Presidents Weekend Snowshoe Hiking in Lassen National Park

Join us for a long 3-day weekend of or snowshoe hiking (or cross country skiing) in Lassen National Park. We'll be going for snowshoe hikes during the day on Saturday, Sunday and Monday, and staying in a warm house at night! It's a great alternative to the crowds and traffic of Tahoe.

 

During the day, we'll be snowshoeing or skiing through the woods, hills, and ridges in and around Lassen National Park. The majority of the terrain is ungroomed and untouched. If you're planning on skiing, your skis should be metal edged. We may spend some time on a snow-covered road, but there won't be groomed tracks everywhere we go. It's a real adventure!

 

We'll be staying in the Outdoor Adventure Club's Lassen cabin in the small town of Mineral, CA, just outside of Lassen National Park.

 

The Trip:

Arrive in Mineral, CA on Friday evening anytime or early Saturday morning.

 

On Saturday, we'll make breakfast in the cabin then head off to Lassen National Park for a day of snowshoeing. We may visit the Sulphur Works, an active geothermal area, or venture to a ridgetop with sweeping views. If you haven't experienced hiking in the snow, you are in for a real treat. How far we go and how long we're out will depend on the weather and enthusiasm of the group.

 

We'll have lunch while out on our hike and after we finish the hike we'll head back to Mineral. We'll eat dinner on Saturday at the Mineral Lodge, or have a "potluck" dinner back at the cabin, if everyone prefers. We'll have time after dinner to relax or play some games and socialize in the house before calling it a night.

 

On Sunday, we'll have another breakfast in the cabin and set out for another day of exploring the uncrowded Lassen area by ski or snowshoe. We will again have lunch while on the hike at a great spot with spectacular views of the backcountry. Back at the house, we'll serve up a delicious dinner.

 

On Monday, after breakfast, we'll have the option to head out for a shorter hike with the group or just enjoy a relaxing morning before starting the drive home.

 

We don't want to scare anyone off by using the "A" word, but as outdoor professionals and educators, we believe that everyone venturing into the snowy backcountry should have at least a basic understanding of what causes avalanches, how to avoid them, and what to do if you're caught in one.

 

As part of the weekend, we'll include an introduction to managing and predicting avalanche risk, and how to use modern avalanche beacons to find someone buried in an avalanche. Your guide will be selecting routes for the weekend based on the avalanche forecast. If avalanche gear (beacon, shovel, probe) is needed for the weekend, we'll provide it for you.