 Poster: A snowHead
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Looking for a bit of advice of which Lake Tahoe resort to choose please. I'm happy skiing blues and a few reds in Europe. I've also skied green and blue at Sunshine in Canada. My friend however will only do blues in Europe and greens only in Canada. Does the US classification differ from Canada? Should I be going for a resort with a lot of greens in Tahoe? Many 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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It's always tricky to compare piste classifications from country to country (and from resort to resort, to be honest!). However, Heavenly has plenty of easy cruising, particularly on the Nevada side of the ski area. Only a few designated short green runs, if I recall correctly. The ski school was particularly impressive if you want to improve. Sierra-at-Tahoe is much smaller but has plenty of blue-run type skiing. Kirkwood is quite a bit tougher. Only spent one day at Squaw Valley (bad weather day) so can't give much of an insight.
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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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@poppy34747, I`m afraid I can`t answer that with any authority immediately, but if someone doesn`t pop in soon who can, I will ask family members in California who will know. Its a very beautiful area and the impression I gained over idle chatting was that the slope 'difficulty' classification at all the resorts is more akin to Austrian definitions of difficulty than French ones. However my family know I`m only into skiing gentle slopes these days (health issues)and were trying to persuade me to ski. However, I`m sure a lot depends on the snow conditions as it does everywhere.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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I'll be there next week and will report for you.
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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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Thank you
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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poppy34747, Tahoe is a great picturesque area and really to get the best out of it you need a vehicle and sample all or most of the ski areas. They are all different.
Run classification is the same in US as Canada, however as mentioned all areas are different. As in a blue at one may be a black at another.
Northstar is very tame - known as Flatstar, Homewood has plenty of mellow stuff too. Kirkwood and Squaw are a tad more extreme, but Alpine Meadows, now part of Squaw, was fairly easy going too. We didn't bother with Sierra. Sugarbowl has some average terrain too and a nice drive - depending where you stay. Obviously Heavenly will be in the mix.
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I've skiied Lake Tahoe a number of times, on the back of business trips to our HQ in San Francisco, staying at the Heavenly California Lodge. As an on-piste-only intermediate, I liked Heavenly over some of the other resorts around the lake (but I may be biased as I've always stayed in Heavenly).
We always stayed at the Tahoe Seasons Resort Hotel at the California Lodge (at the base of the Gunbarrell piste) because you could just walk across the car park to the Gunbarrell lift - no need to drive. Which suited a group of colleagues who were likely to want to come home at different times. But it meant that we had to get a taxi or drive into Heavenly itself for a night out. Other colleagues stayed at one of the other 'base' Lodges and seemed happy with the accommodation. There's also a gondola up from the centre of Heavenly at Heavenly Village. There's cheaper accommodation on the lakeside and slightly out of town, but obviously, this involves driving to/from one of the Lodge gondola stations to ski.
Heavenly is split in half by the California/Nevada border with all the casinos being on the glitzier Nevada side. I seem to recall that the casinos do all sorts of accommodation deals for skiers. Think Las Vegas with snow. Might suit if you like the Las Vegas experience, but not if you don't. Clearly, if you are staying near the Heavenly Village gondola, then it's easier to get up/back. But more than an easy walk/shuttle distance away and you'll probably end up driving out of town to one of the other Lodges.
We drove out from SFR, leaving in the morning, as we were already there. If you fly to SFR you'll arrive late afternoon and personally, I'd rather stay over and drive the next day at leisure, or take a couple of days out to 'do' SFR, and de-jetlag. You can fly on a short haul to Reno from San Francisco, but my recollection is that you might have to transfer to San José down 101 (think Heathrow->Gatwick) and then drive south from Reno towards the lake. So look carefully at the exact travel arrangements and timings of any SFR/LA-to-Tahoe transfer: some of the tour operators' brochures gloss over these details and it could make a big difference.
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@LaForet, thank you for very helpful post - following with interest
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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You can fly on a short haul to Reno from San Francisco, but my recollection is that you might have to transfer to San José down 101 (think Heathrow->Gatwick) and then drive south from Reno towards the lake.
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I'm picking up my friend in Reno tomorrow evening. His flight is LHR to SFR and then to RNO. Seems to be the same airport....or he's in for a nasty surprise!
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@LittleBullet, Hi - I'll be watching for any reports / advice etc you have with great interest - thank you.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@LittleBullet, if you're collecting your friend from Reno then it's worth mentioning that the ski resort of Mt. Rose on the Reno side of the lake isn't so well known but is well worth a visit.  https://skirose.com/
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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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Alastair Pink, Agreed about visiting, but does get plenty of locals from Reno 
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