Tahoe trip bargain skiing reports, part 1

[va_deb]

I'm soooo far overdue on these. Putting a placeholder here to remind myself to actually do them, and to offer to be a resource for anyone who is planning a trip there. I've visited Tahoe 3 times from the East Coast, and I'm happy to answer questions. Here are some quick tips:

• If you are skiing on a budget and if you don't like skiing in crowds, or if you're not a powder skier, I highly recommend planning trips for early December or mid to late April,
• Try to avoid Saturdays if feasible, or make Sat. your travel, check in, and altitude adjustment day
• Far less crowded than prime season. Conditions are definitely better than anything in the Mid-Atlantic and New England (IMO)
• If you are coming from the East, skiing in more than 6-8" of actual powder is harder than it looks IMO, even with fatter rental skis (but I'm a low intermediate, so those of you with powder experience should be fine)
• North Lake Tahoe (Squaw / Alpine, Northstar, etc.) has a more small town, less congested feel than South Lake Tahoe (Heavenly)
• In December and April you can get major lodging bargains
• I'm queen of VRBO and Homeaway, and I've done a ton of research on options for Dec. and April
• Unless you have a really huge group or unless you are super picky about lodging or you're traveling with a dog, waiting a couple weeks beforehand to book may save you some $
• Of course, if there is a major powder dump just before you book, all bets are off
• Get a rental car upgrade if you can. Definitely worth the money, especially if you plan to drive around all or part of the lake
• If you need wider skis for the conditions, you might want to consider renting skis off-mountain from Tahoe Dave's (multiple locations, mostly North Lake Tahoe) or Bobo's in Reno (less than 10 minutes from the airport)
• Demo selections are limited early and late in the season. For the 2017 spring trip I used various Tahoe Dave's locations and switched out my skis once a day

Biggest takeaway for me, especially if you are used to smaller hills in the Mid-Atlantic or in the Midwest: Don't let Squaw's reputation for hard terrain intimidate you.

• Squaw has wonderful beginner and intermediate terrain at high camp -- it's an amazing gondola ride up
• Squaw high camp has the best views of any green terrain you will ever see IMO
• I didn't love the Northstar greens; much more crowded than Squaw, narrower, and not as fun

Anyway, more to come later, but feel free to tag me if you are thinking about a spring Tahoe trip. I will be happy to encourage and enable you! :-)

 

[LKillick]

Thank you!! Am likely going to try to get out there from VA in late April. This is very much appreciated. I found a pretty great bargain on AirBNB, too!

 

[va_deb]

@LKillick You will looooove it! Glad you got a great AirBnB bargain, too! Where are you from in Virginia, and where do you usually ski back East?

 

[LKillick]

I'm in Alexandria, have been here about 8 years now. Have been to Liberty/Roundtop/Whitetail around here, and going to Snowshoe for 3 days of skiing on Weds. I've never skied Tahoe!

 

[va_deb]

Oh wow, too funny! I'm in Alexandria too -- Fairfax County, not Old Town. There are about 6 or Divas from this area. We should plan a May or June get together to talk about our trips and experiences this ski season. I'll see if I can revive an old thread; a group of us got together pre ski season in 2016 if I remember correctly.

Sounds like Snowshoe got great new coverage recently compared to other areas. I admit that Tahoe set a new bar for ski conditions, and I'm not excited about going to local places the way I used to be. It would be different if we had a hill 30 minutes from us, but at this stage of my life I'd rather invest money and time going out west.

Hope you have a great time at Snowshoe!

 

[va_deb]

P.S. For anyone reading this: If you're going to be in Tahoe and need boots, or boot tweaks, go to Blue Zone in Truckee - North Tahoe and see Tricia aka @SnowHot and her husband Phil. They are there most weekends.

As my signature says, custom footbeds are a game-changer -- along with boots that actually fit your feet.

You may be able to pick up some skis on sale at Blue Zone too. I got last year's Head Absolut Joys there for 50% -- and I absolutely love them!

 

[SnowHot]

If you're going to be in Tahoe and need boots, or boot tweaks, go to Blue Zone in Truckee - North Tahoe and see Tricia aka @SnowHot and her husband Phil. They are there most weekends.

Thanks for the shout out.
We are slowing down on our regular scheduled work days, but the shop is fine if we take appointments for anyone who wants to reach out to schedule something.

 

[va_deb]

That's great that you can cut back but still take appointments, @SnowHot. Nice to work in a much more laid back shop.