February 13, 2014 | Tim Hauserman

We’ve got snow, with more hopefully on the way. It’s time to celebrate by learning a new winter sport, improving the one you already love, or just getting out there enjoying nature as part of the Alpenglow Mountain Festival, Winter Edition. It begins on February 14th and goes through March 2nd at North Lake Tahoe.

The Festival’s focus is on human powered outdoor recreation. Think backcountry skiing, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, hiking and climbing.  There will lessons and tours with world class athletes during the day, with enlightening and entertaining events in the evening. And almost all of it is free.

Go to Alpenglowsports.com to review the schedule and to register for events. Some of the events may be relocated or cancelled if there is not enough snow, so be sure and check the website frequently for the latest information.

Outdoor Events include:

Natural History snowshoe tour with Will Richardson from the Tahoe Institute for Natural Sciences. February 16, 8-11 AM

The Dynafit Nachtspektaken: A night-time backcountry ski event to the top of High Camp at Squaw. Once you get to the top, you can eat, drink and party with the crowd, before skiing back down. February 22, 4 PM

Truckee resident Katerina Nash, an Olympic cross country skier and mountain biker from the Czech Republic will lead a Gran Fondo style ski here at Lake Tahoe. Here’s your chance to enjoy a long ski with a renowned local athlete. February 23, 9 AM

The Cobblestone Relays. A twilight skate skiing race through the Winter Sports Park and the Cobblestone Center in Tahoe City. Either join in the race, or watch the skiers fly by while enjoying a hot drink and a bit of BBQ at The Cobblestone, February 26, 5 PM.

There are ski tours and clinics on February 14,15,16,21,22,24 and 25. Check the schedule to discover which one is right for you.

Evening Events include:

Skiing and climbing North America’s Polar Zones-The Brooks Range, a presentation by Todd Offenbacher, 7-9 PM on February 15th.

Wine, Woman and Wax, 7-10 PM on February 16th. Join the ladies for a waxing clinic and a class of wine.

Introduction to Avalanche Safety with Lel Tone, 7-9 PM on February 17th. Hear entertaining and potentially life saving tips from my favorite local Avalanche safety instructor.

Alpenglow Winter Film Festival, 7-9 PM on February 20th.