The flakes are already flying, a big El Nino event is predicted to bring mega-precipitation during the coming season and resorts are gearing up for projected opening dates before Thanksgiving.
Opening dates depend on Mother Nature, of course, along with ever-more- sophisticated snow-making operations. But go ahead: Wax and tune your boards and get ready to ride!
As for lift tickets: Don’t even think about daily passes — at more than $150 a day at some resorts, they rival a day at Disneyland. Instead, look at 3-to-4-day tickets and midweek season passes, which will get you on the slopes for less than $100 a day. Buy online in advance for the best deals. Check resort websites for details and sign up for notifications, as promo deals come and go all season long.
The management has changed — Discovery Land Company is the new owner — but no big on-slope changes have yet taken place, despite big development plans on the horizon. The views of Lake Tahoe are perhaps the best of any regional resort. Just zoom up to mid-mountain, grab a chair, sip a beverage and be awed.
Palisades Tahoe will once again host the Stifel Palisades Tahoe Cup, a World Cup event features some of the best men’s slalom and grand-slalom skiers in the world. Yes, it’s a trek from the Bay Area, and you’ll want to stay several days. But Mammoth is, well, mammoth, with more than 3,500 skiable acres and 150 trails spidering down from an 11,000-foot summit. The town of Mammoth Lakes is a totally engaging community with many lodging and activity options.
It’s small but oh-so-cool, with major sledding and tubing venues for families. “Play Forever Fridays” are scheduled once a month with lift tickets for $25 with 5% going to local nonprofits. It’s close, too; just take the Soda Springs exit off Interstate 80.