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Backcountry xc skiing in CA?


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Home Forums Campfire Trip Planning Backcountry xc skiing in CA?

Viewing 6 posts - 1 through 6 (of 6 total)
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  • #3685633
    lisa r
    BPL Member

    @lisina10

    Locale: Western OR

    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!

    #3685636
    jscott
    BPL Member

    @book

    Locale: Northern California

    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.

    #3685696
    Dave @ Oware
    BPL Member

    @bivysack-com

    Locale: East Washington

    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

    —-

    Longer, about 30k

    The Great Ski Race Trail from Tahoe to Truckee

    —-

     

    #3685762
    jscott
    BPL Member

    @book

    Locale: Northern California

    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.

    #3685767
    David Gardner
    BPL Member

    @gearmaker

    Locale: Northern California

    Royal Gorge near Donner Pass off Interstate 80

    Kirkwood

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

    #3685795
    Ken Thompson
    BPL Member

    @here

    Locale: Right there

    There are areas in Lassen National Forest too.

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