new to snoeshoeing

Discussion about winter adventure sports in the Sierra Nevada mountains including but not limited to; winter backpacking and camping, mountaineering, downhill and cross-country skiing, snowboarding, snowshoeing, etc.
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mtn.horhe
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new to snoeshoeing

Post by mtn.horhe »

Hi everyone,

I am trying to organize a small snowshoeing trip for the 20th of Dec and was hoping to get some advice on where we should go since we are snowshoeing rookies. I have considered doing something in Yosemite or Huntington lake area, but I am having trouble finding specific places to go. We all live in the Fresno area and all have hiking experience, but as stated earlier we are all new to snowshoeing. I hoping that someone knows of some fun/easy places to get our feet wet (No pun intended).

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gary c.
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Re: new to snoeshoeing

Post by gary c. »

I have not done much snowshoeing but this might be a good place for rookies to start.
http://www.yosemitepark.com/BadgerPass_Snowshoeing.aspx" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
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AlmostThere
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Re: new to snoeshoeing

Post by AlmostThere »

there should be enough snow to do Tokopah falls from Lodgepole in Sequoia NP. it is short and you have the river to guide you - just stay well away from the water edge. Big Baldy is also fun. Have hot cocoa at one of the lodges afterward.


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paul
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Re: new to snoeshoeing

Post by paul »

In Yosemite, the place to start is Badger Pass. The Glacier point road is closed for the winter and snow-covered, so you can head out that way as far as you are comfortable.

In the Huntington/Shaver area, Sierra National Forest has a number of marked snowshoe/XC ski routes starting from several points along the road to Huntington Lake. Some info on their website here: http://www.fs.usda.gov/activity/sierra/ ... ntersports" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
But it's not very clear.
They have a map of the trails here:
http://www.fs.usda.gov/detailfull/sierr ... width=full" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I'd call the Prather ranger station (559) 855-5355 and talk to them about it.

All of these options will be well-marked routes on snow-covered roads, perfect for first-timers.

For the National Forest stuff you'll probably need a sno-park pass. Check with the rangers about that.
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limpingcrab
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Re: new to snoeshoeing

Post by limpingcrab »

Ya, Tokopah Falls out of Lodgepole up in Sequoia is a great one to start at. It's pretty, flat, and east to follow.

The cool thing about snowshoeing is you can go anywhere you want and as soon as you're a few yards from the car it all looks like wilderness.
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mtn.horhe
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Re: new to snoeshoeing

Post by mtn.horhe »

Thanks for the responses guys! I think that Tokopah Falls out of Lodgepole sounds pretty cool, but I am having a difficult time finding out if they have snow right now. I am assuming that Tokopah falls is an actual hiking trail that just happens to have snow on it?
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AlmostThere
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Re: new to snoeshoeing

Post by AlmostThere »

yes, it has snow. yes, there is a trail but typically you'll not find it in several feet of snow. does not matter where the trail is anyway.


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