19th Annual Tahoe Downhill Ski Guide | Winter 2019-20

Tahoe

19th annual

downhill ski guide

Brian Walker Photography | Sierra-at-Tahoe

winter 2019-20

these are the days we dream of nordic skiing

biathlon

scenic gondola

childcare

cat skiing

tubing & sledding

back-country access

night skiing

military discount

ice skating

utv tours

mini snowmobiling

fat tire biking

snow shoeing

roller coaster

boreal mountain resort

TBA

Dawson | Boreal

auburn ski club training center

OPEN 55 30

15

NOVICE | INTERMEDIATE | ADVANCED

Courtesy ASC Training Center

% of terrain skiable

25km # of trails

Events Dec. 7 | Captain Nordic Day Dec. 22 | Snowshoe Thompson Classic Jan. 5 | 10th Mtn. Biathlon Jan. 12 | Paco’s Freestyle Feb. 2 | Chuck Lyda Biathlon Feb. 17 | President’s Cup Freestyle March 4-15 | Cross Country Junior Nationals Combined Alpine & Nordic | ASC Training Center is a nonprofit winter sports facility and one of the few combined venues for Alpine, Nordic, biathlon and snowboard in the United States.

Biathlon | ASC has the only Olympic distance, year-round Biathlon range in the West, with winter and summer programs, as well as group and private clinics. ASC also offers the hard-to-pass USBA Red Book Certification for biathletes.

380 # of trails

34

Woodward Mountain Parks | Featuring a network of terrain zones to build skills at the Woodward Start Park, Woodward Progression Park and the Woodward Peace Park.

vertical feet

500 terrain parks

Free classes & clinics | Guests with an All-Access season pass, Bunker Pass or any Bunker Access product can drop in on a class or clinic.

8

The Deals | Season passes are only $129 for adults and include unlimited access to the cross-country trail system, use of the Training Center facilities, five discounted guest tickets and five free nights of skiing or riding at Boreal Mountain Resort. n

Free kids pass | Kids 8 and younger get a free season pass with the purchase of an adult Boreal Unlimited or All-Access season pass.

Woodward Mountain Kids | A new multi-week seasonal ski/

auburnskiclub.com

25

% of terrain

% of terrain

30 vertical feet

1,840 terrain parks

1

The Grub | Check out the action sports-themed bar and restaurant The Hub & Spoke. The Grind Café, formerly Moondoe’s, will have an updated look.

The Deals | Enjoy $25 lift tickets on Dec. 13, Jan. 17, Feb. 14, March 13 & April 10. n

25

NOVICE | INTERMEDIATE | ADVANCED

# of trails

Women’s Park Camp | Beyond the Boundaries comes to the mountain from April 3 to 5.

TBA

NOVICE | INTERMEDIATE | ADVANCED

655

Pop-Up Parks | Look for the Pop-Up Parks in January, February and March.

50

36

skiable acres

Faster lift lines | A new RFID access system offers hands-free ticketing and direct-to-lift access for season pass. There are also new selfticketing kiosks.

donner ski ranch

Courtesy Diamond Peak

OPENS DEC. 12

18

snowboard program for ages 4 to 17 at Boreal and Woodward Tahoe.

rideboreal.com, woodwardtahoe.com

diamond peak ski resort 46

Events Feb. 1 | Burton Qualifier March 14 | Clover Cup March 20 | Subaru Winterfest March 21 | Boreal Banked Slalom

Events Jan.-March | Guided Snowshoe Hikes (select dates) Jan.-March | STOKE Mountain Tour (select dates) Jan. 24-25 | UllrFest Feb.-April | Last Tracks (Saturdays) March 22 | Dummy Downhill March 29-29 | Luggi Foeger Uphill / Downhill Festival April 3 | Diamond Cut Awards & Screening Village Terrain Park | The park crew helped build Snowboarder Magazine’s Superpark 22 in the spring and is back to bring more innovative features to the park with features for all levels.

Free skiing | Kids 6 & young & seniors 80+ ski free.

Upgraded snowmaking | Four new snowmaking guns mean more snow

diamondpeak.com

during all types of snowmaking conditions, adding to Diamond Peak’s fleet of 14 snowguns covering 75 percent of the developed terrain on the slopes.

New groomer | Diamond Peak has invested in a new grooming machine to stay at the forefront of slope maintenance in the Tahoe Basin adding to the fleet of 5 snow cats.

Diamond Cut video competition | Diamond Peak’s video edit will be open from Jan. 1 to March 15 for submissions, with the Awards Ceremony and Screening on April 3.

The Deals | $20 discount with pass from any resort, Interchangeable Parent’s Pass, $44 beginner tickets, $49 lunch combo, free birthday ticket, and discounts for firefighters, police and military. n

skiable acres

505

Courtesy Donner Ski Ranch

10

skiable acres

# of trails

52 vertical feet

1,000+ terrain parks

2

Old School Days | Enjoy throwback pricing on lift tickets and packages deals Tuesday to Thursday starting Jan. 7 (excludes Feb. 18 to 20) with adults tickets only $40.

The Pie | Don’t leave with a slice of fresh-baked yummy pie. The Old 40 Bar & Grill is known for its tasty cuisine with locals, but the star attraction are the pies. Local tip: You can order a pie for Thanksgiving.

donnerskiranch.com

It’s a party | Savor your slice of pie and then hang around for live music at DSR on select nights. It’s a favorite locals hangout. Follow Donner Ski Ranch on Facebook for updates.

The Deals | Discounts for active-duty military and spouse/ dependents. n

granlibakken tahoe OPENS DEC. 13 SLED HILL OPENS BEFORE THANKSGIVING

40

25

35

NOVICE | INTERMEDIATE | ADVANCED

% of terrain skiable acres Courtesy Granlibakken

10 # of trails

1 Events Feb. 17 | Tru Retreat May 15 | Kaia Fit Retreat

vertical feet

300

Sled hill opening | In case you didn’t know, Granlibakken has snow making and has been blowing snow for a few weeks in preparation for openings its sled hill for the season before Thanksgiving.

The Grub | The Cedar House Pub opens for the season on Dec. 12 with dinner server Thursday-Sunday.

Enjoy tasty Mexican fare at Rusty’s Kitchen next to the ski and sledding hill when it reopens Dec. 13 from Friday to Monday for the season.

Season passes on sale Includes over $4000 in perks

Adult (ages 24-64)

$489

Child (ages 7-12) & Senior (ages 65-69)

Youth (ages 13-23)

The Deals | Unlimited sledding pass is $100; lodging guests receive halfoff sledding and lift tickets. n

$269

Kids sled free | Kids younger than 3 sled for free.

$209

Super Senior (ages 70-79)

$179

Purchase online or at Guest Services:

DiamondPeak.com

granlibakken.com

heavenly mountain resort

Open theto

Public

OPENS NOV. 27

CAL LODGE OPENS DEC. 13 GONDOLA & MOUNTAIN COASTER OPENS NOV. 23

45

Courtesy Heavenly Mountain

35

20

NOVICE | INTERMEDIATE | ADVANCED

% of terrain skiable acres

4,800 # of trails

97 vertical feet

3,500 terrain parks

2

Events Nov. 29-Jan. 1 | Heavenly Holidays Family Festival Dec. 7 | Mountain Dew Snow Dance Dec. 7, 14, 21 & 28 | Heavenly Holidays Rail Jam March 23-April 7 | Spring Loaded April | Heavenly Pond Skim April | Spring Fling Rail Jam First turns | Kick off opening day with morning treats, A DJ and emcee at the base of the Heavenly Village Gondola, live music from a DJ Cat and Send it Band on the mountain and après celebrations at Tamarack Lodge and Bar 9150’.

Extra runs | The Helly Hansen Après Tracks offers guests staying a Sunday evening at Gondola Vista,

Lakeland Village or Zalanta Resort to ski a run with the Heavenly Ski Patrol after the resort closes and attend an exclusive après at Lakeview Lodge with complimentary beverages and appetizers starting in January.

Kids ski free | Kids ages 4 & younger ski free.

The Grub | LAT38 opens this year on the California Lodge’s roof top open Friday to Sunday from 3 to 5 p.m. for aprés-ski with delicious street food inspired offerings like the Spicy Poke Tostada and Ultimate BLT Sliders.

The Deals | Active and retired military discounts. n

The Incline Village Recreation Center is open to the public & features group fitness classes, a cardiovascular/strength room, massage therapy, 8 lane indoor pool, sauna, gymnasium & more. Now offering indoor pickleball for winter!

Invest in your wellness today!

1-day adult Pass: $16 ($12 w/IVGID Picture Pass) 1-Week Family Pass: $72 ($54 w/IVGID Picture Pass) 1-year adult Pass: $689 ($517 w/IVGID Picture Pass) View full list of membership options & rates online.

Holiday Hours: Nov 27 (6am-5pm) / Nov 28 (6am-12pm)

980 Incline Way, Incline Village

InclineRecreation.com • 775-832-1300 skiheavenly.com

homewood mountain resort 15

30

15

NOVICE | INTERMEDIATE | ADVANCED

% of terrain skiable acres

1,260 # of trails

67 vertical feet

1,650 terrain parks

5

TBA

12

30 38

20

NOVICE | INTERMEDIATE | ADVANCED

% of terrain

Events Jan. 20 | The Very Best Day to Learn How to Ski or Ride March 7 | Community Cup March 21-22 | Beer & Gear March 28 | Pride Ride

Snowcat guide & back-country training | In partnership with the North American Ski Training Center, Homewood will offer snowcat guide and back-country training to the public starting in January.

skiable acres

Earn a free pass | Learning how to ski or ride with the Easy as 1-2-3 deal and earn a free ski pass for the season after completing the three beginner lessons.

Kids ski free | Ages 4 & younger ski free.

vertical feet

Expanded snowmaking | New access to water resources will double Homewood Mountain Resort’s snowmaking capabilities to open more terrain earlier.

New groomer | A new PistenBully winch cat will allow for high-angle grooming on some of Homewood’s steepest terrain.

2,300 # of trails

86 2,000

Reducing single-use plastics | Look for water bottle refill stations in the North Lodge.

terrain parks

2

Cheap beer | Join The Mug Club at 89 Bar & Grill for $40 for a custom mug and 20 oz. beers for the price of 16 oz. all season.

Courtesy Kirkwood Mountain Resort

40

Sam Hamilton | Homewood Mountain Resort

OPENS DEC. 6

kirkwood mountain resort

Events Dec. 14 | Kirkwood Deep Riders Awards Feb. | Banked Slalom April 4-5 | Freeride World Tour

looking to explore backcountry opportunities, both within and just outside resort boundaries with specialty clinics, professional coaching and private guided tours.

Opening Day | Early risers can snag a burrito to eat on the lift and then drop into their winter flow at Kirkwood’s opening day. Passholders will have the chance to sample food and beverage offerings throughout the day, and everyone is invited to join the GoPro group opening day photo.

Kids ski free | Kids ages 4 & younger ski free.

Family Learning Zone | Kids will experience natural, enhanced teaching terrain on green gullies like Trench of Terror to help learners advance, build skills and grow confidence.

The Deals | Active-duty military ski free non-peak days; $5 off for taking local transit to the resort on TART. n

Expedition:Kirkwood | Expedition: Kirkwood is for the avid adventurer

skihomewood.com

Kirkwood Deep Riders Awards | The #KirkwoodDeep Rider Awards honor the adventurous spirit of the mountain’s culture and ramp up the winter stoke. For the seventh year, skiers and riders will enjoy a night of friendly competition and films on Dec. 14 for a chance to win in coveted categories like Family that Shreds Together or Grom Rider of the Year.

The Deals | Active and retired military discounts. n

kirkwood.com

mt. rose ski tahoe

northstar california

OPEN

OPENS NOV. 29

20

30

40 13

10

% of terrain Courtesy Mt. Rose Ski Tahoe

% of terrain skiable acres

1,200+ # of trails

vertical feet

1,800 terrain parks

6

27

NOVICE | INTERMEDIATE | ADVANCED

NOVICE | INTERMEDIATE | ADVANCED

60+

Courtesy Northstar California

60

Events Feb. 1 | Ski Your Heart Out Feb. 22 | McKinney Cup March 13 | Roses are Rad Film Festival March 21 | Pinkfest Tahoe Faster lift lines | New Axess RFID lift gates allow skiers and riders to leave their ticket or pass in their pocket.

New snowmaking | Expanded snowmaking on the slopes including two Pole Cats on Kit Carson Bowl, one Pole Cat on Ponderosa Trail and six portable snow guns. A new snowcat was also added to the grooming fleet.

skirose.com

Opening Aida’s | Summer slope grooming and adding snowmaking on Aida’s Trail means early season skiing on as little as 10 to 12 inches of packed base.

Resort improvements | Look for improvements in the lodge, parking lot and Timbers Bar. Roses are Rad Film Festival | Show off your skills in this amateur film festival on March 13.

Ticket deals | $49 SKI-G.I.F. Fridays, Ladies Day Thursdays, Two ‘Fer Tuesdays, Locals Sundays and military discounts. n

skiable acres

3,170 # of trails

100 vertical feet

2,280 terrain parks

8

Events Every Friday | Friday Fun Night Nov. 29, Dec. 6, 12 & 20 | Noel Nights Dec. 5, 12, 19 & 26 | Silent Nights Dec. 21, Jan. 18, Feb. 1 & 15, March 7 & 14 | S’moresapalooza Dec. 28, Jan. 18 & 25, Feb. 15 & 29 | Snowshoe Stargazing March 28 | Spring it On Opening Day | Enjoy live music in The Village at Northstar, along with complimentary s’mores and hot chocolate.

First Tracks | Begin the day at sunrise with Platinum First Tracks, where Adventure Guiding and Learning Center mountain guides take two intimate groups on a tour of the mountain before lifts open to the public.

Kids ski free | Kids ages 4 & younger ski free.

northstarcalifornia.com

The Grub | Bourbon Pub Northstar opens Nov. 22 in The Village at Northstar with starters such as truffle tater tots, cheddar brats wrapped in puff pastry with jalapeno mustard, and entrees including al pastor pork ribs, mesquite grilled steaks and fennel stuffed salmon.

S’mores galore | Keep your eyes open for the S’mores Ambassadors in The Village carrying silver platters covered in ooey-gooey chocolate, graham cracker and marshmallow treats.

Enjoy a toast | Enjoy a glass of bubbly (or apple cider) from 1:30 to 2 p.m. daily; first-come, first-served.

The Deals | Active and retired military discounts. n

sky tavern

TBA

Courtesy Sky Tavern

sierra-at-tahoe

TBA

50 25

25

NOVICE | INTERMEDIATE | ADVANCED

Courtesy Sierra-at-Tahoe

% of terrain skiable acres

2,000 # of trails

47

Events March 13-15 | Subaru Winterfest April 4 | Boarding for Breast Cancer

vertical feet

2,212

Faster lift lines | Access the slopes quicker with new RFID-enabled gates at all entry lifts.

terrain parks

6

Kids ski free | Kids 4 & younger ski free.

Adventure Zones | On-mountain themed adventure zones feature terrain elements such as rollers, mini jumps and banked turns that keep children entertained, while signage and animated characters educate

them on local history and animal species. Each adventure zone focuses on a theme, including the Wampa Cave featuring a Star Wars theme.

1

30

skiable acres

vertical feet

550 terrain parks

1

The little hill that could | “We’re a bunch of moms and dads opening a ski hill for our kids,” says Executive Director Bill Henderson in describing the dedicated volunteers that keep this historic ski area open.

Kids are the focus | The nonprofit is focused on teaching kids to ski and ride, including an adaptive ski program for kids, and all kids passes include lessons every weekend. Adults season passes range from $135 to $165, and everyone volunteers.

Courtesy Soda Springs

2019/20 SEASON PASSES Events December | Snowball Festival March 28-29 | Tom Sims Retro Worlds Just for kids | Enjoy a dedicated snowplay area at Planet Kids for children ages 7 and younger with tubing carousals, snow-tubing lanes, ski/snowboard specific learning areas, snow volcanoes to climb and more.

Tube Town offers up to 20 tubing runs and a 400-foot surface lift.

Mountain Adventure | The new Mountain Adventure ticket will make for simplified and faster access to the Tubing and Planet Kids venues in an all-access ticket. Mountain Adventure does not include skiing or snowboarding.

skisodasprings.com

Eyeing the long term | Sky Tavern has been working with the City of Reno (who owns the land the ski hill is on) to approve a 30-year lease before the group can raise funds for $2 million in improvements to the property.

Shop the Swap | Help the nonprofit that runs the ski hill continue its program at its annual Ski Swap on Nov. 22 and 23 in the old Sports Authority Building on Kietzke Lane in Reno, Nev. Drop off gear Nov. 21 and 22. n

WINTER READY

% of terrain

15

Events Nov. 22-23 | Ski Swap Dec. 6 | Pray for Snow Party

skytavern.org

NOVICE | INTERMEDIATE | ADVANCED

# of trails

4 terrain parks

The Deals | Discounts for firefighters, EMTs, police and active duty military. n

OPENS NOV. 21

200

# of trails

900

Mountain Tours | Learn more about the geology and history of Sierra-at-Tahoe and the Lake Tahoe Basin on a guided, one-hour tour on select weekends.

soda springs resort 40

150 vertical feet

sierraattahoe.com

30

skiable acres

Retro Worlds | For the 37 year, this grassroots celebration honors Tom Sims and the first halfpipe competition ever held, which was at Soda Springs in 1983. th

Self-ticketing | Use the new selfticketing kiosks around the resort for more time on the slopes. Purchase online, skip the ticket line and pick up tickets at the kiosk.

The Deals | Kids 5 & younger ski for $5; Family Pass for two adults & two kids. n

ON SALE NOW No blackout dates at Tahoe Donner Downhill Ski Resort or Cross Country Ski Center 4 ski days at Diamond Peak Ski Resort + 2 days at Homewood Mountain Resort Restrictions apply Food and retail discounts

OPEN 45 25

30

NOVICE | INTERMEDIATE | ADVANCED

% of terrain skiable acres

3,600 # of trails

170+ vertical feet

2,850

Events Select dates | Mountain Host tours Dec. 26-31 | Ski & ride with Jonny Moseley Jan. 4-5 | Backcountry Demo Day Feb. 29 | Leap of Love March 19-22 | U.S. Freestyle Moguls March 27-29 | WinterWonderGrass Festival U.S. Freestyle Moguls National Championships | Coming to Squaw Valley from March 19 to 22, 2020.

terrain parks

5

Snowshoe tours | Alpenglow Expeditions will offer half-day guided snowshoe tours every Saturday and Sunday.

Explore the back country | Alpenglow Expeditions will lead half-day guided snowshoe tours through Shirley Canyon and single-run guided tours in the Tram Ridge zone beyond Broken Arrow.

North Face Mountain Guides | Explore Squaw’s terrain with guided tours to secret stashes and hidden groomers.

OPEN

40

25

35

Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows

Jeff Engerbretson | Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows

squaw valley | alpine meadows

NOVICE | INTERMEDIATE | ADVANCED

% of terrain skiable acres

2,400 # of trails

Kids ski free | Kids 4 & younger ski free.

100+

The Grub | Grab a drink at The Tram Car Bar, a restored 70’s-era Squaw Valley tram cabin, or try Casamigos, the new Mexican restaurant and tequila bar opening in The Village.

vertical feet

1,802

Events Dec. 14-Feb. 8 (select dates) | Moonlight Snowshoe Tour & Dinner Treeline Cirque | The new Treeline Cirque chairlift at Alpine Meadows is a $10 million detachable, highspeed quad chair that will transport skiers and riders from base area to the Sherwood ridge in 5 minutes.

The lift will feature a mid-station for quick access to some of Alpine’s best low-intermediate terrain. From the top terminal skiers and riders can drop into expert terrain on the frontside or venture into the back bowls of Sherwood, which boast the resort’s best views of Lake Tahoe.

Mountaineer shuttle | The Mountaineer app-based shuttle service runs Dec. 13 to April 12, 2020, with extended evening hours.

The Deals | Fly & Ski Free; Senior 80+ Free Pass; $60 Military Pass; all tickets include access to Alpine Meadows. n

Kids ski free | Kids 4 & younger ski free.

Mountaineer shuttle | The Mountaineer app-based shuttle service runs Dec. 13 to April 12, 2020, with extended holiday service to Alpine Meadows.

The Deals | Fly & Ski Free; Senior 80+ Free Pass; $60 Military Pass; all tickets include access to Squaw Valley. n

squawalpine.com

sugar bowl ski resort

tahoe donner downhill

38

17 NOVICE | INTERMEDIATE | ADVANCED

% of terrain skiable acres

1,650 # of trails

100

Events Dec. 7 | Toys for Tots discount day Dec. 21 | D Money’s Poker Run Rail Jam, Big Mountain, Quad Crusher, Banked Slalom, TBA Covered beginner lift | The Flume Surface lift has been replaced with a 240-foot covered surface lift.

vertical feet

1,500 terrain parks

3

Youth & terrain parks | Look for the new 13-foot mini-pipe and a topto-bottom terrain park featuring extra small, small, medium and large features off the Judah lift. The park will be punctuated with 21 new terrain park features including a 13-foot butter box, 20-foot chubbie box, 10-foot quarterpipe box and 10-foot wallride.

Snowmaking upgrades | The resort is continuing its investment in the planned $8 million multi-year snowmaking system upgrade to expand early season snowmaking efforts.

sugarbowl.com

Kids ski free | Children ages 5 & younger ski free.

Hotel renovation | Twelve of the Mountain View Rooms in the Sugar Bowl Hotel have been renovated with a mountain modern feel with a nod to Tyrol influences.

Mid-Mountain Lodge remodel | Celebrating the rich history of Sugar Bowl and its Tyrolean influences featuring a contemporary take on a traditional Austrian ski lodge.

Resort guests can also expect a new outdoor barbecue and fresh menu.

New shuttles | Two new shuttle busses will run from the parking lots to the Village or Judah Lodge.

The Deals | $99 any day in December; free beginner’s ticket. n

TAHOE DONNER CROSS COUNTY OPENS NOV. 28

60 40 Courtesy Tahoe Donner Downhill

45

OPENS DEC. 13 Courtesy Sugar Bowl

OPENS NOV. 29

NOVICE | INTERMEDIATE to ADVANCED

% of terrain skiable acres

120 # of trails

17 vertical feet

600 terrain parks

2

Events Dec. 15 | Customer Appreciation Day Feb. 15-23 | Winter Superstars Weeks Feb. 22 | Glowstick Parade & Carnival March 8 | I-Did-A-Run dog pull March 14 | 200-Foot Banana Split Extravaganza March 15 | Tahoe Donner Family Challenge April 12 | Dummy Downhill Skills | The Downhill Ski Resort offers unique Ski and Ride Lesson Packages for all ages and as young as 3 years old, along with season-long programs to advance kids to the next level, starting in January.

tahoedonner.com

Learn to Ski/Ride | New Learn to Ski/Ride packages for first timers that include lift ticket, rentals and lessons for all ages as young as 3 years old.

Expanded snowmaking | Snowmaking is being expanded with completion anticipated in 2020.

The Deals | Parent interchangeable ticket; military discounts, combo ticket good at Tahoe Donner Downhill and Cross Country. n