Fly to California for skiing? Isn’t Colorado or Utah the place to go
for snow? A recent trip to Lake Tahoe sure changed my view. Do you
like glorious sun, gorgeous scenery, lots of ski areas and tons of
snow?
Turns out Lake Tahoe’s got all that, 300-days of sunshine, the
largest concentration of ski resorts in North America, and snow
measured in feet not inches, and it keeps coming –
7-feet of snow in 7-days just last week. But my reason for loving
Lake Tahoe is Lake Tahoe itself, the brilliant blue centerpiece at
the heart of all this sun and snow-soaked peaks.
In our week out west, we skied 5 of Tahoe’s 18 ski resorts, making
our way around the stunning shores of this deep azure Lake. If you
prefer to settle into one resort instead of slope hopping Tahoe’s
24,000 ski-able acres, here is a bit about each of the areas we
explored.
Northstar was an ideal place to start our ski tour, on Lake Tahoe’s
North Shore. Passing through the stunning new mountainside Village,
I made note of après ski wine tasting, and ice skating for the kids
on the centerpiece rink surrounded by inviting outdoor couches. From
the sophisticated Village, the gondola launched us to Northstar’s 70
trails and six high-speed quads.
We found Northstar the most eastern like area with trail skiing amid
towering lodge pole pines, a beautiful intro to the High Sierra ski
scene. A young family could stay at Northstar for the week,
engrossed in their award-winning lesson programs. Our teens loved
Northstar’s plentiful terrain parks, including the nature-inspired
“Stash,” built by snowboard-inventor Jake Burton. I loved our first
bright blue view of Lake Tahoe from Northstar’s Summit Deck at
8,610-feet. My husband Greg enjoyed lunching al fresco in California
sunshine (not something we do in Maine frequently).
You can stay on mountain at the new Ritz Carlton Northstar. We
stayed lakeside at the Cal Neva Hotel
on the
North Shore, with six ski resort within 20 minutes. The historic Cal
Neva, once owned by old blue eyes Frank Sinatra, straddles the
California Nevada border, allowing for casino gambling, and state
hopping within the hotel (a novelty for our kids). Every Cal Neva
room has a view of the magnificent Lake, and you’re a quick drive to
funky frontier towns like Tahoe City and Truckee with eateries and
shops enough to occupy even the non-skier.
Alpine Meadows was our next mountain. The antithesis of Northstar’s
destination resort and tree-lined skiing, Alpine is 80% above tree
bowl skiing, with a decidedly local “vibe.” There’s no slopeside
lodging, and the best terrain is out of bounds and legal with a most
liberal backcountry policy. As we explored Alpine’s multi-faced
mountain, we found steep chutes and snow filled gullies on the front
side, then sun-soaked bowls and Lake views on the back.
Mid-mountain, The Chalet is a charming spot for a homemade lunch,
with mostly outdoor seating (another indication of the desirable
western winter weather).
Après ski is obvious from Alpine Meadows - follow the locals, the
access road and the Truckee River to
The River Ranch
Lodge, a wonderful
watering hole since 1888 with fascinating memorabilia as proof. The
River Ranch was the hot spot during the 1960 Olympics. Now it’s a
must for Alpine or neighboring Squaw Valley skiers, the resorts are
now interconnected on a shared ticket, and a shuttle bus, but the
rivalry still exists - great banter over beers, hanging out over the
rushing river.
Our next stop was Heavenly, truly. We were eager to ski this queen
of the South Shore.
Heavenly is the largest and highest resort at
Tahoe, with 4,800-acres of skiing from California to Nevada. We
expected Heavenly would be scenic and sizeable, with 30 lifts and
four separate bases in two states. Sure enough, as we skied from the
10,040-foot summit, the sapphire hue of Lake Tahoe was an
omnipresent optical oasis.
What surprised us was the unbelievable tree skiing at Heavenly. When
you tire of Lake views, blue sky, and blue square cruising (I never
do), you can cash in on the snowy caches of glades. I can see why
Glen Plake took the “job” as Heavenly’s “Ski E.O.” Don't miss lunch
at the scenic Gunbarrel Grill overlooking the
Lake 2,000-feet below.
We stayed at
Lakeland Village, the quieter side of Heavenly’s South
Shore, since we like condo space and aren’t casino crazed. There are
several chain hotels here like Embassy Suites. If you
are up for nightclubs and shows, a free shuttle gets you to
Heavenly Village and the gondola base – to dine, roll the dice, drink
and dance at 100 bars, it’s like “vertical Vegas.”
35-miles south of Heavenly is Kirkwood, on Tahoe’s map with the
highest base elevation affording it the deepest, driest snow.
Kirkwood’s location and double black diamond terrain thins out the
crowds. Kirkwood is known amongst experts for serious steep and deep
including the legendary “Wall.” Kirkwood has ample lower mountain
terrain to lure families to the 2,300-acre ski area.
We saved mighty
Squaw Valley for last, the king of the western shore
of Tahoe. This legendary resort retains its history (the world’s
first double chair in 1949) and international flavor, still
brandishing the 1960 Olympic cauldron, rings and flags throughout
the European-style ski village.
On the mountain at 8,200-foot High Camp, skiers find an Olympic ice
skating rink, heated pool, hot tub and huge lodge overlooking the
slopes and of course, the ever blue and beautiful Lake Tahoe.
Squaw has something for everyone; swift lifts like the Funitel and
Cable Car emanate from the Village to mid-mountain where the tamest
terrain is located – ideal for learning families. This season,
the Shirley Lake area debuts a new six-passenger lift. Experts will have
a field day dropping into Squaw’s chutes, cornices and cliffs
(featured in all the best ski films) from summit lifts Headwall,
Granite Chief, and the famous KT-22 – named for the twenty-two kick
turns it takes to ski the face.
The only thing you won’t find at Squaw oddly are trail names, each
area amid the 4,000-acres is designated by its lift name and a
green, blue or black diamond rating (hard to get used to this
vertical vagueness). Squaw offers night skiing – but the Village is
equally enticing with boutiques, pubs and restaurants from Irish to
sushi.
Located just steps from the Cable Car, we lodged at the
PlumpJack
Squaw Valley Inn, a lovely property with a most unique Shakespearean
motif. The whimsical PlumpJack, owned by the mayor of San Francisco,
is the place for après toddies at the fireside bar, for a delicious
dinner overlooking the steamy outdoor hot tubs, and the best skiers’
breakfast in all of Squaw Valley.
Our tour of Tahoe revealed that each resort is unique, and worth
several days exploration. In fact, you could happily stay at Squaw,
Heavenly, or Northstar as one vertical vacation spot. And there are
a dozen other ski areas we didn’t even hit – so we obviously have to
go back. I didn’t quite get my fill of west coast sun and Sierra
size snow.
