n
Dec. 31 | New Year’s Eve Freestyle
Jan. 13 | Truckee Sprints race Feb. 17 | President’s Cup Skiathlon
ASC is one of the oldest ski areas in California and in the Tahoe Sierra, founded as the Auburn Ski Club in 1928 with the first ski area at Cisco Grove. The ASC has been a leader in the growth of winter sports in the state and lobbied the California State Legislature in 1932 to keep Highway 40 (the predecessor of Interstate 80) open year-round so visitors could access winter recreation.
The current cross-country ski area opened in 1989 on Donner Summit next to Boreal Mountain and the high-altitude training center offers programs in Nordic, biathlon, alpine and snowshoeing.
Night skiing | ASC has installed
permanent night-skiing facilities at the center. Night skiing will be offered from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Wednesdays and Fridays through the season, with night skiing also offered daily through Jan. 4. The New Year’s Eve Freestyle is a fundraiser for the lighting project.
Western Ski Sports Museum | ASC founded the Western SkiSport Museum housed in the parking lot next to Boreal in 1969. Working with ski writer and historian William B. Berry (read Mark McLaughlin’s story on Berry in this edition), the Museum was developed as an exhibition of Western North American ski history.
The museum is closed while its collections are being archived to become part of the future SNOW Sports Museum that will be built in Olympic Valley. | thesnowmuseum.org n
Bijou Community Park is one of the many free areas where cross-country skiers and snowshoers can go in the region to enjoy free trail access. The park, owned by the City of South Lake Tahoe, offers 4km of marked trails that are mostly flat, making it a great place for beginners. The trails are not groomed.
Dog friendly | Dogs are welcome in the park on the trails; be sure to bring doggie bags and pick up after your canine companion.
Free access | There is no fee for skiing or snowshoeing. No rentals or services are available on site.
Fun for all | The park features a historic railroad exhibit, skateboard park and fenced dog park. n
The beaches that are crowded with throngs of visitors around Camp Richardson in the summer transform into a quiet and serene escape in the winter.
Visitors can enjoy 10km of groomed and marked trails for every level that meander through the forests or follow the shoreline of Lake Tahoe.
Several trails head out from Camp Richardson looping through the open forest to the shores of Fallen Leaf Lake.
Two other shorter trails meander through the grounds of the resort and along the shores of Lake Tahoe.
Early ski clubs, like Auburn Ski Club, were instrumental in establishing the winter ski industry that is enjoyed today. Groups of like-minded ski enthusiasts operated rope tows and ski hills, organized ski outings to the Tahoe Sierra and built communal lodges to stay in during their winter excursions, including Clair Tappaan Lodge on Donner Summit in 1934.
Today, Clair Tappaan is one of the lodges in the region operated by the Sierra Club, which includes the nearby Hutchinson Lodge built in 1924 and four back-country huts – Bradley, Benson, Ludlow and Peter
Grubb. All of them are open for lodging by reservation only on a first-come, firstserved basis online.
Trail systems | Along with lodging, Clair Tappaan also offers a winter trail system that can be enjoyed by its guests and the public for cross-country skiing and snowshoeing.
The Lodge offers 14 km of groomed trails, an onsite rental shop and free trail access for guests. The trail system offers a variety of challenges for all abilities. It’s also just down the road from Royal Gorge Cross Country. n
Donner Memorial State Park will be offering groomed trails for Nordic skiing for the 2022-23 season. This is the first time in several years that groomed trails will be offered and the grooming frequency will depend on snowfall and staff availability, according to park staff.
There is no charge to access the trail system; there is a parking fee. Trail maps are available in the Visitor Center.
Snowshoe tours | Historian-led snowshoe tours will be offered at 11 a.m. every Saturday and Sunday through March 26 this season. The tours will cover about
1.5 miles and will include natural history and the history of the Donner Party of 1846. | RSVP (530) 582-7894
Visitor Center | Learn about regional history including local Native Americans, the Donner Party and the Transcontinental Railroad in this fantastic local museum. The Sierra State Parks Foundation also hosts programs throughout the year at the museum. | sierrastateparks.org
Pioneer Monument | No visit is complete without checking out the Pioneer Monument completed in 1918 to commemorate the early pioneers that crossed the Sierra. Restoration work on the 104-year-old monument was completed over the summer of 2022. n
Dec. 30-31, Jan. 6 & 7, 13-15 | Night
Skiing and sledding have been enjoyed for generations at Granlibakken for nearly 100 years. The current resort opened in 1947.
The tubing hill is open daily, with the ski hill and ski school open Friday to Monday and daily during holidays. Granlibakken Tahoe’s Ski Hut features a rental shop that caters to cross-country skiers and snowshoers.
Trail system | The resort grooms the trail from Rawhide to Page Meadows when conditions permit, and there is a 1.5-mile intermediate level loop within the resort’s 74-acre property.
Snowshoeing opportunities abound with the Tahoe Rim Trail skirting the property boundary and on the Rawhide trail leading into Page Meadows. None of the trails at or from Granlibakken are patrolled, so be
sure to let others know your planned route and be responsible in the forest.
Night sledding | This year, Granlibakken has debuted night sledding through January. On select nights from 5 to 6:30 p.m., enjoy sledding with laser lights, music and glowsticks.
Complimentary hot mulled wine for adults and hot chocolate for kids are included with every ticket.
Dining | Enjoy dining at Cedar House Pub in the resort lodge or the tasty treats at Rusty’s Kitchen in the nearly 100-yearold ski hut next to the ski hill.
Tubing | The resort offers popular tubing lanes served by snowmaking systems along with the Benny the Bear snow play area.
Kids sled free | Kids younger than 3 sled for free.
Treetop park | The Tahoe City Treetop Park located at the resort offers aerial adventures for ages 5 and older. n
Grover Hot Springs State Park reopened over the summer after being closed last winter due to damage from the 2021 Tamarack Fire.
Visitors may enjoy Nordic skiing and snowshoeing in the park. There are no groomed ski trails in the park but snowshoeing to Grover Falls is a popular outing.
The hot springs remain closed, however, due to damage from the fire. Call in advance to check on snow conditions. Parking is $8.
Winter camping | Winter camping
is available at the park on a first-come, first-served basis for tents and RVs with access to water and restrooms.
Support the park | The Friends of Grover Hot Springs, which is part of the nonprofit Bodie Foundation, supports restoration work and repairs in the park.
To donate to help rebuild the park, visit visitgroverhotsprings.org.
Dogs OK | Dogs are allowed on leash in the park. n parks.ca.gov, visitgroverhotsprings.org
CISCO GROVE
RATTLESNAKE
Easy to advanced 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.*
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.*
BROCKWAY
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.
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.
TAHOE MEADOWS
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, skierpacked 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 onequarter 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.
Easy to moderate
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.
BLACKWOOD CANYON
Easy to advanced
Dec. 31 | Fireworks & Torchlight Parade
The Caples Creek Trail system has reopened for the 2022-23 season at Kirkwood Cross Country after being closed last year due to damage from the 2021 Caldor Fire in time for the celebration of the resort’s 50th anniversary.
The Cross Country Center is open daily and group Classic and Skate Skiing lessons have returned this season, as well.
The resort also offers rentals for classic, skate and back-country Nordic skiing, snowshoes, pulks and fat bikes (reserve bikes in advance).
Trail systems | The Caples Creek
system is located next to the crosscountry center with a diverse array of terrain leading to Caples Meadow and Caples Creek.
Kirkwood also offers the Meadow System in the valley that connects to Kirkwood Village. The Meadow is a great area for all levels and offers 15km of groomed trails with breathtaking views of the surrounding.
The Schneider Trail System remains closed this season due to damage from the Caldor Fire.
Historic eats | Finish the day with a scrumptious meal at the historic Kirkwood Inn, opened in 1864.
Kids ski free | Kids ages 4 & younger ski free.
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.
SOUTH LAKE TAHOE
HOPE VALLEY
Easy to moderate 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.*
TAYLOR CREEK
Easy | (530) 573-2600 or fs.usda.gov
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.*
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. Snow-mobilers 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.*
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.
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
*Sno-Park permit required; (916) 324-1222 or ohv.parks.ca.gov/snoparks.
The LTCC Nordic Center on the South Shore is located on the beautiful campus at Lake Tahoe Community College with views of Freel Peak and Job’s Sister.
The Nordic Center offers 5 to 7 kilometers of groomed trails for both classic and skate skiing. Grooming is done two to three times a week and grooming reports are posted on the website.
Access the LTCC Nordic Track at the west side of the Fitness Education Building on campus. Park in the main
parking lot in a designated space.
Inexpensive option | The Nordic Ski Center offers season and day use passes for the 2022-2023 season. Day tickets are $5 and season passes start at only $40. Sales support the continuation and growth of the Nordic Ski Center. Check with the CONNECT Community Education program at the college for cross-country and snowshoe workshops. n
The nonprofit, volunteer-run Nevada Nordic will offer groomed Nordic trails at its two locations again this season – Mount Rose off Highway 431 and at Spooner Lake State Park on the East Shore. Trail access is free at both locations.
Grooming | Trails are groomed and open depending on conditions. Grooming reports are available online and through nordic-pulse.com. The opening of the Spooner Lake trail system has been delayed this season due to repairs to the group’s snowcat but grooming is expected to begin soon. Donations are needed to continue to offer groomed trails and may be made online.
Tahoe Meadows | Trails are operated at Tahoe Meadows near the Mount Rose summit off Highway 431 with 17km of groomed skating and striding trails,
including grooming up to Chickadee Ridge. The Lower Loops will be closed in February to protect Goshawk breeding area.
Dogs are allowed on the trails, but owners must pack out all dog waste.
Parking is available along Highway 431 on either end of the trail system. There is no parking fee and detailed parking instructions including coordinates are available online.
Spooner Lake | Volunteers also groom 8km of trails at Spooner Lake State Park. Trail access is free but there is a $10 parking fee.
The Spooner Lake Visitor Center was recently completed in the fall and will be open year-round and will make a great spot to use as a warming room for snowshoers and skiers, according to park staff. n
Fridays | Sunset Snowshoe Tours
Jan. 15, Feb. 19, March 11 & April 14 |
Snowshoe Star Tours
Jan. 6-April 5 (select dates) | Full Moon Snowshoe Tours
The North Tahoe Regional Park offers a groomed trail systems for skating and classic skiers, as well as snowshoeing and walking with 8 trails within the system. All the trails are also open to dogs.
Sledding | Sledding and snow play is allowed throughout the park. Both the main larger sled hill near the soccer field and the smaller children’s sled hill near the entrance are available for public use. Sled rentals are not available.
Snowshoe tours | Guided snowshoe tours are offered through Tahoe Adventure
Company including full moon, sunset and star tours. | tahoeadventurecompany.com
Treetop Adventure Park | The adventure park offers a treetop rope, platform and zip line tour with nine courses for all abilities for ages 5 and older. | tahoetreetop.com
Free access | Access is free, but parking is $5 parking or visitors must have a NTPUD Resident Sticker or Park Supporter Sticker.
Year-round soccer | The NTPUD also maintains the region’s only year-round synthetic turf soccer field and is cleared of snow as conditions permit.
Grooming updates | Visit the North Tahoe Recreation & Parks on Facebook and Instagram for weekly grooming updates. n
Saturdays (until March 11) | Twilight
Snowshoe Tour
Dec. 31 | Drone Show Jan. 27-29 | 50th anniversary celebration
Northstar California, celebrating its 50th anniversary this season, provides 32.5km of Nordic terrain in the middle of a world-class downhill ski resort. The Cross Country Center is located at mid-mountain near the base of the Vista chair lift.
Passholders for the downhill ski area also receive access to the Cross County Center. This season, group lessons are
again being offered along with guided snowshoe tours every Saturday through March 11.
Telemark skiers welcome | Northstar is one of the few resorts offering a full line of downhill telemark equipment and instruction through the Cross Country Center.
Kids ski free | Kids 4 and younger ski free.
Fat tire biking | Northstar offers fat tire bike rentals, as well as rentals for pedal assist e-bikes. All rentals require reservations. n
Plumas-Eureka State Park in the Lost Sierra offers several miles of groomed trails for cross-country skiing and several hundred acres for back-country skiing. The park also offers three designated groomed snowshoe trails. The trail system is managed by Plumas-Eureka State Park Association volunteers and trail maps are available at each trailhead.
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. Donations may be made through the Association at plumas-eureka. org.
Longboard Races | The Plumas Ski Club hosts the Historic Longboard Revival
Races each year at the Johnsville Ski Bowl, located within the park. The races are open to everyone and always free and fun to watch. Contestants wear 1860s attire and race downhill on 9- to 16-foot wooden skis, many of which are handmade. | plumasskiclub.org In the winter, heavy snows inspired miners to organize snowshoe races. The first race took place in Plumas County in 1861 — the first recorded ski competition in the western hemisphere. Snowshoes, or longboards, were 12-foot Norwegianstyle skis that weighed as much as 20 pounds, according to park staff. Skiers had one long, large ski pole between their legs to use a brake. On the straight courses, racers reached speeds of more than 80 mph. Some historians think the tramways for the Plumas Eureka Mine may have been the world’s first ski lifts. n
Events
Fridays | Sunset Snowshoe Tours Select dates | Guided cross-country tours Dec. 29 | Locals Night Ice Skating
Venture onto the 18km
Meadows
Guided tours | The resort provides guided, one-hour cross-country tours on its Nordic track led by a nature guide and takes guests through the groomed trail system. The cost is $10 per person, plus equipment rentals.
The resort also provides Sunset Snowshoe Tours for guests every Friday. The family-friendly snowshoe tour takes guests through the snowy valley and ends at the resort’s outdoor fireplace where they can enjoy hot cocoa and s’mores. The tour is complimentary for lodging guests and snowshoe rentals are available. n
Royal Gorge Cross Country is one of the gems of the Tahoe Sierra, boasting the largest cross-country ski area in North America with eight trail systems across 6,000 acres. As well, the resort is celebrating it’s 50th anniversary this season (read the feature in this edition).
Van Norden restoration | The Van Norden Meadow Restoration is underway to return the meadow to its original condition. There is also a new Sheep’s Pen Bridge to keep North/South connectivity
through the trail system. This will improve grooming and keep the trails skiable longer into the spring.
Trail improvements | Throughout the summer, crews have cleared debris and deadfall to reduce fire danger in the summer, which will also improve the winter trail conditions.
New rental fleet | There is a new rental fleet this season including Atomic Redster Skis and Boots for both classic and skate.
Lodge improvements | New restrooms have been installed in Summit Station. n
In the winter, visitors to Sugar Pine Point State Park can enjoy 20km of crosscountry ski and snowshoe trails. For the first time in several years, 10km of the park’s 20km trail system will be groomed this season.
There is no charge for trail access, only a parking fee. Free trail maps are available at the park entrance stations.
Historic trails | Visitors to the park can also follow the path of the Nordic events of the 1960 Winter Olympics that
occurred in what is now Sugar Pine Point State Park. Starting at the Blue Trailhead, located at the day use parking on the campground (west) side of Highway 89, visitors will come across a series of interpretive panels that share the park’s Olympic and Nordic skiing history.
Snowshoe tours | The park will offered guided snowshoe tours every Saturday and Sunday at 11 a.m. along the Blue Trail through General Creek Campground, where the 1960 Winter Olympic Nordic Events were held. | RSVP bit.ly/ sugarpineevents
As well, Sierra State Parks Foundation is offering guided Sunset Snowshoe Tours on select dates in the winter. | sierrastateparks.org n
The Tahoe City Winter Sports Park located in the heart of Tahoe City offers ice skating, sledding, cross-country skiing and snowshoeing making it a great spot for family fun.
The park provides 4km for both skating and striding, as well as a snowshoe loop/ walking trail. Dogs are allowed on the trail system.
Teen skating | New this season, the park will offer blacklight skating monthly for teens; details TBA.
Tickets | Reservations for required in
advance for all activities this season.
Kids ski free | Kids 14 and younger who are residents receive free access to the trail system for skiing and snowshoeing.
Webcam | Check out the webcam of the action on the ice rink at tcpud.org/ winter-webcam.
Dec. 31 | Guided Snowshoe Tour Jan. 14, Feb. 18, March 11 | Wax clinic March 26 | Sierra Skogsloppet Race
Tahoe Donner’s world-class Cross Country Ski Center offers more than 100km of groomed trails and incredible views of the Sierra. This year for the first time, Tahoe Donner has unveiled its new snowmaking system at the cross-country center.
Tahoe Donner Cross Country is the first resort in the region to install a snowmaking system dedicated to cross-country trails, which will enable the ski area to
offer an earlier opening date and a more reliable season. The snowmaking system has been in the works since 2018.
Microtransit | The ski center is now accessible using the free TART Connect microtransit system. The shuttles run daily throughout the Truckee area from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. until April 1 and may be booked using the TART Connect app.
Tahoe Donner also offers a free shuttle from The Lodge Restaurant & Pub to the Alder Creek Adventure Center on busy weekends and holidays. Check the website for schedule. n
The nonprofit ski area offers stunning lake views along the trail making it one of the area’s best spots for cross-country skiing. Tahoe XC recorded its earliest season opening this year when the ski area opened on Nov. 11 to passholders. Dogs are allowed on 9km of trails; fat tire bikes are not allowed.
New base lodge | Tahoe XC expects to break ground in 2023 on its new base lodge, which will be relocated next to the North Tahoe High School. The lodge is expected to open in 2025.
The current base lodge, located at a lower elevation that the high school, limits the resort’s ski season as trails from the base area melt faster than other trails in the network. The move next to the high school will allow for access to those higher-elevation Nordic trails, thus expanding the resort’s ski season.
The lodge will be built using the historic Pennoyer/Schilling home built in 1937 at Rubicon Bay. The home was gifted to the nonprofit ski area for use as a base area.
The new lodge will feature rentals, a cafe, lockers and community meeting areas. A capital fundraising campaign is underway. | tahoexclodgeproject.com
Free skiing | Free trail access is offered to those 19 years of age and younger and those 70 and older.
Trail cam | Navigate to the web cams, weather and snow gauge by clicking the camera icon on the top corner of the website. n
Enjoy free access to 11 trails including trails leaving from Wylder Hope Valley, as well as along Highways 88 and 89 including trails to Burnside, Grass and Winnemucca lakes. Trails maps are available at The Ski Shop and online.
Ski lessons | Cross-country ski lessons are offered every Saturday and Sunday through April 1.
Rentals available | Stop by The Ski Shop inside Wylder Hope Valley’s General Store to rent cross-country skis or snowshoes. Joyce Coker, former owner of Hope Valley Outdoors, joined Wylder’s team in 2020, bringing her extensive cross-country and back-country knowledge to the resort. Wylder also offers free
snowshoes for use to lodging guests.
Parking permits | Trail access is free but most of the trailheads are in the Hope Valley Wildlife Area and require a California Department of Fish & Wildlife Lands Pass, which is available online and from participating vendors. There are no permits available at the trailheads. | (800) 565-1458, wildlife.ca.gov
Winnemucca Lake access | The Winnemucca Lake Trail requires a California Sno-Park parking pass available for purchase online or from participating vendors. Permits are not available at the trailhead. | (916) 324-1222, ohv.parks. ca.gov n
