YOUR FRIEND IN HIGH PLACES   Lynn Richardson . Coldwell Banker Real Estate . Lake Tahoe & Truckee

By Tim Hauserman

Anyone who has had the fortune of skiing up Crabtree Canyon from Euer Valley at Tahoe Donner Cross Country, will be happy to hear that the Tahoe Donner Association is in the process of purchasing a 640 acre parcel which includes Crabtree Canyon. In addition to the benefits for skiers of protecting the parcel, Steve Miller, president of the board of Tahoe Donner Association says, “The acquisition of the Crabtree Canyon parcel will also protect Tahoe Donner’s borders from future development.”

The purchase will allow the reopening of 16 percent of Tahoe Donner XC’s ski terrain that had previously been closed due to land use concerns, including the Crabtree Canyon trail. Tahoe Donner will also be exploring future opportunities over this property for hiking, biking, and equestrian usage in accordance with its comprehensive trails master plan and land management plan.

Adjacent to the Crabtree Canyon parcel is Carpenter Valley, a beautiful alpine valley similar to Euer Valley, that the Truckee Donner Land Trust is interested in acquiring in 2017. “Carpenter Valley is one of the most spectacular — and little known — valleys in the entire Northern Sierra. Preserving the pristine natural beauty of our surroundings and ensuring continued recreational access is of utmost importance to us,” said Perry Norris, executive director of the Truckee Donner Land Trust. “This is a critical open space that is of great value to our community, and we are pleased to work with Tahoe Donner Association to help protect it.”

Non-motorized summer and winter activities will be encouraged on the new parcel of land and officials from the Truckee Donner Land Trust envision a loop trail around the valley, with plans to link Tahoe Donner and Independence Lake via a new trail system.

“This land acquisition helps us move forward in keeping with our guiding principles, which includes environmental stewardship,” said Robb Etnyre, Tahoe Donner’s general manager. “The majority of our members surveyed last summer identified protecting and investing in open space and trails as a top priority for the association.”

By Tim Hauserman

Sure, winter is quickly melting away, but now is the perfect time to head to the higher elevations for some springtime skiing. One of my favorite places to go when the sun starts getting high in the sky is Kirkwood Cross Country Ski Area. It takes just over an hour to get there from North Tahoe, but it feels like you are traveling to an another world.

From North Lake Tahoe, drive south on Highway 89 along the west shore of the lake past Emerald Bay, then head through the edge of South Lake Tahoe on Highway 50 to Meyers. Turn left off of Highway 50 onto Highway 89 and proceed towards Luther Pass and Hope Valley. Once you begin dropping down into Hope Valley is when the drive starts to become truly majestic. You are surrounded by seemingly untouched snow capped peaks, stretching high above an expansive valley. The mountains get even more dramatic as you climb over Carson Pass and roll past Caples Lake to Kirkwood.

Kirkwood Cross Country has three trail systems: The Main Lodge provides a series of short, fun trails through forest or climbing up short ridges to views; the meadow in the valley provides two short loops for quick skate skis; and my favorite, the Schneider Trail system dishes out amazing views of Elephant’s Back, Round Top, Kirkwood, Caples Lake and the Carson Spur. You do have to work for those views with a long steady climb, but the views are well worth the effort.

Even though there is still a lot of snow at the 8000 foot elevation where Kirkwood is located, don’t dilly dally since it is melting fast.