Ski-Snowboard South Tahoe

Three major ski resorts, abundant nightlife and dining, gambling, entertainment and lodging of all kinds, make South Tahoe a complete ski-snowboard vacation destination.

We struggled through thick, bottomless snow coated with breakable crust. The hardest skiing conditions. We'd left easy, groomed sliding for this out-of-bounds adventure; now we were mired like treadless tanks. So, why were we smiling?

Skiing South Lake Tahoe, allows the snowslider to be as bold as desired. My friend Chris and I began the week exploring the hidden ski routes of Heavenly Resort. Heavenly is renowned for it Lake Tahoe views. Marvelous, yes. But, it affords manifold advanced-intermediate and low-expert tree skiing.

Guided by instructor Scott Van Fessen, we sought the spaces between runs where the pines dictated our path, and the groomed trails seemed a universe away. At one point, Scott and I dropped into a gully, a natural halfpipe dotted with well-spaced, large pines. Shortly, we stopped. Silence. We were alone. "Just up there," Scott said, pointing simultaneously at two ridges, "are crowded ski runs. Here, we have the world to ourselves."

Most ski destinations offer full snowsliding options. Many offer grand scale. Accessed readily from Reno, South Tahoe offers something different—contrast.

Lodging in South Lake Tahoe, Calif., can mean residing in two plush Marriott time-share properties, in substantial two-room Embassy Suite digs, or in utilitarian rooms at chain and mom-and-pop motels. Cross the street into Stateline, Nevada, and high-rise casinos offer a glittery ambience. You can access Heavenly skiing by high-speed gondola in a new resort village, walkable from the name-brand lodges, casinos and some motels and filled with upscale shops and eateries. Or, you can bus it to the California Base, an unfrilled base lodge.

Drive 45 minutes to Kirkwood, or ride the free bus for a half-hour to Sierra-at-Tahoe, and you’ll discover two areas bathed in old-school simplicity, where terrain and snowsliding rule, not development.

We skied in six inches of powder at Kirkwood, ideal for its grand bowls, wide groomed runs and magnificent steeps. Skiing chilling chutes that dropped from cornices and from underneath rock outcroppings, our adrenalin rushed like we were ski film stars.

At Sierra, we cruised steep groomers, sneaked through "Kids Only" zones, then left the beaten path. Guided by Doug Schwartz, one large ski patroller, and accompanied by Kiba, his amazing, chairlift-riding dog, we ventured into Sierra’s backcountry—a multi-run tour anyone can take for about $25. Yes, we encountered crusty muck. But, I also jump-turned the steepest face I'd ever encountered. Talk about adrenalin rushing. Then, we sped into character-rich, inbounds glades.

The thing is this: here are three ski areas that will challenge you with ungroomed terrain, and can do so as seriously as you’d like. But, they'll also pamper you, if you'd prefer, and enchant your children.

And, here's a skiing environment that can be wonderfully old-school, with slow chairs and simple base lodges; or, as modern as it gets, with high-speed chairs and that Heavenly gondola.

You can dine upscale in Gondola Square at a place like Kalani (fantastic Hawaiian-influenced cuisine and sushi), or down-home at the Driftwood Café (fresh-squeezed OJ with breakfast) and Dixon’s (15 micro brews on tap).

You can gamble, see a casino show, drop into any of 150 bars and nightclubs, or ice skate and play laser-tag. The unique mix spans an incredible range—all accented by that eye-arresting lake.

A California ski area manager once said to me, "What we have here is fantastic, but people from the east coast have to fly over a lot of great skiing to get here." True. But, it’s well worth it.

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