Backcountry xc skiing in CA?

[lisa r]

Over the last couple years I’ve started exploring the northern Sierra and Trinity Alps by foot in the summer. Now I’m interested in exploring northern California by xc ski in the winter. Given the northern CA/northern Sierra area covers a huge amount of terrain, I’m looking for suggestions to help kick off my research. I’m up in OR, so probably not looking to go any further south than northern Yosemite.

I’m only interested in day trips, not overnight. I’d ideally be on marked ski trails, but not necessarily groomed, and avoiding really popular areas and resorts. I’ll be using an NNN-BC set up and I’m not avy trained, so not looking for anything seriously backcountry. Also, tips for elevations, areas, or months where adequate snow and conditions is somewhat of a sure thing would also be fantastic, if such generalizations are possible.

Basically, help me get started skiing in CA!

Thanks all!

[jscott]

You can hook up on stretches of the Tahoe Rim trail from paved roads quite easily. The trick for me is to find stretches that aren’t too steep or avalanche prone, but long enough to give me a good day trip feel. the Tahoe Rim trail beginning just up from tahoe city (I forget the road name now) has a brief steep ascent where I carry my skis for fifteen minutes or so, and then takes off on good easy rolling terrain for a number of miles. There are also tons of abandoned logging roads around the lake that would be worth looking at. some can be pretty steep, however.

Look into Tamarack Lodge if you do this: clean, cheap and it borders a large state park that itself is quite good for skiing. Burton State park. The lodge is just outside of Tahoe City in the woods. You can ski from out the door. Tamarack is modern, with good beds and heat and privacy and all the rest characteristic of a modern motel, but it’s charming. there are also wonderful cabins that you can rent.

[Dave @ Oware]

Avalanch hazard is a serious consideration, so you want to stay off and out from under any kinds of steeper slopes. My iPhone has a level/slope angle app that is useful as a rough guide. GPS programs like GAIA and computer sites like CalTopo can show slope angles too. Do some research.

There are so many in bounds XC places that you don’t have to worry about that.

Here are some out of bounds xc places that are fun and flat.

Short- Tahoe Meadows

Elevation 8466′ Slope 2° Aspect 105°
System
Coordinates – WGS84
Read As
Coordinates – NAD27 CONUS
Univeral Transverse Mercator
11S 0249130E 4354138N
zone 11S, 0249130 east by 4354138 north
US National Grid
11S KD 49130 54138
11SKD 4913054138
Decimal Degrees
39.3003, -119.9092
39 point 3003 degrees north by 119 point 9092 degrees west
Degrees Decimal Minutes
39°18.018′, -119°54.555′
39 degrees 18 point 018 minutes north by 119 degrees 54 point 555 minutes west
Degrees Minutes Seconds
39°18’01”, -119°54’33”
39 degrees 18 minutes 01 seconds north by 119 degrees 54 minutes 33 seconds west

————-

Short- Kyburz Flat

Where I take beginners for a picnic. Sometimes there are cranes in the early season. Also an old Basque pizza oven.

Elevation 6306′ Slope 1° Aspect 165°
System
Coordinates – WGS84
Read As
Coordinates – NAD27 CONUS
Univeral Transverse Mercator
10S 0737509E 4375893N
zone 10S, 0737509 east by 4375893 north
US National Grid
10S GJ 37509 75893
10SGJ 3750975893
Decimal Degrees
39.4999, -120.2378
39 point 4999 degrees north by 120 point 2378 degrees west
Degrees Decimal Minutes
39°29.992′, -120°14.268′
39 degrees 29 point 992 minutes north by 120 degrees 14 point 268 minutes west
Degrees Minutes Seconds
39°30’00”, -120°14’16”
39 degrees 30 minutes 00 seconds north by 120 degrees 14 minutes 16 seconds west

———

Medium- Peter Grub Hut (no grub, named after a war veteran)

Stick to the road/trail, have spent hours with probes doing body recovery on a nearby tiny slope. Also lots of lost people when the snow covers the way on the return trip and they get fooled into following highway noise that leads them into the wilds instead of back to the sno-park. Be good at map and compass and GPS.

Elevation 7813′ Slope 4° Aspect 346°
System
Coordinates – WGS84
Read As
Coordinates – NAD27 CONUS
Univeral Transverse Mercator
10S 0726789E 4360960N
zone 10S, 0726789 east by 4360960 north
US National Grid
10S GJ 26789 60960
10SGJ 2678960960
Decimal Degrees
39.3683, -120.3674
39 point 3683 degrees north by 120 point 3674 degrees west
Degrees Decimal Minutes
39°22.101′, -120°22.045′
39 degrees 22 point 101 minutes north by 120 degrees 22 point 045 minutes west
Degrees Minutes Seconds
39°22’06”, -120°22’03”
39 degrees 22 minutes 06 seconds north by 120 degrees 22 minutes 03 seconds west

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Longer, about 30k

The Great Ski Race Trail from Tahoe to Truckee

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[jscott]

Actually,you can ski at Tahoe XC, which abuts Burton state park and is very extensive–and groomed. That’s my favorite groomed Nordic area.

Actually Spooner Lake is 2 1/2 mile circuit that’s flat and very picturesque. You can explore out from there too apparently. No avalanche danger and not possible to get lost. I’d prefer this to Tahoe Meadows personally.

There’s also Ward Creek,part of the Tahoe Rim trail. You pick it up off a paved road, and it’s flat for several miles but then enters thick forest and climbs. I sort of don’t find the road on the creek to be very attractive but I’ve done this ski often.

[David Gardner]

Royal Gorge near Donner Pass off Interstate 80

Kirkwood

Northstar off CA-89 and CA-267 between I-80 and Lake Tahoe

[Ken Thompson]

There are areas in Lassen National Forest too.

[Author]

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