Photo: Jerry Ruhling Lake Tahoe Family Adventure, California Highlights:
Includes:
Trip Number: 08255A Adult Price: $545 Child Price: $445 Adult Deposit: $100 Child Deposit: $100 Min. Age: 4 Capacity: 25 Leader: Tony Rango
The Trip  Photo: Clair Tappaan Lodge The Donner Pass area was best known as a gateway to the promised land of California for the early pioneer families. The towering granite peaks and high passes were challenging and often unforgiving to early inhabitants and explorers of this rugged area. Today, the Donner Pass and Lake Tahoe areas are abound with great vistas, numerous hiking trails, historic sites, and mountain lakes for swimming and kayaking. So, bring the kids and come along to explore this area and play in the mountains with us. This week will provide a wonderful opportunity to spend some quality time in and around nature with your son or daughter, grandchild, niece or nephew. Using Clair Tappaan Lodge as our home base for the week, we'll enjoy a wealth of activities, both natural and cultural, in the Lake Tahoe area. During our trip, we will kayak some of the best lakes in the area, hike nearby trails, ice skate and swim with spectacular views, and enjoy good family fun in the mountains and conversations over campfires in the evening.
 Photo: Clair Tappaan Lodge Day 1: Arrive at the Clair Tappaan Lodge in the afternoon and explore the nearby trails. Our first meal together is dinner served at 5 p.m. We will have introductions, a group orientation, and a short nature hike following dinner. Day 2: We'll spend a full day kayaking, playing, and swimming in Lake Tahoe, and we'll enjoy a picnic lunch on one of its beaches.  Photo: Tony Rango Day 3: We'll spend the day at Squaw Valley where we will take the cable car to the summit for ice skating and swimming at the Swimming Lagoon and Olympic Ice Pavilion. The Olympic Ice Pavilion is an environmentally friendly operation that utilizes the most technologically advanced refrigeration system of its kind. A state-of-the-art heat exchanger freezes the ice while simultaneously heating the Swimming Lagoon, the surrounding decks and walkways, and the High Camp. Day 4: We will explore the surrounding areas and trails stopping by streams and lakes to cool off from our hiking. Day 5: After breakfast, the adults can spend the morning on a “kid-free” hike while the kids play and enjoy nature activities. The afternoon will be spent kayaking and swimming at Donner Lake . Day 6: After breakfast, our mountain adventure ends. Getting There Clair Tappaan Lodge is located in Norden, California, about 45 miles west of Reno, Nevada, which is the nearest airport. The lodge is about 180 miles east of San Francisco. Car rentals are available in Reno and San Francisco. Although there is no public transportation to the lodge, both Truckee and Soda Springs are served by Greyhound and Amtrak, and a taxi can be hired to take you to the lodge. Due to the different needs for car seats based upon age and size, all transportation to the lodge, trail heads, or other on-trip activities is the responsibility of each family. 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. If you wish to carpool, a roster of other trip members will be provided before the trip.
 Photo: Clair Tappaan Lodge
Though not a luxury lodge, Clair Tappaan has a spacious living room, an enormous fireplace, a cozy library, and a large communal dining room. Wholesome, family-style breakfasts and dinners are prepared each day by professional cooks. Every morning before breakfast, trip participants will pack their own lunches to take on the day's adventure. Sleeping accommodations are bunk beds with mattresses. Rooms vary in size from very small two-person cubicles to family rooms that can accommodate from four to eight people to the larger men's and women's dorms. There are two men's and two women's bathrooms, as well as a hot tub. Trip members are expected to assist with daily housekeeping and kitchen chores. These chores will require, at most, about a half-hour each day. Vegetarians can be accommodated; alert the trip leader well in advance.
Before the trip, adult and kids should get in and stay in good shape. Remember, we'll be hiking and playing above 7,000 feet, where the air is thinner, and that thin air will make our lungs work harder. Start some kind of aerobic conditioning regimen now -- you'll be happy you did. This might include hikes of a couple of miles with a lightweight backpack.
Participants will need clothing for evening temperatures in the low 40s and daytime highs in the mid 80s, as well as a possible afternoon thundershower. Sunscreen and hats are a must along with something for the mosquitoes. Please note: The lodge is not heated in the summer. Kids may also want to bring along a favorite game, hobby, art supplies, a frisbee, a whiffle ball, or books to read. No electronic games please. Conservation The area around Donner Pass is a readily accessible recreation Mecca, appealing to both summer hikers and winter skiers. We'll discuss the ecological implications of the area's popularity. We will also discuss ways children and adults can become better environmentalists right in their own home.
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.
Tony Rango has been a staff person for the Sierra Club since 1992 and currently serves as the National Outings Director. He initially got involved in the Sierra Club because of his job, but soon began volunteering in the Outings program. He has been leading national Sierra Club trips since 1994, including backpacking, rafting, biking, kayaking, and mountaineering trips. When he's not at work, he can be found with his kids, and when time permits, Tony's off in the mountains skiing, biking, or hiking.
Aurora loves to spend time in nature with children studying rocks, bugs, and flowers. She is the mother of two sons and the grandmother of five grandchildren. Currently, she serves as the Subcommittee Chair for the Sierra Club’s Lodge Outings. She enjoys leading trips in several countries but finds the Sierra Nevada Mountains a second home. She will be delighted to share her knowledge and enthusiasm of the mountains with you and your family. General Notes About Sierra Club Trips
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Gabriel is an experienced camper and Sierra Club Outings traveler. He has camped for a week while kayaking in Price William Sound and spent a week with other Sierra Club families at a remote lodge on Kachemak Bay, Alaska. He likes to climb rocks and find bugs. He will turn six just before this trip.
Ariel, now four, was recently on a Sierra Club trip to Denali and Glacier Bay National Parks. She has also trekked (riding in a backpack) to the base of Torres del Paine, Patagonia. Her favorite activities involve painting, drawing and trying to keep up with her brother.
