Lake Tahoe Ski Trip
a top skiing destination for a reason
Put skiing in Lake Tahoe on your bucket list because this place is out-of-this-world beautiful and the area is so much fun. I spent a weekend spring skiing at 3 of the resorts in the Lake Tahoe area and had an absolute blast. The Tahoe-area ski resorts are magnificent regardless of which ski pass you have. I had the Epic Pass for this trip but the Ikon has the unbeatable Squaw Valley, so either pass is a good choice.
We flew into Reno, Nevada on Friday, drove to South Lake and checked into Lake Tahoe Resort Hotel. It was pretty inexpensive for two nights, around $300 in total, and included breakfast. We did have to pay for valet parking for $26/night + tip but the only other option was down the street for $25/night garage parking. After walking around South Lake a bit, we got drinks at Azul-Latin Kitchen and watched the live band and then had dinner at Base Camp Pizza to end our night. Hot tip: Put your name in at Base Camp far in advance, the wait can be up to 2-3 hours because this place is so popular and the food is so good.
On Saturday, we got up early and drove about 50 minutes to Kirkwood Mountain Resort. Out of all the hills we skied this season, Kirkwood was one of our favorites. There is no après ski or many options of places to stay nearby, but the skiing is unbeatable and people are there for one reason - to ski or snowboard. I definitely want to return to Kirkwood next season. After a long day of skiing in the warm weather, we drove back to South Lake to do a little après ski in the Heavenly Village. We went to Fire & Ice by the Heavenly Gondola for drinks, split a burger at California Burger Company and then went back to Base Camp for another round of pizza. Did I mention we really like to eat?
Sunday we skied the famous Heavenly Ski Resort. The views of Lake Tahoe are phenomenal throughout most of the mountain, hence the popularity. It is more about the vibes and après ski than Kirkwood, which can be fun, but makes it a lot more crowded!
After retrieving the car and packing up our stuff, we took the most beautiful scenic route through South Lake up to Northstar. I highly recommend this drive and leaving enough time to enjoy the trip through Lake Tahoe National Forest. In Northstar, we booked a condo through Expedia at the Northstar California Resort. It was only $300 for two nights and close to the resort, so it was exactly what we were looking for. We got dinner at one of the few open places in the village, Rubicon Pizza. To our surprise and delight, we discovered it was the same exact menu as Base Camp Pizza in the Heavenly Village. So yes, we essentially ate at the same pizza 3 days in a row.
On Monday, we finished our tour of the Lake Tahoe ski resorts on the Epic Pass at Northstar California Resort. This resort is very family friendly and heaven-on-earth for park rats. There are multiple terrain parks throughout the mountain that cater to various skill levels. Northstar even features some views of Lake Tahoe for an added bonus.
Overall, our weekend spring skiing was wonderful. I highly recommend the Lake Tahoe area and I can’t wait to back next season!