 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi there guys,
Seems a bit premature to ask this (I havent even left for the first trip of the year!) but best to be ahead of the game! I might be fortunate enough to get to a conference in SF in march. If so, I want to make the most of being in the US and try and get a few days on the slopes..... so where would there be in the SF general area (i.e. a few hours bus ride) that wouldnt be too expensive but would be good maybe for 4 or 5 days fun?
thanks!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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buns, Squaw Valley is about 3 hrs from SF, as are a number of other resorts around Lake Tahoe. If you are a good skier, 5 days might be too many in the one resort, in which case you could combine it with one of the others, say Alpine Meadows which is very close.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Thanks.... Fortunately (??) I am not yet a good skier! One resort will likely be just fine! I will have a look at Squaw Valley 
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buns, One of the good things about Squaw Valley for beginners and early intermediates is that the easier slopes are actually well up the mountain, which gives a better feeling for being in the mountains than stuck in the valley. It also means that there's good snow cover throughout the season, and the quality of snow is good even at the end of a sunny day. I think you'll enjoy it. I mainly learnt to ski there (longer ago than I care to remember), and it got me hooked!
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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buns,
Why limit yourself to California? - I'm off to a conference in SoCal in a week, but am stopping off for a few days in Colorado beforehand. - Not that much of a personal add-on to the cost, especially with a weak US dollar.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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buns, I am also in SF for a conference in March (are you attending IHRSA?). Renting a car gives you more flexibility in going to and from the mountains and moving between resorts. Getting to the mountains is easy; cross the Bay Bridge, drive past Sacremento and keep going. Cheap accomodation in the gaming areas in Tahoe or Reno balances off the car rental cost.
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I am limiting to the region because I can reasonably have work cover the cost of a return flight (albeit a delayed return) but I think im pushing my luck to complicate things..... I dont even know for sure if I will be going (will hopefully find out in the next month). I would guess that if this were to come off, i should be a reasonable intermediate with 3/4 weeks skiing under my belt but Squaw sounds good for a relaxing few days!
John, I believe the conference would be the spring Material Research Society meeting so must be different to your one.... it would be my first US conference and id love to get to show our work..... fingers crossed! Unfortunately the car isnt an option due to age... I have previously looked into it and the hire companies insisted the primary driver was over 25 which rules me out for another 18 months  However, Im sure I can still find a way!
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Buns if you are going to SF then Tahoe is defnitely the place to go. Squaw Valley (northside) and Heavenly (south side) are the big resorts, not my favs to be honest. Had much more fun in the smaller resorts round the lake like Sierra and Kirkwood. Kirkwood gets the most snow and is so much fun, even if you are a beginner you'll enjoy it.
Wish i was coming too!
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How late in the season are these places open? I'm supposed to be over there as well but I've some flexibilty in the timing (not so much flexibilty that my preferred option of never isn't going to fly though).
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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pollittcl, well, it is the mountains. I have sat in a rental with snow chains on (had to hunt around SF to find the chains) in the middle of the night waiting for the snow to be cleared on the main road to Tahoe - should have gone via Reno.
Give the guys their due, they did an excellent job of snow clearing using some blower machines on 6 foot drifts.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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ise, Squaw was open until May 16th last season.
snowbabe, Sierra and Kirkwood are more difficult to get to from SF - especially if there has been recent snow - Kirkwood was snowed in for three days last week!
buns, Americans don't do Easter like Europe does - quite often the kids don't have any time off from school apart from Good Friday - so you may find prices aren't as steep as you think.
And I think you would be surprised at how quiet Squaw is - it is a family place, and doesn't tend to be rowdy in the village, and on the slopes it is so big that there are times when it feels like you are the only one around. Plus the main easy intermediate slope is served by a high speed six lift. The longest I've ever spent in a lift line on the upper mountain is about five minutes - the longest line ever was last week on the lower mountain with only three lifts running, and a fantastic powder day. I'll see what I'm doing for Easter, and I'll ask around to see if anyone else might have a spare bed over that week - but you'll have to wait until after next weekend for an answer on that! (Actual dates when you want to ski would be helpful!) 
john wells, Just interested - how would you get to Tahoe from SF via Reno? Unless you were going to South Lake on Route 50?
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You know it makes sense.
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pollittcl, thanks for more info! The conference is 28th until the 1st so i was guessing that meant I wouldnt get moving on until morning of the 2nd...... as I say, it is all tentative yet, I'll be trying to persuade my supervisor over the next couple of weeks before I depart to Alberta 
many thanks
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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pollittcl, so I was being a bit sloppy in my post. The blocked road was Route 50 through Placerville - I am told that it is not uncommon for this road to get blocked.
The less hazardous route which I would usually use is I 80 and turn off at Truckee - maybe I relate more to this route as I know some people in Auburn. Mind you, I have been in a traffic jam coming back on I80 when the snow was just getting to the point when the traffic cops were going to turn back anyone without chains before the pass - no chains and a plane to catch and I just scraped through.
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Poster: A snowHead
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john wells, Route 50 is often closed, and then the problem is that you only have easy access to the South Lake - because Emerald Bay on 89 is then usually closed - I-80 was closed for a while last week - all the way from Auburn to Reno, so nothing was moving - skiing was good though!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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buns, couldn't contact many people this weekend since lots didn't make it up because of the snow, so I'll try again for you next week - it's supposed to stop snowing tomorrow! At the moment I can't offer you a room myself, but I'm working on that too!
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Thanks guys but unfortunately it looks like I will be in Germany in place of SF for a different meeting
I'll just have to get my late season fix with a last minute deal
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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I'm off to Cologne on Monday.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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buns, maybe next time, then
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Indeed, maybe I'll see if I can persuade that next years main ski trip will be to the Squaw area!
many thanks
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