lsanderson | 36 Hours in North Lake Tahoe

Royal Gorge is a cross-country skier’s paradise.
By BONNIE TSUI
Published: February 22, 2009

FLANKED by epic mountain terrain that is home to 12 major ski resorts (the largest concentration in the country), Lake Tahoe is a year-round draw that sees some of its biggest crowds during ski season. This part of the Sierra Nevada is known for its prodigious snowfall. Back in the 19th century, the infamous Donner Party was trapped in 22-foot drifts in the area, and found themselves resorting to creative methods of survival; today, visitors to Tahoe are thankfully hungry mostly for good powder. In particular, the north side of the lake on either side of the California-Nevada border, especially the historic and colorful town of Truckee, Calif., offers easy access to top resorts for skiing, snowboarding and cross-country exploration, as well as a good sense of the region’s quirkily independent pioneer spirit. More