Serenity now. Or at least after the next time it snows.
Here’s a wintertime recreation that does not include noise, crowds, an abundance in cash or a great deal of athleticism: Snowshoeing.
“I always tell people if they can walk, they can snowshoe,” said Kathryn “Kae” Reed, who has published a second book, “Snowshoeing Around Lake Tahoe: Must-Do Scenic Treks.”
“That is the beauty about the sport, almost everyone can do it. Equipment doesn’t cost much and it seems to last forever.”
Like Reed’s 2019 hiking book, “The Dirt Around Tahoe,” the snowshoe guide rates excursions on a scale of 1 to 10 for scenery and difficulty.
It is written in narrative form, with facts and figures interwoven, a press statement explains. Each excursion is a story about what one can find and experience on the trail.
Reed’s connection to Lake Tahoe started when she was a child.
“While growing up in the Bay Area, I would go to Tahoe with family and friends to snow ski,” Reed said in an email to Tahoe Onstage. “It felt like getting out in nature. While I continued to downhill ski when I moved to Tahoe, it started to feel more like being with the masses than immersed in Mother Nature.
“Snowshoeing became my outlet to feel that closeness with my surroundings. Snowshoeing allows you to go places that are otherwise inaccessible, even to snowmobilers. Alpine County is home to my favorite snowshoes; mostly because of the ruggedness of the terrain, the raw beauty and that it can seem untamed.”
Reed had a career in newspapers, including time with the San Francisco Chronicle and two stints with the Tahoe Daily Tribune in South Lake Tahoe. She published an online paper, Lake Tahoe News, for nine years before moving to Todos Santos, Mexico.
“Snowshoeing Around Lake Tahoe: Must-Do Scenic Treks” is available via Amazon, and Barnes and Noble as an eBook for $5.99 and paperback for $9.99. Local bookstores can order it upon request.
–– Tim Parsons
Related story: “The Dirt Around Lake Tahoe – Must-Do Scenic Hikes” for your summer reading.
