Ski Areas

• Tahoe Donner --Tahoe Donner is located in the upper region of Truckee, California, within 5 miles of Donner Lake and less than 20 miles from Lake Tahoe.
  Tahoe Donner Association manages two ski areas, restaurants, a golf course, equestrian center & campground that are available to the public. The association also manages other amenities for the exclusive use of more than 6,300 property owners such as a tennis center & Trout Creek Recreation Center.
  Lifts:
  · 1 quad chair
  · 1 double chair
  · 1 surface tow
  · 1 carpet
  Terrain Rating: · 60% Intermediate
  · 40% novice
  Total Runs: · 14
  Skiable Acres: · 120
  Lift Operating Hours: · 9 a.m.-4 p.m.
  Ticket Window Hours: · 8 a.m.-3:30 p.m.
  Rental Shop Hours: · 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
  Food & Beverage: · Breakfast
  · Lunch
  · Lounge
  · Snack Bar
  Helpful Hints
  Welcome! Tahoe Donner specializes in teaching first-timers and novices. We know getting your ticket and rental equipment can be confusing. Here are some tips to make your experience more enjoyable:
  Purchase a ski or snowboard package (includes lift ticket, lesson and rental equipment) at the ticket window.
  Allow at least one hour to get your equipment and check in.
  Be waiting at the meeting area 10 minutes before your lesson is supposed to start.
  Ask questions! Our staff is here to help and will do everything possible to make your first day on the slopes a memorable one.
  
  
• Sugar Bowl
  REGULAR TICKET PRICING
  Adult 23-59 $54 Child 6-12 $13
  *Half Day $38 **Child with a helmet $8
  Two Day $100 Two Day $22
  Three Day $140 Three Day $31
  Young Adult 13-22 $42 Child 5 and under free
  Two Day $70 Senior 60-69 $30
  Three Day $100 Senior 70 and over free
  *1/2 day tickets go on sale at 12:00 noon and are available for use on lifts at 12:30 PM.
  
  
• Homewood Mountain Resort--Homewood Mountain Resort holds a special place in the hearts of skiers who have experienced its extraordinary views. Homewood's great terrain rises dramatically up from the shoreline of beautiful Lake Tahoe and the result is an experience like no other. Breathtaking views are a part of each turn you make.
  Homewood Mountain Resort is a great mountain for the family that likes to ski and be together. Our Value Days lift tickets are only $25 and kids 10 years and under ski free! Friendly staff, great food, and super children's programs are other Homewood traditions that await you. Combine beautiful skiing with Homewood's special spirit and charm, and the result is an intimate skiing experience that will bring you back for more. There's no place like Homewood!
  Homewood Mountain Resort owns over 1260 acres of the best skiing and snowboarding terrain in the Sierra. With a base elevation of 6240' and a summit elevation of 7880', we have 1650 vertical feet of mountain to play on. From groomed boulevards to our trademark hidden powder stashes, we have it all. And with Ellis Peak sheltering our entire mountain from the high ridge winds, the term "wind hold" hasn't been used at Homewood in years.
  With an average snowfall of around 450 inches per season, and a whopping 300 days of sunshine per year, it's no wonder that SKI Magazine ranked Homewood 12th in this season's reader's poll.
  Our 56 runs all have incredible lake views which will take your breath away. You can catch your breath on any of our eight lifts which access our mountain.
  With 15% beginner, 50% intermediate, and 35% advanced terrain, we have suitable slopes for a wide range of riding abilities, and don't forget that our PSIA certified school can always help you progress to the next level!
  There's no place like Homewood! Hours of operation are 9:00 am to 4:00 pm
  Value Days Lift Tickets Only $25!!!
  Children 10 years and under ski free!
  Half day skiing begins at 12:30 P.M.
  Hours of operation are from 9 A.M. to 4 P.M. daily.
  Value Days All Day Value Days Half Day Weekend / Holiday All Day Weekend / Holiday Half Day
  Adult(19 ) $25 $25 $44 $34
  Junior (11-18) $25 $21 $27 $21
  Senior (62 ) $10 $10 $20 $20
  Children 10&under FREE FREE FREE FREE
  Value Days prices are good Monday-Thursday during non-holiday periods. Holiday periods include December 20, 2002 - January 5, 2003; January 18-20, 2003; and February 15-23, 2003.
  Multi Day Lift Prices
  2 Consecutive Days = Take $3 off your ticket price for each day you ski!
  3 Out of 4 Days = Take $3 off your ticket price for each day you ski!
  
  
• Sierra at Tahoe --Mountain Profile
  Sierra at Tahoe is one of the best mountains in Tahoe. Great terrain, some of the best snow you'll find anywhere, a new SuperPipe and three high-speed quads that will make sure you can cover all of it. Whether you are from right here in the area or traveled from afar it is easy to see why Sierra is your home away from home.
  2,000 Acres
  2,212' Vertical Rise
  8,852' Top Elevation
  6,640' Bottom Elevation
  46 Slopes and Trails
  25% Easier
  50% More Difficult
  25% Most Difficult
  2 Terrain Parks (ski and snowboard)
  2 Half Pipes (1 "regular" pipe with 9 foot walls and 1 SuperPipe with 17 foot walls
  Longest run: 2.5 miles; Sugar n' Spice
  Average Annual Snowfall
  480"
  Lift System
  3 Dopplemayr express quads
  1 Triple chair
  5 Double chairs
  1 "Magic Carpet" children's surface lift
  1 Tubing surface tow
  1 Children's surface tow
  Season
  Mid November through mid April (Based on natural snowfall)
  Operating Hours
  Weekends, holidays: 8:30am-4:00pm
  Weekdays: 9:00am-4:00pm
  Tubing hours: 11am - 4pm, 7 days a week (snow and weather conditions permitting)
  Sierra-at-Tahoe 2002-2003 Lift Ticket Prices
  Kids (4 & under):
  Single Day: FREE
  Afternoon (starts at 12:30p): FREE
  2 of 3 Days: FREE
  3 of 5 Days: FREE
  Child (5-12):
  Single Day: $11
  Afternoon (starts at 12:30p): $11
  2 of 3 Days: $22
  3 of 5 Days: $33
  Young Adult (13-22):
  Single Day: $43
  Afternoon (starts at 12:30p): $33
  2 of 3 Days: $76
  3 of 5 Days: $112
  Adult (23-64):
  Single Day: $53
  Afternoon (starts at 12:30p): $40
  2 of 3 Days: $92
  3 of 5 Days: $134
  Senior (65-69):
  Single Day: $32
  Afternoon (starts at 12:30p): $24
  2 of 3 Days: $56
  3 of 5 Days: $81
  Super Senior (70 ):
  Single Day: $12
  Afternoon (starts at 12:30p): $12
  2 of 3 Days: $24
  3 of 5 Days: $36
  
  
• Northstar-at-Tahoe-- Every day you spend at Northstar-at-Tahoe, "a new vision" of the mountain unfolds before you. The natural beauty of the surroundings is startling but it's the limitless possibilities that make Northstar so unique. We have acres of ski and snowboard terrain, with lots of new ground for you to cover. Brand new this year at Northstar is Lookout Mountain and the Superpipe.
  If you are in need of a break after all your skiing and riding, or want to grab a quick lunch and get back out to the snow, Northstar will satisfy even the pickiest eaters with a whole list of great food options.
  Skiable Acres (Hectares): 2,420 (979) Base Elevation: 6,330 ft / 1929 m
  Vertical Drop: 2,280ft (695m) Mid-mountain Elevation: 6,800 ft / 2073 m
  Annual Snowfall: 350in (9m) Summit Elevation 8,610 ft / 2624 m
  Snowmaking coverage: 50% of all runs
  Trails & Classification Lifts
  Number of Trails: 70 Total Lifts: 17
  Intermediate: 50% Express Lifts: 6
  Advanced: 25% Tubing Lifts: 1
  Beginner: 25% Surface Lifts: 6
  Double Chairs: 2
  On-Site Food & Lodging
  Triple Chairs: 2
  Restaurants: 6
  Gondolas: 1
  Lodging (on-site) 260 units
  
  
• Mt. Rose--We know attitude is everything, but at Mt. Rose altitude is everything. With a base elevation of 8,260', our parking lots are higher than the summits at some other areas, ensuring the best conditions in the basin, even on the warmest spring days.
  Carve, bash bumps or simply cruise on nearly 1,000 acres and almost 1,500 vertical feet of bowls, trees and glades. More terrain features for every ability level from gentle rollers to extreme parks.
  If that's not enough, feast your eyes on expansive views: Lake Tahoe to the west, Nevada's high desert mountains to the east.
  Location is everything, too...25 minutes from Reno makes Mt. Rose the closest major resort to an international airport in the world.
  So, get out your boards, come up to Mt. Rose (since 1965) and discover a whole new altitude.
  Base Elevation: 8,260 ft. (Tahoe's Highest)
  Summit: 9,700 ft.
  Trails: 43
  Terrain: 30% beginner (Green)
  30% intermediate (Blue)
  40% advanced (Black)
  Longest Run: 2.5 miles
  Terrain Parks: 2
  Badlands & Double Down (both located in East Bowl)
  Chairlifts: 1 "Six Pack" high-speed, detachable chair
  2 Quad chairs (fixed grip)
  2 Triple chairs (fixed grip)
  1 Surface Lift (New Wonder Carpet)
  Total uphill lift capacity = 11,000 skiers per hour
  Average Snowfall: 400 inches (34 feet!)
  Snowmaking: 28% coverage (top to bottom)
  Year Opened: 1964
  Location: North Lake Tahoe, Mt. Rose Hwy - SR 431 ( See Locator Map ) 11 Mi. Lake Tahoe's North Shore
  22 Mi. from Reno/Tahoe Airport
  25 Mi. from Downtown Reno
  Hours: Main Lodge: 7:30am - 6pm, East Bowl Lodge 8:30am - 4pm, Lifts 9am - 4pm
  1/2 day tickets: 9am - 12:30pm or 12:30pm - 4pm
  Location Map
  Trail map links
  Latest ski report
  Main Lodge:
  Features tickets sales, ski school counter, Rosebuds Children's Ski & Snowboard Center, ski and snowboard rental & repair shops, information desk, Guest services, Sport Shop, ski and basket check, ski patrol/satellite first-aid, Lodgepole Cafe, Taco Bar, Timbers Tavern, Higher Grounds coffee bar, View-B-Que on sundeck (weather permitting), Mountain View dining area, Cornice and Summit room meeting facilities.
  Lift Tickets
  Hours of Operation: lifts 9am-4pm, lodge 8am-6pm
  Daily Rates Full-Day Half-Day
  Adult (18 & up) $48 $38
  Senior (60-69) $28 flat rate
  Senior (70 ) FREE*
  Teen (13-17) $38 $33
  Child (6-12) $12 flat rate
  Children 5 & under are FREE
  Groups: Discount lift tickets are available for groups of 20 or more adults with continental breakfasts and après-ski parties per availability. Meeting rooms are available for groups of 10 - 250. Reservations are required 24 hours in advance. For more information, call (775) 849-0704 ext. 217
  * midweek, non-holiday periods.
  2002/2003 Holiday Periods
  Thanksgiving Nov. 28 - Dec. 1, 2002 (Thurs - Sun)
  Christmas Dec. 21 – Jan. 5, 2002 (Sat - Sun)
  Martin Luther King Weekend Jan. 18 - 20, 2003 (Sat - Mon)
  Presidents' Weekend Feb. 15 - 17, 2003 (Sat - Mon)
  Maximum Value Daily Specials
  Bonus Mondays Present a Mt. Rose full-day ticket from the preceding Saturday or Sunday and get a $10 lift ticket on Monday (lift ticket applies to appropriate age bracket)
  Two-fer Tuesdays Get two full-day lift tickets for the price of one
  $19 Student Wednesdays Present any current student ID and receive a full-day ticket for $19
  Ladies Day Thursdays Women receive a full-day lift ticket for $19
  Runs 'n Roses everyday $96 family package includes full-day lift tickets for two adults and two children.
  Season Passes from other Resorts
  Present a current season pass from any other ski area and receive a full-day lift ticket for half price. Valid Monday through Friday.
  
  
• Donner Ski Ranch--Donner Ski Ranch, located in the Sierra Mountain Community of Norden, CA.
  Donner Ski Ranch was first utilized for skiing in 1937. The area's first rope tow was located at the base of our current lodge and ran to a location approximately 75 yards west of the current midway unloading ramp on Chairlift 1.
  LOCATION: Norden, California. Off Interstate 80, 45 miles west of Reno, Nevada; 10 miles west of Truckee, California; 85 miles east of Sacramento, California.
  SEASON: Mid-November through mid-May. Hours of operation are 9:00am to 4:00pm Sunday through Saturday
  BASE ELEVATION 7031 Feet.
  VERTICAL RISE: 750 feet
  ANNUAL SNOWFALL 33 feet average
  TERRAIN 435 acres - 25% Beginner, 50% Intermediate, 25% Advanced.
  LIFTS: One Triple Chairlift and Five Double Chairlifts
  SKI SCHOOL: Members of the Professional Ski Instructors of America. We offer instruction in Alpine Skiing, Telemark Skiing, and Snowboarding.
  BASE FACILITIES: Lodge which includes a cafeteria, cocktail lounge, ski shop, rental shop, retail shop, personal lockers, and a complete Ski Patrol
  Daily lift ticket pricing at Donner Ski Ranch is now affordable and geared to fit the budget of most families, allowing more trips to the slopes to enjoy the winter sports season.
  Adult Lift Ticket, (Ages 13 thru 59) - $20.00
  All Day Lift Ticket (9:00am to 4:00pm) refer to RED calendar dates
  Adult Lift Ticket (Ages 13 thru 59) - $18.00
  Half Day Lift Ticket (12:30pm to 4:00pm) refer to RED calendar dates
  Child Lift Ticket, Everyday except Value Days (Ages 5 thru 12) - $10.00
  All Day/Half Day, Everyday except Value Days (9:00am to 4:00pm)
  Lift Tickets (Ages 5 thru 59) - $10.00
  All Day/Half Day (9:00am to 4:00pm) refer to GREEN calendar dates
  Value Day Lift Tickets (Ages 5 thru 69) - $5.00
  All Day/Half Day (9:00am to 4:00pm) refer to YELLOW calendar dates for days. November 21 - $1.00; December 12 - $1.00; January 16 - $5.00; February 6 - $4.00; March 13 - $3.00; April 17 - $2.00.
  Adult Lift Tickets (Ages 13 thru 59) - $15.00
  All Day/Half Day (9:00am to 4:00pm) refer to BLUE calendar dates
  Children 4 and under and Seniors 70 and over Lift Ticket, Everyday - $0.00
  All Day/Half Day Ticket, Everyday (9:00am to 4:00pm)
  Senior Lift Ticket, Everyday except Value Days (Ages 60 thru 69) - $5.00
  All Day/Half Day, Everyday except Value Days (9:00am to 4:00pm)
  
  
• Diamond Peak--Centrally located, Diamond Peak can be found in the mountains of Incline Village, Nevada. The town has numerous lodging opportunities for all budgets. Restaurants, shops, gaming, and dance clubs are all abundant. The local bowling alley provides kids and adults hours of fun after a great day of skiing. If you’re not worn out, one can shoot some hoops in the village’s Recreation Center. For those wanting to be a little less active, watching a movie at the local theater is never a bad idea. The best aspect of the lodging and activities of Incline Village is that they are located less than 5 minutes away! A short drive in the morning and you will be at the base of the mountain. No long walk through a village, no traffic jams and no need to take a bus. (Although the mountain does offer shuttle service) At the end of the day, a short drive and you are back at your hotel or eating at a fine restaurant establishment.
  ELEVATION
  6,700' - 8,540'
  VERTICAL DROP
  1,840 feet (4th longest at Lake Tahoe)
  LONGEST RUN
  2.5 miles
  SNOWMAKING
  75% of developed terrain
  TERRAIN
  655 skiable acres
  30 runs plus open glades and tree skiing
  18% beginner
  46% intermediate
  36% advanced/terrain park
  Superpipe!
  AMENITIES
  Open 9am to 4pm
  Full-facility base lodge
  Expansive sun decks
  Rental/repair shop
  Child ski center
  Child accommodation
  Ski & snowboard school
  Village Ski Loft Sport shop
  Free shuttle service
  Mid-mountain Snowflake Lodge
  Non-denominational Sunday service
  35 miles from Reno International Airport
  SEASON
  Mid-December to mid-April (weather permitting)
  
  
• Boreal--Boreal is one of the best-kept secrets in the Tahoe area. Boreal is located just off I-80 driving from Sacramento, Reno and the Bay Area and offers adult full-day skiing or boarding for just $35.
  Simply put, Boreal is the closest and cheapest. With activities that range from skiing and boarding to mini snowmobiling it is easy to see why Boreal is not just a mountain, rather a family resort that offers more.
  Mix 380 acres with 500 vertical-feet; add snow, and you have a mountain ready to be cut. Check out the Mountain's ingredients below to see why this combination will bring a smile to everyone's face.
  Statistics
  Average Snowfall 400 in. (1,016 cm)
  Top Elevation 7,700 ft. (2,347 m)
  Base Elevation 7,200 ft. (2,195 m)
  Vertical Rise 500 ft. (152 m)
  Rideable Acres 380
  Lifts 2 quads, 3 triple, 4 doubles
  Trails 41
  Longest Run 1 mile (1.6 km)
  Terrain 30% beginner
  55% intermediate
  15% advanced
  Lanes for sledding
  Snowmaking
  75-80% terrain coverage
  
  
• Alpine Meadows--Alpine Meadows Snow Ski and Snowboard resort located in Lake Tahoe California, featuring snow shoeing, skiboarding and terrain parks.The typical ski season opens in mid-November and closes in late May.
  Elevation: Summit - 8,637' Base - 6,835'
  14 Lifts:
  One high-speed detachable six-passenger chair; one high-speed express quad; four triple and five double chairs; three surface lifts (one of two surface lifts is for Kids' Camp participants only).
  Terrain:
  2,000 skiable acres; 100 designated runs; 25% easier, 40% more difficult, 35% most difficult/expert.
  Alpine Meadows averages an annual snowfall of 495 inches.
  Snowmaking:
  Covers a network of runs served by 12 of 14 lifts, serving beginner through expert runs.
  Location:
  Six miles Northwest of Tahoe City, California, off Highway 89, 13 miles South of Interstate 80 at Truckee, California, 45 miles West of Reno Nevada, 200 miles East of San Francisco, California.
  Air Gateway:
  Reno-Tahoe International Airport, 45 miles Northeast via all-weather Interstate 80. Sacramento International Airport, 90 miles West of Truckee, CA, via all-weather Interstate 80.
  02/03 Ticket Prices:
  Adult Full Day: $56
  Adult Half Day: $44
  Parent Interchangeable: $56
  Senior 65-69: $30
  Senior 70 : $8
  Teen 13-18: $42
  Child 7-12: $10
  Child 0-6: $6
  Adult 2 Day: $104
  Adult 3 Day: $156
  Child 2 Day: $20
  Child 3 Day: $30
  Facilities and Services:
  Ski/snowboard instruction for adults and children.
  Short-ski beginner program.
  Special interest clinics, including mogul,
  freestyle, snowboard, powder and telemark.
  Private, level III instructor-guided out-of-bounds tours.
  Specialty ski/snowboard weeks and camps for adults and children.
  Superpipe (New).
  Terrain Park.
  Kids' Terrain Park.
  Ski/Snowboard Pay Race Course.
  Ski and snowboard rental shop, repair shop.
  Public day-use lockers.
  High-performance demonstrative equipment program.
  Snowshoe rentals.
  Basket check and overnight equipment storage.
  Expansive day lodge with large sundeck.
  Parent lounge.
  Children's indoor play area.
  On-mountain host program.
  Ecological trail and optional tour.
  Full-service restaurant, bar, cafeteria, deli and barbecue.
  On-mountain restaurant and snack bar.
  Parking lot shuttle.
  North Shore, West Shore and access road shuttle.
  Retail shop.
  Equipment repair shop.
  Tahoe Adaptive Ski School.
  Passholders receive a 10% discount at the Meadows Café.
  
  
• Heavenly --Heavenly Lake Tahoe, spanning California
  and Nevada and overlooking Lake Tahoe from the South Shore, offers skiing
  and snowboarding at the highest elevation and with most vertical feet in
  Lake Tahoe. 4,800 acres of skiing and snowboarding terrain. 27 lifts. 76%
  sunny days and 360 inches of snow in a season.
  Lifts: 29: (17 lifts in California and 12 lifts in Nevada)
  1 High-Speed Gondola
  1 Aerial Tram
  1 High-Speed Six Passenger
  5 High-Speed Quads
  8 Triple Chairs
  5 Double Chairs
  6 Surface Lifts
  2 Magic Carpets
  Number of Runs: 84
  Terrain: 20% "Easier"
  45% "More Difficult"
  35% "Most Difficult"
  Patrolled Terrain: 4,800 acres - (1,943 hectares)
  California's Largest Mountain
  Vertical Drop: 3,500 feet - (1,067 meters)
  The West Coast's Longest Vertical
  Lift - Accessed Eleveation: 10,040 feet - (3,060 meters)
  Tahoe's Highest Mountain
  Base Elevation CA: 6,540 feet - (1,993.90 meters)
  Base Elevation NV: 7,200 feet - (2,194.56 meters)
  Longest Mountain Descent: 5.5 miles - (8.8 km)
  Average Annual Snowfall: 360 inches
  Snowmaking: One of America's largest snowmaking systems. We can cover 69% of the mountain trails. Heavenly features top to bottom snowmaking coverage in both California and Nevada, more coverage than any other Tahoe resort. During the 1998-99 season, Heavenly opened on October 18th, enjoying its earliest opening ever.
  Snowboarding: Heavenly offers snowboarding on 100% of the mountain. This season, the resort will offer a snowboard park, a snowboard-cross course, and a halfpipe. Several terrain features are also constructed regularly on the mountain, including spines, rolls and flat-tops.
  Season: Mid Novemeber into May
  Snow Phone: (775) 586-7000, press 1
  
  
• Kirkwood--Mountain Statistics
  Average Snowfall:
  (mid-mtn, 10 yr. average) 500 inches/1,270 centimeters
  2000/01 Snowfall: 456 inches
  Base Elevation: 7,800 feet/2,377 meters
  Top Elevation: 9,800 feet/2,987 meters
  Vertical Rise: 2,000 feet/609 meters
  Average % Sunny Days: 70%
  Average Length of Season: Mid-November into Late April
  Skiable Acres: 2,300 / 930 hectares
  Trails: 65
  Lifts: 2 quadS, 7 triple chairs, 1 double chairs, 2 surface lifts
  Uphill Capacity: 17,905 skiers per hour
  Longest Run: 2.5 miles
  Terrain: 15% beginner
  50% intermediate
  20% advanced
  15% expert
  Snowmaking: Top to bottom coverage on four runs
  
  
• Squaw Valley--There's something for everyone at Squaw, with terrain for all abilities, pipes and parks, and plenty of fun activities like ice skating, snowtubing, a climbing wall, shopping, and numerous restaurants and bars in the base Village.
  Mountain Stats
  4000 acres of open bowl skiing
  25% Beginner
  45% Intermediate
  30% Advanced/Expert
  Vertical Drop: 2850'
  Highest Peak: Granite Chief, 9050'
  Base Village el. 6200
  Two Upper Mountain Complexes
  Gold Coast
  High Camp
  6 High Sierra Peaks
  Snow King, el. 7550'
  Broken Arrow, el. 8020'
  KT-22, el. 8200'
  Emigrant, el. 8700'
  Squaw Peak, el. 8900'
  Granite Chief, el. 9050'
  Lift Network
  31 lifts, including:
  1 Cable Car (150 passenger)
  1 Funitel
  4 Express Quad Chairs
  3 Express Six Pak Chairs
  1 Quad Chair
  7 Triple Chairs
  9 Double Chairs
  3 Pony Tows
  1 Pulse Lift
  Uphill Capacity: 49,000/hour.
  
  
• Mammoth Mountain Ski Area--Mammoth Mountain is a world class ski resort with 3,500 skiable acres and 150 named trails. The mountain peaks top out at 11,053 feet with a base elevation of 7,950 feet.
  That's a lot of mountain, with a lot of snow!
  Early November opening is usually assured with snowmaking on 22 trails, 28 lifts include 8 express quads, 2 quads, 8 triples, 7 doubles and 2 gondolas. The upper Gondola is a high speed, eight passenger, state-of-the-art ride with a 360-degree view.

Related Sites

• California Eastern Sierra Avalanche Bulletin--These bulletins are issued by John Moynier on behalf of the Bardini Foundation.
• TahoeBackcountry.net--Your Source for Outdoor Adventure. This site was created and is maintained by Rich Steele. I am an avid hiker and backcountry skier, a gear head, an amateur photographer and a dedicated map freak. I have lived and traveled all over the western US, but now call Northern California my home.
  
  Although this site is focused on the Lake Tahoe area, I also try to get out of the area and visit other spots as much as possible. Recent trips have taken me to Nepal, the Cordillera Huayhuash (in the Peruvian Andes), the Bavarian Alps, the Canadian Rockies, and on Colorado backcountry hut ski trips. I also have been getting down to the High Sierra - the part between Sonora Pass and Mt. Whitney - with increasing regularity.
  
• National Geographic Adventure: Photo Gallery Sierra Skiing
  Skiing the Range of Light
  Steeps, powder, and easy access make California’s eastern Sierra Nevada a backcountry skier’s dream. And we’ve got the pictures to prove it.
  California’s Sierra Nevada is home to some of the best—and least known—backcountry skiing in North America. And Tioga Pass Resort, where photographer Bill McChesney spent three days shooting for the January/February 2002 Adventure’s “Skiing the Range of Light,” may well be the Sierra’s best place to hang hats, poles, and skins.
  Located on the edge of Yosemite National Park, this isolated outpost of private, dorm-style cabins is encompassed by hard-packed powder couloirs, bowls, and the reflective granite peaks that give the Sierra its nickname, the Range of Light.
  Here in McChesney’s online gallery, extreme skier Todd Miller and backcountry guide Josh Pearlman find air, carve turns, and find themselves retreating from a sudden Sierra snowstorm.
  —Elizabeth Kountze
  
• The Ostrander Ski Hut--Located in Yosemite National Park in California, Ostrander Ski Hut is a two story stone structure beautifully crafted in 1941 by the Civilian Conservation Corp specifically for cross-country skiers. The hut sits in a small glacial cirque at the edge of Ostrander Lake, elevation 8,500 ft
  a 10 mile ski from Yosemite's Badger Pass downhill ski area. Very basic overnight accommodations and cooking facilities are available at the hut. It sleeps 25 people and has bunks, mattresses, wood stove, a kitchen with a gas stove for cooking and assorted pots & pans available for the visitor's use. Drinking and wash water is hauled from the lake in buckets; treatment is the individual visitor's responsibility. Light is from solar powered lights.
  Ostrander Hut is operated by the Yosemite Association, a non-profit educational organization in Yosemite National Park. A hutkeeper lives at Ostrander during the winter answering questions, directing traffic and duct taping broken equipment back together.
  
• Backcountry Skiing Lake Tahoe--info and reports for Backcountry Skiing Lake Tahoe
• Backcountry Skiing Courses, Alpine Skills International--backcountry skiing classes, training in mountaineering skills, telemark, backcountry and spring ski tours, spring ski mountaineering, snowboarding, free-heel ski clinics, skiing grand tours, alpine and free heel courses
• Bob's Free-Heel Skiing in the Sierra --California's Sierra Nevada range offers some of the world's finest backcountry skiing. I have assembled a collection of ski tours which connect continuously from Yuba Pass, north of Lake Tahoe, to Horseshoe Meadow, south of Mt. Whitney.
  These tours cover the roughly 300 mile linear distance in a not particularly expedient fashion (indeed, the most expedient way to get from Yuba Pass to Horseshoe Meadow would be to avoid the Sierra Nevada as much as possible). Instead, the goal is to cover as much interesting skiing terrain as possible, and to have a lot of fun.
  And, I've recently added a sequence of tours that loop completely around Lake Tahoe, plus a few other Sierra classics.
  Altogether, that's something like 800 miles of great skiing. Many of the tours are multi-day trips, requiring ski-backpacking and snow-camping. A few of the tours are of only intermediate difficulty, but most require advanced backcountry skills. Each of the crest tours more or less connect with the previous and following tour. Collect 'em all!
  
• SMI Backcountry Skiing and Snowboarding--The Sierra is legendary for the thousands of acres of the finest backcountry ski and snowboard terrain in our country. Plentiful snow, a wide variety of terrain, and good weather combine to make for an unforgettable experience. We offer guided tours throughout the Sierra. The combined backcountry experience of our staff totals over 150 years. While some are excellent one-day trips, others are overnight and multi-day excursions. Whether backcountry skiing or snowboarding is something you have always wanted to try, or you are a veteran and want to experience some of our most cherished spots, we can offer you a memorable experience.
• San Francisco Bay Backcountry Skiing Section--Our section welcomes all who enjoy skiing.
  We offer a variety of trips for both nordic and alpine tourers.
  Activities include:
  day touring
  hut trips
  snow camping
  backcountry ski tours
  extended winter mountaineering trips
  
• Somewhere Out There - California Backcountry Skiing--Backcountry Skiing in the Sierra Nevada and Southern California mountains. Trip reports, links, and utilities for retrieving current forecasts and snow reports.