Snowshoeing to go: Great trails at major ski resorts

Travel costs add up quickly, and adding a slew of $70 lift tickets to your family vacation tab can blow a budget wide open. Fortunately, many prime ski destinations also offer outstanding snowshoe options, and since snowshoes are much easier to transport than skis, you can take your snow vacation without the high cost of lift tickets.

We checked out a few of the prime snow-season destinations to find out what you can expect when you break out snowshoes in these ski towns.

Whistler/

Blackcomb, B.C.

Snowshoe routes around the Whistler/Blackcomb ski area range from easy treks through the meadows outside of the ski village, to epic backcountry excursions. To get a good feel for the grandeur of the region, sample a bit of each.

Lost Lake Snowshoe Trails: 2 to 5 miles

Contact info: Cross Country Connection, 604-905-0071 or www.crosscountryconnection.bc.ca

A system of cross-country ski and snowshoe trails — separate trails for classic skiers, skate-skiers and snowshoers — weaves through the scenic Lost Lake Park just northeast of Whistler-Blackcomb villages. The trails are maintained by Municipality of Whistler, and there is a modest use fee, $6.50 (Canadian) for snowshoers, though group rates are available. Pick up a trail map with your pass and explore at your leisure.

The Lost Lake Snowshoe trail winds through the valley to the shores of broad Lost Lake. The mostly flat out-and-back trek to the lake is just 2.8 Km (1.8 miles). To add distance, and a bit of elevation change, once at the lakeshore, swing east onto the Molly Hogan trail to loop counterclockwise around the lake. At the junction near the Old Mill Road, head north on the out-and-back spur trail (about a quarter mile) to the Green Lake Lookout for a bit of solitude.

Lake Garibaldi — Black Tusk Trail: 7.5 miles

Contact info: BC Parks, 604-892-2400 or www.env.gov.bc.ca/bcparks

About 25 kilometers south of Whistler, you'll find a fantastic backcountry snowshoe route: the Black Tusk Trail. Watch for the British Columbia Parks sign for Garibaldi Lake (within Garibaldi Provincial Park).

This route leads up Taylor Creek, with an optional (recommended) visit to vast Garibaldi Lake before reaching Black Tusk Meadows. The route starts with about 2.5 kilometers of snowshoeing on the access road (not plowed in winter) before you jump onto the true "trail." The route is frequently used by skiers and snowshoers, but be prepared to do your own trailbreaking and even a little route-finding if the snow is deep in the forest.

The trail climbs gradually through forest and meadow. The side loop out to Garibaldi Lake can be an end unto itself if you prefer your destination to be a huge valley-filling mountain lake. Or stop in the meadows below the formidable rock of Black Tusk — a towering peak to the north. Start early and plan on spending a full day on the trail.

Jackson Hole, Wyo.

Regardless of the season, Jackson Hole offers outdoor enthusiasts an almost unlimited number of recreation options. Sitting on the flank of Grand Teton National Park, the Jackson area is particularly stunning in winter. Vast herds of elk winter on the broad plains, and the jagged peaks of the Teton Range tower over the valley like jeweled spikes on a crown.

Saddlehorn Snowshoe Routes: 1 to 5 miles

Contact info: Jackson Nordic Center, 307-739-2629 or www.jacksonhole.com

This maintained Nordic trail system offers snowshoers a chance to get to know the local conditions on an easy trek. Pick up a trail map and a day-use pass ($13) before heading out. The trails are all easy to moderate and stay within the area around the ski village.

Phelps Lake

Overlook: 5 miles

Contact info: Grand Teton National Park, 307-739-3682 or www.nps.gov/grte

The Death Canyon Trail is one of the most stunning summer hiking trails in the park. Come winter, the road to the trailhead is one of the best snowshoe routes to explore. The unplowed road offers a wide, easy-to-follow route with moderate gains and unmatched views. Rather than venture up onto the Death Canyon Trail, though, peel off the road at the overlook area to enjoy the vast panorama before you. The lake is stunning, and overhead, the Tetons loom.

If this trek fails to fully satisfy your need for Teton trekking, simply stop at the park visitor center and ask for other routes. Most of the park roads are unplowed, and the heavy snowfalls make them wonderful snowshoeing boulevards. Just watch out for wandering elk and the occasional moose.

Steamboat Springs, Colo.

Located high in the Rocky Mountains in North Colorado, the Steamboat Springs area gets fewer visitors, and much more fluffy snow, than the glitzy resorts of Vail and Aspen. Steamboat is also the gateway to some of the most amazing mountain backcountry you'll ever hope to find.

The Steamboat Springs Ski Area offers snowshoe trails in its Nordic center, but the National Forest here offers so much more! If you want to spend your first day on the village trails, contact the resort (www.steamboatnordicskiing.com). Otherwise, check out the forest!

The Medicine Bow-Routt National Forest offers an array of terrain in which to play, from broad meadows and lake basins to skyscraping mountains (many above 14,000 feet). Contact the Forest for a full listing of all possible routes, but here's an easy though scenic one we like:

Hahns Peak Lake:

5 to 10 miles

Contact info: Hahns Peak/Bears Ears Ranger District, 970-879-1870 or www.fs.fed.us/r2/mbr

Found just west of town on Highway 40, this route makes use of the unplowed roads around the Forest Service's Hahns Peak Lake Campground. There is no trail signage along the route, so a map and compass are essentials, though the roads are easy to navigate.

The route from the roadside parking to the campground covers about 10 miles round trip, but there is only modest elevation gain as you wander through open forests and meadows. The big conical summit of Hahns Peak looms overhead for much of the trek.

Dan A. Nelson of Puyallup is a regular contributor to Northwest Weekend.