2. Heavenly

3. Sierra-at-Tahoe

4. Northstar-at-Tahoe

5. Alpine Meadows

6. Kirkwood

7. Sugar Bowl

SQUAW VALLEY, California

INFORMATION & RESERVATIONS: (800) 545-4350

www.squaw.com

If you think Squaw Valley is a big, nasty place for 19-year-old kids to huck themselves off 50-foot cliffs, you're right. If you think Squaw Valley is a massive, diverse beginner and intermediate paradise with some of the region's best off-hill activities, you're right again. While known for its steeps (rated fourth in North America by our readers), this 1960s Olympic host has evolved into a sophisticated entertainment machine that caters to families, extreme skiers, celebrities and all forms of snow sliding. At night, the town of Tahoe City (5 miles away) offers a good variety of restaurants and bars.

Skiing is Squaw's forte, but the sprawling resort has an amusement park side to it, too. A tubing track is new this season and, at High Camp, there's an ice rink, indoor climbing wall, swimming pool and the ever-popular bungee tower. On the slopes, experts hit the west face of KT-22, intermediates flock to the Shirley Lake area's tree runs and those with a need for speed cruise the Mountain or Resort at Squaw Creek trails. It's easier this year to move between High Camp and the Gold Coast, thanks to a new pulse lift. Readers rated it number one in the region for steeps and bumps, and number two for terrain, après-ski, nightlife and terrain parks. Hungry? Get a pizza at Alexander's Restaurant at High Camp.

VERTICAL: 2,850 feet

BASE ELEVATION: 6,200 feet

SNOWFALL: 500 inches

PATROLLED ACRES: 4,000

SNOWMAKING: 250 acres

TERRAIN PARKS: 2

HALFPIPES: 1

TRAILS: Beginner: 30% Intermediate: 45% Expert: 25%

LIFTS: 1 tram, 1 gondola, 4 high-speed quads, 20 fixed chairs, 1 surface lift, 1 pulse lift

CHILDREN'S LEARNING AREA: yes

NIGHT SKIING: 270 acres

LODGING AT SLOPES: 2,400 beds

XC TRAILS: 18km

NEAREST AIRPORT: Reno International (45 miles)

THE PEAKS:

Bumps, steeps

Varied terrain

Great nightlife

THE FLATS:

Weekend crowds

Limited parking

Difficult layout

HEAVENLY, California

INFORMATION & RESERVATIONS:

(800) 2-HEAVEN

www.skiheavenly.com

If you can't live without blackjack, sunshine and powder, Heavenly's your resort. Straddling the California-Nevada border, Heavenly offers heaps of sunshine and snow, and Lake Tahoe's South Shore offers endless gambling options. It's the main reason the resort stands number four in North America for night life. After trading in your chips for skis, stay to the Nevada side of this 4,800 acre behemoth, where the slopes are slower to fill and where, as one reader noted, you'll find "extremely long top-to-bottom runs." Readers raved about Heavenly's views, and even novices get the picture with so many easy runs up high.

Going vertical at Heavenly will be easier this season, thanks to the Tamarack Express, a new six-passenger lift that runs nearly to the summit from Von Schmidt's Flats at mid-mountain on the California side. The new chair, one answer to reader complaints about Heavenly's lift system, is just part of the first phase of a 20-year capital-improvement plan. Also new is expanded snowmaking on the California Trail, key for moving between the California and Nevada sides of the mountain. Unchanged is the view of Lake Tahoe, which helped earn Heavenly the fourth-best scenery scores in North America. When it's time to refuel, try Dixon's in South Lake Tahoe, some of the best home-style cooking in the region.

VERTICAL: 3,320 feet

BASE ELEVATION: 6,540 feet

SNOWFALL: 285 inches

PATROLLED ACRES: 4,800

SNOWMAKING: 242 acres

TERRAIN PARKS: 1

HALFPIPES: 1

TRAILS: Beginner: 12% Intermediate: 48% Expert: 40%

LIFTS: 1 tram, 3 high-speed quads, 15 fixed chairs, 6 surface lifts

CHILDREN'S LEARNING AREA: yes

NIGHT SKIING: none

LODGING AT SLOPES: 3,000 beds

XC TRAILS: 200km

NEAREST AIRPORT: Reno International (62 miles)

THE PEAKS:

Great glades

Big acreage

Hopping nightlife

THE FLATS:

Catwalks

Crowds in California

On-mountain food

SIERRA-AT-TAHOE, California

INFORMATION: (916) 659-7453 , RESERVATIONS: (800) AT-TAHOE

www.sierratahoe.com

Since Sierra is largely an intermediate mountain, expect to see a lot of happy Sacramento ski families and relaxed regulars who make the weekend trip from the San Francisco Bay area. Sierra attracts people who want to ski where the employees know them by name--not just as a ticket. Sierra has that down-home feel that readers say is lost at big resorts like Heavenly (just 15 miles down the road). Indeed, Sierra skiers gave the resort the highest marks in the West for both service and value. Sierra is also trying to rope in the younger crowd with improved snowboarding facilities.

Sierra-at-Tahoe takes pride in its reputation for wide blue cruisers. Skiers relish the West Bowl, where the California sun softens the snow and the runs seem endless. To avoid the morning crowds, come down Upper Snowshoe, take the West Bowl chair and rip through Bashful, Dogwood or Horsetail. The cooler side of Sierra offers upper-intermediate and expert terrain. Drop between the trees for powder stashes. This is one of the West's best mountains for learning and honing snowboarding skills; with four terrain parks, you're bound to find your level. New on the mountain this year, beer and wine will be served at the summit's aptly named Grand View Grill. After the last run, head for the Sierra Pub.

VERTICAL: 2,212 feet

BASE ELEVATION: 6,640

SNOWFALL: 488 inches

PATROLLED ACRES: 2,000 SNOWMAKING: 60 acres

TERRAIN PARKS: 3

HALFPIPES: 1

TRAILS: Beginner: 25% Intermediate: 50% Expert: 25%

LIFTS: 3 high-speed quads, 6 fixed chairs, 1 surface lift

CHILDREN'S LEARNING AREA: yes NIGHT SKIING: none

LODGING AT SLOPES: none

X-C TRAILS: none

NEAREST AIRPORT: Reno International (72 miles)

THE PEAKS:

Ample snow

Tree-skiing

Friendly service

THE FLATS:

Lacks challenge

Slopeside lodging

Dull après-ski

NORTHSTAR-AT-TAHOE, California

INFORMATION: (916) 562-1010, RESERVATIONS: (800) GO-NORTH

www.skinorthstar.com

Cutting-edge technology and family fun are hallmarks at Northstar. This North Tahoe resort is an industry leader in electronic ticketing and likes to reveal its artistic side by creating award-winning terrain parks for skiers and snowboarders. Experts typically aren't exactly challenged here, as many readers pointed out, but the meticulous grooming and long, wide cruisers are happily embraced by families and intermediates. In the Far West, only Mount Bachelor earned higher grades among readers for children's programs and family needs. "Best intermediate mountain in the USA," says one reader.

With 90 percent of the 2,220 acres accessed by high-speed lifts, including a six-passenger gondola, navigating this extinct volcano is simple. Experts head into the trees on the resort's backside, where they find big, soft bumps and long fall-line pitches. Another 220 acres of off-piste terrain was added to the back side of Mount Pluto last spring. While cliffs and chutes won't be found here, there are several invigorating pitches on the front side. The Vertical Improvement Program, initiated last year, gives free instruction to any intermediate or advanced skiers or snowboarders with a lift ticket. The resort's European-style village is valued for its quaint atmosphere, while partiers head down to either Truckee or Tahoe City.

VERTICAL: 2,280 feet

BASE ELEVATION: 6,330 feet

SNOWFALL: 380 inches

PATROLLED ACRES: 2,200

SNOWMAKING: 200 acres

TERRAIN PARKS: none

HALFPIPES: 2

TRAILS: Beginner: 25% Intermediate: 50% Expert: 25%

LIFTS: 1 gondola, 4 high-speed quads,

4 fixed chairs, 3 surface lifts

CHILDREN'S LEARNING AREA: yes

NIGHT SKIING: none

LODGING AT SLOPES: 750 beds

XC TRAILS: 65 km

NEAREST AIRPORT: Reno International (35 miles)

THE PEAKS:

Family ambience

Modern lifts

Great backside

THE FLATS:

Lacks real challenge

Lacks off-piste terrain

Poor parking

ALPINE MEADOWS, California

INFORMATION & RESERVATIONS: (800) 824-6348, (916) 583-4232

www.skialpine.com

Slide off the six-person, high-speed Summit Chair onto the ridge at Alpine Meadows and, once you get over the breathtaking view, it may not seem like very much. There's only 1,800 vertical feet on some immaculate cruisers to the rather dull base lodge. But look to your right and left, and you'll see tracks traversing the ridge, heading off to where skiers explore virtually endless "off- piste" bowls and glades that lie hidden from view around ridges and cornices. Northern California families, singles from Silicon Valley and even celebs like Robin Williams flock to Alpine Meadows for its humble, adventurous spirit.

Warm-up runs don't get much better than down Alpine Bowl: Start off on a buffed cruiser, meander in the trees and head back onto the corduroy. After one run, however, the adventurous are rewarded for exploiting a liberal (read: non-existent) out-of-bounds policy. Hike the High Traverse toward the Sherwood area, exploring any number of easily accessible glades. For a jaw-dropping view of Lake Tahoe, take the Alpine chair to the ridge, hike 10 minutes to the north and ski the 2.5 miles to the bottom. To get the most out of Alpine, hire a guide from the best-in-the-region ski school. Alpine's, first terrain parks and a halfpipe are set to open this season. The best food and nightlife are in Tahoe City, a mere 6 miles away.

VERTICAL: 1,800 feet

BASE ELEVATION: 6,835 feet

SNOWFALL: 414 inches

PATROLLED ACRES: 2,000

SNOWMAKING: 185 acres

TERRAIN PARKS: none

HALFPIPES: none

TRAILS: Beginner: 25 Intermediate: 40% Expert: 35%

LIFTS: 1 six-passenger lift, 1 high-speed quad, 9 fixed chairs, 1 surface lift

CHILDREN'S LEARNING AREA: yes

NIGHT SKIING: none

LODGING AT SLOPES: 50 beds

XC TRAILS: none

NEAREST AIRPORT: Reno International, (50 miles)

THE PEAKS:

Sierra scenery

Off-piste terrain

Ski school

THE FLATS:

Limited lodging

On-hill amenities

Après-ski

KIRKWOOD, California

INFORMATION: (209) 258-6000, RESERVATIONS: (800) 967-7500

www.skikirkwood.com

Often referred to as "Alta with a better lift system," this Tahoe-area resort inspires locals who rise early on powder days for first tracks and cut evenings short to be ready for the next day. Of course, it's not hard to get to bed early at Kirkwood. Tucked between two mountain passes 33 miles from South Lake Tahoe, Kirkwood feels isolated, and when the sun goes down, most of the lights go out. Reader devotion to Kirkwood comes from its weather and snow quality, rated number one in the region. Its diverse terrain, particularly drainage gullies that form natural halfpipes, makes it popular among snowboarders.

Aside from its abundant snowfall, Readers praise Kirkwood's terrain variety, awarding it top-three scores in terrain, steeps and bumps in the region. Those in search of tough steeps should ride Chair 10 and ski The Wall first thing. Intermediates enjoy the runs around the Hole-in-the-Wall, Solitude and Caples Crest chairs. "An underrated mountain for the true skier," summed up one reader. Financing woes postponed on-mountain improvements for the second straight year. The 43,000-square-foot Lodge at Kirkwood is scheduled to open in December with a limited number of condominiums and a lounge. The 4,300 square-foot Children's Center also will debut this season at the Timber Creek Lodge.

VERTICAL: 2,000 feet

BASE ELEVATION: 7,800 feet

SNOWFALL: 564 inches

PATROLLED ACRES: 2,300

SNOWMAKING: 55 acres

TERRAIN PARKS: 2

HALFPIPES: none

TRAILS: Beginner: 15% Intermediate: 50% Expert: 35%

LIFTS: 10 fixed chairs, 2 surface lifts

CHILDREN'S LEARNING AREA: yes

NIGHT SKIING: none

LODGING AT SLOPES: 320 beds

XC TRAILS: 100 km

NEAREST AIRPORT: Reno International (80 miles)

THE PEAKS:

Natural snow

Advanced terrain

No crowds

THE FLATS:

Lacks off-hill activities

Limited nightlife

Isolated

SUGAR BOWL, California

INFORMATION & RESERVATIONS: (916) 426-9000

www.skisugarbowl.com

Opening in 1939, Sugar Bowl is the oldest ski resort in California and one of the oldest in the country. It has always had a northern California blue-blood following and a love for the understated, which continues today. Visitors--largely from the Bay area, Sacramento and Nevada--must either take a high-speed quad or an antiquated gondola from their cars to the skiing, and vice versa. Mount Lincoln was the site of The Silver Belt, once one of the grand classics of ski racing for such Olympic champs as the Mahre brothers and Gretchen Fraser. Its hidden chutes are popular today with skiers who come looking for rustic Old Tahoe.

In the last year, Sugar Bowl added 400 acres of new terrain on Mount Judah, the first phase of a $24 million expansion program, that allows the area to span four peaks. A new base lodge at Mount Judah is to be completed by the 1998 season. The new terrain has incredible boulevard runs and long, winding cruisers. Coldstream, in particular, starts from the peak and finishes at the absolute bottom of the mountain. It's not hard to find great powder, but for the secret stashes, drift over to Strawberry Fields and the steep glades of Crow's Face. One final nostalgic must: dinner at The Dining Room in the original lodge offers nouvelle cuisine in a rustic atmo-sphere. Try the blackened swordfish with peppered strawberry sauce.

VERTICAL: 1,500 feet

BASE ELEVATION: 6,883 feet SNOWFALL: 497 inches

PATROLLED ACRES: 1,500

SNOWMAKING: 400 acres

TERRAIN PARKS: 2

HALFPIPES: none

TRAILS: Beginner: 17% Intermediate: 43% Expert: 40%

LIFTS: 1 gondola, 2 high-speed quads, 6 fixed chairs, 2 surface lifts

CHILDREN'S LEARNING AREA: yes

NIGHT SKIING: none

LODGING AT SLOPES: 135 beds

XC TRAILS: 328 km

NEAREST AIRPORT: Reno Int. (44 miles)

THE PEAKS:

Old-fashioned charm

Varied terrain

Great snow

THE FLATS:

Lack of nightlife

Slow lifts

Limited lodging