for more mellow activities, best enjoyed by
a fire pit with toasted marshmallows for
dessert. Cross-country skiing and snow-
shoeing courses dot the Tahoe area,
offering a brisk aerobic workout amidst
pine forests and sweeping mountain
scenery. South of Tahoe, Mammoth Moun-
tain boasts a world-class ski resort, while
Big Bear offers skiing within a reasonable
commute from Los Angeles, enabling the
highly motivated to surf and ski in a single
day. Outside of the ski resorts, snowmo-
biling provides high-octane motor sport
fun, while dogsledding is a way to enjoy a
different sort of ride with some furry
friends. For the adventurous, remote back-
country skiing, the increasingly popular
"sidecountry" Alpine Touring connected to
the ski resorts, ice climbing and hut-to-hut
hiking in the Sierra Nevada mountains can
feed one's hunger for adrenaline.
The Great Outdoors
Step away from organized resort sports and
there's still a wealth of winter outdoor
activities in California. The bears may be
hibernating but that doesn't mean you have
to as well. Avoiding the hot summer
months means visitors can enjoy temperate
winter hiking and camping opportunities
in desert parks such as Death Valley, Joshua
Tree and around Palm Springs (but be fore-
warned that the nights can still get frigid).
Prior to snowfall, the Sierra Nevada moun-
tain forests are ablaze with colorful fall
foliage, making a hike through the hills a
prime "shoulder season" activity.
Wintertime provides an escape from the
summer crowds often found in Yosemite
National Park. Visit the near-empty wilder-
ness to enjoy a quiet blanket of snow
covering towering cliffs, the sun glistening
off frozen waterfalls and the muffled
clomping sound of guided snowshoe
tours—and then retire to one of their
lodges for special winter food and wine
events. Hot springs around Mammoth
Lakes provide toasty outdoor relaxation
with a view of snowcapped mountains. Or,
perhaps bundle up and climb a mountain
for prime star-gazing opportunities in the
crisp and clear mountain air, then add a
few more layers and try some ice fishing on
a high alpine lake.
Winter also is the time when visitors
can spot many animals migrating south to
follow the sun. From massive gray whales
to miniature monarch butterflies, flocks of
birds in the central wetlands and pods of
seals come to mate on the shores of the
Pacific, the world's wildlife also seems to
think that California's outdoors is a great
place to visit in winter.
2 0 1 6 T R A V E L G U I D E T O C A L I F O R N I A 73
FAMILY ICE SKATING at Curry Village ice rink, Yosemite,
above; cross-country skiing in Mono County, top right.
»
FIND YOUR
SPORT
Skiing
skilaketahoe.com
mammothmountain.com
bearmountain.com
xcski.org
Hiking/Camping
yosemitepark.com
nps.gov/state/ca
parks.ca.gov
Wildlife
whalewatching.com/california
birding.com/wheretobird/california.asp
dfg.ca.gov/wildlife
