Hey there Guys,

This is going to be my first time going snowboarding, and my friends already booked a couple rooms at Harrah's Lake Tahoe, BUT, they don't know which ski resort to go to. From my search I've found Heavenly, Sierra at Tahoe, Kirkwood and Squaw Valley that are near by. So my question is which one is worth going to? Thanks!

Matt

 

Go to Heavenly, its right behind Harrah's Lake Tahoe. The back side is great for boarding!

 

Yeah seriously, HEAVENLY its right there!!! Like LITERALLY!!!

 

Kirkwood is a good drive from them, I would also say Heavenly or Sierra at Tahoe

 

I might be spoiled from living up there for so long and getting in close to 100 days a year of skiing every season, but I dont know how some of you board/ski when there is so little(none) snow. Unless it literally dumps from this "storm" but still the coverage would be very crappy.

Heavenly is right there at Harrahs, so if your looking at convenience then thats your mtn. Plus they have the largest capacity snow making so you can make the most of the non existent snow conditions. As far as terrain, Kirkwood hands down has the best riding. Its a drive but has fewer crowds, more snow, and better terrain if you have the ability to ride it.

But either way you are pretty much limited in what you can ride due to no snow so it shouldnt matter where you go.

 

When is this trip booked? Like kmurphy said, early season sux anywhere w/ the limited terrain available. Luckily for you, the bunny hills are usually well covered w/ the help of snow-making.

Seeing as this is your 1st time & that y'all are staying at the casinos, just go to Heavenly & save the hassle of driving anywhere. I just checked their website & they offer the beginner lessons @the top of the Gondola. That'll be super convenient for you guys to simply walk out the door to get your learn on & for your friends (if they're past the rookie stage) to get their shred on. Only thing that sux is that beginner terrain is very limited up there as compared to the top of the tram (see area around Snow Beach on map). Should you pick it up quickly, you'll wanna head there for day 2 to make even more progress.

 

Heavenly no doubt

dont bother with Sierra if its snowing, the drive up the pass can be a PITA and take an hour if their is traffic from the 90% of people not used to the snow!

Otherwise Sierra is cool, and i love Heavenly.

 

yea heavenly is the closest your gonna get to your hotel..its an awesome resort..and they should be opening a ton of more lifts now that this storm has just came in..should be nice

 

As much as I want to quote everyone for helping me out here, I don't want to make the thread all clogged up with quotes, but thanks for the help guys.

They booked the place on Jan. 5th to Jan the 7th. So I guess it's not really the beginning of the season? I've checked all the close by resorts and I guess Heavenly is the most expensive to them all because it's closer to where folks stay at or something? But, I think I would still rather go to Heavenly since it's just right behind us, and would be less of a hassle to drive elsewhere.

 

its only $10 more maybe? i'm not sure, but worth it...maybe not for a beginner where you will only use 1/8 the mountain, but when you start exploring its a great place and worth the $.

Sierra and Heavenly both get packed, but Heavenly is more spread out, so its less packed. Just stay out of the long lift lines. Do the powderbowl chair, that one is a quick line and a good run...then crossover to canyon and sky express. then crossover to Nevada if you think you can maintain your speed on a flat crossover trail...if not you will be walking!

 

They are expecting upward of 18" in the coming week, so you should have plenty of snow by January

 

Luckily y'all are going mid-week b/c the crowds should be non-existent for your trip. I'm typically 100% gung-ho for 1st-timers/beginners to take the beginner packages offered by the resorts. You generally save a bit more this way & there's no sense in getting a lift ticket for the whole mountain when you'll only have the skill to use (like Kyle said) maybe an 1/8 of the terrain. Also, you may not be as frustrated as when by learning on your own b/c the group setting w/ an instructor can help keep anxiety levels down.

But HOLY HELL, $160 for the all-day package, and they only offer the half-day (single 2-hr session) in the afternoon! What a shame that they take full advantage of being the "only game in town" literally. Typically, it's not worth it to buy a lift ticket, rental & lesson separately. I'm scared to find out exactly what this would cost, but HV are such "feminine personal cleansing products" that they do NOT list their rates on lift tickets or rentals. Why do they do this? Because the rich folks that love to fly in & spend the week up there are willing to pay. Thanks for looking out for the little guy, Heavenly.

Sorry, this has turned into a rant. Sadly, the "only $10 more maybe" Kyle also mentioned does not apply here. Yes, HV is super convenient for its ease of access. Yes, they do have some world-class terrain. But their prices are just ridiculous! I never knew it was so blatant since I've generally go there b/c I've lucked out on discounted lift tix. Now I know to NEVER bring a novice up here to learn. The southern Tahoe area has much better places for this! You can also take the FREE shuttle bus to Sierra or the $5 roundtrip one for Kirkwood, so y'all don't have to worry about doing the actual driving yourselves.

Should you decide on Sierra, take full advantage of this deal...
http://www.sierraattahoe.com/info/amex.asp
By paying w/ an AmEx card, you & your buds will pay $52.50 ea for the all-day pkg -or- ONLY $42.50 ea for the 2-hr pkg (offered both morning & early afternoon). For more on Sierra@Tahoe's beginner pkg's, look here...
http://www.sierraattahoe.com/info/wi....asp#beginners

If you need me to look up any KW info, lemme know.

I was actually considering using my complimentary ticket to ride Heavenly this Wed, but after tracking down this info I'm hoping the other resorts available on the voucher get more acreage open over the next few days. I'd much rather support a more worthy mountain. C'mon, Kirkwood! I know y'all just opened today, but pls. do all you can to catch up w/ the other resorts! I haven't had you guys listed as my Location on several forums for nothing. Don't let me down!

Again... sorry for the rant.

 

First of all, thanks for the help, and no biggie on the rant.

Your information made me rethink where I wanted to board. I was thinking about Heavenly, since everyone said it's just right where we are going to stay at. After checking out their site, it seems like their rates are super higher than the other resorts nearby.

Most of us are going to be beginnings, so with that said, which resort you think would be better? Sierra or Kirkwood? I'm kinda leaning towards Sierra since you bought up the deal with using AMEX, and they have free shuttle to Sierra. Is the free shuttle through Harrah's? How does that work? Sorry for asking so much questions, but since it's my first time, I'm trying to get as much info as I can get before we head out there.

 

^^^ go to sierra.....

 

the bus will pick you up at the hotel.....you should be able to find a schedule on their website on when you check into the hotel they can give you brochure with all the dates and dropoff/pickup locations.

I would go to sierra, I rode the mtn for years since it was only 8 min away from the house. I was very hesitant skiing heavenly but once I started skiing cometitively sierra didnt have the resources that heavenly did. I never really liked heavenly and always preffered kirkwood and sierra. heavenly is convenient most people will be there and make it more crowded. Also heavenly is the most expensive. Sierra is a nice mountain to learn on, easy laid out runs that you cant get lost on.

SO....my vote is sierra