Snowshoeing Sierra-at-Tahoe

While our friends were downhill skiing, we had planned to cross-country ski. But the snow is a little slushy and the trail was quite short so it didn't seem worth taking out the equipment. Instead we donned our snowshoes and went tromping around near the snowshoe trail provided at Sierra-at-Tahoe. It is a lollipop loop that passes a tubing hill that seemed mostly for kids.

It was a nice area and it felt like we were in the middle of nowhere... until a car drove past on a road that we could see from the trail but didn't know we could see. lol

So if you find yourself in the area and you just want a quick get out, this is a pretty good place to go, particularly if you have children who might want to take advantage of the tubing hill.

Stebbins Cold Creek Canyon

Ah those stairs! Love them. The trail starts off Highway 128 where the parking is pretty limited. It's a pretty gentle hike for the first mile or so and then... the stairs. But, once up the stairs, it's a more gradual ascent. There's a nice place to stop for a rest where three trails intersect. We went right, up the spine. It's a pretty steep climb but the trail is well maintained. Any time you want to stop for a rest, there's a beautiful view any way you look. Lake Berryessa is the most obvious scenery that you'll see. Once you make your way over the spine, it's down down down via several switchbacks. It's also where you'll run into more people coming up the opposite direction.

Once you get down, the traffic will probably be worse so be careful walking along the road to your car. Then head down for a bite and/or drink in Winters. Lots of cute places to check out.

Cross Country Skiing & Snowshoeing - Big Sky, Montana

I went snowshoeing yesterday and cross-country skiing at about 7000 feet today. I got to Big Sky, Montana yesterday and haven't had any issues with headaches or any other altitude issues. I've been drinking water like crazy so I'm sure that is helping. I'm also not drinking coffee after my usual one. In the past when I've been here. I've had coffee all day. Uhh… why?

Anyway, the snow has been great. I could definitely feel the lack of oxygen but I haven't really feel limited at all. I was pleasantly surprised!

Snowshoeing takes off from Big Sky Resort and crosses over the ski hill into the woods where the Zip Line then flies overhead. The trail is easy to follow as it goes in and out of the woods, sometimes paralleling a ski run. At the top of the trail, you can go right or left. I went left, which took me to a Yurt where they apparently host dinners for people who are carted up there in some kind of motor drawn sleigh. The trail is back the same way but with more familiarity, it was more comfortable to go off trail a bit.

Skiing was at the Long Mountain Ranch where the trails were very well groomed. About 10 of us took the shuttle from the resort. We climbed pretty consistently for about 3 miles and then realized that we wouldn't be able to make the entire loop we were trying to complete and we needed to catch the shuttle. The downhill was pretty interesting after not cross-country skiing for two years. I snowplowed a lot of the way down and then tried the groomed tracks. My body didn't remember what to do on a corner and my mind wasn't quick enough to adjust. So the skis went out of the track and I slid across the skate ski track and fell into the powder. POOF! Didn't get hurt at all but I couldn't get out. lol Gary, one of the two men I was skiing with, was waiting for me to come around the corner to get a photo of me. He said he didn't take a picture of me when I fell but then teased that maybe it would show up randomly somewhere. I hope he did!! He also had to pull me out of the powder. About 2 minutes later, Marshall came around a different corner and he fell too. We continued down toward the ranch and ran into the 7 other people in our party who had been taking a lesson. So we all got to finish together.

A great few hours out in the cold fresh air of Montana getting some exercise. Awesome!