ALPINE SKI AREAS
Diamond Peak is the closest area to the condo and is located right in Incline Village and is known for its great lake views and family-friendly skiing. It’s a short 10 minute drive away, and has a base elevation of 6700 ft., with 1840 ft. of vertical. Terrain is 20% beginner, 50% intermediate, and 30% expert. http://www.diamondpeak.com
Mount Rose is one of our favorite places to alpine ski. It’s a bit further away, located just over the Mount Rose summit on Highway 431. With a base elevation of 7900 ft. and a summit of 9700 ft., Mt. Rose is a good choice when there’s limited snow coverage at lower elevations. Terrain is 20% beginner, 30% intermediate, 40% expert, 10% double diamond. Beginner chairs are on the front side, offering some of the longest and widest beginner runs we’ve seen. There’s great intermediate and expert skiing on both the front and the back (“Slide”) side -- some of our favorites are Kit Carson and the trails towards the end of the high traverse on the back side (e.g. Bruce’s, Washoe Zephyr). The Chutes offer some of the steepest skiing in Tahoe, with slopes up to 55 degrees! There’s a main lodge on the front side with affordable food; there’s also a fun bar and a gift shop – it’s a “no fuss” kind of mountain (you’ll find no resort village here). Note that the drive over Mt. Rose summit can be a challenge if it’s snowing. It can also get pretty windy at Mt. Rose’s higher elevations, so we tend to avoid it on windy days. If you’re afraid of heights, you might want to rethink the chairlift to the summit (or sit on the right if you go up). The views from the summit are worth it! http://www.mtrose.com
Northstar is one of Tahoe’s premier ski resort complex, offering a wide variety of alpine and XC skiing. At the base of the mountain you’ll find an impressive ski village, complete with a variety of quality shops, restaurants and bars, and even an ice rink. Northstar’s base is 6330 ft., offering 2280 ft. of vertical with a summit of 8610 ft. There’s a lot of terrain – we’ve found some of the best skiing on the backside of Mt. Pluto and off of Lookout Mountain (expert runs). Parking can be a challenge – during peak times, you may find yourself being bused from your car to the ski village (Northstar provides free shuttle buses), Northstar wouldn’t be our first choice on a crowded holiday weekend. When there’s powder, Northstar has some of the best skiing around. http://www.northstarattahoe.com/
Squaw Valley USA is located a five miles north of Tahoe City and offers world class alpine skiing. Known for its steeps and an incredible variety of terrain, Squaw is THE serious skier’s paradise. There’s no need to say more. http://squaw.com/
Alpine Meadows is located three miles north of Tahoe City and is a very popular alternative to Squaw for serious alpine skiers. Lift tickets at Alpine are generally much more reasonable than Squaw. http://www.skialpine.com/winter/index.html
Homewood is a small resort on the west shore, approx. five miles south of Tahoe City. Homewood offers very reasonably priced lift tickets, especially mid-week. The mountain has beautiful views of Lake Tahoe (we suspect many of the Tahoe postcard shots with people that looks like they’re skiing right above the lake were taken at Homewood). Runs on the front side can be tough, especially if the snow is iffy or icy – we like to park on the back side for this reason (from Tahoe City, go past the first lot you see for Homewood, and turn right on Tahoe Ski Bowl Way to access the backside lot and lifts). http://www.skihomewood.com/
Heavenly Valley is located in South Lake Tahoe -- it’s a big mountain that offers skiing in both California and Nevada. A good bet it you’re headed to south shore for the day. http://www.skiheavenly.com/
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