This list is a chronology of significant changes and additions made to Ski Tours in the Sierra Nevada. They are listed by date with the most recent first.
The best way to keep up-to-date is to subscribe to "What's New?" You will receive an email when new tours are added to Ski Tours in the Sierra Nevada or when a significant change takes place.
Interested? Subscribe Now ! It's FREE. Cancel anytime you want.
You will also receive an occasional email asking for your support on an issue related to the preservation of backcountry ski opportunities and the protection of winter wildlands. You will not be solicited for monetary donations. You will receive no advertising.
July 14, 2008
Version 09.02.01 adds three essays on snow camping. They focus on how to go light and how to maximize the caloric content of the food you carry. You will probably be surprised to read that salami and cheese are no better than crackers in terms of calories per unit weight. Also, it's pretty hard not to loose weight on a multi-day ski trip!
June 16, 2008
Version 09.01.01 adds 11 ski tours along the Luther Pass corridor. Two intermediate tours lead to Scotts Lake and two more difficult tours lead to seldom visited Thompson Peak. Check out all 11 tours in the Luther Pass corridor.
June 2, 2008
Quite of few changes were made to Ski Tours in the Sierra Nevada in Version 08.01.01.
- Great deals are now being listed on the Winter Wares . Like everything else on this website, this to is a work in progress. On the same web page you will find links to Amazon.com, REI.com and REI-OUTLET.com. Using these links for your shopping will support this website.
- On the Winter Wares web page you will find information on SPOT, the World's first satellite messenger designed for backcountry use and a great deal on carbon fiber ski poles.
Version 08.01.01 also includes some exciting new ski tours that to my knowledge have never been documented anywhere. In Yosemite National Park:
- The Tioga Pass Road tour now includes a short extension to Peak 7168. From the summit there are views of the Clark Range including Mount Clark, Gray Peak, Red Peak and Merced Peak.
- The Tamarack Campground Road tour is also an extension of the Tioga Pass Road tour.
- Truly outstanding is the tour to Devils Dance Floor if you have the skills to get there.
Along the Highway 88 corridor there are now three tours that begin at Shot Rock Vista. Take a look at the Tragedy Creek, Shot Rock Loop and Shot Rock to Bear River tours — the photos tell the whole story! This area is amazing for backcountry skiing.
Also added are five standard tours in the Echo Lakes area. They include: Becker Peak, Echo Lakes, Echo Peak, Tamarack Lake and Desolation Valley.
February 24, 2008
The following four tours in the Echo Summit area were added in Version 07.01.01:
In addition to the added tours, corrections were made so that the correct elevation profiles are printed when an entire tour is printed using either the "print preview" or "print" options in the browser.
February 22, 2008
Alternate routes and additional images are added to the Van Vleck Storm Shelter and Van Vleck Bunkhouse tours in Version 06.02.01.
February 19, 2008
The following six tours were added in Version 06.01.01:
Yosemite - Westside
- Dewey Point Via Ridge Trail
- Dewey Point Via Meadow Trail
- Ostrander Ski Hut Via Bridalveil Creek Trail
- Ostrander Ski Hut Via Horizon Ridge Trail
- Ostrander Ski Hut Via Merced Crest Trail
- Horse Ridge Loop
January 31, 2008
The following seven tours were added in Version 05.01.01:
Lake Tahoe - Eastside
Highway 88
- Tragedy Spring to Silver Lake Via Ridge and Option 1
- Tragedy Spring to Silver Lake Via Ridge and Option 2
Yosemite - Westside
The above three tours in Yosemite National Park mark the beginning of an effort to fully cover Yosemite, both west and east sides.
Just a reminder — you can use your browser to print tours. The information is reformatted to make it more compatible with print media and we continue to work to improve the way in which the printed material looks.
January 14, 2008
The following two tours were added in Version 04.01.01:
Lake Tahoe - Eastside
A special note was added to all tours beginning at the summer trailhead for Thunder Mountain or to the west near Martin Meadow.
January 4, 2008
Difficulty and length of tour are now given in Find By Location and Difficulty and Find Using Index (Version 03.02.01). You will probably find searching for a tour by location and difficulty the easiest unless you know the name of the tour.
January 1, 2008
The following seven tours were added in Version 03.01.01:
Lake Tahoe - Eastside
- Headwaters of Galena Creek
- Third Creek
- Relay Ridge
- Mount Houghton Via Radio Tower
- Mount Houghton Direct
- Mount Rose
Highway 88
There are now 11 tours in the Tahoe Meadows area on the Mount Rose Highway. The Headwaters of Galena Creek tour, suitable for beginner-intermediate skiers, is a destination that visitors to the area should not miss. The Relay Ridge tour is the easiest route to over 10,000 feet in the area and is suitable for intermediate skiers and the Mount Houghton Via Radio Tower tour is a short, but more difficult, extension. The Mount Houghton Direct and Mount Rose tours are suitable for only advanced skiers.
The Headwaters of the Middle Fork of the Cosumnes River Loop tour on Highway 88 loops around the river's headwaters and is rated intermediate.
November 30, 2007
The following six tours were added in Version 02.01.01:
Highway 50
Lake Tahoe - Eastside
- Tahoe Meadows
- South Ridge
- Tahoe Meadows to Incline Village
- Tahoe Meadows to Diamond Peak
- Tahoe Meadows to Brockway Summit
Ralston Peak and Tahoe Meadows to Incline Village will interest those primarily seeking downhill in the backcountry. In contrast, Tahoe Meadows to Diamond Peak and Tahoe Meadows to Brockway Summit are equally difficult with comparable amounts of downhill, but combine the downhill with more of a "tour."
The South Ridge tour is a wonderful tour for beginner-intermediate skiers.
November 16, 2007
Debut of Ski Tours in the Sierra Nevada. Version 01.01.01 available and includes 43 ski tours. Two of the tours are near Loon Lake off Highway 50 and 41 of the tours are on the Highway 88 corridor west of Carson Pass. Of special interest to those who enjoy hut trips is the Van Vleck Bunkhouse tour near Loon Lake.