SierraPundit

Wildlife gets pretty tame around Tahoe Donner but this takes the cake.   This beaver pond is right next to Skislope Way at Alder Creek.   At picture right is the owner’s lodge only 5 yards from the pavement!

There’s also a cabin a mere 30 yards to the left of the image and a 2nd dam on the other side of Ski Slope Way.   Does it belong to another beaver or is this one building an empire?   Panorama created with Photoshop Photomerge.

Well my dad and his friend Barbara Ellis flew west from Florida for a week of l Sierra adventure.   After touring down 49 to Coloma, Columbia, Sonora and Bridgeport we zipped through Yosemite and wound up in Bridgeport for some fishing.    Though Twin Lakes was stone-cold dead, they were definitely biting in Bridgeport Reservoir:

Only part of the catch at Bridgeport

Other trip pictures:

In Donner Pass with the old railroad sheds and Donner Peak behind

Barbara Ellis learns to pan pyrite from Willie Nelson at Columbia

The usual vista shot:

Joe Reece and Barbara Ellis behold Yosemite

All the Yosemite waterfalls are going great guns due to the late spring:

Barbara Ellis and Yosemite Falls

No Yosemite trip would be complete without one of these:

An encounter of the ursine kind

Barbara at Bodie

Joe and Barb in the vice dens of Virginia City

So I return from visiting dad in Florida expecting to do little hiking and what do I find. Another powder day.

Unfortunately even Alpine has shut down for the season, even though it only has to run Summit Six to provide a decent value for would-be Memorial Day weekend skiiers.

There I was about to toss my Squaw pass after their announced closure and in comes a very windy storm to dump some more pow.  So Squaw will keep KT running until May 9 and Alpine will run at least Summit Six for several more weekends.     Surprisingly the power never flickered once though it howled continuously for over 24 hours.    Tahoe Weather Discussion says a few more days of cold weather and then beach conditions should return.

At first glance the trailer for “Hot Tub Time Machine” looked promising. But come on now, those “Day-Glo”ski fashions are from 1975, NOT 1985!

This is what MY crowd was wearing circa 1985 in Tahoe:

Click on the thumbnails for a larger image. Do note the lack of helmets and the oversize Ray-Ban/Vuarnet sunglasses.

This semi-loop or out-and-back,  aka “Hawks Peak Direct”, offers a short, fairly intense workout when you don’t have all day to spend skiing, plus a good, earned  downhill run back.  Note the vertical gain is about the same as in the Great Race, but over a shorter distance. As a diagonal plodder on waxless skis I generally head up the gentler grades on the Moodance Hut portion of the loop, and return on the steeper downhills via Boot Scoot and White Lightning.   It’s easy to take a wrong turn in this section thus killing the downhill fun.    Near Intersection 9, Boot Scoot is off of Sundance, not  Boot Hill, and you want the right branch of White Lightning at Intersection 6, not the left.

A short, intense workout with views and a good downhill run back. Click to enlarge.

For a shorter, more intense workout, skip the Moondance Hut loop segment and head directly up White Lightning and Boot Scoot portion out-and-back.   Note this involves some upgrades where diagonal striders on waxless skis will lose grip except under perfect snow conditions.

This 16km loop, informally known as “Sundance/Drifter”, offers views of the pastoral Euer Valley and panoramic views from Hawks Peak and Donner Ridge.   It is best on clear, calm days as the upper end is rather exposed.

Panoramic views abound on this loop. Click for a larger image.

Note:  The Hawks Peak/Donner Ridge area is often not completely groomed until the 2nd day after a heavy snowfall, especially midweek.   Call Tahoe Donner XC at (530) 587-9494 for exact status.

One nice thing about Tahoe Donner XC is that it has some large areas, such as the Euer Valley, that are more sheltered than Royal Gorge when the wind is blowing and the snow is flying.   This 15km loop, informally known as “Coyote Crossing”, hits 3 warming huts and features gentle downhill grades for beginners lacking downhill skills.

Tahoe Donner XC - a loop for beginners or a blustery day. Click for larger image.

This is also one of the first long loops completely groomed after a heavy snowfall.

This somewhat off-beat, lift-served XCD tour takes advantage of one of the more curious things about Tahoe Donner.   Tahoe Donner Downhill is a shortcut trailhead via the Eagle Chair to the highest points in Tahoe Donner XC across the street, which are higher and more viewful than the alpine area!

The obvious route is to ski down Mile Run (which is about intermediate by nordic standards)  from Eagle Chair and take the offical “Downhill Interconnect”  to the regular nordic trails leading out-and-back to Hawk’s Peak and Donner Ridge.    Note that, though groomed, it’s usually posted “Closed Area” to keep clueless alpine beginners from getting lost.

However, I’ve worked out a more adventurous route  involving about 40 minutes of trailbreaking/hiking directly from the top of the Eagle chair to the crest of Skislope Way, up Glacier Way,  and onward to The Far Side, Hawk’s Peak, Sundance, and returning via the Downhill Interconnect.   This let’s one do one big, very viewful loop of the high points of Tahoe Donner with minimal backtracking, minimal uphill slogging, and most of it pleasantly groomed.

Click image for larger version

Note: When you get to the crest of SkiSlope, marked by a Snowcat garage, you have two choices.   Resume skiing directly across the street, or hike up Glacier Way to the cul-de-sac and resume skiing from there.   Hiking is faster.

Now for some caveats:

• I have a combined season pass for both areas , which I consider a bargain, but day tickets are a bit of a hassle.  A nordic pass entitles you to 1 ride up the Eagle chair to reach the Downhill Interconnect but they currently aren’t sold at the alpine area.    So it’s buy your pass at the nordic lodge and either drive over or ski over.   Or buy two passes and practice your skinny ski turns on the congenial  beginner and intermediate alpine runs.   It’s still cheaper than Squaw.
• However, some operations personnel at the downhill area are pretty fussy about having some kind of ski leash arrangement, even on skating toothpicks. I use backcountry touring gear for this tour that has provisions for attaching a leash. Most NNN-BC, SNS-BC, and of course 75mm bindings do. YMMV.
• Kicker skins are helpful between Glacier Way and The Far Side. It can get a little crusty.
• The powder in Sunrise Bowl is often inviting but there is a small slide area directly north of the route shown. Stick to the crest of Donner ridge between Glacier Way and the Far Side. Sunrise Bowl is not patrolled and iPhones/ATT are useless down in it.

This has got to be the easiest short trip with panoramic ridge and summit views in the Sierra Nevada, combining a little trail-breaking and the Tahoe Donner XC trail system (and a trail pass) with minimal uphill slogging.   The summertime trailhead just off the intersection of Glacier Way and Skislope Way is usually plowed, though often not well, in winter.   Follow the yellow line below to the Tahoe Donner XC trail system end at “The Far Side”, onward to Hawk’s Peak and return.

An easy, 6-mile out-and-back tour combining on-trail and off-trail skiing.

One would think extending the TDXC trail system the last mile to Glacier Way would be a winner.

A few caveats: You do need buy a trail pass at the Tahoe Donner XC Center.  It should be possible to do this on a half-day pass.  Due to wind the last stretch of off-trail skiing before reaching ‘The Far Side’  can be both a little thin and crusty.  Fresh powder just north of the indicated route in Sunrise Bowl is tempting but there is a spot or two with some potential for small slides.   If the parking lot is inaccessible the Glacier Way cul-de-sac is an alternative.