California

Homewood’s Ellis Chair Reopens for First Time Since January

After sitting idle for the final two months of last season due to mechanical issues, Homewood’s Ellis chair returned to service today. The triple lift received the first of two scheduled refurbishments in time for the upcoming season; the resort says the chair’s ride time has decreased by nearly four minutes.

Alpine Meadows Early-Season Roundhouse Run: Sympathy Face + Associated Trees

A lap down Alpine Meadows' Sympathy Face, one of the only trails exclusively served by the resort’s Roundhouse lift. This tree terrain is quite technical, with steep, twisty pitches and considerable exposed rock on this mid-December day.

Squaw Valley and Alpine Meadows Employ New COVID Protocols for Post-Storm Operations, Delaying Openings

For the first time since COVID became a factor, Squaw Valley and Alpine Meadows have rolled out major weather-mitigation operations this morning. Due to the need for social distancing among staff, the two mountains anticipate that avalanche mitigation and lift de-icing will take longer than usual this year.

Corridor: A Trip Down Northstar's Most Technically Challenging Pitch

A run down Northstar’s Corridor trail in December 2020. From a strictly technical sense, we feel this is Northstar’s most challenging marked run.

Squaw Valley Navigation Challenge: High Camp to Siberia

While assessing Squaw Valley's navigation score last winter, we tested whether it was possible to drop into some interesting terrain while traversing from High Camp to the bottom of the Siberia Express lift.

California Ends Stay-at-Home Order for Tahoe Counties

Effective January 12, California has lifted its stay-at-home order for the Greater Sacramento region. Tahoe ski areas are no longer affected by these restrictions.

Mount Shasta Ski Park

The only decently-sized California ski area north of Tahoe offers limited lift lines and stunning views of the Southern Cascades, but it’s hurt by uncompetitive infrastructure and a bizarrely-integrated recent expansion.

Dodge Ridge

The closest ski area to the Bay Area offers lower traffic than Tahoe, but it’s hurt by limited snowmaking and outdated lift infrastructure.

Homewood

While this Tahoe hill can’t hold its own overall against the destination resorts, it boasts an astonishing, one-of-a-kind mountain aesthetic.

China Peak

While it’s no substitute for a true destination ski resort, this Central California mountain offers admirable terrain variety within a convenient driving distance of Fresno.

Sugar Bowl

This California resort can’t match the acreage and vertical drop of competing Tahoe mountains, but it stands out with trails for all ability levels and an extremely demanding expert footprint.

Bear Valley

This Northern California resort has interesting terrain for skiers and riders of all ability levels as well as a unique and isolated feel, but it lacks the infrastructure to fully compete with the best resorts in the state.

Northstar

This family-friendly resort offers excellent grooming and a top-tier terrain park, but expert and above-treeline terrain is lacking.

Sierra-at-Tahoe

While it can’t boast the same crazy lake views, striking terrain, or expansive base village as some other Tahoe areas, this moderately-sized resort offers reasonable prices and a local feel.

Kirkwood

This relatively undeveloped mountain isn’t for everyone, but its striking aesthetic, local feel, and extreme terrain are tough to match.

Heavenly

This Lake Tahoe area offers some of the most beautiful slopes we’ve seen anywhere. A few logistical problems diminish the resort’s size advantage.

Mammoth

This massive resort offers a highly competitive experience only hours from Southern California, although variable weather patterns may not make it the best place to fly to.

Palisades Tahoe

Two of Tahoe’s best ski areas have now been linked as one continuous lift-served destination, but the resort still functions as two separate mountains in many ways.