Under the light of the moon

By Katherine E. Hill

Winter’s brisk cold nights are alight with the moonlight dancing off the snow and the waters of Lake Tahoe during a few special nights every month when the full moon lights up the Sierra.

I gathered with a group of friends in January to revel in the beauty of a winter’s night for a full moon snowshoe tour at Sugar Pine State Park on the West Shore. As we talked in the days leading up to the tour, a few friends swelled to a group of ladies ready to trek through the snow – Michelle Allen, Cassandra Lari, Alanna Misico and Genny Wilson.

We decided to enjoy dinner before heading out into the cold, so we met at Spoon near Sunnyside on the West Shore. This cozy eatery opened last summer and serves a mix of sandwiches, soups and dinner specials starting at 3 p.m. We enjoyed hearty helpings of Chicken Tamale Pie, Black Bean and Corn Chili over brown rice, and a pizza appetizer with fresh vegetables. After changing our clothes for warm garb and sipping some hot drinks, we were ready for our adventure.

I’ve been to Sugar Pine Point many times, but the darkness that envelopes the West Shore is thicker in the winter with few cars venturing so far down at night. The moon was making its ascent in the sky as we set out, but clouds shrouded much of its light, and we had to be watchful for our turn.

As we followed the road toward Ehrman Mansion, we searched for lights to guide our way. Rob Westin of West Shore Sports had the only light on his truck as he helped guests with their snowshoes.

After we gathered our hats, gloves and packs, Rob and Alex, one of his employees, helped us with our snowshoes. The tour is a fundraiser for Sierra State Parks Foundation and all of the proceeds go to local state parks. Westin and Alex donated their time for the evening, along with the gear from West Shore Sports.

It was 25 degrees Fahrenheit, said Ranger Scott Elliott, as we started our tour, and it was likely to reach 19 by the end of the tour. We were all well prepared and ready to get our blood pumping. We began our trek through the grounds of the Ehrman Mansion past the tennis courts, Children’s Lodge, main house and Tank House.

The first few minutes snowshoeing are always a bit awkward as you alter your stride to keep from stepping on the wide snowshoes and the extra weight in your step. While we donned headlamps that we mostly used for a first few minutes, our eyes began to adjust to the moonlight as Scott said they would.

The tour was a fascinating mix of local history and natural history as Elliott explained the winter animals we may catch a glimpse of – weasel, pine marten and owl – along with the park’s history. San Francisco businessman I.W. Hellman purchased nearly 2,000 acres near Sugar Pine Point between 1897 and 1913 and built his grand summer home, first called Pine Lodge. When he died, the estate was left to his daughter, Florence Hellman Ehrman.

We began our descent downhill away from the mansion and toward the Lake’s shore. As the clouds began to dissipate, the full light of the Wolf Moon glistened off the water and the snow. Everyone stopped in awe of the night, pulling out cameras to take pictures as the moonlight shown on the Lake’s surface. Scott explained that the January moon is the Wolf Moon, the largest moon all year with Mars following its ascent in the sky.

Full Moon names date back to Native Americans of the northern and eastern United States, who kept track of the seasons by giving distinctive names to each recurring full moon, according to the Farmer’s Almanac. The Wolf Moon is named for the wolf packs that howled hungrily outside Indian villages in the midst of winter, while February’s Ice or Snow Moon refers to the heaviest snow of the winter.

We continued our tour around the estate to the North Boat House and Phipps Cabin, one of the Tahoe’s first permanent residents. “General” William Phipps, who homesteaded on the land in 1860 protected his 160 acres from being logged, at the point of a gun, so the legend goes. Around Phipps Cabin are some of the only old growth trees on the West Shore, which was once nearly clear cut to be sent to the mines of Virginia City.

We set out along the Lake’s shore to General Creek, where we continued to marvel at the moon and take pictures before heading along the snow-covered beach to the pier. The pier was once 100’ long and would accommodate the steamers that were once the main form of transportation around Lake Tahoe. The steamers would bring supplies, mail and passengers to the former Bellevue Hotel that sat on the site until it burned in 1893.

We continued along to the Bathing House, where ladies would don their head to toe bathing gowns for swimming, and the South Boat House, that houses the aluminum “Mercury,” owned by the Tahoe Maritime Museum.

It is here that Scott and Rob also told the group about the Olympic history of the area – it was the site of the Nordic trails during the 1960 Winter Olympics, including the first biathlon event at the Games. The 65km trails stretched from Sugar Pine Point to Homewood, and some of the original trails are marked along the cross-country trail system that is part of Sugar Pine Point today.

We headed back toward the parking lot and left exhilarated by our fun and fact-filled evening.

Sugar Pine Point State Park hosts guided full moon snowshoe tours on Feb. 27 and March 27 at 7 p.m., with a beginner’s clinic at 6:30. The tour last about 1.5 hours. The cost is $12 per person and free for 12 and under, with proceeds supporting the Sierra State Parks Foundation. Snowshoes are provided. To make a reservation, call West Shore Sports at (530) 525-9920.