8550′ Groomed and Free Winter trail experience near Mt. Rose in Lake Tahoe
Free Groomed Snow Trails in Lake Tahoe? Can this be real?
You have got to love Local Passion. In our foray into the Sierra monthly, we do a lot of online scouting of social channels to see what type of secrets people share outdoors. And after ten years, I am constantly surprised at how little of the Sierra I have seen. So when I saw a post on Instagram about a group called Nevada Nordic, which was grooming trails near Chickadee Ridge and Mt. Rose for cross-country skiers and snowshoers for Free, I was both ecstatic and a little mystified as to why I had not known this earlier. Still, I had to learn more and experience this remarkable discovery in one of our favorite places in Lake Tahoe in the winter.
Nevada Nordic Volunteer Grooming group
A volunteer group born out of need, closures and failures, driven to bring outdoor winter recreation back to the Nevada Side of Tahoe. Nevada Nordic operates on a community-based model.
“We will need a significant amount of community support to keep the trails groomed and build out our long-term vision. We aim to offer premier Nordic skiing trails for skate and classic and multi-use offerings to support other activities such as backcountry skiing, snowshoeing, and winter fat biking. “
Filling the gap left by organized efforts in the past to provide great experiences in Lake Tahoe’s Eastern slopes, Nevada Nordic was able to raise funds to purchase a groomer and start grooming trails a couple of years back. Last winter, while taking a group of kids to Chickadee Ridge and Inspiration Point, I found the groomed trails, wondered who was doing such fantastic work in the National Forest, and wrongfully assumed it was the Tahoe Rim trail group. So when I stumbled on Nevada Nordic’s post, I knew this was a cause I had to share with our readers.
The Trail Network – Beauty and peace in all directions
For me, the week after Christmas is always a week of exploring and, hopefully, snowshoeing. But at the end of 2023, the winter was failing us a bit in the Sierra Nevada, so snow hikes were more prominent than snowshoeing. (Thankfully, as we write this story, the Snow has arrived in the Sierra)
My Buddy Tom and I (with my dog Dakota) took off from the Carson Valley the Thursday after Christmas to see how the snow conditions were near Tahoe Meadows and to experience the trail network by Nevada Nordic. I researched their website and social channels and discovered they were using the Old MT Rose Highway West of Tahoe Meadows as a starting point for the trailhead, allowing cross-country skiers and snowshoers to build a little workout as they slide uphill to Chickadee Ridge region and the variety of trail options int he basin.
Parking in the roadside pullout, we collected our gear, leashed the pup, and walked Easterly along the highway about 100 feet to the Old Mt. Rose highway entrance. I was pleasantly surprised to find a dog-friendly entry with proper signage, poop bags, and trash receptacle, allowing me to feel comfortable being a pet owner on the trail. We hurried to get our snowshoes on as several cross-country skiers moved ahead of us and started skating their way up the groomed trail. Stunning was the word that resonated in my head & best associated with my initial thoughts as we walked up the side path of the groomed trail with our snowshoes. The sugar pines and old-growth timber in this area have been successfully manicured and managed, making it a bit of a winter wonderland as you travel up the ridge.
Realizing the challenge of managing my dog Dakota on the groomed trail as several more skiers traveled by in both directions and craving a little deeper Snow off the snowshoes, we exited the trail to the South about a 1/2 mile in at a trail vicinity of Tyrolian Ridge following a route similar to Upper tTyrolian trail on the AllTrails+ app.
This experience was peaceful and stunning, even with winter’s limited Snow. We traveled up along the ridge to Chickadee Ridge and had lunch looking over the Lake Tahoe Basin across from Diamond Peak Resort.
After lunch and a little wandering up in the forest, we followed Dakota back towards the groomed trail up top from where we began. She may be enjoying the groomed experience more than I expected. Wandering freely in the Snow and following our knowledge of the landscape, we soon found our way back to the groomed roadway and the easy travel route back to the car. Now, midday up at Tahoe Meadows, the trail was a popular location with cross-country skiers; we saw everyone from beginners to seasoned athletes doing an afternoon workout.
As we headed back down towards the car, we continued to follow Dakota as she wandered back into the Snow for a bit and then back to the trail. She enjoyed the open space and didn’t mind the other dogs running with their skiing owners headed up the hill. Finding a place not at war with Dogs or dog owners is undoubtedly lovely. I hope all dog owners will appreciate and help keep it a friendly Dog zone by maintaining respect on the trail and cleaning up after their pets.
How do we keep a good thing in Tahoe?
Whether you ski once a season or hit the trails daily on Nevada Nordics groomed trails, they can only do it with your support. Each trailhead location has donation signs to help with an easy digital donation on your visits, you can use it to scan our posted donate signs at the entrance to the trail system. Their website has connection points for setting up support and volunteer opportunities if you want to get involved. Nevada Nordic Grooms trails over at Spooner State Park, so the funds are helping open up more terrain to enjoy and explore during winter.
Spread the Word and enjoy
Social media is an incredible animal at times. Another way you can help is to invite others to enjoy the experience and help them become donating visitors. Share your story, experience these great local free trails, and be part of the Community-driven excellence that Nevada Nordic is inspiring.
This article is part of our New Year Edition at Sierra Rec magazine – embrace New adventures 2024 – Vol 19.. We hoe you enjoy and will share with your friends and you discover more of the Sierra in 24..
