Heaven in the High Sierras: Ski Lake Tahoe
Boasting over a dozen resorts, ranging from the massive facilities of Heavenly and Alpine Meadows to small-scale secrets like Boreal or Sugar Bowl, the something-for-every-skier dictum could have been coined for Lake Tahoe. And the three-and-a-half hour drive from San Fran doesn’t hurt, either.
But, before taking your pick from the multitude of choices, consider the following: Are you a wild and frenzied skier or a wild and frenzied party animal? Those excited by the former and indifferent to the latter (at least during ski-season), have it easy: Head to Lake Tahoe’s north coast. Those hoping for some après-ski action to match the sick slopes, meanwhile, should aim for the southern coastline, where giddy nightlife can conquer the next day’s skiing…if you let it.
Squaw Valley and Alpine Meadows, the giants on Tahoe’s north shore, epitomize the Sierra Nevada’s big-mountain reputation. Although Squaw hosted the 1960 Winter Olympics, the resort really earned its reputation for severe thrills in the 1980s when Scott Schmidt started hucking off 100-foot cliffs, inventing extreme skiing, American-style. Hardcore runs like KT-22 and the Headwall Express garnish most of the headlines, but with 4,000 acres and six peaks to play on, Squaw has its tamer side as well, particularly halfway up the mountain at the beginner- and family-friendly High Camp.
In many ways, neighboring Alpine Meadows is not as intense as Squaw; after all, it doesn’t have a history of zany antics to live up to. But the terrain isn’t terribly welcoming to beginners, either. A series of intense black-diamond runs cover the mountain’s 1,800-foot vertical incline, and this year the resort unveils its new super pipe, with a 17-foot radius to satiate the resort’s ever-growing snowboard contingent. Those anxious to leave the hardcore behind should head to the north shore’s quieter slopes, like those at Sugar Bowl and Northstar.
On the south shore, Heavenly pulls the biggest crowds in Tahoe—and generates quite a party atmosphere as a result. The skiing here isn’t as extreme as the northern resorts, but with 3,500 vertical feet and the highest elevation in the region, Heavenly’s terrain shouldn’t be under-estimated. It is, however, an ideal resort for beginners. Sierra-at-Tahoe is also very beginner-friendly, with solid amenities and a good ski school. The southern shore’s crowd-weary extreme skiers, meanwhile, should head for Kirkwood—if their knees are up to the test.
If you can swing it, aim to divide your time between coasts, and then between resorts on each coast. Hit Alpine Meadows one day, then Squaw, then the quieter Sugar Bowl, before heading south for some serious on- and off-piste partying.
John Alwyn-Jones
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