California/Nevada Looking for tickets next week- TAHOE area.///Resort recommendation.

[Macky]

Hello,
I will be in California next week and i am planning to ski 2, mayby 3 days in Lake Tahoe area. I will stay South Lake Tahoe Mon-Thurday or Friday.
I have Alliance Pass and I have free mid week skiing at Sierra at Tahoe. Supposedly not the greatest moutaine. ??? B ut I would like to try some famous, big name resort as I NEVER skied them. Some new experience. Some lift ticket seem bit scary to me and I am asking if anyone know of some good/beter deal for some Squaw or Heavenly or..
What do you reckoned around Tahoe BTW if I decide to try anyhow??? Whats good now-next week? I do not care about ski après, just snow and trials. Black to Blue preferred. On Piste or powder near piste. Nothing to challenging (trees and rock jump) yet!
I would appreciate comments and pointers.
Thank you for reading...

 

[Scap]

If you want to save some money ski Homewood for a day. When the road is open, has been most of the year, it’s a half hour drive from where you are staying. It’s an older resort with 1 fast lift and three slow ones. The terrain is enough to keep you entertained for the day and the views are the best compared to any other resort in the area.

their pricing seems to be like what baseball teams do with flex pricing. Their tickets may start around 65 and will keep going up with demand.

i have epic pass and also live up there 70% of the time. Kirkwood is my favorite but my wife hates it as she is not into the style of skiing kirkwood offers. She prefers Heavenly which has nice panoramic views m, tree skiing when conditions permit it, and is a great intermediate mountain outside of kilbrew and mott canyon.

if all else fails rent some snow shoes and explore desolation wilderness.

 

[New2]

Sierra-at-Tahoe is most popular for their tree skiing and discounts, but they've got a decent assortment of terrain and shouldn't be too crowded midweek. If it's free, well worth trying for a day, at least. The farthest I'd go out of South Lake Tahoe is Homewood or Diamond Peak, either of which might have inexpensive tickets. Vail generally makes it tough to find discounts, so probably the online prices for Heavenly and Kirkwood are the best you'll do, but it's worth contacting your lodging and seeing if they have any discounts to offer.

If it's a day with significant snowfall, I'd say ski Heavenly or don't bother... even if you have chains and can drive in the snow, there will be lots of other people who don't/can't blocking all the roads.

 

[Tony]

From OpenSnow " A colder/weaker system is possible Monday with light snow. Then a drier pattern starting Tuesday that may last through the end of next week."

The best deal for Heavenly or Kirkwood is to find a passholder with Buddy tickets which are $81 at Kirkwood and $106 at Heavenly. I am possible for next week, most likely would be Wed at Heavenly/Thursday at Kirkwood, but could move up a day or two if their is a chance for the word that is missing from @Macky's "I have Alliance Pass". Will send you a PM when I better know my schedule.

Sierra could easily keep you busy for two days. They claim one of the biggest verticals at Tahoe (3rd? behind Heavenly and Squaw), have more high-speed lifts than Kirkwood (although one is for beginners) and some great side-country (with a little poling required on exit).

 

[dbostedo]

They claim one of the biggest verticals at Tahoe (3rd? behind Heavenly and Squaw),

Heavenly; 3500
Squaw: 2850
Northstar: 2280
Sierra-at-Tahoe: 2212
Kirkwood: 2000

 

[Tony]

Heavenly; 3500
Squaw: 2850
Northstar: 2280
Sierra-at-Tahoe: 2212
Kirkwood: 2000

Almost all ski areas stretch it, some more than others. Squaw's 2850 is from top of 9050' Granite Chief Peak which is a good hike above chair of same name and there is not a direct in-bounds route to 6200' base. Kirkwood's 2000' is from the top of Thimble Peak at 9805' and most likely would require climbing gear to get up and down. Best Lake Tahoe Skiing & Snowboarding: South Tahoe, North Tahoe (mountainvertical.com) tries to give real vertical, but I don't agree with them as there are routes from top of Sierra's Grandview chair to bottom of West Bowl (which should be all 2212' of Sierra's vertical) and the route from top of Sky chair at Heavenly 9950' (there is hiking to over 10K) to CA base at 6500+ is skiable by carrying enough speed or with some pole-ing. There is also a route from top of Dipper chair at Heavenly ~9800' to base of gondola at <6300', but it's side country and I've never done it from there.

 

[MarkP]

Heavenly; 3500
Squaw: 2850
Northstar: 2280
Sierra-at-Tahoe: 2212
Kirkwood: 2000

Raw vertical isn't the most reliable indicator of fun. You don't describe what you like to ski so making a recommendation is challenging.

I liked Sierra-at-Tahoe the one time I was there. Nice non-corporate vibe, nice tree skiing. Don't ding it for others not considering it great. Plus your price is definitely right. If you like more challenge, go Kirkwood and/or Squaw. Though all have at least some of everything. I don't think you can go wrong with any of them.

If you can't decide, an old friend's method is to ask "which would I regret more?"

 

[raytseng]

One other thing is that Vail Resort supposedly will drop the EpicPasses March23. They are hinting at something big; but no other info rumors. It will be last minute planning and nobody knows what they are going to say, but once passes drop, potentially they may have a promo to apply today's pass towards next year's epic pass which maybe enough to push you to an epicpass for next season.

If you have 3 days, I would say ski Sierra 2 days free (?) with your pass, and for the splurge 1day for Heavenly midweek (or on a clear day), to just see a big mountain resort and some great views and take some pictures.
If you can find a buddy to get you buddy rate great, but online rate right now is $145 which is not as price gougey as Squaw at the moment.

 

[Macky]

Thank you very much for responses and message.
I do not have particular need- just need change of scenery and occasional luck ( fresh pow). Nothing crazy challenging, no cliff jumping and tree slalom. I am skiing same hill, same lift 2- 3 times a week and getting bored up and down same few hundred feet. I do not have experience with serious West skiing (US Wast only one week in Jackson Hole during my early my pre-family years) . So before its not to late I still want to catch some other experiences. Trying to make up for "lost" time.
Yes, I think I will ski Sierra (for free!) but since I am there, why not try something else . I ma not looking for challenges, I am looking for different experiences (longer runs, drops, change of scenery , chance of pow..