[Skiing Classes, Rental Equipment, Trails]
The Sierra Club's own Clair Tappaan Lodge is a rustic mountain lodge at the top of
Donner Summit, owned and operated by the Sierra Club. Built entirely by volunteers in
1934, the lodge continues to be operated on a cooperative basis. Guests need to provide
their own sleeping bags, linens, and towels. Doors to the rooms do not lock but valuables
may be locked in rentable lockers. No pets are allowed except for seeing eye dogs. The
path to the lodge from the parking lot is Approx. 100 yards long and a good pair of hiking
boots is recommended as the path is rocky in the summer and snowy/icy in the winter.
A small professional staff includes a cook who prepares family style meals three times
a day. Guests are expected to do a house chore each day of their stay.
- Location: Just up the road from Donner Pass, near Lake Tahoe in California's
Sierra Nevada. 45 miles west of Reno, Nevada.
- Elevation: 7200 feet
- Capacity: 140 persons
- Facilities: Kitchen, dining hall, fireplace, library, sundeck, hot tub! Bathrooms
and showers. Sleeping accommodations in large group rooms, family rooms of 5-12 bunks, and
2-bunk private cubicles.
- Staff: Manager and professional cook in residence all year. Additional staff for
summer and winter programs.
The Lodge maintains 10 to 12 kilometers of groomed cross-country ski trails and offers
excellent instruction in both Nordic track an telemark techniques. Top quality
cross-country skis and snowshoes are also available to rent at very reasonable rates.
We offer beginning, intermediate and advanced classes in Nordic skiing. Our philosophy
and teaching methods emphasize having fun and learning functional skills for greater
enjoyment in skiing. With these basic skills in place, we go on to specific areas of the
student's interest, such as diagonal stride, turning, and telemarking, or skating.
We hold classes weekends and holidays, and weekdays if there is sufficient
interest. Sign-up and payment for lessons and ski rentals, will take place each
morning (call for times and availablity).
We have a large supply of high quality Nordic track and backcountry skis and snowshoes
for adults and children.
All equipment is rented on a first-come, first served basis and cannot be
reserved.
Cross country ski trails begin right outside the back door. There are approximately 12
kilometers of groomed and tracked trails at beginning and intermediate levels. The trails
are a convenient link to miles of back country skiing.
Photos and information courtesy Clair
Tappaan
P.O. Box 36, Norden, CA 95724
Contact and Conditions: (530) 426-3632, fax# (530) 426-0742
clair.tappaan.lodge@sierraclub.org
