Lake Tahoe - California - page 885

Five terrain parks won't strand snowboarders of any skill level, with the High Roller for
experts only. Stats: 29 lifts, 3500 vertical feet, 97 runs.
Kirkwood SKIING, SNOWBOARDING
( 209-258-6000; www.kirkwood.com ; 1501 Kirkwood Meadows Dr, off Hwy 88, Kirkwood; adult/child
5-12yr/youth 13-18yr $89/61/76; 9am-4pm)
Off-the-beaten-path Kirkwood, set in a high-elevation valley, gets great snow and holds it
longer than almost any other Tahoe resort. It has stellar tree-skiing, gullies, chutes and ter-
rain parks, and is the only Tahoe resort with backcountry runs accessible by snowcats.
Novice out-of-bounds skiers should sign up in advance for backcountry safety-skills clin-
ics.
It's 35 miles southwest of South Lake Tahoe via Hwy 89; ski-season shuttles are avail-
able (from $15). Stats: 15 lifts, 2000 vertical feet, 72 runs.
Sierra-at-Tahoe SNOWBOARDING, SKIING
( 530-659-7453; www.sierraattahoe.com ; 1111 Sierra-at-Tahoe-Rd, off Hwy 50, Twin Bridges; adult/
child 5-12yr/youth 13-22yr $84/25/74; 9am-4pm Mon-Fri, 8:30am-4pm Sat, Sun & holidays; )
About 18 miles southwest of South Lake Tahoe, this is snowboarding central, with five ra-
ging terrain parks and a 17ft-high superpipe. A great beginners' run meanders gently for
2.5 miles from the summit, but there are also gnarly steeps and chutes for speed demons.
Kids get four 'adventure zones', while adults-only Huckleberry Gates tempts with
steep-and-deep backcountry terrain for experts. Stats: 14 lifts, 2200 vertical feet, 46 runs.
Nevada
Mt Rose SKIING, SNOWBOARDING
( 775-849-0704; www.mtrose.com ; 22222 Mt Rose Hwy/Hwy 431, Reno; adult/child 6-12yr/youth
13-19yr $79/34/59; 9am-4pm)
Conveniently the closest ski resort to Reno, Mt Rose has Tahoe's highest base elevation
(8260ft) and offers four terrain parks and good snow conditions well into spring. 'The
Chutes' expert terrain delivers some screamers along its north-facing steeps. Crowds