 Poster: A snowHead
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Any recommendations for a few days near San Francisco? Am thinking of going over there during the half term madness over here.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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skimottaret, have a word with ski Nanny she works at Squaw IIRC.
Its a great area with plenty of variety, probably best avoiding 'Flatstar' tho. Beaware Presidents weekend will be busy and probably for most of that week 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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Maybe stay in a town, such as Tahoe City, and try a few resorts. Alpine Meadows is my favourite.
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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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Stay Truckee or Tahoe City for North Shore - Squalpine is the main attraction but Flatstar has its moments particularly as it is usually 100% open on storm days - Lookout and Backside trees being the main stuff worth skiing. South side, Heavenly is actually quite dull IMV though Mott & Killebrew are interesting. Kirkwood is where half of TGR seem to ski and the terrain if not the vert is pretty good. Highest base in Tahoe too & nice Sunnyside barbeque hut when it's sunny. Drive through Hope Valley & over Carson Pass is money or very scary depending on the snowfall and vis.
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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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thanks guys good food for thought... Am thinking of going with Mrs Skimottaret and have a few days in Napa sampling and then some cruisy non TGR gnarly holiday hottub skiing
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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skimottaret, OK then accomodation probably a priority - Resort at Squaw Creek pretty nice, Ritz Carlton at Northstar is very flash if unnecessarily on mountain.
Personally purely due to location and seafood I rate this place: http://www.sunnysideresort.com/ - skiing at Homewood round the corner and only a mile or so outside TC for more restaurants & short drive to Squalpine Good breakfasts across the road too.
Definitely worth taking in Kirkwood if you can and then drive 88 back to the bay.
Last edited by You'll need to Register first of course. on Mon 12-11-12 17:57; edited 1 time in total
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fatbob, have just booked flights so need to get serious on the accommodation etc. thanks for the tips...probably will only be skiing 5 days so will most likely limit to two hills on the CA side, Squaw and Kirkwood seem favourite.
Anyone have other hotel recommendations? looking for the full American experience: hot tub, roaring fires, big rooms etc.
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Well, there is this place - http://www.cedarhousesporthotel.com/
Or the Resort at Squaw Creek, or the Ritz Carleton at Northstar.
The Village at Squaw has big rooms with fireplaces, and has hot tubs, but it's a condominium style hotel (restaurants are all outside in the village).
Maybe take a look at http://www.granlibakken.com/ as well.
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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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^ I've stayed at the Village at Squaw and would say it meets the requirements.
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| skimottaret wrote: |
| Any recommendations for a few days near San Francisco? Am thinking of going over there during the half term madness over here. |
Be aware that 16-18 Feb brings its own form of madness in the USA as it's president's weekend. If you're looking for quiet slopes, choose a few days at the start of half term.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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February 15th to 24th will be our busiest week of the season. When is half term?
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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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skinanny, sadly the same week as I am there *&$!
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skimottaret, Busy doesn't mean Meribel busy - most notable will be tourists on the weekend in addition to the usual weekend crowds. By Turesday things die off a lot - if it's puking the tourists are sulking inside, if it's dry the locals aren't bothering.
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You know it makes sense.
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thats reassuring... Am thinking of arriving tuesday 19th and staying north side for 3 days and then 2 in south side before going to south SF . Seems like a couple days in each hill would be about right as they are pretty small. but a fair amount of faff decamping...
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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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Small? If skinanny's got a day off get her to give you the Tour de Squaw - plenty of stuff to get your teeth into although not huge groomer mileage. You can easily spend a day just on different lines from KT (as indeed some of the hardcore spend their whole lives) and West Face would be good bumps practice for you. Make sure you do Alpine as well for a different vibe - the shuttle between them works fairly well for a swap at lunchtime.
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Poster: A snowHead
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skimottaret, for north side I would highly recommend Resort at Sqaw Creek (www.squawcreek.com) - I went with Mrs W a few years back for New Year and it's a classic full service american resort hotel. Lots of roaring fire's around the place (and in your room if you splash out), great outdoor pool & hot tubs, some nice places to eat (and there is a free shuttle to the main Squaw "village") and great rooms. Also has it's own chair lift up to the main area from right outside the hotel (a slow old 2pax job if I remember rightly) with a free ski concierge so you barely have to lift a ski!
Only downside is it ain't cheap! We booked through Ski Idependence who did a decent deal on that, a place in Heavenly (some cheaper motel - can't remember name) and car hire so could be worth a call as they may do a deal if you book the South Lake base through them as well.
In terms of skiing, if you're just cruising Squaw is worth a couple of days and has some easy access and easy descent off piste if you fancy a change. I'd also advocate a day at Alpine as it is only a short drive away and you could cover it as you move between bases and north lake to south lake is a longer journey.
For South Lake we did Heavenly and Kirkwood, but my advice would be get one of the area passes and just decide nearer the time.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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wriggsy, thanks mate, have decided in the end to do five nights in the northside Squaw area, good to know there is a shuttle to village, Mrs. wasnt keen on decamping to south tahoe, the squawcreek is on the podium at the moment along with plumpjacksquawvalleyinn the http://www.cedarhousesporthotel.com/ as per skinanny
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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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Plumpjack is nice - I forgot about it (even though I pass it every morning).
The lift up from the Resort at Squaw Creek is a triple, not too slow.
Our busy is not as busy as I have heard it gets in France since lots of the schools don't have the entire week off, just the Monday (the 18th).
Unfortunately, I'm unlikely to have a day off that week. 
Staying at the Cedar House would mean you would have to drive every morning, staying at Squaw means at least two days with no driving - I'm guessing you'd do at least a day at Squaw and one at Alpine.
The best day to go to Northstar would probably be Thursday - the least busy day.
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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 ended up plumping for plumpjacks, good location , no need to drive and can get to other bits of the village, might try northstar on the thursday
now onto bars and restaurant recommendations, the best bit !
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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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Squaw apres - The Chammy is near you, Cornice Cantina the wrong end of the car park so you prolly won't go there. Don't prejudge your day for Flatstar - you might want to go there on a storm day when Squaw is closed out above KT Don't get overexcited about options in the Village - it's really not that big and very tourist focused.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Plumpjack bar has been the place for apres this last season. Also Uncorked in the Village.
The Cornice Cantina is where all the employees end up, due to their $1 'shifter' beer - 1st drink after a day's work is $1.
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skimottaret, be interested in how this works out, always fancied taking the kids to NA when the youngest can ski a bit better.....
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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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kitenski, will let you know but to be honest this is not mainly a ski trip , not sure I would pick Tahoe over colorado for skiing only... It is handy for other activities we are planning in SanFrancisco..
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Tahoe's main benefit over Colorado is flight options and altitude/weather plus as skimottaret says other stuff to do in the same trip. It's not got the altitude issues and is either storming or sunny generally meaning temperatures never get really continentally cold. Multiple daily flights into SFO from UK or if you connect Reno is very close. With so many ski areas within an hour of each other there is also something for everyone and the lake/desert means the scenery is more impressive.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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fatbob,
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the lake/desert means the scenery is more impressive.
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I would go back for that reason alone, it is truly stunning. I remember standing somewhere above Heavenly, being able to see the desert if I looked one way, and the sapphire blue lake gleaming in a winter wonderland if I looked the other way. It took my breath away.
I was very lucky on that trip: spent some time with close friends in SF and then we drove to a house which had been loaned to us free of charge by one of their friends/neighbours, a lovely family house in Tahoe, set on the shore of the Lake. Very, very nice.
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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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skinanny, Do the resorts still do a free shuttle service to and from the slopes?
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larry1950, I guess you mean from Reno? As far as I know, they do.
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You know it makes sense.
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HI. I was at Squaw as part of a huge ski club/ mountain travel reps' conference this past April. Arriving in Reno, bus shuttle transportation (not free) was available through NORTH LAKE TAHOE EXPRESS
(book at http://transit.activitytickets.com/index.php
For the most part there were also nominal charges to ride buses from one ski resort to another if there was a distance involved -- I would think it free between Squaw and Alpine now owned by Squaw. There were charges in the range of $30 to go between resorts in north to south shore and vice versa.
While at the Squaw conference, we stayed in assigned studio type units at the older Village at Squaw. A friend who is very savvy with her travel was staying across the Street at Plumpjacks. I met her there for breakfast one day and was impressed with the boutique intimate nature of the dining area. She showed me her room which was quite nice and she was quite pleased with her stay. Squaw has recently taken over nearby Alpine so they are on the same lift ticket. The conference itself was being held at the gorgeous "Resort at Squaw Creek" It is a very big facility but the common areas are beautiful and especially the outdoor pools. There is inter-village free shuttle running around the whole "Squaw" complex/village.
Squaw has one unique experience on the mountain unlike any other ....namely HIGH CAMP - a big open air swimming pool complex that is open in the latter part of the season. People would ski up, take off the gear, head to locker room, and emerge with swimsuit on and head to the bar - quite amazing SO high up and great view too.
NORTHSTAR is owned by VAIL Resorts which also owns Heavenly on the south shore AND now Kirkwood as well (a 2012 acquistion) My club from Philadelphia stayed a week at heavenly / Embassy Suites in Feb 2012 and really like the accommodation for the larger units, free breakfasts, and free happy hours. We LOVED skiing at Northstar - a high quality Vail like experience. They take good care of that mountain and we shuttled up there a second day too.
A few of us took one day off, rented a car, and drove around the entire (large and long) lake ..... making several stops for photos, and a lunch stop in historic Truckee - which really looks like an old western town.
I once split a vacation with a few days in San Fran and a week at Tahoe (south shore) --- it is a nice combo and the ride was not bad.
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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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Shuttle between Squaw and Alpine is free.
Just having a little giggle at Squaw being described as having easy off-piste.........that's not exactly what we're known for! 
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Poster: A snowHead
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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skimottaret, have a great time! 
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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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Big storm has rolled in and our first days skiing has been wild and very snowy. The pistes were rock hard first thing so very needed.. Plump jacks is great, fab breakfast and dinner , great rooms and perfect location. The mountain restaraunts (only two on the mountain) are very disappointing mrs skimottaret thought Hemel was much much nicer.. Very plastic cafeteria vibe with picnic tables and ski lockers. Looks like we will be eating in the village
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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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skimottaret, Kewl - you're obviously the snow monkey - they've had almost a month long drought AIUI. Gold coast is ok on a sunny day sat on the terrace but largely sucks. High Camp is just totally in the wrong place unless you're skiing top of Silvy.
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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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We have a good recomendation for sushi in the village and alpine tomorrow me thinks ... Lots of dynamiting this am but I am a piste skier this week sadly should be fine conditions when opens cracking dinner at the hotel last night
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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skimottaret, sneaky laps down Sympathy Face, D8 and the trees around Yellow while the missus skis the groomers, you only need to be apart for a minute or so.
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fatbob, some decent bumps today with some great variables through the trees and mrs skimottaret even did a couple of,the bowls Siberia and shirley bowl but lots of lifts shut so not a lot of cheeky lines to be had.. Alpine tomorrow
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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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skimottaret, Check out those lines for Alpine although you might have more joy on the back at Sherwood if it doidn't pop today. If you get a solo lap the trees off Scott round Promised Land are a lot of fun.
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fatbob, tah for the tips will keep an eye out ! Weather was glorious today
G. Just me and the misses junior is playing netball for uni varsity side and couldn't make it with some fixtures this week
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FAQ
thanks for all the tips skinanny will defo check out the dollar beers 
