HIGH SIERRA SKI LODGE

Skiing is great, tubing hill is open, backcountry conditions are excellent! Big Meadows area with its magnificent views is open for skiing! Your children will surely experience a memorable vacation by sledding down the hill, participating in a treasure hunt, and roasting marshmallows. Come join our ski lessons, ski tours, snowshoe tours! Hope to see you soon!
An All-Season Resort in the High Sierra. Enjoy everything in one place. Comfortable Lodging, Delicious Buffet Meals, Hiking Trails Nearby, Lakeside Setting, Family Recreation, Informal Evening Recreation.
This Lodge, located in the southern Sierra Nevada near Kings Canyon and Sequoia National Parks, is open year round as both a Summer Family Vacation Camp and a Winter Cross Country Ski Resort, offering top-quality family adventure and skiing vacations. This lodge is nestled in an area bursting with natural beauty, that offers a combination of quality amenities, wonderful staff, comfortable informal environment and a wide variety of activities.
Stay with us while visiting the National Parks and surrounding National Forest. Reasonable rates vary according to the season and include delicious buffet meals, comfortable lodging, 24 hour complimentary snack and beverages and evening recreation. You will feel at home with beautiful surroundings and a relaxed atmosphere. This Lodge has 36 lodge rooms with private bathrooms and 13 wintered cabins with nearby bath houses. There are seasonal activities available for all ages, and children are always welcome.
Children's Program is the pride of this Lodge.
Summer Family Vacation Camp Children's Program
We split up our Summer Children's Program into these different categories: Minnows 2 years old, Tadpoles 3-4 years old, Chipmunks 5-6 years old, Marmots 7-9 years old, Cougars 10-12 years old, Bears 13-18 years old. Unsupervised infant play yard with toys is available for infants 6-23 months, supervision is required.
Our Summer Family Vacation Camp offers 11 weeks of activities for children 2 years and older. Activities are planned to allow us to "customize" our programs to the children in each age group. We believe that the children's program needs to be given the freedom to relax and enjoy their vacation, just as their parents.
We hire counseling staff to instruct children in canoeing, sailing, water-skiing, swimming, horseback riding, tennis, archery, trampoline, rifelery, fencing, nature, stream fishing, and arts and crafts. In addition we hire six Child Development counselors to work with children 2-6 years old. It is most important that we hire good models for our children's program. Parents tell the Lodge management that their children talk about their summer experience all winter long. We want children to learn the skills needed to participate and enjoy activities. We offer activities that are in a group setting that promotes social and learning skills. Children leave the Lodge feeling successful thus strengthening their self esteem and confidence. We also believe in offering wholesome excitement and fun such as theme nights, dances, sing-a-long campfires, variety shows, water carnivals, fort building, junior gymnastics, and pony rides.
*Baby Sitting Reservations - Ages 4-11. We plan to have staff available for baby sitting for children ages 4-11. It is helpful when you tell us in advance, you want baby sitting, preferably at the time you make a reservation. Rates are: $5.00 1st child/hr, $3.00/2nd child in family.
Winter Cross Country Ski Resort Children's Program
We split up our Children's Program during Winter into these different categories: Chipmunks 5-7 years old, Marmots 8-11 years old.
The Lodge offers a children's program that take place outdoors as well as indoors. The children's program is offered daily as needed. During the holidays we have many exciting "traditional" holiday activities. On regular weekends we included children's program in your total package, and in the winter we offer cross country skiing, snow tubing, snow shoeing, snowboarding, sledding, indoor games, and so much more. We offer 80 kilometers of groomed trails and two groomed sledding hills for your enjoyment with a 375 feet T-bar to pull you back up Dandy's hill. If it is a late winter, your children can look forward to participating in frisbee golf, nature hikes, snipe hunts, and even hide and go seek. If the weather brings us inside, your children can have a great time in our arts and crafts program with t-shirt painting, beaded jewelry, or puffy paints. We also have interactive games, board games, and ping pong.
S u m m e r F a m i l y V a c a t i o n C a m p
The Lodge's Family Vacation Camp is an award winning family resort in the southern Sierra Nevada, in California. Families have been returning year after year, always finding something new for the whole family. Our carefully chosen, well-qualified camp counselor staff safely facilitate a wide variety of activities for all ages. Choose daily from a sail on our private lake, a fencing lesson, or a guided hike in Kings Canyon or Sequoia National Parks. Children are divided into age groups and choose from arts and crafts, gymnastics, archery, the list goes on and on.
Families reunite for meals and family activities each evening, such as family dances and talent shows. Become a part of a summer program that brings families closer together!
Our Sunday to Saturday 6 night packages include lodging in a room or cabin, all meals and program (Additional charges for selected activities). With 3 buffet meals daily, along with a 24 hour snack and drink bar, and a relaxed, low-key atmosphere, your family will feel at home in the mountains.
Lodge Recreational Activities for your Enjoyment!!
Horseback Riding Available: Trail Riding, Jr. Wranglers, Riding Intensive, Western, English Riding.
Activities on our very own Lake include: Water Skiing, Canoeing & Paddleboats, Fishing & Stream Fishing, Lake & Stream Fishing, Paddle Boarding, Sailing, Water Carnival, Water Aerobics, Archery & Riflery, Arts and Crafts, Heated Swimming Pool, Games & Puzzles, Outdoor 10 Jet Spa, Ping Pong Tables, Volleyball Courts, Aerobics, Campfires, Fencing, Sing-a-Longs, Horseshoes, Wildflower Viewing, Bird Watching, "DJ" Dance Parties, Blossom Trail Hiking, Children's Program, Scenic Hiking, Mountain Biking, Tennis, Artist of the Week, Golf Driving Cage, Campfires, Theme Nights.
Centrally located between the two National Parks, we are close to highlights such as the General Grant and General Sherman Trees, 2 of the 3 largest living trees on earth. General Sherman Tree was recently named one of the Seven Scenic Wonders of the United States by the United States Travel Bureau. The Sequoia/Kings Canyon are rivals of Yosemite and its spectacular beauty, but receives only half the visitors each year. Treat yourself and your family to an unforgettable mountain experience.
C r o s s C o u n t r y S k i R e s o r t
Discover the best cross country skiing in the southern Sierra Nevada this winter. The Lodge's groomed trail system has been expanded for the 1999-2000 ski season! This area offers beginner to intermediate terrain leading to Big Meadow Station and the 8400' Buck Rock Lookout. With a lodge elevation of 7500 feet, we enjoy an average annual snowfall of over 240 inches.
Keep it simple! Everything you need is right outside your door. Our winter packages include lodging, hot buffet meals and daily ski trail passes. No driving is necessary once you arrive. The Lodge's winter packages also include 4 hours of non-ski Children's Programs daily. The surrounding backcountry attracts skiers and snowshoers during the winter months. Experienced skiers enjoy the tour to the 8211' summit of Baldy Peak, offering a 360 degree view.
Sledding and Tubing Chutes
The tubing and sledding chutes guarantee to be a thrill for every member of the family. You may use your own sleds as long as they are plastic. Chutes are open to registered guests as part of their lodging package. Guests visiting for the day may purchase a sledding/tubing pass at the Ski Shop.
Snowboarding Hill
Another choice added to the long list of activities at the Lodge. Beginners will find adventure at our snowboarding hill behind Sequoia Lodge. Or try our snowshoe/snowboard package for an adventure in the backcountry.
Warming Hut & On-Snow Lunch
Looking for a break along the ski trail? Our Warming Hut, located 3 kilometers from the Lodge, is the perfect place for a mid-day stop. Fix yourself a hot beverage and relax in the cozy atmosphere of our Pacific Yurt. The hut can be reached via our backcountry trails or by groomed trails on skis or snowshoes. On-snow lunches are offered with delicious gourmet food, champagne, tasty hot soup, and a spectacular view.
Ice Skating (weather permitting)
The Lodge's very own "Miracle Ice Rink" is lighted for night ice skating. It is typically open from December through February, weather permitting. We carry Bauer Hockey and Figure Skates for rental. The entire family can ice skate to music near a warm bonfire.
Cross Country Ski School
Adult Ski School Program
Beginner Nordic Beginning Skate Skiing Intermediate Skate Skiing Intermediate Downhill/Telemark Telemark Skills Improvement Track and Hill: Skills Improvement.
Children's Ski School Program
Our Introductory Children's ski lessons focus on teaching children basic skiing skills in a non-threatening, supportive and fun-filled environment. Through games and exercises, the children gain balance and confidence on skis. Our goal is to leave them with a love for skiing and the winter environment. Often, half the time is spent on skiing skills, while the other half is spent playing outdoor games or warming up in the lodge under supervision. Children's lessons coincide with adult ski lessons.
A b o u t t h e N a t i o n a l P a r k s
From atop Moro Rock you can grasp the multiple superlatives that brought Sequoia and eventually Kings Canyon into the National Park System so early that Sequoia is now our second oldest national park. To the north lies the giant forest plateau where Sequoias rise above their forest neighbors. In the cathedral-like Giant Forest stands the 275-foot-tall General Sherman giant Sequoia tree whose trunk weighs an estimated 1,385 tons and whose circumference at the ground is nearly 103 feet. To the west, in contrast to these gargantuan conifers, are the dry foothills with their oak trees and chaparral vegetation descending toward the San Joaquin Valley. To the south, and down, down more than 5,000 vertical feet, the middle fork of the Kaweah River threads its rugged canyon. To the east, snowcapped peaks of the Great Western Divide and the Kaweah Peaks top out on Mt. Kaweah at 13,802 feet. Just out of sight beyond the divide, the highest mountain in the contiguous 48 states, Mount Whitney, reaches 14,494 feet of elevation. Big trees, high peaks, and deep canyons make up North America's longest single continuous mountain range: superlatives abound amidst glorious scenery.
Pioneering conservationist John Muir explored and named the Giant Forest. "When I entered this sublime wilderness the day was nearly done," he observed, "the trees with rosy, glowing countenances seemed to be hushed and thoughtful, as if waiting in conscious religious dependence on the sun, and one naturally walked softly and awe-stricken among them." May you follow in Muir's footsteps. National Park History San Joaquin Valley residents and others pressed Congress to protect Sierra tracts against logging in the 1880'. Some park proponents sought to protect water supplies for irrigation others, the Big Trees. Preserving land for scenic and recreational values was an infant idea then. Sequoia National Park was created on September 25, 1890. A week later Congress tripled its size and created General Grant National Park to protect Grant Grove. In 1893, a Sierra Forest Reserve protected more lands, and in 1926, Kern Canyon was added to Sequoia. In 1940 General Grant was merged into the newly created Kings Canyon National Park. In 1978, Mineral King was added to Sequoia. Since 1943 Sequoia and Kings Canyon have been managed jointly.
Earth's Largest Living Things: The Sequoias
In volume of total wood, the giant sequoia stands alone as the largest living thing on Earth. Its nearly conical trunk like a club, not a walking stick, shows why. At least one tree species lives longer, one has a greater diameter, three grow taller, but none is larger. In all the world, sequoias grow naturally only on the west slope of the Sierra Nevada, most often between 5,000 and 7,000 feet. There are some 75 groves in all. The General Sherman tree is between 2,300 and 2,700 years old. Its largest branch is almost seven feet in diameter. Each year the General Sherman adds enough wood growth to make a 60- foot-tall tree of usual proportions. "Most of the Sierra trees die of disease, fungi, etc.," John Muir wrote, "but nothing hurts the Big Tree. Barring accidents, it seems to be immortal." Muir was partially right. Chemicals in the wood and bark provide resistance to insects and fungi. The main cause of death for sequoias is toppling. Sequoias have a shallow root system with no tap root. Soil moisture, root damage, and strong winds can also lead to toppling. These behemoth trees sprout only from seeds so small and light they look like oat flakes. Mature trees may produce each year 2,000 chicken's egg-sized cones, collectively bearing 500,000 seeds -- dispersed only as cones are opened. Cones hang on the tree green and closed for up to 20 years. Douglas squirrels or the larvae of a tiny cone-boring beetle may cause cones to open, but fire is the key agent in the dispersal of seeds. It causes the cone to dry, open and drop its seeds. The fire also consumes logs and branches that have accumulated on the forest floor . Their ashes form fertile seedbeds and enhance sequoia seedling survival. The fire cycle ensures seed release and seedbed fertility.
Deep Canyons and High Peaks Steep and barren, the parks' canyon areas seem skeletal and cut to their geologic quickies. Kings Canyon reaches a depth outside the park of some 8,200 feet from river level up to Spanish Mountain's peak. There, just downstream from the confluence of the Middle and South Forks of the Kings River, the canyon is without peer in North America -- deeper than the Snake River's Hells Canyon in Idaho, or the Grand Canyon in Arizona. Kern Canyon, in southern Sequoia National Park, is 6,000 feet deep, and several other canyons exceed 4,000 feet in depth. Sierra canyons show both stream-cut, V-shaped profiles and U-shaped profiles characteristic of glacial gouging. Both Generals Highway and Kings Canyon Highway thread through canyons. At roads end on Kings Canyon Highway, you can stand on a flat, glacial valley and stare up at canyon walls rising nearly a mile above the river's level. The Snowy, Saw-toothed Mountain Range - More than 400 miles long and 60 to 80 miles wide, the Sierra Nevada exceeds the whole Alps area -- French, Swiss, and Italian. Palisade Crest in Kings Canyon National Park and the Mt. Whitney group in Sequoia each boast six Peaks over 14,000 feet in elevation. No roads cross the range here, intimate appreciation of the mountains scale and grandeur are hard when won a foot or with packstock. Panoramic vistas can be seen from atop Moro Rock from roadside pullouts along the Generals Highway; from Panoramic Point near Grant Grove; and from roadside pullouts before Kings Canyon Highway descends into the canyon. Mineral King Valley provides superlative hiking access to meadows, alpine lakes and Sierra peaks. Because park roads top out at 7,800 feet of elevation, most people who visit the parks do not experience the alpine country. Above 9,000 feet the harsh climate cannot support tall trees or dense forests. Above about 11,000 feet, no trees grow. Here are mostly boulders, rocks, and gravel punctuated with small alpine lakes, meadows, and low growing shrubs. Summer flourishes, but briefly. Preparing for winter, the marmot stores body fat; the pika stores small piles of hay. Mountain lakes dot Sierra highcountry, many set in small bowls called cirques carved by glaciers.
Sierra Wildlife
Mule deer are the prime prey sought by the elusive mountain lion. Pine martens, fishers and wolverines pursue squirrels and other smaller animals. Black bears may take fawns or eat carrion but subsist mostly on vegetation. Marmots and pikas inhabit the mountains. Coyotes, gray fox, bobcats, raccoons and ringtails patrol the foothills. Decades of fish plantings introduced non-native brown, brook, golden and cutthroat trout, but rainbow trout and Little Kern golden trout, native to the Sierra's west slope streams, are being restored.
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