Going to North Tahoe.....questions

Going out end of January and staying in kings beach at a condo. Any tips? Am i going to be able to take a shuttle to squaw, northstar?

Yeah there is are shuttles that should get you around the North Lake area.

Go to the Biltmore and pretend to gamble when you want to drink.

A car would be nice though. I know the bus from Reno airport to Tahoe is a little pricey, with a few people it might not be too much more to rent a little shitbox.

But make sure little shitbox has 4wd/AWD or you will be out of luck when chain requirments go into effect.......or you will have to deal with actual chains (not fun)

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Extra 200 or more dollars just to get over the pass is not worth it IMO. Chains are a pain but not that bad. 2-300 extra dollars for the possibility to not have to deal with chains....that's a lot of money

I skied there after after business meetings in Sacramento. It's the only time in my life I have driven an SUV (to avoid mt. pass issues), because that was the only suitable thing the rental company had.

I brought my boots, but rented skis there. I went to Tahoe Dave's Rentals, got advice on the best skiing, they provided the correct tools for the conditions, I went back to my hotel, picked up discount ticket vouchers at the desk and had a wonderful time going from resort to resort each day. There are so many resorts in the area, so close that it's worth moving around, but I'm an explorer and bore easily. Consider Alpine Meadows.

I skied midweek, never had an issue driving around the lake, had rock star parking at the resorts. The locals tell me Friday and Sunday driving can be brutal with all the folks coming up from the valley pack the roads and the parking lots, just like anywhere. I even took a quick trip to see the Cartrights in Ponderosa country. Yep, looked just like the TV show.

For me, I wanted the ultimate in flexibility, so I didn't lock in anything and took a car rental. Worked out perfectly for my goals.

The Mex restaurant in Truckee is outstanding. Home cooking for sure.


What do you want to do?

snoseek said:

^^^^^^^

Extra 200 or more dollars just to get over the pass is not worth it IMO. Chains are a pain but not that bad. 2-300 extra dollars for the possibility to not have to deal with chains....that's a lot of money

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meh...to each their own....

Tips:
1 Stay away from Northstar
2 Get the snowbomb Tahoe card - http://www.snowbomb.com/tahoecard/
3 Ski Alpine Meadows
4 Ski Mt Rose if raining down low - highest base level - the Chutes are awesome!
5 Enjoy
6 Skis should be at least 90 under foot

Oh and Sugarbowl is fun as well

I've been to North Tahoe a few times, and suggest pricelining a 4x4. The chain requirements are a bit of a drag if you don't have a 4x4.

If you do go the econo-box rental route buy the chains before it snows and some places like Wal-Mart will let you return them if it doesn't snow. Chain up isn't too bad if you have a covered spot at your hotel or motel to do it. Squatting in a snow drift on the side of the road while semis go whizzing but isn't fun. Some of the ski areas won't let you up their access roads without chains on or 4x4 if it is snowing.

Sugar Bowl, Squaw, Alpine Meadows, and Mt Rose all rock in North Tahoe and if the wind picks up head to North Star and ski the trees.

Northstar on a pwder day the frontside is f l a t........backside is OK..but as mentioned - if you have a choice/limited days - Alpine, Squaw, Mt Rose and Sugarbowl should make you list (not in any order).......

also theres a wicked breakfast joint between Kings Beach and Tahoe city.......cant remember the name, but its on the main rd......so hungry right now...

+1 on the Alpine Meadows recommendation. Can't compare it to the others in that area but skied there and found it to be incredible.

Thanks so far, does anyone know about indiv mtn shuttles from the local area?

its a bit of a drive, but if you have the time and means to get to kirkwood, i doubt you'll regret it.

You'll want a car. The towns are spread out, and none of the resorts are particularly close to King's Beach. Also, if you're going to be there for a while, it might be worth driving around the lake to check out Heavenly or (if you're up for a really long drive) Kirkwood.

Be prepared for a wide range of potential conditions. It can easily be 50-60 and sunny. It could also easily snow two or three feet per day. Almost all of the time, you're going to have some type of highly enjoyable conditions, but you won't know until you get there whether you'll want fatties or your east coast sticks.

There is a lot of terrain diversity, and the major resorts range from good to amazing. Here's a quick rundown of the North Shore resorts, plus the two biggest South Shore resorts:

-Squaw. Famous for a reason. Sick terrain. Pricy. If it snows and its not a weekend, go here first. East coast comparison: Stowe.

-Alpine. Similar terrain to Squaw (they're neighbors), but not as big. Lower key. Less expensive. Lots of slackcountry. East coast comparison: Smuggs.

-Mt. Rose. Chutes are sick, rest of the terrain is less impressive than its neighbors. More of a local Reno/Carson Valley hill. East coast comparison: Burke.

-Northstar. Fancy village, flat and crowded on the frontside, some under-utilized terrain on the back side. East coast comparison: Stratton.

-Sugarbowl. On the west side of the summit. Dicier snow conditions. Lots of slackcountry/backcountry access. East coast comparison: I dunno, this is getting hard.

-Homewood/Diamond Peak. Lower elevation, but sick views of the lake. Good for a windhold day (especially Homewood), but probably not worth it otherwise.

-Heavenly. On the south shore, about an hour's (very scenic) drive around the lake (tip: park in one of the Nevada lots). Huge and commercial. Main areas can get really crowded, but good options off the beaten path. Tons of tree skiing. Unbelievable views of the lake. East coast comparison: Killington.

-Kirkwood. Steep and deep. Quite the trek from the North Shore (~1:45). Parking can be a zoo on a powder day, but its worth it. East coast comparison: Jay.

If it were me, I'd ski Squaw (maybe two days) and Alpine on the North Shore, and if you have extra time, take a trip to Heavenly.

You're going to have a blast -- enjoy!

petergriffen said:

Thanks so far, does anyone know about indiv mtn shuttles from the local area?

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I think most of the major resorts do, but they tend to be one trip each way kind of deals (not a continuous shuttle like in Killington, Mt Snow valleys). Look on each resort's website. I'd still get a car, even if you end up taking a shuttle at some point because your rental hyundai is snowed in.

We rented a RAV4 at the Reno airport. It did not snow the week we were there but I didn't regret having it. We skied the North side but drove a full lap around the lake one day to get a feel for the area. Having a car will help with making quick decisions based on conditions.

Also, a drive to Truckee is worth it. Very cool western town. If you like Mexican try the Blue Agave in Tahoe City, pretty close to Kings Beach. Good pitchers of margaritas.

Definitely don't miss Squaw and Alpine and you'll figure out the rest there. Flatstar actually made me feel like I was back in New England, don't bother.
+1 on everything ta&idaho said

ta&idaho said:

You'll want a car.

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I agree. If you have the chains you can find people to chain them up for you if you don't know how.

ta&idaho said:

If it were me, I'd ski Squaw (maybe two days) and Alpine on the North Shore, and if you have extra time, take a trip to Heavenly.

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Squaw is unbelievable. Mt Rose + Chutes = fun time, indeed....

Heavenly is steep, but does have one of the best scenic views, hey if you are lucky you might even run into Glen Plake at the Gun Barrel. Awesome lake view.

yeah, have fun...

oh, and if you want to know the REAL weather information, use this blog:

http://northstarsnow.blogspot.com/