lake, hike, mountain bike, off-road, ski, snowmobile

Tahoe Trail Maps / Tahoe National Forest

Wanna find every waterfall or every creek to fish? This is the place that will help you find them. Easily, with good old fashion printed maps. Hard copies, some waterproof & tear resistant, most with topographical data and all roads, trails, campgrounds and parks. Whether or not you water ski or cross country ski, these maps will save your ass – when you are way back there in the boonies. Tahoe Rubicon Trail connects the gold country to the lake via granite wilderness sky ways above 7000′ elevation, but a real 4×4 and overnights are required. The back roads and trails are endless in these parts of the Central Sierra Nevada mountains.

• Tahoe Rim Trail Map
• Lake Tahoe Basin Map
• Lake Tahoe Topo Atlas
• Tahoe National Forest Map

mountain biking
hiking trailhead
4×4 trailhead
equestrian trails

Rock climbing, backpacking, fly fishing creeks, snowmobiling, you name it. No matter what kind of trail you seek in California, we have the maps to get you out there, this weekend. If you seek a week long adventure in the Sierra high country, or a weekend getaway destination you’ve never heard of, or a quick after work hike near your home town, we just might have it listed. And we probably have the waterproof, topographical map too.

DOGS & BIKES on TRAILS:

Dog friendly trails include almost anything within the CA National Forests. Remember that most National Parks & State Parks literally forbid dogs on hiking trails. Mountain bikes can access only certain trails in parks, but in the National Forests nearly every trail or dirt road is up for grabs.

OHV ROUTES:

Motorized vehicles, such as quads, ATVs, dirt bikes, Jeeps & 4×4s must stick to designated routes signed specifically for OHV (off highway vehicle) & you won’t be finding many of those inside National Parks & State Parks, so it’s best to look for BLM or NF lands. Many regular, forest, back roads close in winter due to heavy snow pack & thus become cross country ski, snowshoe or even snowmobiling trails. The best ones can be found in the Sierra Nevada mountains.

Explore a decent selection of random trail heads within Cali.

• OHV maps & trails
• California Wilderness Trail Maps
• Tom Harrison Hiking Maps

And if you ever get bored with “reading” text about trails, you can always search the visual database of amazing Cali scenery over at DanaMite’s flickr site

snow pass / snow season / snow ski report

NorCal Skiing

• Cedar Pass
• Stover Mountain
• Plumas Eureka Ski
• Coppervale
• Mount Shasta

Lake Tahoe Skiing

• Truckee Donner
• Ski Norden
• Heavenly California

High Sierra Nevada

• Bear Valley Ski
• Huntington Lake Sierra Summit
• Kirkwood Ski California
• Pinecrest Dodge Ridge
• Yosemite Badger Pass

Eastern Sierra Nevada

• June Mountain Ski
• Mammoth Snow

Ski Southern California

• Alta Sierra Kernville Ski
• Angeles Crest Hwy 2 LA
• Big Bear Skiing
• Mount Baldy Ski
• Wrightwood Mountain High

It was another one of those long and tiring days in the office and all I wanted to do was find myself on a open highway heading out of town. So right after the time clock struck five, I raced home, picked up my bags which were packed with my clothing and gear the night before, stopped at my girlfriends home to rescue her from the mundane existence of the apartment, we found ourselves finally on our way into snow country of the Sierra-Nevadas.

Our destination was a small resort community called Lakeshore CA, situated on the shore of Lake Huntington between the Ansel Adams and John Muir Wildernesses in the Sierra National Forest. The drive up the mountain at dark was breath taking and clear, a night in March with a full moon out and a fresh blanket of snow gracing our presence all around us as we drove our truck through the winding mountain road. The temperature must of been in the teens that night but that didn’t faze us as we looked out of our car windows at the spectacular sight Mother Nature had in store for us. Soft snow pillows hung on tree limbs everywhere, glistening moonlight bounced off the gentle lake as we drove along side and huge snow drifts towered on the road shoulder as we travelled to our resort lodge destination.

At first we thought it would require more map insight in finding the lodge under such wintery conditions. But to our surprise, the road we had been traveling on, Highway 168, just dead ended at our weekend getaway. The check into the lodge was fast and simple, soon we found ourselves settling into a decent rustic cabin with drifts of snow twelve feet high all around. Thanks to the constant plowing of roads, everything was accessible within reason due to El Ninos erratic behavior.

The next day we became captivated by the raw beauty of waking in a wintery wonderland, hardly hours away from the hustle and bustle of the big cities of Los Angeles and San Francisco. After a bit of exploring around the frozen lake, we took off on a rented snowmobile for the back country where we became amazed by gorgious mountain lookouts. Untouched wilderness full of snowcapped mountains, lost tranquil valleys, and frozen pools and streams locked in a time zone of raw beauty. I wanted to stay gazing for hours but our destination was deep in the wilderness valley about twenty miles away. There after passing through woodsy trails and snowy spectaculars we arrived at our place of relaxation, the Mono Hot Springs. This out of the way spot has been frequented over the years by naturalists like ourselves who have pulled off the trail to dip into the eighty degree plus waters that caress the body with mineral rich fluids. Never have i been so relaxed in an environment with no one around for miles, white snow all around with a trickling stream close by for awe and amazement. If it wasn’t for the deadline for the snowmobile return, we could of stayed at this place til sundown. The ride home on the machine, my body seemed to be thanking my mind for bringing it to such an inspiring place. My mood was calm and invigorated by the mountain waters & scenery.

Back at the lodge after freshing up, my girlfriend and I discussed how lucky we were to be able to experience activities like these that really don’t require throngs of urbanites to complicate and mettle up our space. That night we enjoyed and excellent meal inside the lodge dining room which didn’t weight us down. Then over to the saloon we went to indulge in spirits, a small wedding party was happening were participates graced our pressence with drunken humor. Even though they looked like the stereo typical yuppies, this didn’t bother us as we knew that they had come to the same spot to be enveloped by the sheer beauty and splendor of Lakeshore.

Spring 98, by Chris DiNenna

Sequoia National Forest & Sequoia National Park do not have any major snow ski resorts. Shirley Meadows Ski Park in Alta Sierra is the closest thing to a facility that exists in the Southern Sierra Nevada.

Cross Country snowy terrain exist in the lower Sierras, you just hafta look to find it. The local rangers in Kernville can tell if there is any good snow on the 7000′ ridges & what places are plowed already & have trail head parking open. It’s quite a seasonal thing you know?

Sequoia National Park is open year round, permitting the snow plows can get thru on Hwy 198. Kings Canyon highway is closed for winter months. Excellent cross-country skiing & snow mobiling trails @ Big Meadows Rd.

Shermans Pass in April 2007
Originally uploaded by danamight

Camping in the spring on the Kern River can be wonderful, even as it snows nearby. This is the middle of the highway, well after the first snow gate.