Resources

The following chapter is from the book Ski Tours in Southern California:

• Organizations
• Periodicals
• Information on the Internet

Organizations

Snowlands Network, Box 230, Livermore, CA 94551. Snowlands Network is an organization of cross-country skiers in California who enjoy winter travel in backcountry areas much as hikers do in the summer. They have banded together to preserve those areas which are still unspoiled and to make these areas more accessible to backcountry nordic skiers. Web page: http://www.snowlands.org/.

Sierra Club Angeles Chapter, 3435 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90020, (213) 387-4287. You don't have to be a member to participate in most Sierra Club trips, but membership supports its conservation activities and includes subscriptions to Sierra magazine, and the local monthly Southern Sierran. The chapter publishes a thrice-yearly Schedule of Activities, which includes ski trips, and a web page at http://www.angeles.sierraclub.org/. The following sections and committees of the Angeles Chapter are of interest to cross-country skiers; note that other sections and groups have ski trips too.

The Nordic Ski Touring Section conducts beginning to advanced day tours in the local mountains, bus trips (with lodge accommodations) to remote ski areas, and snow camping. Appropriate equipment is required on all tours. They offer training for beginning and intermediate skiers as well as winter survival seminars. They hold four meetings a year during ski season and publish a newsletter, Snowflake. Their web page is at http://www.angeles.sierraclub.org/nordic/.

The Ski Mountaineering Section offers a varied schedule of mountaineering ski tours including one-day and overnight hut trips, backpacks, and peak climbs. The tours visit to the local mountains, the Sierra Nevada, and occasionally other ranges. Training tours are offered for newcomers, ski tour leaders, and advanced skiers. Skis with metal edges and climbing skins are necessary on nearly all tours. They use regular alpine (downhill) skis with touring bindings (safety release type) or Nordic mountaineering skis with 3-pin bindings. Longer trips are open to members who demonstrate the required touring and downhill skiing skills on an introductory local tour. They meet monthly during ski season. They publish their newsletter, Mugelnoos, nine times a year; Mugelnoos has tips on ski gear, techniques, and articles on recent trips. Their web page is at http://www.angeles.sierraclub.org/skimt/. This section was organized in 1934 by Dr. Mosauer and others (see the Skiing History chapter).

Alpine Ski Mountaineering Committee provides an opportunity for downhill thrill-seekers to get away from crowded slopes and enjoy back country snow--Alpine style. They ski mountainous terrain using alpine skiing skills and randonnée bindings. The tours are planned for corn snow and sunshine--in the local mountains, January-March; in the Sierra, April-June. The tours allow for different kinds of terrain, from intermediate bowls to expert chutes. The trips are open to anyone who demonstrates adequate skills while descending a slope whose difficulty the committee considers "intermediate" but which is equivalent to an "expert" (black diamond) slope at a downhill ski resort, in variable snow conditions. Good physical conditioning is also required. Web: http://www.angeles.sierraclub.org/angeles/info/alpinski.htm

Sierra Club San Diego Chapter, 3820 Ray Street, San Diego, CA 92104-3623, (619) 299-1744. You don't have to be a member to participate in most Sierra Club trips, but membership supports its conservation activities and includes subscriptions to Sierra magazine and the local chapter publication, Hi Sierran. Their web page is at http://sandiego.sierraclub.org/.

Cross-country Ski Section, San Diego Chapter, conducts beginning to advanced day tours in local mountains, bus or plane trips with lodge accommodations to Sierra Nevada and some out-of-state ski areas, and occasional snow camping. Appropriate equipment is required on all tours. Unless otherwise stated, no ski experience is required for their trips. Their bus trips divide up into groups according to ability and interest. They have two general meetings during the ski season. All trips are published in Hi Sierran. Their web page is at http://sandiego.sierraclub.org/ski/

Sierra Club San Gorgonio Chapter, 568 N. Mountain View Ave., Suite 130, San Bernardino, CA 92401, (909) 381-5015. This chapter includes many ski areas in this book: the San Bernardino, San Gorgonio, and San Jacinto mountains. During winter, the chapter offers ski tours to these areas. You don't have to be a member to participate in most Sierra Club trips, but membership supports its conservation activities and includes subscriptions to Sierra magazine and the local chapter publication, Palm and Pine. Their web page is at http://sangorgonio.sierraclub.org/.

Periodicals

Backcountry. This magazine, published four times a year during the ski season, focuses on backcountry skiing gear and techniques. Single copies are available at Sports Chalet, REI, and other backcountry shops. To subscribe, write or call Backcountry, 7065 Dover Way, Arvada, CO 80004, (303) 424-5858. Web: http://www.backcountrymagazine.com/.

Couloir. This magazine, published four times a year during the ski season, is similar to Backcountry, but focuses more on California and extreme skiing. Single copies are available as above or write or call Couloir Publications, Box 2349, Truckee, CA 96161. Web: http://www.earnyourturns.com/.

Nordic Voice. Written by Marcus Libkind, author of Ski Tours in the Sierra Nevada, this free newsletter lobbies to retain cross-country ski areas unencumbered by commercial development, snowmobiling, and other conflicts. Write to Nordic Voice, Box 1211, Livermore, CA 94551. Web: http://www.nordicvoice.org/.

Cross Country Skier_® Magazine. This monthly magazine issued six times during the ski season focuses on flat-land ski resorts in the east, but has useful information on ski gear, techniques, and where to ski. The content of this magazine has suffered recently, due to staff turnover and cutbacks. Write or call Cross Country Skier L.L.C., Box 550, Cable, WI 54821, (800) 827-0607. Web: http://www.crosscountryskier.com/.

Information on the Internet

Those with access to the Internet computer network can access cross-country ski, weather, and road information. Many commercial network services provide partial or full access to Internet and maintain information about skiing or weather on their own.

rec.skiing.backcountry and rec.skiing.nordic newsgroups. These USENET newsgroups both discuss cross-country skiing. The rec.skiing.backcountry group is more oriented to backcountry and telemark skiing, and the rec.skiing.nordic is more oriented to eastern-flatland skiing, but has useful information on ski gear and equipment. If you don't have USENET newsgroup access, you can access it from the web at http://groups.google.com/.

Southern California Ski Server. This is a Web home page is oriented toward downhill skiing, but has reports on nordic ski conditions and weather in the local mountains. For those with direct access to Internet, point your Web browser at http://www.skisocal.org/.

The Cross-country Ski Areas Association has a web page at http://www.xcski.org/.

Road reports and weather. See the chapters on "Winter Driving Tips" and "Weather."