Hope Valley Cross Country : Waterdog

Near: South Lake Tahoe
Trip Type: Cross-country Ski
Elevation: 7,000 - 8,000 ft
Distance: 8 miles
Vegetation: Pine Forest
Last Visit: 1/14/17

Hope Valley Cross Country center is at Pickett's Junction, where Hwy 88 meets Hwy 89 just east of Carson Pass.  It's a small-time affair with limited grooming (classic skiing only) and ski and snowshoe rentals run out of a Yurt.  Prices are great ($25 for a daily ski package, $10 per car suggested donation for folks brining their own skis).  The big attraction for me at Hope Valley is that it's the best place I've found so far for an easy back country ski experience in California.  Since most trails in the Sierra aren't marked, finding your way in the winter can be a chore.  At Hope Valley there are a mix of groomed and marked, but un-groomed trails on old roads and hiking routes around the valley.  The routes are generally easy to follow, even if the markers are a bit sparse.  It's more like skiing in the woods out east (where they believe in marking hiking trails) than at a typical cross country ski center.  This post is specifically for part of their trail system that winds up a minor ridgeline east of CA-89 on the north side of CA-88.

Spooner Lake to Marlette Lake

Near: South Lake Tahoe
Trip Type: Cross Country Ski
Distance: 9 miles
Elevation: 7,000 - 8,600 feet
Vegetation: Pine Forest
Last Visit: Jan 28, 2017

Spooner Lake is just a big pond really, on the East side of Lake Tahoe.  A short, flat trail around the lake makes for a nice light walk or ski in the winter.  For a bigger day, take the North Canyon Road towards Marlette Lake.  The road follows a gently climbing stream up a small valley to a saddle point overlooking the lake.  From there you can descend to the lake, but detoured west to a rocky outcropping with outstanding views of Lake Tahoe.  The climb on this route is more appropriate for intermediate to advanced cross-country skiers, but novices might find a trip up the lower portions of North Canyon Road a fun challenge.  There have been sporadic efforts to groom a trail around the lake and up North Canyon Road for classic and skate-skiing of late, but this time no grooming was in evidence. Striding skis were required and I was glad I was wearing BC gear when we had to break trail in the upper portions of the route.