Welcome back to Skiing Through Life! This week we’re jetting out to California to look at some of the US’s most scenic skiing. Heavenly Ski Resort, more commonly known as Lake Tahoe ski area, sits in south Lake Tahoe on the California-Nevada border, right in the middle of the El Dorado-Toiyabe National Forest. Throughout the resort, beautiful views of Lake Tahoe are almost always visible. The striking blue of the lake in the background, against the glittering white snow makes for a picture-perfect ski getaway.
Level of Difficulty
The terrain at Heavenly Resort is like nothing else with the most skiable acres at Lake Tahoe. Guests at this resort can enjoy 3500 vertical feet of pure powder and a huge feature is crossing state lines while you’re skiing! Luckily for intermediate skiers, 62% of the trails at Heavenly are category blue which is a huge difference from most resorts on the west coast. 8% of the trails are beginner trails and then 25% are black diamond with the remaining 5% being double black diamonds. There are 97 total runs at this mountain, 2 terrain parks and the longest run is 5.5 miles! Heavenly consists of 2 main mountains with their base areas up at 7170 feet and their summit being 10,067 feet.
Family-Friendliness
With 70% of the runs at this mountain categorized as intermediate skiing level or below, this mountain is absolutely a perfect destination for either families with young kids or guests just learning how to ski. Intermediate runs can also be great for those who are a bit timid when skiing out west. It’s important to acknowledge that blue trails on bigger mountains are typically the equivalent of black runs on smaller mountains, so when confident east coast skiers trek out to the west, these blue runs can be a great place to start off. One of the biggest guest services that Heavenly boasts is their day care center. It’s conveniently located in the California Base Lodge and there are multiple options when dropping off your kids such as one-on-one nanny services to ski lessons mixed with day care services.
Apres-Ski Activities
Apres-Ski activities at heavenly include everything from horse-drawn sleigh rides to the ultimate spa treatments, to shopping along the edge of gorgeous Lake Tahoe. For actual activities, Heavenly boasts sleigh and carriage rides, a cinema, a bowling alley, an escape room, and even an Italian music lounge. If looking for some great grub after a long day of skiing, you can choose from a steakhouse, a lakefront cafe, multiple bars, or even a latin restaurant. If these options don’t excite, there are over 20 more options for quick food like a donut shop to fine dining at a seafood restaurant. One of my favorite things to always look for at a ski resort are the spas because I can always guarantee that I’ll be sore after the first couple of days out skiing. Offering over 5 spas in the area, the most popular spa Heavenly guests flock to is BioSpirit. Lastly, the shopping in the main village at Heavenly is sure to excite us ski fanatics. Cecil’s Plaza in the village offers many different ski gear stores such as Oakley, Patagonia, the North Face, and demo gear shops.
Weather/Snowfall
Heavenly, even being in California, is able to boast an average of 360 inches of snowfall per year with 300 of their season’s days being bluebirds. Heavenly even offers a text service that will keep you up-to-date with the mountain conditions. The mountain releases daily snow reports and if there’s a sudden shortage of snow, their snowmakers are able to cover 73% of the entire mountain.
Accessibility
Because the east is known for its icy terrain, many people will fly out to Heavenly to ski in the west coast powder. If flying into the resort, guests can come into the Reno/Tahoe International Airport or the Sacramento International Airport. If flying into the first location, guests can jump right on Highway 580 and arrive within an hour. The best part of flying into the resort is that if you present your boarding pass and an ID to someone at guest services, you’ll receive a free afternoon lift ticket to ski that day from 12:30-4:00! To learn more about this opportunity, click here.
Overall, Heavenly offers a huge opportunity for skiers to take their technique from a beginner skier to an intermediate or even advanced level because of the huge amount of intermediate terrain offered here. It’s a great location for families and it’s scenic skiing views are something everyone should experience at least once.