I haven’t verified the phone
numbers in years so they may be wrong.
But most of the information is still correct.
South Shore Reservations: (800) 288-2463.
Weather: (916) 646-2000.
NORTH
SHORE
BOREAL SKI RESORT sits on the top of the Donner pass and is for
beginners. It has good man-made coverage for the early season. It also has a
half-pipe (with some rails and jumps) for snow boarders. It is on I-80 on the
way into N. Shore Lake Tahoe about 200 mi. (3:15) from SF.
Summit Elevation: 7800' Vertical Drop: 600
Lifts: 10
Phone: (916) 426-3666.
SQUAW VALLEY USA is huge and has good man-made coverage on some blue
runs for the early season. 5 miles or so past Boreal, exit onto 89 S. Squaw is
on the right side about 5 minutes down 89 S. This is the premier ski resort in
the area with well varied terrain for every type of skier, a half-pipe, and a
snow park (jumps). There are wonderful facilities including bungee jumping and
ice skating and a bzillion restaurants and stores. They have a wide range of accommodations
from medium to expensive. Kids under 12 and over 75 ski for $5.
Base elevation = 6200'.
Gold Coast = 8200'.
Broken Arrow = 8200'.
Emigrant = 8700'.
Granite Peak = 9080' (but the chair goes to
about 8700').
Summit Elevation: 9080' Vertical Drop: 2850'
Lifts: 32
Phone: (916) 583-6985. Reservations: (800)
545-4350.
ALPINE MEADOWS is right next to Squaw. They have good varied terrain
but not as good as Squaw. This is a big locals ski resort. This is the 2nd best
at North Shore in my opinion. Snowboarding is prohibited. It's about 3 min.
past
Summit Elevation: 8637' Vertical Drop: 1800'
Lifts: 13
Phone: (916) 581-8225.
SUGAR BOWL is off of Interstate 80 (Soda Springs Exit) on the
way to Tahoe just before the Donner Pass (and Boreal ski resort). This is a
small, cheap, family type resort but there is very good black, blue, and green
skiing. This place gets the most snow out of all of Tahoe because it takes the
brunt of the storms as they hit the Sierras. This is a bad place to be on a
stormy day. This is a good place to ski on a Sunday as you're leaving North
Shore Lake Tahoe because it's already 35 minutes on the SF side of Tahoe. This
is the 3rd best place at North Shore in my opinion. They have a hotel on the
slopes.
Summit Elevation: 8383' Vertical Drop: 1500'
Lifts: 10
Phone: (916) 426-3651.
NORTHSTAR AT TAHOE has nice intermediate terrain. The black diamonds are
more like blues in my opinion. It's too flat for me to ski. Parking is a
nightmare. Snowboarders and intermediate skiers like it because of the long,
gentle gladed runs on the back side. It's a good family resort with good
facilities for kids.
Summit Elevation: 8600' Vertical Drop: 2200'
Lifts: 11
Phone: (916) 562-1010.
MOUNT ROSE in Nevada has very good advanced, intermediate, and
beginner runs. It's a little bit out of the way so it's cheap. They traditionally
have cheap deals on weekdays. For example, 2-for-1-Tuesdays or ladies ski for $10
for ladies, etc. To get there, take 28 through Tahoe City towards Incline
Village. Make a left at
Summit Elevation: 9700' Vertical Drop: 1450'
Lifts: 5
Phone: (702) 849-0704.
DIAMOND PEAK/SKI INCLINE: Small place in Incline Village. Never skied there.
Summit Elevation: 8540' Vertical Drop: 1840'
Lifts: 7
Phone: (702) 832-1177.
DONNER SKI RANCH: Small place at the Donner Summit. Never skied there.
Phone: (916) 426-3635.
GRANLIBAKKEN: Very small place off of 89S. Never skied there.
Summit Elevation: 6500' Vertical Drop: 300'
Lifts: 2
Phone: (916) 583-6203.
HOMEWOOD: Small place off of 89S. Good when the weather is bad
because it is low and sheltered. The skiing is mostly beginner-intermediate.
Summit Elevation: 7880' Vertical Drop: 1650'
Lifts: 10
Phone: (916) 525-7256.
SODA SPRINGS: Small place at Soda Springs exit off of I80. Never
skied there.
Summit Elevation: 7350' Vertical Drop: 650'
Lifts: 3
Phone: (916) 426-3666.
TAHOE DONNER: Small place up
Phone: (916) 587-9444.
NORTH
SHORE ACCOMODATIONS
Truckee is just off of Interstate 80 and is
the most convenient to the Ski resorts listed above. There are a few
restaurants and bars, but enough. I'd recommend this area for those who don't
need nightlife and fancy restaurants. The Super 8 Motel is nice, cheap, and has
a Jacuzzi.
Reno is 45 minutes past Tahoe. If you're
stuck you can stay and eat there cheaply because of the casino traffic but you
have to deal with the drive. There is a casino just over the border called
Boomtown, which is only about 20 minutes past Tahoe. Rooms are pretty cheap and
they are clean.
SOUTH
SHORE LAKE TAHOE
HEAVENLY is possibly the most famous ski resort in California. It's got well
varied terrain. It's huge. There are two entrances; the California side and the
Nevada side. Some people swear it's the best. Personally I hate the place
because I always spend half of my day on chairs trying to get to where I want
to go and back again. Often times you have to take two or three chairs to ski
one run. Also, aside from Mott Canyon, there's not much serious black diamond
terrain. It's very convenient to the casinos/hotels. Many beautiful people ski
there but few of the serious skiers.
Summit Elevation: 10,100' Vertical Drop:
3600' Lifts: 24
Phone: (916) 541-1330.
KIRKWOOD is about 45 minutes outside of South Shore. It's convenient to ski on
Sunday because you're already 45 minutes towards the SF Bay Area. They've got
very well varied terrain. All of their slopes are North facing and their
elevation is relatively high so they get and keep pretty good snow. This is my
favorite place in
Base elevation = 7800'.
Peak elevation = 9860' (but the chair goes to
about 9400').
Summit Elevation: 9800' Vertical Drop: 2000'
Lifts: 11
The Wave= Sunrise Chair. The Wall= Wagon
Wheel Chair. Cornice= Cornice Chair.
Phone: (209) 258-6000.
SIERRA AT TAHOE is supposedly a good and cheap with well-varied
terrain and somewhat of a family resort. I've never skied there. I've heard
that it's pretty good but it's probably not great for a real black diamond
skier.
Summit Elevation: 8852' Vertical Drop: 2212'
Lifts: 8
Phone: (916) 659-7535.
SOUTH
SHORE ACCOMMODATIONS
Accommodations at South Shore are cheap
because there is a large supply for the year-round gambling community. Meals
are artificially cheap at the casinos. There are also a ton of restaurants,
shops, and casinos at South Shore, mostly decent but often cheesey.
OTHER
INFO
On snowy days, Interstate 80 (North Shore)
and Highway 50 (South Shore) close or they require chains (or 4WD with approved
tires). Check with highway patrol regarding what kind of tires are acceptable
on 4WD vehicles.
The shortest road (about 35 min) from North
Shore to South Shore (Rt. 89) closes for most of the winter so travel between
North Shore and South Shore on Rt. 28 can be time consuming; maybe 1.5 hours.
The Donner Summit (at I-80) is 7296 feet.
The base of Squaw is 6200 feet.
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