Archive for the ‘Winter at Lake Tahoe’ Tag
Winters in the Sierra are unpredictable. While we almost always get plenty of snow, we don’t necessarily get it early enough for your Christmas plans. In case the white stuff doesn’t step up to the plate and make a quick appearance, here are a few alternatives to get through the holidays and have some fun:
Snowshoeing at Mt Rose
Using the snow we have
Even when there isn’t enough snow for some great powder skiing or a 20 kilometer jaunt out to Point Moriah, at Royal Gorge there is still some around for playing.
Get High: Head up to Tahoe Meadows, at the summit of the Mt. Rose Highway. At nearly 9000 feet there is plenty of snow to make Snow Women or build forts. I was out snowshoeing along the Tahoe Rim trail last week and it was beautiful. You don’t even need snowshoes, good hiking boots will work, but watch the slippery trails. The views are outstanding!
Take a hike up into Coldstream Canyon out of Donner Lake. You can hike or snowshoe. Cross country skiing is a bit tricky since there are rocks and dirt to scoot around.
The Tahoe City Winter Sports Park is located on the summer grounds of the Tahoe City Golf Course. There must be something about snow sitting on grass that allows for good skiing without much snow, because this might be the best place to skate ski until the next big storm arrives.
Sledding is limited, but there’s the park at Boreal and Granlibakken. Or find a shaded hillside and there’s probably enough snow to have fun on.
Other outdoor ideas
I’ve been seeing people out fishing at Donner Lake and kayaking and canoeing at Tahoe and Donner. Be careful since you don’t want to take a swim.
There’s ice skating at Northstar and Squaw and the Villages are fun to stroll – good shopping and eats.
Take a bike ride. You still need to dress warm and mid afternoon is the warmest time of day.
Walking out by Boca, Prosser or Stampede Reservoirs. These lakes are east of Truckee and don’t get as much snow as some areas and there’s lots of sunshine.
Shop Local
Tahoe and Truckee have a host of small businesses that support local artisans. Four stores which consistently display unique and interesting gifts are Bespoke and Riverside Studios on Commercial Row in Truckee, The Trunk Show in The Cobblestone in Tahoe City and Jai-Yen in the center of Kings Beach. Truckee’s old downtown is a great place to check out the local shops and great restaurants.
Get good eatin’s
Try the new Picnic, a take-out place for delicious sandwiches, salads and paninis in Tahoe City near the Safeway. Marty’s Café in Downtown Truckee has large servings of amazing food. For more healthy appetites try Wild Cherries and Whole Treats which are located in Truckee on Donner Pass Road as you are driving towards Donner Lake.
Go to the lake
Head to the shores of Donner Lake or Lake Tahoe. The lakes are easier to get to when the shoreline is not buried in snow. Take a book, a warm jacket and a comfy fold-up chair and enjoy the water lapping along the shore.
Finally, once you’ve enjoyed all that the region has to offer, set yourself down in front of a warm fire, and sip a mug of mulled cider or hot cocoa. Ahh. Now you’re talking. 
Share this: Lynn Richardson, Your Friend in High Places
8474 Hillside, Serene Lakes
If you searched the world over, you would be hard pressed to find a better house for the cross-country skier. Before we even get to the house, which is incredible, let’s consider the location. About 100 yards from 8474 Hillside Drive is Royal Gorge, the nation’s largest cross-country ski resort. Royal Gorge is receiving high marks from skiers after a new owner and new management team from Sugar Bowl took over last year. From the lodge you can head out to Point Moriah and witness the 4000 foot drop into the Royal Gorge itself, or you could head towards The Wall and check out the sublime view of Devil’s Peak. Actually you can ski there for a week, and never get tired of all the good skiing. And to make it even better, you are going to have plenty of time to enjoy all that skiing, because this area is blessed with bounteous quantities of the white stuff.
Great room
Now that your interest is piqued, it gets even better: The house is awesome. We can start where only any skier would start. In the waxing room. That’s right. This place has it’s own waxing room. It’s a skiers dream.
Ski tuning room
Then we see the rest of the home. With interior stairs, partially covered decks, enclosed hot tub and gently sloping driveway this place is designed to make life easier when the snow flies. The spectacular great room is cheery and loaded with light. The soaring ceiling and numerous windows offer lovely forest views. Then there’s an oversized garage for toys, boat, snowmobiles etc, dumbwaiter, hydronic heat, fun reading/sleeping nooks and an observatory for star gazing! Whew.
Rear deck
All in all you get a hefty 2500 square feet of living space, with 3 bedrooms and 2.5 baths in this custom built home that was built in 2002. Even if you are not a Nordic fanatic this home is a great place to be (yeah, yeah, Sugar Bowl is just down the road a piece), but of course if your winter world revolves around skating up steep hills and gliding across mountain meadows…then this place is your big piece of heaven. Perhaps the world’s greatest piece of Nordic heaven. No matter what you love about the mountains this property is definitely worth a look! $799,000
Share this: Lynn Richardson, Your Friend in High Places
Sunny skies on Sunday at Tahoe
Yes, it’s that time of year again. When crisp mornings are followed by warm afternoons, and the bright yellow leaves of the aspens and cottonwoods shine brightly against the deep blue skies. But then, just when you are nicely lulled into complacency with the beauty of autumn, the snows of winters arrive, usually with a vengeance with just a day or two of warning. Will you be ready?
-Are the hoses disconnected and stowed away? Has the sprinkler system been turned off and drained?
-Is everything out of the yard that you don’t want covered in snow for the next six months? Kayaks? Lawn chairs? Planters? Bike racks?
-Do you have all your firewood stacked and ready to be easily accessed so you can stoke the flames of winter?
-Has your heater been serviced?
-Have you installed a stop and drain valve to easily shut off the water in your house when you leave for an extended period?
-Have you reorganized your garage so that you can actually get a car in there? And does that car have its winter tires on? Do you need new windshield wipers?
-Is the snow blower ready to go, or the snow poles installed along the driveway so the snow plow company won’t dig up your landscaping?
-And where is that @#*& snow shovel and snow and ice scraper?
View from my office this morning!
Phew, you’ve finished those pesky chores. Now you just have one more fun step before winter. Go shopping. Can’t find your warm gloves and need to get another pair? What about that jacket that died in April? Now’s the time, and the local businesses would love to see you come walking in the door. Or better yet look up the local ski swaps. I’ll have information on ski swaps later in the week so check back in a few days.
Finally, satisfied that you are ready, it’s time to sit back, relax and dream of what that fresh dumping of new snow will bring you: Is it a smooth glide across Euer Valley, or would you prefer to catch a view of Tahoe as you make your turns from the top of the Sherwood Chair? Or perhaps your dream is simply sipping on a hot toddy, sitting close to the crackling fire, and watching the big flakes float to the ground.
Share this: Lynn Richardson, Your Friend in High Places
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