Snowshoe

Snowshoeing maybe the perfect activity for the Pinecrest basin in the winter.  Here are some reasons to consider snoeshoeing and along with recommendations on where to go just snowshoeing.

• Low cost – Rent or buy snowshoes is low cost and no lift costs or trail fees
• Snowshoe anywhere – You can basically snowshoe anywhere in the Pinecrest area where you can hike during the summer.  This opens up many trail options from Pinecrest lake area or those off of Gooseberry or Grabtree or Herrring creek.
• Falling less likely and less training required – You can still get that outdoors, snow exercise experience without the high skill required for XC skiing, less equipment and cost and you can go just about everywhere with your snowshoe you won’t sink in the snow or slip.
• Steeper terrain – You can walk up very steep terrain with snowshoe that would never be able to do with XC skis going up or coming down with control.
• When XC ski conditions are marginal, consider snowshoeing – Pinecrest can offer less than stellar XC ski conditions with thin snow,  or icy conditions or excessive melting snow and water and mud so snowshoe is perfect to get out to nice destinations in Pinecrest in the snow with the skis.

Where to snowshoe??

Since you can snowshoe everywhere you can hike, check out the Pinecrest Trails website for some ideas at https://pinecresttrails.wordpress.com/

Snowshoe at Carl Ski Hill in Pinecrest.

More snowshoe off Carl Ski Hill and toward Dodge on trails.

Here is what the XC ski trails can be like.. This is from February 2017 after a big snow and then several big, warm rains that washed away much of the snow and left you crossing creeks of water every 200 yards with big gaps in the snows to traverse.