Northern California Weather.

[bouncybouncy]

Sorry for the interuption...We now return to our regularly scheduled chat of NoCal weather....

[cindysue]

Ditto! We stopped snowshoeing last year because I couldn't deal with the crowds going to Tahoe every weekend.

not sure how the crowds will be, but Andrew and I are planning to do a snow-shoeing / X-country hut-to-hut tour this winter (maybe 2-3 days?).

Any TE gals and SO's interested?

[SadieKate]

Hmm, details? Supported or you have to carry all your gear? I can shoe for miles but the old knees can't carry a load.

[yellow]

Ski resorts opened early last year (I think Thanksgiving).

I skied on Halloween day last year at Sierra at Tahoe (south shore). It was a very early season and the snow was surprisingly good in Oct and Nov.

I really like(d) (before I moved) the XC area in Tahoe City. I think it's called "Tahoe Cross Country" or something like that. It's not the one at Tahoe Donner. Not many people, reasonable trail pass ($16 I think?), tons of trails.

Check with the USFS and look in to their "huts" that they have for "rent". We've snowshoed in to and stayed at the Peter Grubb hut off of Castle Peak (off of I 80) and a couple of others in/near Desolation. OK, I skied but I was with others that snowshoed! .

Finally, go in to Paco's in Truckee and talk to the guys there. They know everything about where to go where people aren't.

y

[yellow]

Hmm, details? Supported or you have to carry all your gear? I can shoe for miles but the old knees can't carry a load.

Knees don't need to carry a load! You get a sled (like a cheap plastic kids' kind of sled), loop a rope through, and attach it to your waist and/or pack. It's easier on your knees and back and great for your abs!

Or you just have Bubba carry everything! Better yet, get Izaak trained to tow the sled. I can see it now, a team of standard poodles in the Iditarod!

[SadieKate]

a team of standard poodles in the Iditarod!

Been done and since Izaak is a trendsetter he would only want to go in untrod territory (namely down into the wells beside trees). Besides, he likes stepping on the back of my shoes and watching me face plant. Sooo much fun! Look at Mom!

Oh yeah, I forgot about that superduper MountainSmith sled and harness up in the rafters. It's great for hauling champagne and chocolate chip/dried cherry muffins.

[yellow]

Been done and since Izaak is a trendsetter he would only want to go in untrod territory (namely down into the wells beside trees). Besides, he likes stepping on the back of my shoes and watching me face plant. Sooo much fun! Look at Mom!

Oh yeah, I forgot about that superduper MountainSmith sled and harness up in the rafters. It's great for hauling champagne and chocolate chip/dried cherry muffins.

I secretly hope that some day Pi and I can skijor !

[SadieKate]

Have you tried her in harness? Izaak used to pull Bubba on his in-line skates. They could clear the bike path pretty fast when you think of how tall Bubba is without the skates.

Maggie, the Black Lab who raised me (she didn't acknowledge any human parents) had a child's red wagon set up with a full harness and rails around the wagon bed. She LOVED to pull that thing. She was the only dog allowed to visit our elementary school. She would go 2x a year. Once for kiddie rides with the wagon and once at Halloween as the Big Bad Wolf (very cute in her lavendar gingham mob cap).

So what is Pika going as this Halloween?

[SadieKate]

Poodle Mushing

Aren't they cute?

http://home.gci.net/~poodlesleddog/

[Irulan]

Been done and since Izaak is a trendsetter he would only want to go in untrod territory (namely down into the wells beside trees). Besides, he likes stepping on the back of my shoes and watching me face plant. Sooo much fun! Look at Mom!

Oh yeah, I forgot about that superduper MountainSmith sled and harness up in the rafters. It's great for hauling champagne and chocolate chip/dried cherry muffins.

lol, we've got an expedition model. DH and I used to work for them waaay back when, he was a sled builder and I was the sewing supervisor. I recall a few back country ski trips where we hauled in wine and sorels. I hauled my kids around too.


~I.

[SadieKate]

From gear.com??? I already forgot.
For years, they made a good selection of all-purpose kid-transport and expedition-load sleds. They quit making them several years ago, but sold the product line to a Colorado company called Kifaru, which also makes a line of tepee-style tents.

Basically, Kifaru has continued the entire Mountainsmith sled line—including the all-around Armadillo ($375), the giant Expedition ($495), and "kid kits" for converting either to a child hauler ($110 to $160).

I didn't realize that MountainSmith made more than 1 model. I wonder which we have? I know you could get a kiddy carrier for it but not having kids . . . Maybe you two worked on ours. I think we bought it in '96 or '97? That was when we were shoeing the most and Izaak was a puppy.

Never heard of Kifaru. I'll have to check on them.

[Irulan]

From gear.com??? I already forgot.
For years, they made a good selection of all-purpose kid-transport and expedition-load sleds. They quit making them several years ago, but sold the product line to a Colorado company called Kifaru, which also makes a line of tepee-style tents.

Basically, Kifaru has continued the entire Mountainsmith sled line—including the all-around Armadillo ($375), the giant Expedition ($495), and "kid kits" for converting either to a child hauler ($110 to $160).

I didn't realize that MountainSmith made more than 1 model. I wonder which we have? I know you could get a kiddy carrier for it but not having kids . . . Maybe you two worked on ours. I think we bought it in '96 or '97? That was when we were shoeing the most and Izaak was a puppy.

Never heard of Kifaru. I'll have to check on them.

nah, we were working for them '82-84, I was Pat Smith's second employee. This was back when the companywas just getting going. Kifaru is Pat Smith's new company. He sold the rights to a lot of his packs(mountainsmith) but kept the sleds and is doing a bunch of new stuff.

[SadieKate]

Is that one of your boys? Love the pic. I think they'd be a tad hard to pull now. BTW, I bet nobody has every told you how much they look like you, huh? Good looking boys. You should be proud.

[wabisabi]

I had friends who would do a trans-Sierra by placing caches of food along the way; I always thought that sounded like fun. Oh, this talk of the Peter Grubb hut and all is making me nostalgic!