No major criteria, 'cept that the approach must be more than 2 hours. (yet close enough that I'd want to bring 6 Bigfoots or something with me).

1000Pks wrote:

Best Tahoe Backcountry Touring: Ya Heard?

but the snow--hmmm. Compared to Utah

Less avy risk and more days in the BC...so no complaints from me.

A good start is the Guidebook from The BackCountry in Truckee.

U planning to be in the area this season?

96avs01 wrote:
A good start is the Guidebook from The BackCountry in Truckee.

U planning to be in the area this season?

Sweet, I appreciate the link 96avs01. And, yeah, I'll be over there around new years (so I don't expect The Best conditions), but figured someone would know a good spot r two for day tours. I already have a partner, especially since its our anniversary.

DMT wrote: Good stuff on Mt Rose. Also good up some canyons on the road between Truckee and Tahoo City (forget the name of the one I went up a bunch with Burl)

The tour from Sugarbowl to Squaw is cool, haven't done that one in many many years now.

I appreciate the suggestions Dingus. I toured from the pass over to Mt. Rose some years back, and am glad you reminded me of that area, seems to have good terrain. How long is that tour from Sugarbowl to Squaw ya think? I don't even know where those places are. Thx

There's also really good sheltered/safe tree skiing at Waterhouse Peak near Luther Pass.

Quick lines with little approach would be Jake's Peak.

Tallac is always a good option with lots of possible drops.

Not sure how far you are willing to go, but the Round Top area/Carson Pass has a lot of options as well.

Dingus Milktoast wrote:Oh, Homewood is a low key 'non-big-mountain' resort starting at near lake level, sandwiched between Squaw and Alpine Meadows. Its an old school family oriented resport with no x2 black of which I am aware.

The Quail Face area is double diamond.

Check out tahoebackcounty.net. Lots of good info.

I did a Castle-Basin-Andesite loop last winter and it was awesome. Photos

Michael Graupe wrote:Check out tahoebackcounty.net. Lots of good info.

I did a Castle-Basin-Andesite loop last winter and it was awesome. Photos

Thanks for all the info gentlemen!

DMT wrote: None of the tours Burl showed me that I mentioned above are secrets per se and are perhaps referenced on that site.

You're welcome to PM the secrets... It'll only be the two of us, and we promise to cut our tongues out afterwords. And not post anything anywhere. Frickin online sites ruining everything.

96avs01 wrote:

Dingus Milktoast wrote:Oh, Homewood is a low key 'non-big-mountain' resort starting at near lake level, sandwiched between Squaw and Alpine Meadows. Its an old school family oriented resport with no x2 black of which I am aware.

The Quail Face area is double diamond.

Ummmm, yyyeeeeeahhhhhhh, but it's a Homewood double black. Not to diminish Homewood - it's an awesome little resort - but I'd sooner call it a single. Kinda like Breck calling their steeps blacks. They're really blues.

Alpine Meadows also has a single lift option (I think they still do) and some great b/c skiing across to Squaw. SUPER bowls off the back of Ward Peak. Be careful this route - a couple of teens got buried a decade or so ago. I haven't done it but skiing the ridge all the way from Scott Peak to Squaw looks like it could be a lot of fun. Anyone taken that "haute" route?

Unless we luck out with a big early December storm , your best bet is to go to high to Mt. Rose Highway or Carson Pass because of their altitude. A great place to book now for an anniversary stay is Sorensen's Resort in Hope Valley and ski at Luther Pass and Carson Pass . There are hot springs nearby at Grover Hot Springs State Park in Markleeville and Wally's in Genoa and Basque restaurants in Garnerville & Minden. Have a great trip !

MarthaP wrote: I haven't done it but skiing the ridge all the way from Scott Peak to Squaw looks like it could be a lot of fun. Anyone taken that "haute" route?

Thanks Martha... That's the type of thing I'm looking for. Although ski touring in the Wasatch is hard to beat, we hoped conditions may be conducive to some turns and exploration.

Is that area really as treed as that map makes it look?

Palisade wrote:...go to high to Mt. Rose Highway or Carson Pass because of their altitude

We got whippets and cajonesitos , and want to go as high as we can, and will do technical approaches as well, if there's any suggestions on that.

THANKS YALL.

d - it's actually misleading. 80% of Alpine Meadows resort is ABOVE treeline, particularly those back bowls. I'd say the same for Squaw so, even though I haven't traversed that ridge, I'd figure it'd be fairly exposed. Once the webcams are up you'll be able to get some visuals on conditions and all. And just imagine - you, too, can ski KT-22 without paying a dime to the Squaw mega-corp!

PS the Tahoe area is pretty heavily forested, FWIW, except for the Desolation Wilderness which is near Homewood on the west side of the lake. So, yes, once below treeline you'd be in a lot of, uh, trees.

PPS Just so folks don't think I'm nuts, I got me arse turned around looking at the topo and was looking at the ridge going NE of Scott Peak instead of SW and N toward KT-22.

MarthaP wrote: And just imagine - you, too, can ski KT-22 without paying a dime to the Squaw mega-corp!

[the ridge] SW and N toward KT-22.

So Martha, you're suggesting going north along the ridge with the PCT on it, all the way up to Squaw, via KT-22, orr, errrr.... I"ll look at some other maps, but think this sounds fun.