Fresh Tracks and Black Jacks - A Heavenly Day at Lake Tahoe
by Karey Ann - December 22, 2008
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Never skied Heavenly? How to hit the mountain, leaving no regrets and no terrain un-shredded at one of the most beautiful and family-friendly Lake Tahoe ski resorts! Why trust my guide-ership? Karey Ann loves sculpted K2s, moguls, and fresh tracks. She has skied Lake Tahoe, Mt. Bachelor, Banff, Big Sky, Vail, Telluride, Mammoth, Big Bear, Sun Valley, and Snowbird; she has extensively skied and lived in Breck CO and Whistler Canada. So don't question her cred.
Step #1: Wake Up Early . . .
And know that you don’t have to go far! You’re probably a bit rough around the edges from your first night in South Lake; luckily Heavenly is conveniently located almost right in the middle of town.
There are plenty of shuttles to swoop you up from various parts of downtown and they will drop you right at the Gondola. You’ll be on your way up in no time.
Heavenly Ski Resort
207 Kingsbury Grade, Stateline, NV 89449
Because I still love my other resorts, but Alpine Meadows and Northstar can be hell to get to – especially in a storm at 6am – when you want to stay in South Lake. Heavenly has the best location in Tahoe.
Because I still love my other resorts, but Alpine Meadows and Northstar can be hell to get to – especially in a storm at 6am – when you want to stay in South Lake. Heavenly has the best location in Tahoe.
Grand Residences by Marriott, Tahoe - 1 to 3 bedrooms & Pent.
1001 Heavenly Village Way, South Lake Tahoe, CA 96150
Better yet, stay at the Marriott. You can roll out of your king bed, grab some free continental breakfast and shove it in your pockets, and be on your merry way . . .
Better yet, stay at the Marriott. You can roll out of your king bed, grab some free continental breakfast and shove it in your pockets, and be on your merry way . . .
Burton At Heavenly
3860 Saddle Rd, South Lake Tahoe, CA 96150
Get your ski bunny finest right here at Heavenly! This outfit works just as well with a snowboard accessory . . .
Get your ski bunny finest right here at Heavenly! This outfit works just as well with a snowboard accessory . . .
Great Outdoor Clothing Company
2050 Lake Tahoe Blvd, South Lake Tahoe, CA 96150
Shop here if you are less “ski bunny”, and more “Indiana Jones on Skis”.
Shop here if you are less “ski bunny”, and more “Indiana Jones on Skis”.
Starbucks Coffee
4000 Lake Tahoe Blvd, South Lake Tahoe, CA 96150
Don’t forget your coffee
Yeah, it’s OK to go to Starbucks (still the best coffee around, unfortunately). Just do the right thing and bring your own travel mug.
Don’t forget your coffee
Yeah, it’s OK to go to Starbucks (still the best coffee around, unfortunately). Just do the right thing and bring your own travel mug.
Step #3: Hit the Village
If you grew up going skiing with a Dad like mine – we were always 45 minutes before the first lift opened – you’re always early, hangover or not. It’s a habit you can’t break, a tip of the beanie to good ole Dad. So you’ll have time to purchase that glove you lost somewhere on the strip last night, and plenty of time for a good hearty breakfast.
Step #4: Buy your Lift Tickets
Ok, ok, ok. So Heavenly day passes are more expensive than some other resorts – it’s location, location, location. But check out this comparison:
Season passes (unrestricted):
Squaw: $1,889.00 (holy smokes, who buys this? Rip off!)
Alpine Meadows: $1,074.00
Sugar Bowl: $859.00
Kirkwood: $569.00
And . . .
Heavenly $379.00!!
Ski 5 days of the season, and your season pass is paid for.
Oooooph.
Some of these are kind of hard to watch, but most are pretty funny and will help get you in the mood to do something crazy out there!
Step #5: Hit the Slopes!
Heavenly has great terrain for every level.
Heavenly also has THE BEST terrain on those during or just-after-the-storm days – somehow the pow-pow is less weather-beaten on this mountain (location, location).
My favorite runs? Take the Sky Express up and trek back under the lift for the “Express Lane” for some nice carving in-between the trees and lift poles.
The Milky Way bowl rocks, and taking the Gunbarrel Express chair will allow you to hit both “The Face” and “Gunbarrel”.
Motts and Killebrew are always solid options.
These are all more advanced runs, so beginners beware (and stay out of our way, K?).
If You Snowboard . . .
Or are an out of shape skier: don’t try and go back and forth between the two mountains. You will hit flats, and have to do that awesome hip-swing-step-skip thing with one leg out of your board.
Not that I kinda don’t get a kick out of it, but then I always feel bad. So stick to one side and stay with it for the day – you’ll be STOKED with all the varied options on your chosen side and can just focus on the shred, shred, shred.
Then Every Once in A While . . .
It’ll just look like this at the top, but that just means it’ll be an epic day tomorrow!
Step #7: Luchbreak!
On the Nevada side, Boulder and Stagecoach lodges are nice and toasty. Options abound – hearty chili to vegie burgers.
I know you tried to be cheap and put that PB&J in your parka pocket, but that’s not going to cut it after you smell the curly fries!
Step #8: Find the "You Can Die" Sign
Get back out there and search out this extreme marker – just for bonus points, because it’s existentially awesome.
Step #9: Reward Your Last Yardsale
Snow Beach! In good weather, this little hut will serve you up all the beer and reggae that you need to get your aching bum back out there . . . or to convince you that it’s not THAT lame to sit in a lawn chair and drink Red Stripe for the rest of the day.
Step #10: Take the Last Lift Up at 3:45pm
And ski all the way down, taking the time to thank whatever entity you believe in for the creation of the Sierra Nevadas.
Step #11: Shower up and Hit the Nightlife
South Lake Tahoe is a great place to gamble – not much of that hoighty-toighty Vegas stuff here. Just good old-fashioned casinos and lounges:
Whiskey Dicks
2660 Lake Tahoe Blvd, South Lake Tahoe, CA 96150
Because it’s fun to tell everyone you went to Whiskey Dick’s.
Because it’s fun to tell everyone you went to Whiskey Dick’s.
A great place to get down with all of the bachelor/bachelorette parties that are in town.
Look out for that stripper pole on the dance floor. Because it always seems like a good idea at the time . . .
A great place to get down with all of the bachelor/bachelorette parties that are in town.
Look out for that stripper pole on the dance floor. Because it always seems like a good idea at the time . . .
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Dude, I want to be that hot ski bunny…. And for the price of the seasons pass (379.00!? for real?) I could afford to buy that bunny costume, plus the heating pads it will take to warm up my belly after I bite it trying to look cute down the mountain.
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