Lake Tahoe

Off Peak Podcast Episode 8: We’re Moving to Tahoe!

Sam and Nicole disseminate their plans to move to Lake Tahoe for the 2020-21 winter ski season.

State of Resort Season Pass Policies for the 2020-21 Season

After examining the early-season pricing and assurance differences between Epic and Ikon, we decided to do the same for standalone season pass products. Some mountains offer excellent protections, while others are risky buys.

Squaw Valley Confirms Name Change in the Works

According to a statement put out by the resort, Squaw Valley is getting a name change. The resort says they have put a lot of thought into the derogatory nature of the name “Squaw”, and have decided to remove the word from their name.

Alterra Releases 2020-21 Lift Ticket and Ikon Pass Reservation Policies (Many Resorts Don’t Require One)

Alterra released their initial ticket and pass policies for the upcoming winter today. Many Ikon resorts, including the overwhelming majority of unlimited destinations, will not require reservations. However, multi-day pass products for Alterra-owned mountains will be severely limited.

7 Notable Lift Installations from the Past Half Decade

Over the past five years, dozens of new lifts have been installed at major mountain resorts around North America. While nearly all of these upgrades have provided mountain experience improvements over their predecessors, a few examples have especially stood out in their positive impacts.

Homewood Announces 2020-21 Operational Updates, Confirms Ellis Chair Will Run Next Season

California’s Homewood resort has announced a number of upgrades and operational changes for the 2020-21 season. Most notably, the Ellis chair will return with major refurbishments and a faster ride time.

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.

Diamond Peak

This Tahoe mountain will impress many visitors with breathtaking lake views, but its terrain and amenities are no match for the area’s better-known destination resorts.

Mount Rose

Despite its high elevation, a number of shortcomings detract from this Nevada mountain’s appeal as a destination resort.

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.

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.

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.