TBA in the News: Tahoe Weekly Covers Exploding Backcountry Usage, and TBA Solutions to Address It
Back-country Access in 2021, Tahoe Sierra Readies for Year like No Other
Back-country Access in 2021, Tahoe Sierra Readies for Year like No Other
Map of Donner Lake Run and West End Beach parking.
In collaboration with the Truckee Parks and Recreation Department (TPRD), the Truckee Donner Land Trust (TDLT), and The Donner Lake Woods Home Owners Association (DLWHOA), the Tahoe Backcountry Alliance (TBA) is proud to announce the signed agreement allowing winter parking at the Donner Lake West End Beach Parking Lot!
This classic descent is a great source of recreation on public lands, but there have also been persistent access and trespassing issues in the Donner Lake neighborhoods for years. While the majority of users were respectful, there were recurring instances of illegal parking on public streets, parking in private driveways and littering.
The Tahoe Backcountry Alliance, Truckee Donner Land Trust, and Donner Lakes Woods HOA have collaborated with the Truckee Parks and Recreation Department to create winter parking at the West End of Donner Lake. TBA is funding the re-paving of the twenty spaces and the annual snow clearing of the site. West end Snow Clearing is contracted to do the snow removal and has generously offered a discounted rate for this winter season. The lease agreement is for five years with possible renewal on the fifth and tenth year. In addition, DLWHOA leased a portion of their open space parcel to the Land Trust in order to facilitate a full public lands descent from Donner Summit to the winter parking location.
This new parking area will provide a means to manage user behavior, reduce litter, and concentrate traffic to and from one point. By creating one access point for legal, public recreation, users will begin and end their trips at the new trailhead, reducing unintentional trespassing and concentrating impacts onto the designated space. Additionally, mapped signage will help educate users about property boundaries and neighborhood regulations.
Tahoe Backcountry Alliance Executive Director, Greg Garrison, says, “This is an amazing opportunity for the backcountry community to demonstrate the values of stewardship, mentorship, and dedication to the broader Tahoe community that make this user group so special. The upcoming ski season will see unprecedented backcountry users throughout the Tahoe Basin. It is imperative that we as the backcountry community continue to foster relationships such as this to improve our public lands access in the winter season”.
In order to ensure the continued support of the Parks Department, it is imperative that the backcountry community acts in good faith to the neighborhood homeowners and follows principles outlined in the recently published Backcountry Tips and Etiquette by TBA.
Wayne Poulsen with his buddies shuttling Highway 40, circa 1932 (Glen Poulsen)
Tahoe Backcountry Community,
We have a unique opportunity to provide input to Placer County on backcountry access points in the Tahoe Basin.
Placer County is seeking public and stakeholder input for its North Tahoe Recreation Access Plan.
The plan proposes public access improvements to outdoor recreation areas. The proposal aligns with key action priorities under Lake Tahoe’s Environmental Improvement Program’s Sustainable Recreation focus area.
A public survey is now available. Placer County is also working with multiple stakeholders including public and private property owners and land managers to learn about related recreation plans and to explore partnership opportunities.
Tahoe Backcountry Alliance has developed a Sample List of Comments you can use if desired for the Survey. See below for specific areas of interest and potential solutions.
Thanks so much to Placer County and the entities involved for encouraging timely public input on this important subject. North Lake Tahoe is blessed with direct access to the Tahoe National Forest and incredible opportunities for sustainable recreation. Backcountry skiing, snowshoeing, mountain biking, and paddle sports are the fastest growing segment of the outdoor industry. Their growth is far outpacing access to opportunities and Tahoe is no exception.
The most sustainable way of providing access in the long term (post-COVID) is providing door to door micro-transit to the various recreational venues. In the short run Alterra, Northstar, and Homewood should provide micro-transit based on the Mountaineer model currently being utilized in Squaw Valley. These services should be expanded to home owners at Alpine Meadows and the Alpine Peaks subdivision in Ward Canyon to access the Sherwood and Alpine meadows lift networks.
The hope would be to work towards door to door Micro-transit to all North Shore recreation locations potentially utilizing transient occupancy tax funding. Ideally, future transit vehicles will be EV’s if and when possible.
Placer has done an excellent job of creating parking, posting signage and plowing the roads end at Silvertip in Talmont for access to the Page Meadows area. Recreationalists drive through the residential subdivision on the public roadway to access the USFS land at the roads end. There is a sizable lot with SKI Parking actually posted. This is a model for other neighborhood access trailheads on the North Shore. Important access points on the North and West Shore in Placer County include the following, in sequence of importance:
Thank you for taking action and helping to improve public lands access in the Tahoe Basin.
Tahoe Backcountry Alliance
TBA Executive Director, Greg Garrison, highlights our new Backcountry Tips and Etiquette, along with other practical tips for keeping the trails manageable this coming season in a December 8, SFGate.com article. Click here to read the full article.
Winter Wildlands Alliance and the Tahoe Backcountry Alliance have teamed up with Tahoe Mountain Sports to virtually screen the 2020-2021 Backcountry Film Fest! CLICK HERE to download the festival and build the stoke for the coming season!
Your donations benefit TBA and our efforts to preserve access to and continue our stewardship of the human-powered experience in the Tahoe Backcountry. Thanks for your support!
Enjoy the films and think snow!