Loon Lake Winter Fiasco

“I'm starting to see some kind of alcohol-related thing here... something along the lines of "You guys here can build the igloo... and you guys over there can build the quinzee... the winner drinks, while the loser finishes their shelter".

Anyway, I'm sure there's a way to make this fun for all who are into shelter-building! I, for one, will volunteer to sit on the sidelines with my wine & cheer them ALL on.. I'm not prejudiced & wish ALL good times!”

“No real credit there TrailBum. You had it almost done and I just needed something to do to keep warm so I sawed a couple of bricks. Lucky for me there was room for me inside so thank you!! We did make a decent A frame too but not a quinzee so it'll all be a great time for learning and doing warming things.”

“I'm all for learning new things about winter camping.
Hopefully we will go on a trail that my new, never been tried, sled can handle.”

“This http://www.princeton.edu/~oa/winter/wintcamp.shtml is still the best site I've ever found for outdoor winter activity info. There is pretty good info on snow-shelters as well as just about everything "winter", worth checking out if you haven't been there.”

“Navi, I doubt there will be a trail at all, not that that will matter.”

“NO TRAIL!!??!!
I'll get lost!
8^)”

“There are actually a number of x-country ski trails in the area that are marked, you can go here http://www.ednsp.org/loonlake.htm and get a map.”

“Thanks wanderer. I traced the route along the east side of Loon Lake to Spider Lake, looks like about 5 miles from the parking area, probably too much. I prefer to keep in the 2-3 mi. range.
Francis Lake is a possibility, as is Berts Lake, but I have no idea what they look like (besides white). Suggestions please.”

“Navi, you know how that little man in your GPS goes along leaving tracks? That's because he's snowshoeing.”

“What GPS? I don't need no stinkn' GPS! 8^)”

“Hell, I don't even own a compass.
Bump”

“Now you know what naviguessing is.
8^)”

“bump”

“I'm so ready for this trip, I'm not even thinking about X-mas!”

“The Monday after this trip is a holiday for some people, just in case you've been thinking of coming but driving is an issue or doing your weekend chores.”

“Jerry and I will be in the Donner Summit area on Sunday, 12/19. We'll be either snow shoeing or cross country skiing while our son and his girlfriend snow board at Sugar Bowl. Anyone interested in meeting up with us for a Loon Lake/Winterfest warm-up day?
last edited: 11/29/04 8:55:49 PM”

“Loon Lake isn't particularly close to Sugar Bowl. Would somewhere else make more sense? Chalk me up as a maybe.”

“Pepper, why don't you come on the trip with us?”

“OOH, OOH, OOH, my fav place in the world is just up the hill from Donner Pass... Royal Gorge X-Country ski resort!! Why don't we have a TT X-Country ski-day!

Go here: http://www.royalgorge.com/Default.asp?d=1&fv=6&b=3”

“Pepper, it's a warm-up for Loon Lake, not a day trip to Loon Lake. We need to be somewhere in near Donner Summit, which is near Sugar Bowl.

Wanderer, we have gone to Royal Gorge for years. There's a lot of upside, but the downside is cost--$28 per person for a trail pass. We could use our SnoPark passes and go to the Peter Grub hut or follow the PCT south behind Boreal Lodge for nothing.”

“Anything sounds great to me, I just always jump at the chance to "treat" myself to a day of X-country skiing there. There are also some pretty good snowshow areas reight off Soda Springs Rd., but I'll meet up with y'all anywhere.

I have a book entitled "Snowshoe Trails of Tahoe", has them all listed by degree of challenge, there are a ton of options.”

“I'm looking at my calendar, let's pick a trail somewhere where I can camp if that's OK (the PCT would work!). I might come up on Saturday, do a little day-trip in & meet up with you guys for the hike out... just musing, nothing definite, but I do have that weekend free so far & would like the opportunity to backpack in!”

“Anywhere handy to dropping off and picking up the kids at Sugar Bowl works for us. We may have a time hang-up if we have to stay with our son's girlfriend while she rents gear, but hopefully she will rent before we leave.”

“Bump. Holiday Greetings to the Group! Is this still on? Anyone else joining in...Pepper?, Pepper's doggies? MadeinTahoe? Anyone else want to camp?”

“Oops... I'm asking about the 19th snow play-day, not Loon Lake, I am *assuming* the Loon Lake trip is still on!”

“I'm sure. This just needed a bump. How can you TT and hang Christmas lights at the same time. I did stop at REI tho and pick up a handful of toe and hand warmers for my stocking.”

“JVZ, did you see my post about a day trip Sunday, 12/19, at Donner Summit?”

“Still on for us.”

“I'm for sure still on for the camping part, but I won't be able to make the Sunday activities.




Hand warmer - make sure you get the rechargable kind. They're like magic and they WORK!”

“Navi, I'm talking about Sunday, December 19th! I'll start a separate trip thread.”

“Weeeelllll I can't go then either!!!

8^D”

“Yeah, I figured.”

“Hope you have fun!”

“I finally looked at the map.
Where are we going to start from? The spillway? The campground?”

“Hello Wanderer

I wish I could join you all that day..I already told Karen I could not go with you all.

You all have a wonderful adventure.
We got about 10 inches of new snow last night, and the night before and yesterday about a foot...so going on 2 feet at our house of new snow..it is snowing right now, the visibility was really bad earlier, but better now.

You all have fun and be safe
Anita”

“The road ends around the Challet area with cut outs into the campground and maintainance station. Last time we went thru the campground to the eastern end of the lake.”

“Thanks j, I'll look at the map again, from the campground area.”

“I looked at the map again!
Aren't you proud of me?

Anyway, per Trailbum's suggestion, Berts Lake looks too close at 1 mile.
Francis Lake looks interesting at 1.8 miles. I'll throw this out for something to think about: From the chalet go ESE to the campground, continue on the road NE to then go around summit 6650 (see conture line 6600). Camp at lake E of 6650. Return past other 2 lakes to campground and back to the chalet.”

“Could Berts Lake be Herts Lake? And the lake east of 6650 is teeny and on the road? I think I'm not seeing what you're seeing. Last time, we circled around Loon Lake on the southeast side. Nice views of the lake.”

“Karen

I see a Berts lake on my Desolation map at about 6700 feet”

“Berts lake is at 38.58.557 - 120.19.824, elevation is 6744. It is a small lake just about .58 mile (straight line) from the campround at Loon Lake.

There's kinda nothing of interest to see that direction, it's a lot prettier going down the trail along Loon Lake, if you really want to make a hike of it you can head up to Hidden Lake, that's a little over 3 miles but basically flat until the last little climb up to the lake.

Just my $.02.”

“Could Berts Lake be Herts Lake? And the lake east of 6650 is teeny and on the road? I think I'm not seeing what you're seeing.

I couldn't find Herts Lake, so it must be Berts Lake you're looking at. My TOPO! says it's about 1 "trail" mile from the chalet.
The summit 6650 I'm talking about is straight east of the circle road in the campground. There is a Township Line intersection on the summit and the little lake is east of that on the Township Line (not on the road). 38o58'52"N x 120o18'38"W
wanderer, Hidden Lake sounds a little far, but I could do it. Is it worth it?
Have you been to the lake at 38o59'32"N x 120o17'20"W @ 6667'? Looks like it would be semi-close and have some territory to explore behind it.
I'm just throwing these ideas out for discussion, I'm up for just about anything.”

“Just re-reading the thread & found this:

"We could use our SnoPark passes and go to the Peter Grub hut or follow the PCT south behind Boreal Lodge for nothing.”

Works for me, easy for anyone to find. The Peter Grubb Hut / Round Valley hike (in the book) is rated as "Easy", 5.25 miles RT, a very popular hike so can follow others' tracks. (page 61-63 of the snowshoe trails book)”

“Oops, sorry, the above post is supposed to go on the Donner day-hike thread.

Just wanted to add to the confusion!”

“As if we need your help. 8v)”

“Bump.

Everybody still on for this trip? Some of us were at Boreal / Donner Pass area this weekend and it was amazing how little new snow there is. I noticed that Mtn. Steve has moved his Winterfest trip up to Mt. Shasta, just thought it might be time to resurrect this thread so everyone could stay on top of plans.

For me, this is still definitely a "go", if there is no more new snow between now & then, maybe we can plan a fishing trip to Loon Lake instead of / in addition to any overnight snowshoe activity... lot's to do up there, lots of options.”

“It's still a go for me.

But, if there's no snow....”

“We're still good to go. We would be coming Thurs late. If there's no snow, we could backpack........... There's gotta be some precipitation before then, doesn't there?”

“I seem to have developed a what appears to be a hernia in my groin. Not serious (yet) but it will prevent me from participating in phase 2 of this trip. As long as it doesn't get any worse I will be at the Chalet Weds. and Thurs. (after all, I've already paid for it).”

“TrailBUMMER.”