Palouse Divide, located about 1.5 hours south of Coeur d’Alene, is part of the Idaho Park N’ Ski system within the Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forests. It is a beautiful drive to this area, with an abundance of rolling hills and mountains in the backdrop. Volunteers groom eighteen miles of Palouse Divide cross-country trails for both … Continue reading Snowshoeing: Palouse Divide Nordic Ski Area
As our followers already know, and for those who do not know, this was an unadventurous winter for us. I (Stella) underwent six procedures on each of my legs. The first surgery was October 2023, with the second followed in December. I had these surgeries so that I could cross-country ski again, which is my … Continue reading Grand Lake: Snowshoeing With New Legs
Tahoe avalanches: What causes innocent-looking snow slopes to collapse? A physicist and skier explains, with tips for surviving A skier at Palisades Tahoe, home of the 1960 Winter Olympics and site of a small but deadly avalanche in 2024. AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli Nathalie Vriend, University of Colorado Boulder An avalanche swept up skiers at Lake Tahoe’s … Continue reading Tahoe Avalanches
Welcome to my annual refresher about Backcountry Avalanche Awareness 2023/2024. I am no subject matter expert, but Stella and I are always eager to explore new terrain in search of an off-the-beaten-path adventure. Thus, when you leave the cozy confines of the groomed trails at the ski resorts/nordic centers, you must understand your environment and … Continue reading Backcountry Avalanche Awareness 2023/2024
2023 has been an emotionally charged year for us, for a multitude of reasons. And the culmination of those situations significantly impacted our winter travels. With that said, we only embarked on two winter trips in 2023, both of which were to Grand Lake. Even though that is all we did, those trips possessed elements … Continue reading 2023 Winter Wrap-Up and What’s Next?
Throwback Thursday: Almost one year ago to the date, Stella and I were in Rocky Mountain National Park, skiing up Trail Ridge Road to Milner Pass on our new Madshus Panorama M78, starting from the winter gate closure. This picture is looking into the Never Summer Range from Fairview Curve.
Some of you may be wondering why BaseCamp@GrandLake has not posted anything for winter adventures, especially considering the abundance of snow. Normally, we travel extensively in the winter but this season has been quite different. We have only taken one winter trip thus far, to Jackson Hole the week prior to Christmas, and it ended … Continue reading 2023 Winter Adventures: What’s Going On?Â