The Eldorado National Forest provides many challenging adventures in winter recreation.

As winter turns to spring these opportunities just get better with spring snow conditions called “corn” snow. Sierra at Tahoe (www.sierratahoe.com) on Highway 50 and Kirkwood Ski Resort (www.kirkwood.com) specialize in downhill skiing and snowboarding. They have equipment rentals, lessons, and several excellent restaurants. Kirkwood Cross Country Ski Center also on Highway 88 offers groomed cross-country ski trails for all abilities, has equipment available for rent, and a restaurant next door to fill up on those essential nutrients; hamburgers, fries, and your favorite beverage of choice.

For those intrepid individuals who prefer to venture out in the woods and experience the snow as Mother Nature delivered it, the forest is filled with wonderful adventures. Loon Lake Chalet is the centerpiece of the Loon Lake Winter Recreation Area. On winter weekends the Chalet is open to the public and offers the visitor a cozy place to warm up and eat their meals after an energetic day backcountry skiing, snow playing, or snowshoeing. This area provides many miles of marked and unmarked backcountry skiing. Good to excellent snow conditions generally exist from December to May and offer a range of ski touring from easiest to most difficult. The Loon Lake Chalet, Van Vleck Bunkhouse, and Robbs Hut are rental cabins available year-round at www.recreation.gov or by calling the National Recreation Reservation Service at (877) 444-6777. Van Vleck Bunkhouse and Robbs Hut can only be accessed by skis or snowshoes in the winter. For more information on these opportunities contact the Pacific Ranger Station at (530) 647-5415.

The Strawberry Canyon Nordic Trail System off of Highway 50 at 42-Mile Recreation site encompasses 11 miles of crosscountry ski trails for beginner to intermediate skiers. The small parking area is free and has a restroom and trailhead information.

A popular cross-country ski area, the Echo Lake Sno-Park, is on the north side of Highway 50 at the summit. Sno-parks are snow-cleared parking areas, with sanitation facilities, that may provide direct access to popular cross-country ski trails, snowmobile routes, and snow play areas. Snowmobiles are not allowed at this particular facility though. Additional facilities exist on Highway 88 at Carson Pass and the Iron Mountain area. Sno- Park permit sales fund the operation of these areas. This a California Department of Parks and Recreation program. Permits are available at the Kyburz Mini-Mart, the Silver Fork Store, Placerville and Pacific Ranger Stations on Highway 50, and the Amador Ranger Station in Pioneer.

Adventure Mountain, Lake Tahoe on the south side of Highway 50 is a popular snow play area (not a Sno- Park) with an excellent sledding hill, restrooms, and a crosscountry ski trail leading up to Benwood Meadows and the Frog Pond loop, which actually has frogs that have gone into a state of suspended animation awaiting the warmth of spring and summer to wake them from their long winter sleep. Please do not disturb them by trying to kiss them. That is a fairy tale. Information for the Highway 50 corridor is available from the Placerville Ranger Station at (530) 644-2324.

For the mechanically oriented winter recreationists, there is the popular sport of snowmobiling. The forest has over 60 miles of designated snowmobile trails plus miles of road that can be used as long as there is 12 inches of snow on the ground. Some areas are closed to snowmobiles or over-the-snow motorized use or restricted to orange-diamonded snowmobile trails. Please check with the local Eldorado National Forest office if you are not sure if your intended location is open or not. Examples of closed areas would be Desolation Wilderness, Mokelumne Wilderness, and east of the Van Vleck Bunkhouse.

The Silver Bear Trail System has 20-55 miles of groomed routes depending on snow levels and weather conditions. This system consists of several out and back trails and loop trails suitable for day outings. The trails are marked with international symbols and orange diamond shaped signs. The staging area is located at the Iron Mountain Sno-Park off of Highway 88. These are made possible to the public through a partnership between the Forest Service and the State of California Department of Recreation utilizing the “Greensticker” grant program. For more information on Silver Bear and the Highway 88 Sno-Parks contact the Amador Ranger Station at (209) 295-4251.

Additional information on recreation opportunities is available on the Eldorado National Forest website at www. fs.fed.us/r5/eldorado.