Daphne Hougard | Tahoe Donner Cross CountryFor many mountain folks, skate skiing at a cross-country ski area is a great way to enjoy the snow while getting a quick, full-body workout. And, yes, it serves that purpose well. But are you ready for a lengthy ski adventure to experience the best that some of our Nordic ski areas have to offer?
I’ve picked my favorite epic skis at Tahoe Cross Country, Royal Gorge and Tahoe Donner Cross Country. You will climb, descend, say ooh and ahhh at the views, and perhaps swear a bit while gasping for breath.
Before setting out on these lengthy jaunts there are few things to consider. First, if by the time you read this the big storms have not yet brought us a copious blessing of white, wait until they do, because the resorts need to be operating at full capacity. Once the snow has finally arrived, pick a blue sky day in the Goldilocks temperature range and rest up the day before. Then on ski day, bring plenty of water, food, any necessary layers and a trail map.
Tahoe Cross Country | Soup Station One
Before the real workout begins, Tahoe Cross Country is nice enough to give you some kilometers to warm up with. Begin by winding your way to the Purple Trail, where you will enjoy a pleasant descent to the edge of Burton Creek, before a moderate climb along the creek.
At the top of Purple, catch the Red trail to Silver. Take it clockwise and delight in the sharp turns and a big dip that brings you to the Silver Hut and a lovely view of Lake Tahoe. Relax and enjoy Big Blue, because the long climb is about to begin.
Continue around Silver to the Bronze trail, where things get pretty steep. When Bronze meets Gold, a connector trail takes you to the Fiberboard Freeway. Before embarking on this ski, see if the Fiberboard has been groomed to Soup Station One (best bet to keep informed is to get on the Tahoe XC e-mail alert). If it has, understand that on the Fiberboard snowmobiles are allowed, which may degrade the trails conditions, so ski early to beat the snowmobiles.
You begin with a merry descent before the steady climb to the top of Starratt Pass. You pass a trail on your right and join the route of the Great Ski Race, the Western United States’ largest ski race every March. Eventually, the trail winds around to a chilly, north-facing slope with views of Castle Peak in the distance as the trail tops out at a junction, and the usual end of grooming.
A left takes you to Truckee, and straight ahead leads to the edge of Northstar. From here, retrace your glides and flow gently downhill to the Great Ski Race trail, hang a left and experience more fun heading down what is a popular mountain biking section in the summer. At the bottom, turn left on the Orange Trail, where rolling ups and downs bring you to the Lakeview Trail.
Its well-deserved name dishes out a wide swath of Tahoe views after a short, steep climb. From the top, you are almost home; a short descent to Green will make it happen.
Royal Gorge | Point Mariah & Razorback
This rather lengthy, but enjoyable loop, brings you to my two favorite views at Royal Gorge.
From the Summit Station Lodge, loosen up the kinks with a downhill on Palisade to the Snow Mountain trail. Now, begin a long climb that is steady, but not too steep. Enjoy the view of the knife-edged Devil’s Peak to the West, and a panorama of the Sierra from the Snow Mountain Hut. But keep skiing, the views get better.
Take the Hellman’s Way trail which winds up and down to Point Mariah, where you find a stunning vista with 360-degree views of the Pacific Crest and the 4,000-foot drop into the American River Canyon, which gives Royal Gorge its name. Next, slide along the Sterling Canyon Trail to Silverado, which brings you to the Bogus Basin trails and a steep climb to the well-named Razorback trail.
Razorback takes you along a narrow ridgetop with views of Sugar Bowl, Castle Peak and a big chunk of the rest of the Sierra. All good things end, and this trail terminates with a steep descent back to Claim Jumper, where you can begin working your tired body back to the Summit Station via the Switchback Trail.
Tahoe Donner | Drifter & I’m Ok, Euer Ok
Are you ready to climb? This route will give you the opportunity to do so, with views extraordinaire, as well as some pretty dang long downhills.
Find your way to the Sundance Trail, where you begin a long climb through the open, view-filled terrain to the top of Hawk’s Peak. You cross over the top of the ridge, finding views of the Tahoe Donner downhill ski area below you … yes, below you. Eventually, you reach the Drifter trail, which is not too long, but is steep, and by this point you will feel it.
The good news? When you are leaning over your poles gasping for breath, the views are awesome. At the Drifter Hut, you find an immense panorama including views of Donner Summit and Sugar Bowl, as well as Castle Peak and the Frog Lake Cliffs hanging out in bold relief to your southwest. It’s probably blowing like stink here, and if a storm is raging, you don’t want to be here.
Head back the way you came on Crazy Horse, and just over the ridgetop you meet I’m Ok, Euer Ok. Here a long, steep descent takes you to the lovely Euer Valley. While not for the faint of heart, this descent can be fun if you have good downhill skills. Do not crash into the side of the trail and break your ski or you will join me as a member of a club you do not want to belong to.
Once you reach the bottom, you get a respite from the climbing with a gentle glide through the Euer Valley. Enjoy the mountains reaching high above you, including the impressive looking one you just skied down. At the eastern edge of the valley, catch the Last Round Up Trail to climb your way back to the trailhead. And nap time.
Check the latest conditions
Royal Gorge | royalgorge.com
Tahoe Cross Country | tahoexc.org
Tahoe Donner Cross Country | tahoedonner.com
