Forest Service announces the return of Ski with a Ranger
SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif., Feb. 16, 2022 – The USDA Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit is pleased to announce the return of Ski with a Ranger at Heavenly Mountain Resort. Skiers and snowboarders are invited to Ski with a Ranger beginning Friday, March 4, 2022. Tours will depart from Tamarack Lodge at the top of the Heavenly Gondola every Friday at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. The tours last approximately one-hour and will continue through April 15, weather permitting.
Participants must be intermediate level skiers/boarders or above and provide their own lift ticket. No reservations are required. Attendance is on a first-come first-served basis and group size is limited to 12.
Tours are led by Forest Service conservation education staff and volunteers through a cooperative effort between Heavenly Mountain Resort and Lake Tahoe Visitor Authority’s Explore Tahoe.
All Forest Service volunteers are either fully vaccinated against COVID-19 or required to provide a weekly negative COVID-19 test to participate in the program and must follow all COVID-19 safety protocols including wearing a mask and practicing social distancing.
Participants are not required to show proof of vaccination or negative tests but are required to wear masks when social distancing is not possible, for example on chair lifts and in lift lines.
This free conservation education program is offered to help educate the public about the mission and role of the Forest Service in ski area management, improve public understanding of natural resource processes and issues, and promote environmental literacy and stewardship.
Forest Service announces the return of Winter Trek
The USDA Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit is pleased to announce the return of the popular Winter Trek Conservation Education Program at Heavenly Mountain Resort. Winter Trek is scheduled to begin on Tuesday, March 1, 2022, and will continue through Wednesday, March 30, weather permitting. Field trips are approximately three hours long and will be offered on Tuesdays and Wednesdays beginning at 10 a.m. Reservations are required.
Led by Forest Service rangers and community volunteers, the Winter Trek program offers fifth graders an outdoor winter ecology learning experience that takes place at 9,100 feet via the gondola at Heavenly Mountain Resort. The program includes a physical education snowshoeing adventure, while learning about water conservation, land stewardship, and fire and forest ecology of the Lake Tahoe Basin.
Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, we want to ensure that the safety of all participants remains our top priority. Therefore, we will require all participants to wear a mask when indoors and to practice social distancing. Additionally, all schools must continue to follow their school district’s COVID-19 policies and guidelines.
All Forest Service volunteers are either fully vaccinated against COVID-19 or required to provide a weekly negative COVID-19 test to participate in the program and must follow all COVID-19 safety protocols including wearing a mask and practicing social distancing.
Winter Trek is a cooperative effort between the Forest Service, Heavenly Mountain Resort, Great Basin Institute, and the Lake Tahoe Visitor Authority’s Explore Tahoe Visitor Center.
For more information or to reserve a spot, contact Elisa Escobar at elisa.escobar@usda.gov. Reservations are made on a first-come, first-served basis and can fill up quickly. Visit go.usa.gov/xtRfn to download forms and materials.
For more information about Ski with a Ranger, contact Kelso Carapia at kelsey.carapia@usda.gov or visit go.usa.gov/xtMFA.