• Linens: bring your own towels & bedding. We provide (mostly) twin-size mattresses. We recommend a fitted sheet, pillow with case & a sleeping bag. In fall, winter & spring sleeping rooms are heated; but even in the summer nights can be chilly--bring a warm sleeping bag or blanket(s)!
• Supplies: bring your own toiletries, sun cream, school supplies, etc. We provide toilet paper & cleaning supplies like sponges, cleaner, laundry soap, towels, mops. Sagehen has a full, communal kitchen for food preparation which includes dishes, silverware, coffee pots, cook pans, etc. While there are often odds & ends of building materials lying around the station & available for use, visitors will generally need to bring anything required for constructing field research & education apparatus. You should also plan on removing your leftovers when you leave.
• Tools: we have a variety of general hand & power tools that may be borrowed by station visitors on request, but any specialized equipment required should be brought.
• Soap: bar soap imposes serious cleaning penalties on all station users & is not allowed. Liquid soaps only!
• Food: there are restaurants & large grocery stores in Truckee, 10 miles away. We have refrigerators and mouse-proof storage boxes for your weekly groceries (no massive storage requests, please!).
• Phone/credit card: cell phones do not work in the Sagehen basin; they will work at the front gate (1.5 miles). Station visitor phone & an answering machine are available to guests but allow only local outgoing calls without a card.
• Misc.: a flashlight is useful to avoid waking your roommates at night. Ear plugs may be useful for light sleepers. Novels are great for down time. Bring a camera--it's a beautiful place!
• Car: We encourage carpooling whenever possible. Parking at Sagehen is limited & in most cases inconvenient. Mouse infestations are a possibility. The Station Manager will assign parking spaces; smaller vehicles are easier to accomodate.

Map and directions (286K). 11-30-02   Information Sheet (323K). 5-20-03

Winter

The 1.8 mi. entrance road (from hwy 89) is unpaved, but snow is now removed as far as the field station during the winter. Snowmobiles, snow cats, snowshoes and skis are used to access the snowcat-groomed road into the upper basin beyond the station between roughly November to May. View map.

Summer

Visitors must make arrangements with the Station Manager for the combination to open a locked gate about 200 yards off of hwy 89. View map.

• Transport: high clearance vehicles are required. Drive in & park at station. All station visitors should carry tire chains & winter clothing while traveling in the Tahoe area during winter.
• Clothing: While winter weather is typically quite clear and mild, you should be prepared for cold, wet and snowy episodes. Wool and synthetics will keep you warm even when wet--cotton definitely will not.
• Shoes: the more you are sitting around, the warmer your boots will need to be. Rubber ditch-boots are great if you are constantly moving (very cold, otherwise). Boots with removable liners--like Sorels or backcountry ski boots--are warm & convenient because the liners can be pulled out and dried overnight. Gaiters will keep snow out if you are travelling off the packed road.

• Transport: drive-in access over a graded dirt road. Slow, please! The road is narrow & used regularly in both directions by cars, delivery trucks, bikes, horses & pedestrians.
• Clothing: as needed for your project. We recommend a sweater for the evenings. Summer tends to be dry, but you may encounter rain in the spring and fall.
• Shoes: rubber boots or waders are necessary if you need to access wet meadows or streams. Many visitors bring running shoes for dirt roads and trails leading from the station.