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Written by Will Sites
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Saturday, February 06 2010 |
RENO, Nev. – Much to my surprise a lot of folks in the Sullivan area love to ski and snowboard. Whether it’s a short trip down I-44 to Eureka’s Hidden Valley or a major trek out West, there are plenty of places to find the right powder, trails and runs to satisfy all desires and skill levels. And when many Show-Me-Staters head for the hills, they head to Colorado.
But why? Although I’m certainly not a ski expert - my attempts at snowboarding are as legendary as they are laughable – I do know something about the West. Having lived and traveled extensively in some of the best ski areas in Idaho, Utah and northern Nevada/California, these states offer what many professionals call world-class skiing beyond compare. Squaw Valley (Lake Tahoe, Calif.) and Park City (Utah) are former Olympic sites, each offering unsurpassable powder, scenery, and recessionary deals hard to find in Colorado. But for now, let’s go a little further west to Tahoe.
A Take On Tahoe
It’s easy to find breathtaking scenery in the West. But it simply doesn’t get much better than Lake Tahoe. Nestled along the Sierra Nevada Mountains on the northern Nevada/California border southwest of Reno, the Lake Tahoe area is known for its mesmerizing cobalt blue alpine lake – one of the deepest and most scenic in the world. But during its unusually long winter sports season, Lake Tahoe is known for one thing: SNOW!
From November to May an average of 450 inches of snow falls along the Sierra Snowbelt. Classic Tahoe snowstorms give way to cloudless blue skies and powder known the world over. At Squaw Valley, home of the 1960 Winter Olympics, the world’s most technologically advanced lift system means more time skiing, less time sitting. Squaw’s 170-plus runs on 4,000 acres may be the most famous piece of downhill real estate in the Sierra’s, but it’s far from being alone at the top.
Heavenly, Sugar Bowl and Northstar are also world-class ski resorts. These Tahoe-area beauties offer what all excellent ski communities offer – something for everyone. Snowboarding, night skiing, ice skating, lessons, cable car rides, snowshoeing and professional sporting events are just some of the things you’ll find at Lake Tahoe ski resorts. And like their Colorado counterparts at Vail or Steamboat or Breckenridge, skiing takes up a lot of the pleasure of playing in the snow – but not all of it.
When skis and legs finally part (in my case, that’s most of the time), Lake Tahoe offers far more to do than most worn-out Colorado resort towns. From north to south Lake Tahoe and cross-border (known locally as Cal-Neva for “California-Nevada”), there’s enough shopping, spas, restaurants, sightseeing, partying and relaxing to do than anywhere in the world. That’s a big claim, but an easy one to back up.
That’s because Lake Tahoe is loaded with a variety of resorts (including gambling – remember, you’re also in Nevada!) that caters from those who want the solitude of beautiful Lake Tahoe to those who want the nightlife of Vegas. Only an hour or so drive or shuttle up the mountains from bustling Reno, all of the Lake Tahoe area ski resorts are designed to run year-round. From swimming to spas to whatever, rest assured that whatever you need, whenever you need it, it’s at Lake Tahoe.
Now Here’s The Deal
The beauty of Lake Tahoe’s mountains, alpine lake, and the scenic neon lights of Reno are all worth a visit at anytime of the year. But as the economy tanked, so went the gamblers, the conventions, and many skiers that are waiting for better days ahead. Well, those days are here. With empty hotel rooms and plenty of seats on flights to Lake Tahoe/Reno International Airport, the deals are…well, almost ridiculous. Southwest Airlines (www.iflyswa.com) regularly runs online deals for about $250 roundtrip St. Louis-Reno.
Here’s an example – and there are plenty: Grand Sierra Resort (www.grandsierraresort.com) in Reno has rooms going for as little as $20 per night. Not a misprint – twenty bucks! This isn’t a Motel 6; this is a top resort in a town known for hospitality. Many skiers – or people who just love to visit Lake Tahoe – will stay in Reno and shuttle back and forth to the ski areas. Many Reno resorts offer free shuttles up to Tahoe, which is just a little more than an hour’s drive from town. Many skiers tell me that they ski by day, party and gamble in Reno by night. The food in Reno’s gambling resorts is excellent and unbelievably cheap. It’s an unusual mix, and one that Colorado, Utah or Idaho can’t match. And the $20 rooms? Don’t bet on finding anything cheaper, anywhere.
My ski friends and those in the Reno hotel biz say that deals can be made – great deals. The best bet is to pick a weekend in Reno that doesn’t have a major convention; go online at www.visitrenotahoe.com or www.renosparkschamber.org for info or call any major resort or hotel linked online (Peppermill, Atlantis, Harrah’s, Grand Sierra, Circus Circus, etc.).
Lake Tahoe’s beauty and endless recreational opportunities provide a diversity that takes many trips to discover. Whatever you’re looking for – world-class skiing and resorts or just awesome scenery and solitude – it all begins right here, in Reno.
(Will Sites can be reached at 573-860-6397 or by e-mail at
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Websites to check out for ski info and deals:
www.tahoeinfo.com
www.visitrenotahoe.com
www.grandsierraresort.com
www.squaw.com
www.sugarbowl.com
www.skirose.com
www.tahoetopia.com
www.gotahoenorth.com
www.northstarattahoe.com
www.iflyswa.com
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