Skiing and snowboarding travel guide

Carrillo families enjoying ski season in Tahoe ( Photo Courtesy of Henry Toig)

By Sean Gubera, staff writer

Snow compacting under your feet. Fresh mountain air filling your lungs. The hum of a ski lift making its way up the mountain. You’re imagining yourself at a resort and ready to hit the slopes, but which Tahoe resort do you go to?

Both the North and South Shores of Lake Tahoe have world class skiing; however, depending on the shore there are different resorts to visit. One thing North Lake is famous for is Northstar’s wide variety of terrain, which is probably what makes it a favorite of many students at Maria Carrillo High School. “There’s a lot of different types of runs. You don’t get bored,” said junior Kira Moe. Northstar offers 3,170 acres of terrain and over 100 runs, so there is likely always another run to try out. Northstar is a great resort for intermediate skiers and snowboarders, with 60% of the runs being an intermediate rating, runs that areknown to be a little less steep than other resorts making them easier to transition to for beginners. Some students have a few issues with Northstar’s price, crowds, and overly uniform terrain. “It gets really packed. I waited in a lift line for like thirty to forty five minutes'' said senior Brandon Cannedy. Despite the many runs that Northstar offers, “all the runs are kinda the same [feeling],” said Cannedy. Prices of tickets are also higher than most other Tahoe resorts with ranges from $146 through $193; however, it's easy to save money by buying tickets a few days in advance—the same goes for any of the other resorts on this list. With the high ticket prices, it’s beneficial to find a place to stay in either Truckee and Kings Beach where lodging is cheaper. Off-mountain lodging can be up to $700 less expensive which will greatly reduce the cost of a multi day trip. A beautiful drive up highways 80 and 267 gets to Northstar in about three hours and forty-five minutes. Highway 80 to North Lake is more reliably open than either Highway 50 or 88 going up to South Lake Tahoe especially during heavy storms. This can make it much easier to access during large storms.

If you’re going to South Lake, there are several other world class resorts as well. Located off Highway 88, Kirkwood is about a 45 minute drive from South Lake Tahoe or a four hour drive from Santa Rosa. Be sure to check road conditions with CalTrans’ quick map or Kirkwood’s twitter page because heavy storms or higher than average chances of avalanches causes Highway 88 to close fairly often. Kirkwood is one of the more affordable resorts in Tahoe too and the best value by far on this list with day tickets ranging from $110 to $140. A higher base elevation than most Tahoe resorts at 7,800 feet gives it more reliable conditions than other resorts when there is less snowfall. In fact, Kirkwood has some of the highest snowfall counts in the U.S. Due to the distance from Tahoe, Kirkwood is often less crowded than other resorts giving it a more small, locals only vibe. “If you are looking for short [lift] lines go to Kirkwood,” said Henry Toig, junior. However, Kirkwood is a better resort for advanced to expert skiers and boarders. Of the runs on the mountain, 58% are rated advanced to expert. “The top of the mountain is mostly all black [advanced] runs so I would recommend it for people who are more experienced,” said senior Finn Robertson. There are a few places at Kirkwood that are great to check out while visiting. On the front there is an express chair called Cornice that has a good selection of advanced runs that lead down to the main area of the mountain. For someone who’s looking for diverse intermediate runs or just the least crowded area of the mountain, the back side is the place to go. It’s often much less crowded than the other areas and has a variety of blue and black runs off its four person standard speed lift: Sunrise. Off of Sunrise, “there’s really powderized snow back down to [the bottom of the lift],” said senior Qipei Zhong. Kirkwood offers rentals, lessons, and food at the Timber Creek Base area which is a great place for beginners. It has a four-person express lift that makes for a quick ride to the top of the zone allowing for more runs in a day. The main base area has all of the above amenities plus lodging. If you’re looking for lodging there are plenty of places to stay scattered throughout the Kirkwood Meadows and in the main village lodges Red Cliffs. 

Heavenly Resort offers a few perks that set it apart from every other resort in Tahoe. It’s the only resort to straddle two states and the lake views are arguably the best around. After driving up highway 50 to South Lake Tahoe, there are two different entrances to choose from—either California or Nevada. The California side can be accessed from either Heavenly Village via a scenic gondola ride or from the California Lodge at Ski Run Blvd. Visiting the Nevada side requires driving out of South Lake Tahoe and up the Kingsbury grade to where the Stagecoach and Boulder Lodges are. There are beginner areas at all of Heavenly’s lodges except for Stagecoach. The mountain is very large, covering 4,800 acres, with a wide variety of terrain from bunny runs to trees to expert chutes.  Mott Canyon and Killibrew Canyon are some of the more difficult areas featuring mostly double black diamond runs that offer challenging chutes and steeps. Due to Heavenly’s size, runs that are further away from the lifts remain in better condition for longer. For these more remote, fresher conditions check out the Powder Bowl Woods, Ski Way Glades, or Stagecoach Woods. One thing to be cautious about is getting back to the right base zone. Due to the large area of land that the resort covers, it’s easy to get stuck on the wrong side of the mountain to return to your parking spot. This means that it’s necessary to plan a return route ahead of time. Likely the biggest selling point of Heavenly is its sweeping views of Lake Tahoe and Nevada's Carson Valley . “Heavenly has a really good view, even better than Northstar … since it's right on the lake,” said junior Deion Mattice. On some mornings clouds settle into the valley that Tahoe sits in. “It’s like a sea of fog below you,” said Zhong. Many of the runs are perched high above the lake level giving visitors sweeping views. Multi day trips to Heavenly are made easier by the abundance of lodging nearby. South Lake Tahoe has a large selection of small motels and hotels to stay at or there are the Casino resorts in Stateline, NV. The resort also offers its own lodging however this is much pricier than finding a place to stay nearby. “You’re not [at the resort] to sleep,” said Zhong. The high prices of day tickets are anywhere from $146 to $200 which makes finding a place to stay off the mountain even more appealing. 

And if Tahoe isn’t the right place, to the north there is Mt. Shasta Ski Resort and to the south are Bear Valley and Mammoth Mountain resorts which are all highly enjoyed resorts that allow you to enjoy the beauty California has to offer.  

Whether you are a skilled veteran or beginner, these options will be able to provide you with the best ski or snowboard experience possible.