Nordic Ski Journal :: The Master Skier

FUN PLACES TO SKI

California’s Majestic Royal Gorge
Tahoe Donner: Friendly & Relaxed
Washington’s pristine Methow Valley and Okanogan Country
Discover Lone Mountain Ranch in Yellowstone Country!
Ski with the Olympians
West Yellowstone is a Winter Wonderland
Sun Valley the Place to Go
Fast & Female Festival Set for Alaska
Stokely Creek Lodge is Among the Best
Okanogan Country Among Nation''s Best Nordic Skiing
Glorious Sun Mountain Lodge:
Sun Mountain Lodge: A Skier''s Paradise
Whistler Nordic Escape Contest
LONE MOUNTAIN RANCH: A RICH HERITAGE
Lone Mountain Ranch Opens for Winter Season
WINTER/SPRING "TC ESCAPE" PACKAGES
XC Oregon Summer 2013 Visiting College Skier Support Program
Sea to Sky Nordic Festival Arrives at Whistler Olympic Park
Spring Skiing & Camp

Tahoe Donner: Friendly & Relaxed

by JONATHAN WIESEL
Contributing Editor, The Master Skier

Jonathan Wiesel is a XC ski area planner and author of Cross-Country Ski Vacations.

    I don’t know any region in North America that has more magnificent or diverse cross-country skiing than North Lake Tahoe.

   Sure, there are huge individual areas (like Mont Sainte Anne, the Methow Valley and Sun Valley) and tremendous concentrations of trails in Quebec, Northern Minnesota and Anchorage.

   But nowhere will you find more skiing, more beautiful scenery or more reliable snow than on this borderland between California and Nevada.

   - So I find it strange that the region is hardly known outside of Northern California. Well, that’s kind of misleading because most of us have at least heard of Royal Gorge.

   But you probably don’t know about Tahoe Donner Cross Country Center, which in any other part of the continent would be considered a giant on its own merits.

   There are over 100 kilometers of trails spread over three connected networks, 1,307 feet of vertical drop (that’s more than any downhill resort in the Midwest!), top quality ski equipment, 30 feet of snow in an average year and killer chocolate chip pumpkin muffins.

   Tahoe Donner is about 35 miles west of Reno and five miles from the thriving resort town of Truckee (where you can find all kinds of lodging), which is a little north of Lake Tahoe.

   The area was founded by former U.S. Biathlon Team member Glenn Jobe, who also began Kirkwood (south of Tahoe) and still lives in the area and helps coach local kids. It’s not a well-known destination – you’ll find most visitors live within 25 or 30 miles of the area.