Page 33 - 2017 Travel Guide to California

SKATERS ENJOY the ice in Yosemite Valley,
right; a snowboarder gets some air above
Lake Tahoe, bottom.
marshmallows and hot cocoa for dessert.
Cross-country skiing and snowshoeing
courses dot the Tahoe area, offering a brisk
aerobic workout amidst pine forests and
sweeping mountain scenery. South of Tahoe,
Mammoth Mountain boasts a world-class
ski resort, while Bear Mountain offers skiing
within a reasonable commute from Los
Angeles, enabling the highly motivated to
surf and ski in a single day. Outside of the ski
resorts, snowmobiling provides high-octane
motor sport fun, while dogsledding is a way
to enjoy a different sort of ride with some
furry friends. For the adventurous, remote
backcountry skiing, the increasingly popular
“sidecountry” Alpine Touring connected to
the ski resorts, ice climbing and hut-to-hut
hiking in the Sierra Nevada mountains can
feed one’s winter hunger for adrenaline.
The Great Outdoors
Step away from organized resort sports and
there’s still a wealth of winter outdoor
activities in California. The bears may be
hibernating but that doesn’t mean you have
to as well. Avoiding the hot summer
months means visitors can enjoy temperate
winter hiking and camping opportunities
in desert parks such as Death Valley, Joshua
Tree and around Palm Springs (but be fore-
warned that the nights can still get frigid).
Prior to snowfall, the Sierra Nevada moun-
tain forests are ablaze with colorful fall
foliage, making a hike through the hills a
prime “shoulder season” activity.
Wintertime provides an escape from the
summer crowds often found in Yosemite
National Park. Visit the near-empty wilder-
ness to enjoy a quiet blanket of snow
covering towering cliffs, the sun glistening
off frozen waterfalls and the muffled
clomping sound of guided snowshoe tours—
and then retire to one of their lodges for spe-
cial winter food and wine events. Hot springs
around Mammoth Lakes provide toasty out-
door relaxation with a view of snowcapped
mountains. Or, perhaps bundle up and climb
a mountain for prime star-gazing opportuni-
ties in the crisp and clear mountain air, then
add a few more layers and try some ice
fishing on a high alpine lake.
Winter also is the time when visitors can
spot many animals migrating south to
follow the sun. From massive gray whales
to miniature monarch butterflies, flocks of
birds in the central wetlands and pods of
seals come to mate on the shores of the
Pacific, the world’s wildlife also seems to
think that California’s outdoors is a great
place to visit in winter.
» FIND YOUR
SPORT
Skiing
skilaketahoe.com
mammothmountain.com
bearmountain.com
xcski.org
Hiking/Camping
travelyosemite.com
nps.gov/state/ca
www.parks.ca.gov
Wildlife
whalewatching.com/california
audubon.org/news/birding-california
wildlife.ca.gov
2017 T R AV E L G U I D E TO C A L I F O R N I A 31