Sunset Snowshoes!

December 12, 2016 by Tim Hauserman

When winter arrives with all it’s glory, snow becomes Tahoe’s playground. While hitting the downhill resorts is an exciting adventure, it can be a busy place to spend your day. The resorts are more like Disneyland than a wild adventure in the wilderness. Which is Ok, Disneyland is super fun. But if you are ready for a break from that type of excitement, and instead seek a quiet presence in nature during the winter, go snowshoeing.

One of the great things about snowshoeing is that for the most part, if you can walk, you can snowshoe. It is basically hiking on snow with really big feet. While some endorphin seekers like to get an aerobic workout by running on snowshoes, for most, the pace is slow, giving you a chance to really appreciate the nature of the Sierra in the winter.

When covered in a blanket of snow, the lodgepole, Jeffrey pines, white fir incense cedar, and all the other trees you find in the forest take on a new prominence. Look for hoarfrost in the trees after a recent storm, or the sound of chickadees asking for a cheese burger.

You can rent or buy snowshoes, and do some research to find the best places to go on your own, or you can take a snowshoe trip with a guiding company such as Tahoe Adventure Company. They lead sunset snowshoe hikes every Friday throughout the winter. You start out marveling at the beautiful colors of a high altitude sunset, and then as it gets darker, get awed by the power of the star filled sky.

“Our tour guides are highly knowledgeable about the region and strive to provide guests with top notch experiences during this one of a kind adventure tour,” says Tahoe Adventure Company owner Katie Hickey.

Aside from leaving all the logistics to others, one great advantage of hiring a guide is that they will break trail. When the snow is deep, being the first snowshoer tromping through several feet of snow can be arduous. Better to be towards the back of the pack to enjoy the efforts of those in the front.

Tours include snowshoes, poles, natural and human history discussions, hot drinks and snacks.

For details go to tahoeadventurecompany.com or call 530-913-9212

In addition to sunset tours, TAC leads snowshoes under the full moon.

2016-2017  Full Moon Snowshoe Tour Dates:

Tuesday, December 13 ~ Full Cold Moon 4:00-7:00pm
Thursday, January 12 ~ Full Wolf Moon 4:30-7:30pm
Friday, February 10 ~ Full Snow Moon 4:30-7:30pm
Saturday, March 11 ~ Full Worm Moon 5:00-8:00pm
Sunday, March 12 ~ Full Worm Moon 6:00-9:00pm
Monday, April 10 ~ Full Pink Moon 6:00-9:00pm