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tahoe, two ways
by Natasha Dragun.
Published in the July-September 2012 issue.
Fresh powder snow, plush alpine resorts and world-class skiing – not the first images that spring to mind when you think California. But during the winter months, that’s exactly what the state’s picturesque Lake Tahoe region offers.
California: a state of sunshine, surf and sand – right? Not necessarily. On a recent visit to the American west coast, I see plenty of sunshine but very few bikinis. Instead of surfboards, I wander past racks of brightly coloured snowboards. And snow, not sand, squelches underfoot when I leave my hotel. California may be blessed with close to 300 days of sunshine a year but it’s also home to some of North America’s best winter resorts, many of them hugging the shores of Lake Tahoe. In fact, the alpine lake – the largest of its kind on the continent – is ringed by seven ski hubs, three of them (Kirkwood, Heavenly and Northstar California) owned by Vail Resorts.
We check in on the latter two and offer tips on where to sleep, eat and drink when you’re not on the slopes – plus some ideas for visiting in summer.
Heavenly Lake Tahoe
On the edge of the run, looking down some 1,100 metres to the iridescent surface of Lake Tahoe, I have a flashback: a blizzard, frozen fingers, tears, a broken ski pole and, when it’s all over, a vow to avoid the snow at all costs.
Thirty years down the track, I’m breaking my own promise for the first time, confronting my fears – fast. OK: thanks to my recently perfected snowplough technique, slower than most. But fast enough.
Truth be told, one day into my ski trip to Lake Tahoe, I’m amazed that I got my boots on, let alone survived training in the snow with a group of three-year-olds, a couple of green runs and getting to the top of my first-ever blue run. The fact that I’m here, balancing precariously on the edge of a slope that looks like it will be best tackled on my backside, is a credit to my hugely patient instructor, Chris.
If Chris is fazed at being lumbered with a thirtysomething Australian who has blizzard phobia, rather than with a group of plucky toddlers, she doesn’t show it. She begins our training session by telling me to take a seat in the snow – finally, something I can do! We go back to basics: I learn how to put my boots on and, more importantly, how to clip and unclip my skis when I take a tumble.
Finally, I’m allowed to stand up and am muddling around with my poles when a sassy six-year-old zips past on a snowboard, gold designer boots glinting in the sun. I try to copy her, overlap my skis and end up where I began: near-horizontal in the snow. Thankfully, there’s plenty to cushion my landing.
Lake Tahoe’s highest resort, Heavenly is set at around 3,000 metres. On the California-Nevada border, it typically enjoys consistently good snow, and though 2012’s season started late, falls since have been relentless: in March (one month out from the end of the season), more than 280 centimetres were dropped on the mountain.
Despite the excellent conditions, the slopes feel relatively crowd-free – with more than 1,940 hectares of terrain to play on, most intermediate and advanced skiers look past the trodden snow around the easy green runs and explore the canyons, bowls and tree runs for which Heavenly is famous. Still, Chris assures me that the numbers will increase significantly come Friday, when residents from nearby Reno, Sonoma and San Francisco will flock to the lake on weekend escapes.
Truth be told, I’m quite happy to be seated most of the time – it gives me the chance to soak up exceptional views of Lake Tahoe. While temperatures fall well below freezing around the lake, the water maintains a constant temperature of 4°C. An ideal temperature, Chris tells me, for Tahoe Tessie, a cryptozoological creature thought to live in the lake. Sightings of Tessie’s serpentine body have even been reported by famed oceanographer Jacques Cousteau who, after diving here in the mid-1970s, claimed that the world wasn’t ready for what was down there.
The skiing
The world might not be ready for Tessie but it is ready for Heavenly, and thousands of skiers took to the resort’s 97 runs during the 2012 winter season. Chris steers me to some lovely long runs with slopes gentle enough to keep me on my skis. Gliding back to base, I’m amazed that I can see the Nevada desert in the distance.
Along the way, I spot daredevils tackling Mott and Killebrew canyons – both on the Nevada side and both hellishly steep, with boulders and trees and moguls at every turn. We catch a lift – there are 30 – back to Heavenly’s highest point (at just over 3,000 metres) where my first blue run of the day awaits. And although I’d like to ski down under the radar, there are a host of professional photographers on hand – just one of Vail’s mountain-upgrade schemes, allowing skiers to capture those moments of exultation. Or sheer terror.
When I’m not being overtaken by six-year-olds, I find myself eating the powder of fearless snowboarders who zip past me on their way to Heavenly’s Ante Up Terrain Park: 20 jibs and two 15-metre jumps, as well as the West Coast’s largest tubing operation. Most weekends, Groove Terrain Park – six jumps and 18 creative features – is also open, along with a handful of extra ski runs.
Where to stay
There’s no true ski-in/ski-out lodging here, but a fleet of Heavenly shuttle buses serves dozens of area hotels. Many are within walking distance of the Heavenly Gondola: Marriott’s Timber Lodge and the Marriott Grand Residence Club sit on either side of the ticket booth.
While the Timber Lodge caters to families with freshly minted kids’ and teens’ rooms – it also has some very grown-up offerings, including an outdoor fire pit and bar, as well as an alfresco pool, heated year-round, a whirlpool and a sauna. The rooms are spacious and comfortable, and there’s free Wi-Fi throughout.
On the other side of the gondola, the Grand Residences are ideal for longer-stay guests, its studios, one- and two-bedroom accommodations kitted out with fully equipped kitchens, fireplaces and the latest in-room entertainment.
Après ski
There are plenty of dining options on the mountain, including newcomer Tamarack Lodge, just steps from where the Heavenly Gondola spits you out. There are several other dining options at different elevations on the mountain, but because it can take up to 30 minutes to travel the four kilometres in the gondola from the summit back to Heavenly Village, most skiers opt to dine here. If it’s sunny, grab a seat on an outdoor patio and enjoy everything from pizza and salads to chowder.
There are dozens of restaurants in the village as well, from fine-dining restaurants in Stateline – where Nevada’s six casinos are home to some 7,051 slot machines and 411 gaming tables – to fast-food joints and relaxed riverside diners.
Legs aching, I’m glad to settle in to a booth at Riva Grill, where we order strong cocktails and enormous steaks and watch the snow drift into the lake.
Back at Marriott’s Timber Lodge, where we’re staying, guests crowd around an oversized Korean-style barbeque table in the Fire + Ice Bar and Grill, handing over bowls of fresh ingredients to a chef who chops and grills meals before their eyes. We make a beeline for the alfresco bar, warming up with mulled wine around the open fire.
In summer
Lake Tahoe is as popular in summer as it is in winter, and Heavenly attracts droves of outdoor enthusiasts with its challenging mountain and lakeside trails. Expect mountain biking, kayaking, rock-climbing, hiking, tubing…as well as a raft of festivals and events.
NORTHSTAR CALIFORNIA
I feel an immediate affinity with Northstar. Aside from the plush Ritz-Carlton lodgings we check in to, the resort has an intimate, film-set-like appeal: the pine trees are dusted with snow; children roast marshmallows around open fires; and earmuffs and fur-trimmed boots seem to be de rigueur.
Since Vail purchased Northstar in 2010, more than US$30 million has been spent on upgrading its facilities – everything from developing world-class hotels to improving lifts and expanding terrain. The blue runs here are really blue, not blue-black, and there seem to be fewer 16-year-old snowboarders hell-bent on being the first to successfully pull off a straight-air 540 with a nose grab and switch, landing on the slopes in front of you.
And then there’s the spectacular snow: it’s bucketing down when we check in to The Ritz-Carlton, Lake Tahoe, where we’re welcomed with a packet of biscuits, marshmallows and chocolate – all the ingredients required to make layered s’mores (“some more” – get it?) to toast by the fireplaces in our rooms. Later, perched on my balcony watching snowflakes settle on pine trees, I’m caught up in the romance of the moment.
It’s still romantic the next morning, flakes settling on my eyelashes as I gear up for the day; it’s not so much fun about an hour later, when I’m soaked to the bone and freezing cold. Thankfully, there are plenty of on-mountain lodges in which I can fortify myself with chilli, more chowder and hot chocolate.
I’ve been spoilt with two days of private lessons; moving on to group lessons, I fast learn that I will no longer be learning fast. Unfortunately, our group of six is ill matched: the Bulgarian neurosurgeon has skied most of his life and is just after a refresher course; the mum from Queensland has never seen snow before today. I fall somewhere in between – literally. Our discrepant skill levels mean we stick to green runs, which I’m happy about, most of the time. It also means we stop every couple of minutes to evaluate each skier’s performance, which can get tiring. Still, it’s hard to complain when the clouds part and blue skies emerge to end the day.
The skiing
It may have 93 runs, but Northstar is sometimes referred to as “Flatstar” among those familiar with its terrain. There’s no shortage of challenging black-diamond and tree runs as well as trick parks and moguls across Northstar’s 1,200 hectares, but where Northstar excels is in its intermediate and beginner slopes – almost 75 percent of the terrain falls into this category, whereas only around 60 percent of Heavenly’s runs cater to my crowd.
Northstar also attracts another kind of crowd, thanks to its snowshoeing and cross-country centre and snow-tubing facilities. Boarders will be happy to know that two-time Olympic gold medallist, Shaun White, has been called upon to help design a seven-metre half-pipe for the resort.
And Vail intends to expand its Northstar offerings further, with plans to extend its skiable terrain in coming years – which means new gladed terrain and ski trails, another high-speed chairlift, and an increase in snowmaking facilities.
Where to stay
Situated mid-mountain, the 170-room Ritz-Carlton stands out for its ski-in/ski-out access: the hotel’s winter valet team are on call to belt up boots, supply water and line up my skis and poles in the snow, ready for the gentle glide down to the lifts and the ski school.
The light-filled lobby fills up fast come 4 p.m., when the ski lifts close for the day and guests retreat indoors, numbing sore limbs with a glass or two of Napa’s finest. Those with really sore limbs make their way to the sprawling on-site spa. Treatments here include packages such as the “Renew,” which begins with a body scrub using coffee granules and ends, about five hours later, with a facial, manicure and pedicure.
In Northstar village, accommodations range from condominiums to hotel-style units to spacious mountain homes, although it’s hard to look past the freshly minted two- and three-bedroom or penthouse accommodations at Northstar Lodge Hyatt Residence Club – the fireplace on your private balcony is a real treat.
Après ski
I’ve tackled the 3,700 steps of the Great Wall Marathon in China, climbed as high as Everest Base Camp in Tibet, and spent the best part of a week cycling around New Zealand, but I wasn’t prepared for the sheer physical exhaustion that comes from a full day of skiing. By 4 p.m. each day, it’s all I can do but crawl into bed and hibernate.
Thankfully, some of Northstar’s best restaurants are in The Ritz-Carlton itself, so I don’t have to drag myself far for dinner. Manzanita, headed up by San Francisco celebrity chef Traci Des Jardins, is especially noteworthy. The house signature Yukon gold gnocchi with porcini mushrooms, brioche croutons and truffle cream is sinful, as is the kabocha squash soup thickened with Amaretto cream and topped with cookie crumble.
One evening, I summon the energy to catch the hotel’s private gondola down to Northstar village, where there are a handful of restaurants – Baxter’s Bistro and Mikuni Japanese Restaurant & Sushi Bar are standouts. Here, eateries, bars and shops circle an ice-skating rink flanked by fireside cabanas; the complimentary village-wide Wi-Fi access is a nice touch.
In summer
Northstar transforms in summer, though it still attracts adrenalin junkies with its top-notch mountain-biking park – the most extensive lift-served park in the western U.S. The ice-skating rink becomes a rollerskating rink and, when the snow melts, the grass is trimmed to create an 18-hole, par-72 golf course. •
Photography courtesy of Vail Resorts.
Getting there
Delta Air Lines, Qantas, United Airlines and V Australia fly from Australia to Los Angeles; Delta and United offer onward connections to Reno, Nevada. From Reno, transfers are available to both Heavenly and Northstar.
• Delta Air Lines. 1800-144-917; delta.com
• Qantas.131-313; qantas.com
• United Airlines. united.com
• V Australia; 138-287; virginaustralia.com
Getting around
Avid skiers planning to explore Vail’s three Lake Tahoe resorts as well as the four they own in Colorado will want to purchase an Epic Pass, giving unlimited access to all seven destinations. snow.com/epic-pass.aspx
• Mogul Ski. 1800-335-724; mogulski.com.au
• Skimax Holidays. 1300-136-997; skimaxholidays.com.au
When to go
If you’re heading to Tahoe to ski, the winter season usually runs from mid-November to mid-April (with extensions, pending snow). At both Heavenly and Northstar, gondolas begin at 8:30 a.m. and end at 4 p.m. There are plenty of reasons to visit at other times of year, including some of North America’s best hiking and mountain-biking trails.
Where to stay
• Marriott’s Timber Lodge. 1-530/542-6600; marriott.com.au
• Ritz-Carlton, Lake Tahoe. 1-530/562-3000; ritzcarlton.com
Further information
For more information on Heavenly and Northstar as well as Vail’s five other ski resorts, check out snow.com
California Tourism can give additional tips on travelling to Lake Tahoe. 61-2/9361-0660; visitcalifornia.com
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