Winter in Lake Tahoe

I’ve been to Tahoe now twice – once in the summer and now once in the winter, and both times I have been mesmerized by the cities utter beauty. Just over 30 minutes from Reno and 3 hours from San Francisco, Tahoe is a hidden gem near the border of Northern California.

Painted with a mountainscape across the entirety of the lake, Tahoe is a year-round getaway. I would suggest staying in one of the local lodges where you will find the local hospitality is unmatched to that of any hotel.

I just came back from the from my winter trip, and was refreshed after a two-day backcountry ski trip. For those of you who don’t know what backcountry skiing it (because I originally didn’t), it is essentially climbing up the sides of mountains with skis and then skiing down to the bottom – see this YouTube video for more details.

The climb is oddly energizing, despite the high winds pushing you down the mountain. I found I was able to clear my mind and indulge in the landscapes I would see everywhere I would turn. Now, there is no way I would recommend you do this alone because navigation can become a nightmare. My friend and I hired a guide from Alpenglow Expeditions who spend the two days taking across Squaw Valley (an old Olympic site). The whole experience was a whole lot better with the guide simply because he was able to take us to locations that not many ventured off to. Also – checking out a former Olympic host site while the Winter Olympics were going on felt pretty cool.

The evenings I spent indulging in the warm sunsets that painted the blue snow covered mountains by the lake side. My favorite spot by far is King’s Beach near North Lake Tahoe. North Tahoe is a lot quieter and provides the serene calm one definitely needs after a long ski day.

Highly recommend as a quick two day weekend trip. Check out an overview from my weekend below!

-Asif