Lake Tahoe/Mammoth Skiing Areas

I love Squaw on the north side of Lake Tahoe.

You realize Mammoth is a good 3 hours south of Tahoe?

In Mammoth you have two options for downhill, Mammoth and June (smaller, more family friendly, more "Alps-like").  Cross country lots of different options, but Tamarack is where the groomed trails are

The best thing to do in Tahoe is ski. You could also go skiing. If you got bored with that, you could elect to ski, instead.

I've driven around the lake, I've done the snowmobiling, sledding. Waste of my time when I could have been on my skis instead.

Eat, ski, sleep, rinse, repeat.

Jealous.

I've skied Heavenly and Sierra and only been to Squaw during the summer.  Since you don't lay out any needs I'm assuming you are at least an average skier/snowboarder.  Sierra is ok, nothing special, but it's a good mountain.  Heavenly is one of my favorite places to ski.  The view is great (I like to stop, look around, and appreciate where I am and the fact that I don't have to be at work in the morning when I'm on vacation) and the skiing is just plain  fun.  I learned to snowboard at both these mountains and I remember the runs I was on seemed wider at Sierra than at Heavenly and Heavenly seemed a little more challenging (but that translates into fun for me).  I've stayed in both South Tahoe and Squaw Valley and I much prefer Squaw (Tahoe City).  South Tahoe is bigger and has the Casinos and stuff, and I don't really give a hang about casinos and prefer smaller towns so the north side fit me better.

Like I said I didn't ski/snowboard Squaw Valley, but it seemed most of the locals I talked to preferred Squaw Valley to heavenly.  I tend to gravitate toward the locals on stuff like this.  I think the mountain is a little tougher, not sure.

make sure to check ski reports, i know tahoe (along with the PNW) hasn't gotten snow in a while. .

That said, I like heavenly and kirkwood the best.  Squaw on a deep powder day would be pretty awesome too (it was raining the day i was there).

The view this afternoon:

I hate you.

I like you.  Let me know if you'll ever be in Colorado to ski.  

I'm headed up from the south so we might hit Mammoth on the way, that is the only reason I really mentioned it.  I am a good skier and prefer backcountry and pretty much the most difficult runs I can find since that isn't what I get here in Minnesota.  I am really hoping that they get some snow out there before the holidays!!  Cutting it a little close for my comfort Mother Nature.

I like the sleep eat ski and repeat... I seriously thought about being a ski bum when I graduated highschool

Beautiful sunrise.

This thread has me skidreaming.

St. Moritz. You can tell how long ago it was by the shape of my skis. My last trip was Vail 2008. Boohoo!

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+1

It's been really dry this year so far.

On the other hand, this was just 5 months ago:

Lake Aloha, 38.86715, -120.149044, just under 8000'.  In July.  But last winter was really wet.

Fun!  I was at Lake Aloha at the end of July last summer.  The ice had just got off the lake.

Sadly- there's no snow in the Sierra's.  Nor in Colorado.  If there were snow- then Squaw is the place for avid skiers.  amazing terrain, especially if you like steep stuff.  Kirkwood is pretty cool too. 

Where is there snow?  Where I'm going!   Driving up to the White Mtns in AZ where there's a 50+ inch base and it's snowing (again) today and tomorrow.