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Introduction to Backpacking, Tahoe National Forest, CA Highlights:
Includes:
Trip Number: 08115A Price: $675 Deposit: $100 Capacity: 14 Rating: L Leader:
The Trip If you're a strong day-hiker who wants to try backpacking, this is the trip for you. Our trip is based at the Sierra Club's Clair Tappaan Lodge, in the Tahoe National Forest, just west of Lake Tahoe, California . We plan to spend the first two nights at the lodge. Those days will be filled with backpacking tips on a variety of subjects, including how to load your pack and adjust it for comfort, wilderness safety, and meal preparation, as well as a "shake-down" day hike wearing loaded backpacks. This will also give you an opportunity to adjust to the altitude. On the third day, we'll distribute group food and supplies and depart on a one-night backpack trip to a nearby lake, returning the following afternoon to the lodge where we will stay the night. On the fifth day, we'll head out with backpacks again -- this time for two nights. We will hike through pine forests, verdant meadows, open granite basins, and take in views of mountain peaks and lake-filled valleys. The pristine lakes are cold but swimmable -- particularly after a day's hike with a loaded backpack During the trip we'll discuss the history and settlement of the area, including the Donner Party tragedy, and the special environmental challenges facing the Tahoe Basin and its residents today.
Day 1: We'll meet at Clair Tappaan Lodge (CTL) at 2 p.m. for an orientation meeting. We'll spend the night at the lodge. Day 2: After a visit to a local museum to learn about the history of the area, we'll drive to a nearby trailhead to day-hike to a glacier-formed granite lake for lunch. While we're here, we'll also have an opportunity to practice setting up tents. We'll return to CTL for the night. Day 3: For our first overnight trip we'll drive to a nearby trailhead and backpack approximately 5.5 miles over a pass to a beautiful lake where we will spend the night. Day 4: After breakfast we'll break camp and hike back to the pass for lunch and an optional day hike up a peak, returning to CTL in time for dinner. Day 5: Today we'll drive to a trailhead and backpack several miles to a glorious lake where we will spend two nights. Day 6: Our layover day options include a day hike, swimming, fishing, reading, or just relaxing. We'll also have an optional class on introductory map and compass skills. Day 7: After breakfast we'll break camp and backpack to the trailhead, stopping for lunch on the way. We will return to CTL around 3 p.m. for an opportunity to shower before heading home. Getting There The trip will begin on day one at Clair Tappaan Lodge with a 2 p.m. meeting, where we will get acquainted and discuss our plans. If you fly into Reno, Nevada, you need to arrive at the Reno airport by 11 a.m. in order to ensure you arrive at CTL in time for the orientation meeting. Some prior participants have flown into Reno the evening before and spent the night at a motel across the street from the airport. (You may also reserve a place at Clair Tappaan Lodge for the night before the trip.) The trip will end after lunch on the trail, when we return to the lodge on the afternoon of the final day. If you are flying home from Reno, do not schedule a return flight prior to 6 p.m. on the final day. Staying at the lodge or the motel across the street from the airport is an option for the return trip as well. Do not make any flight arrangements until you've been approved by the trip leaders. Clair Tappaan Lodge is easy to reach by car from major airports and highways. The lodge is located in Norden , California , about 2.5 miles off Interstate 80 using the Soda Springs/Norden exit. This is approximately 15 miles west of Truckee, California, and about 45 miles west of Reno, which has the nearest major airport. From San Francisco, the lodge is about 180 miles east on Interstate 80. Car rentals are available in Reno. Truckee is served by Greyhound and Amtrak. All transportation to the lodge, trailheads, or other activities is the responsibility of each trip member. Leaders are unable to arrange carpools for participants. Those arriving by air should plan to rent a car or make their own arrangements to carpool with other trip participants. A roster of other trip members will be provided two months before the start of the trip.
In 1934, a hearty group of Sierra Club volunteers built rustic Clair Tappaan Lodge as a hostel-type retreat for hikers, skiers, and mountain climbers . Nestled in a pocket of the mountains near Donner Summit at 7,000 feet, Clair Tappaan Lodge offers access to miles of hiking trails, as well as fishing streams, remote meadows and peaks, and swimming lakes. The lodge is on the edge of the Lake Tahoe Basin , with Tahoe itself only 25 miles away. A hearty breakfast and dinner are prepared each day by the professional kitchen staff and served in the lodge's large, communal dining room. Bag lunch provisions are provided for guests to take with them each day. A vegetarian meal option is always available, and participants with other dietary restrictions can usually be accommodated, assuming the trip leader is informed in advance. All accommodations are in bunk beds equipped with mattresses (bring your own sleeping bag or bedding, pillows are provided). Several room types and sizes are available, most of which are dormitory-style. Doors do not lock, however, lockers are available and you may either bring your own lock or rent one at the lodge. Restroom and shower facilities are shared, with two men's and two women's bathrooms (bring your own towel). Since the very beginning, the lodge has embodied the cooperative spirit familiar to Sierra Club Outings participants . Each day of your stay, you'll sign up for one daily chore, such as meal preparation and serving, setting tables, dishwashing, or other cleaning. The chore requires about 20-30 minutes of your time. No smoking is allowed in the lodge or on the surrounding trails. Our backpacking meals will be prepared and cleaned up by a rotating cook crew of trip members -- everyone gets a turn. All food, snacks, and cooking equipment are provided. Everyone will carry a portion of the food and cooking equipment (known as the commissary), which is why your personal gear is limited to 20-25 pounds. At the beginning of the backpack you will be given an individual "goody" bag of trail snacks. The cuisine will tend toward the vegetarian end of the spectrum, with a few of the meals containing some meat. Please let us know if you have any specific dietary requirements and we will do our best to accommodate you. While backpacking, water will be obtained from lakes and streams, and will be treated with iodine. You may wish to bring a water filtration pump for your personal use.
This trip is rated Light (L). Keep in mind that by its nature, backpacking is a strenuous sport. You will be carrying a pack weighing 30 to 35 pounds (maximum of 20 to 25 pounds of personal gear, plus shared commissary of approximately 8 to 10 pounds.) We will be hiking at altitudes of 7,000-8,000 feet, which will greatly affect your cardiovascular ability if you live at lower altitudes. To qualify for this trip, you should be in good physical condition, with a regular program of weight-bearing and aerobic exercise. Persons between the ages of 13 and 18 years of age may join if accompanied by a parent or responsible adult.
For packing purposes, it might be best to think of this as two trips combined into one: the lodge portion and the backpacking portion. While backpacking, there will be a place at the lodge to store your lodge clothing and gear. You will need to bring your own bedding and towels for the lodge. Because you will need a lightweight (less than three pounds) sleeping bag for the backpacking portion of the trip, this is your best option for the lodge as well. A detailed equipment list will be sent to you once you are accepted on the trip, but you should be aware that you will need a backpack, and we recommend sharing a tent to help decrease overall weight. We strongly recommend that you consider borrowing or renting a backpacking tent and a backpack (make sure it fits) instead of purchasing these items. If you do not have a tent, notify the leader, as other participants on the trip may be willing to share. Above-the-ankle hiking boots are required. You should purchase and break in hiking boots well before the beginning of the trip. The Sierra Club will provide all cooking equipment and food. You will only need to bring eating utensils, a mug, and a bowl/plate for the backpacking portion of the trip. Temperatures at night can be in the low 40s and in the days in the mid 80s. Thundershowers in the afternoon are possible.
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Conservation Your leaders are volunteer Sierra Club members. We have a long-term dedication to the Sierra Club, conservation, and enjoyment of the outdoors. We hope to impart to you some of our love for the Sierra Nevada and for the work of the Sierra Club. We believe that the Sierra Club's outings program provides an excellent opportunity for members to enjoy the fruits of past conservation victories and to learn about current concerns. While on this trip, please feel free to ask your leaders about any particular conservation issues and to share environmental concerns from your area. Because of its attractiveness to summer hikers and winter skiers, the area around Donner Pass is a readily accessible haven for recreational use. As more and more people venture into the Sierras, learning how to enjoy the environment without contributing to its destruction is very important. We will learn planning, waste disposal, and travel and camping skills developed under Leave No Trace guidelines, which will minimize your impact whenever you choose to explore the wilderness. We will learn planning, waste disposal, and travel and camping skills developed under Leave No Trace guidelines, which will minimize your impact whenever you choose to explore the wilderness.
See the How to Apply for an Outing section for more details on registering for this trip and details about our Reservation and Cancellation Policy. The payment of a deposit does not confirm you as a member on the trip. Participants must be approved by the trip leader. After signing up for this trip, you will be sent a confirmation packet containing approval materials (Participant Approval Questionnaire, Medical Form, Liability Release Form). Each applicant (including those on the waitlist) must fill out these forms and promptly mail them to the trip leader. The leader will review the approval materials and notify you of your acceptance in a timely manner.
General Notes About Sierra Club Trips
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Kathy Wells' involvement with Sierra Club National Outings began in 1997, when she joined a Club backpacking trip, and had such a great time she trained and began leading Sierra Club trips the following year. She feels there is really something special about the camaraderie of people coming from all points to share their common interest and love of the outdoors. She enjoys planning trips, particularly discovering new food ideas, and she dehydrates many of the ingredients she uses on trips. Her other hobbies include cycling, kayaking, reading, sailing, scuba diving, and skiing, and she also volunteers at her local humane society. She is a certified wilderness first responder.