There’s nothing better than a weekend surrounded by friends, except maybe a weekend surrounded by friends in a backcountry palace with a gourmet kitchen, Jacuzzi tubs, sweeping mountain scenery and instant backcountry ski access.

In late April, 25 of us set out into Cold Stream canyon and trekked four miles to spend a weekend at the Lost Trail Lodge. In the winter, the lodge is inaccessible by car and visitors use skis or snowshoes to access it. In the summer, guests can drive most of the way. Visiting near the end of a dry winter, during a 70-degree spell, presented us with an interesting challenge – too wet to drive, and too dry to ski the whole way. We started out towing a sled with skis on our feet and snowshoes our backs. Throughout the trip, we had to remove our skis and walk, dragging the sled over dirt and mud.

Front entrance of Lost Trail Lodge

Lodge owner David Robertson built the majestic lodge from materials that he gathered by hand. On his website, he says that getting there is half the fun. Our crew tends to subscribe to the same notion, but with rapidly-melting snow creating a mixture of snow, dirt and mud, and nine kids in tow, ranging from three months to eight years, getting there and back was maybe 25% of the total fun. The other 75% happened when we kicked off our boots, detached from our sleds and eased into the comfort of our temporary home.

Terrain accessible from Lost Trail Lodge.

Hallways at Lost Trail are filled with stories and nick nacks.

Geoff Forcier skiing above Lost Trail Lodge on April 21.

Not often that you stay at a remote cabin with a cooler kitchen than your own.

After experiencing a magical blend of seclusion, luxury and camaraderie, it was hard to pack up and head home. With much of the snow on the trail having melted during our stay, the return trip took about six hours. Once I recovered from the exhaustion of dragging my pack, skis, snowshoes, cooler and 3-year-old over dirt for three miles, I started planning our next trip – likely during the summer.

The west facing front deck at Lost Trail Lodge is the perfect place to hang out in the afternoon sun.

This is just a sliver of the terrain that will be accessible via the Mountain Riders Alliance project at Manitoba Mountain.

The authors of SBDC are very excited about the MRA project at Manitoba Mountain Alaska. We love the concept of a sustainable, low impact ski area that promotes a family vibe and accessible skiing without the glitz. However, the aspect of the project that we are most stoked about is that just beyond the proposed ski area boundary is straight up, slam banging, down to the nitty gritty big mountain backcountry terrain. Huge vertical and the ability to ski just about every aspect and exposure. When the surface lifts are up and running you will be able to cruise to the jumping off point and step into the white room. Manitoba Mountain is going to be a ski touring mecca! www.skimanitobamountain.com

Matt Reardon taste tests the terrain on Manitoba Mountain.

The Mountain Riders Alliance is moving forward with their project in Alaska. Here is a local news report on their progress and objectives.

Squaw Valley ski mountaineer John Morrison will give a slide show on skiing all fourteen of California’s 14,000 foot peaks, a feat which he accomplished in a single season (2010). The show is at Moody’s in downtown Truckee and starts around 8pm.

Everyone’s favorite pond crossing will be held this Sunday at Squaw Valley. The event starts at 1pm!

It snowed all night and today is going to rock. About 7 or 8 inches fell in Truckee. The Pacific Crest should be in excess of two feet since the storm started.

Stacking up in Squaw on Friday the 13th!

Just over a half foot of snow fell in Truckee last night.

Here are some great ways to die.