Located in Athol, Idaho, Farragut State Park is a fabulous place to enjoy the outdoors year-round. There are several hiking trails, camping spots, and direct access to Lake Pend Oreille. I (Stella) have been extremely eager to explore the park on my cross-country skis and/or snowshoes. Sadly, the snow began flying late in Northern Idaho … Continue reading Cross-Country Skiing: Farragut State Park
We are enjoying the little amount of snow that we currently have here in Northern Idaho. We recently enjoyed two cross-county ski treks, one at Fourth of July Pass and the other at Hanna Flats. One of the many advantages of living in Northern Idaho is the close access to an abundance of places for winter … Continue reading Cross-County Skiing: Fourth of July Pass and Hanna Flats
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?
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
Last winter (2022) when Larry and I (Stella) were in Crested Butte, we discussed purchasing a different type of cross-country ski. We wanted skis that were much wider and possessed more float to provide a better experience while backcountry skiing in really deep snow and on hills. We had researched three different companies that manufacture … Continue reading Madshus Panorama M78