2009 Snowshoeing - Time to Step it Up!
First up - Matrimony Ridge, Saturday January 3rd
 

It’s that time of year again and we have finally been blessed with snow.  Our BAS snow shoe leaders have put together a terrific snowshoe calendar for 2009 (see calendar below). We have put in some old favorites as well as a couple of new expeditions.  We are starting out the year this Saturday, January 3rd. So gather up the snow gear, dust off those snow shoes and join us on a refreshing snowshoe hike to Matrimony Ridge. It is a moderate hike of 5.5 miles roundtrip.

This hike has about 650 feet of elevation gain but the reward is a stunning 360 degree view of many Sierra mountains including postcard worthy craggy Devil’s Peak! Also in view are the peaks of the Sugar Bowl ski area, Castle Peak and Snow Mountain. After lunch at the top we will retrace our steps back to our cars.

Game Plan: Saturday, January 3

8:00 a.m. Meet at La Bou (Douglas at Sierra College Blvd.)

8:30 a.m. Meet at Raley’s (Lincoln Way at Foresthill Exit in Auburn)

We will carpool to the trailhead which is at the Kingvale exit off I-80. If the road under the freeway has been plowed we can park there, otherwise we can park at the Donner Trail School 0.1 mile back. There shouldn’t be any cost for parking but please help your drivers with gas money, usually $2 per hour of driving.

Things to Bring:

• Snowshoes, boots, poles

• Gloves, hat, gaiters

• Jacket

• Layered clothing, preferably something that wicks as a base layer as you can get quite warm snowshoeing especially if the sun is out.

• Sunglasses- very important to protect from glare!

• Daypack with plenty of water

• Lunch

• Camera for those great views

• Money for gas

MLK Over-nighter - Jan 17-19, Bivins Lodge

 

For our next trip will be returning to the very nice Bivins lodge that we stayed at last March located in the Yuba Gap area off I-80. This will be an overnighter over Martin Luther King’s birthday weekend January 17, 18, 19. There are thick mats to sleep on, inside bathrooms, showers, and a full kitchen! It has large picture windows with fantastic views! We will backpack in about 3.5 miles to the lodge and then can explore the surrounding area from there as we will be staying two nights. Those that went last year had a great time so don’t miss this one! There is a cost for the lodge and more information will come on this, but we need to know how many people are interested so we can figure that out. So please contact either Kelly or myself if you think you would like to join us on this trip.

 

Any questions please contact Linda Commons or Kelly Baraga. We are excited for the snow and hope to see you all out there in God’s wonderful creation!

 

The heavens declare the Glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands. Psalm 19:1

 

2009 Ready to Glide!

Yes, we finally got some snow … and lots of it! It's time to start thinking about upcoming cross country skiing activities with BAS. 

 

What we do:
 

This division offers Nordic skiing, which is on groomed tracks and is not backcountry skiing on non-groomed trails. There are two techniques: the “classic” Nordic stride and the skate. Both techniques are vigorous and much faster than backcountry skiing. To get an idea please click the Royal Gorge link below and browse the site.

 

When and Where we do it:
 

We will initially be offering one trip per month during the X-C ski season. Our outings will be at Royal Gorge at Soda Springs, which is the largest area on the continent with over  200 miles of groomed trails! See www.royalgorge.com. Depending on the level of interest we will organize more BAS trips as well as informal trips. See the calendar below for the dates.

 

About our retail sponsor:
 

We are also fortunate to have THE premier Cross Country Ski shop in the entire area as one of our BAS sponsors ... Sierra Nordic Cross Country Ski Shop at Truckee. Check out their great website at www.sierranordic.com. Also be sure to sign up for their email notifications which provide a wealth of information.

The BAS Membership Program:

 

To join the membership program you can obtain a Membership form at the BAS Table, from me at the trip meeting location, or you can sign up on line by clicking here. This is a great way to utilize over 25 of our sponsors by obtaining great discounts and a great way to support BAS. The suggested donation for a year Membership is $50 and is used to defray our expenses.