Tahoe Six-Pack

[ChrisC]

This is a really good deal that generally sells out well before the start of the season. http://www.skilaketahoe.com/tickets-1.html
6 days for $249. Squaw and Heavenly at $42/day is about the best you can get. However, it requires you to ski both north and south shores.




The Lake Tahoe Six-Pack includes:

1 ticket valid at either Heavenly, Kirkwood or Mt. Rose-Ski Tahoe
1 ticket valid at either Heavenly or Sierra-at-Tahoe®
1 ticket valid at either Kirkwood or Sierra-at-Tahoe®
1 ticket valid at either Alpine Meadows or Northstar-at-Tahoe™
1 ticket valid at either Squaw Valley USA, Northstar-at-Tahoe™ or Mt. Rose-Ski Tahoe
1 ticket valid at either Squaw Valley USA or Alpine Meadows
Holiday Blackout Dates:
11.23.2007 - 11.24.2007; 12.26.2007 - 12.31.2007; 01.19.2008 - 01.20.2008; 02.16.2008 - 02.17.2008

 

[tseeb]

If you only want Heavenly and can ski there 18 days, you can ski for under $20 per day by buying a pass for $349 before Labor Day that is valid any day except for Fri/Sat over Thanksgiving, Dec. 27-31 and Sat/Sun over President's Day. Plus it includes three free days at Vail, Breckenridge, Beaver Creek or Keystone (with same blackouts).

I got mine for $329 since they counted it as a renewal of previous year's pass. While I really like Kirkwood and was hoping for Heavenly to put in new, high-speed Boulder Chair instead of Olympic, I have access to a cabin between Heavenly's gondola and tram which makes it worthwhile for me. I hope this season includes 2500 vertical feet powder runs down the gondola like I got in March 2006.

 

[ChrisC]

If you only want Heavenly and can ski there 18 days, you can ski for under $20 per day by buying a pass for $349 before Labor Day that is valid any day except for Fri/Sat over Thanksgiving, Dec. 27-31 and Sat/Sun over President's Day. Plus it includes three free days at Vail, Breckenridge, Beaver Creek or Keystone (with same blackouts).

The Kirkwood pass (similar holiday restrictions)is a good deal at $339 too. Sierra is $309. Unfortunately, pricing is not as good on the North Shore. Sugar Bowl and Northstar are each about $529, Alpine TBD - but likely more.

While I really like Kirkwood and was hoping for Heavenly to put in new, high-speed Boulder Chair instead of Olympic, I have access to a cabin between Heavenly's gondola and tram which makes it worthwhile for me. I hope this season includes 2500 vertical feet powder runs down the gondola like I got in March 2006.

The Olympic-only chair is a bit of a disappointment - considering the proposed lift was Olympic + Boulder - allowing for 1700' vertical runs on Olympic Downhill, trees and other bumps/groomers. The Olympic only lift really does not serve much terrain besides the upper Olympic Downhill.

I have never skied the trees under the gondola. I understand that Heavenly more recently opened a gate to allow access to them. My question was always where does the snow run out? The upper 2/3 always looks nice. But the fields/lower Stateline development looks like a lot to hoof through depending on where the snow runs out. I've only ridden the gondola once - since the pay parking is a no-go.

 

[ChrisC]

Alpine Meadows new management just announced pricing.

They increased lift tickets by about 50%!
Ticket Prices Daily Holiday*
Adult Full Day (19-61) $58 $63


I like to ski around - primarily on the North Shore -after having share & passes at Alpine and Northstar/Sierra in prior years. And this is the best way to ski North Shore resorts like Squaw and -now- Alpine cheaply. It creates 3 weekends - 2 North and 1 South shore.

These tickets are also fully transferable/can use 2 coupons on the same day. The big caveat is they do not want them resold on Ebay. However, my experience is only Heavenly does some sort of info check of 'who' owns the booklet.

 

[tahoeadventure]

I have never skied the trees under the gondola. I understand that Heavenly more recently opened a gate to allow access to them. My question was always where does the snow run out? The upper 2/3 always looks nice. But the fields/lower Stateline development looks like a lot to hoof through depending on where the snow runs out.

The upper 2,000' of the 3,000 vert run is good when it is skiable. Not last year though. There needs to be a minimum of about an 80-inch base to do it. The last 1,000' can be pretty hellish, with logs, rocks, stream crossings, and thin snow even in the best years. If you go the RIGHT way, you can ski all the way out to the road just east of the Gondola and only have to walk about 100 yards.

Wait for a 16" dump, find a friend who knows the area for best results, or just hang out at the fire break gate and follow someone who is heading left out of the gate.

 

[tseeb]

Firebreak, which starts from the top of Olympic Chair, had great powder and pretty good coverage almost to the bottom in early March 2006. This was after a couple of days of storms where we saw snow at 900 foot elevation on the way up from the Bay Area. We took 20+ turns at least three times through 2 feet of powder than was on top of at least a couple of other feet that had not been packed down. It was not super steep, but was very consistent pitch and snow through big trees that had protected the snow.

We cut over towards the gondola too early as I did not want to end up too close to Stateline and have to hike back. We had to cross one little creek on a log and hit one rocky area near the bottom where it was too exposed. Next time I will stay on the Stateline side of the rocky area into the trees. I've heard a good way to avoid the rocky bottom is to have friends or taxi pick you up in the Palisades neighborhood off Kingsbury.

Adding Olympics this summer instead of North Bowl is disappointing. Heavenly was approved to replace both slow chairs with one high-speed chair, but that would have required cutting many big trees and backed off. Having one longer chair would have exposed some of their longest lasting powder, but new runs will also eventually be the end of long lasting powder between the boundary and North Bowl.

 

[ChrisC]

Adding Olympics this summer instead of North Bowl is disappointing. Heavenly was approved to replace both slow chairs with one high-speed chair, but that would have required cutting many big trees and backed off. Having one longer chair would have exposed some of their longest lasting powder, but new runs will also eventually be the end of long lasting powder between the boundary and North Bowl.

I did not necessarily think this was the best glade area since it was a little low on the mountain for good snow conditions much of the time. Also, the trees on the entire mountain of Heavenly are perfectly spaced for tree skiing - so there are still many glades.

I also found the individual tree-by-tree argument hard to witness. When resorts need to argue about individual trees within their permit boundaries, there is no wonder that lift tickets are expensive.

I thought the proposed lift would have created a more natural terrain area -- with attractive length and vertical.

 

[ChrisC]

Firebreak, which starts from the top of Olympic Chair, had great powder and pretty good coverage almost to the bottom in early March 2006. This was after a couple of days of storms where we saw snow at 900 foot elevation on the way up from the Bay Area. We took 20+ turns at least three times through 2 feet of powder than was on top of at least a couple of other feet that had not been packed down. It was not super steep, but was very consistent pitch and snow through big trees that had protected the snow.

We cut over towards the gondola too early as I did not want to end up too close to Stateline and have to hike back. We had to cross one little creek on a log and hit one rocky area near the bottom where it was too exposed. Next time I will stay on the Stateline side of the rocky area into the trees. I've heard a good way to avoid the rocky bottom is to have friends or taxi pick you up in the Palisades neighborhood off Kingsbury.

Yeah. The base area seems the most difficult area to navigate. Otherwise, the vertical and consistent pitch with no major cliff bands is quite attractive.