Californians have long been flocking to the Lake Tahoe area for summer fun along the lake, but the area shouldn’t be forgotten about during winter ski season. And if living in the relatively flat city of sunny Los Angeles has made you a little wary of steep mountains covered with snow, well then Tahoe’s an even more attractive choice for your ski vacation destination.
Northstar-at-Tahoe, California, is an excellent choice for skiers of all levels, but especially for those just starting out or who haven’t been on skies for a while. There’s a good ski school for beginners, (but still plenty of trails for more experienced skiers) and most of the runs aren’t as steeep as what you’d find at nearby area resorts. Northstar is also known for its tree skiing and fall lines which make for better sheltered runs during storms at at times when the powder is particularly deep.
The mountain offers 92 runs on 3,000 acres and features the largest snowmaking system of any resort in North Lake Tahoe. Plus, at only about 40 miles from the Reno-Tahoe airport (with cheap flights to Reno departing from LA daily), it’s very easy to get to from Los Angeles.
And if skiing isn’t your winter sport of choice, you also snowboard, snowshow (just be sure you know how to choose the right snowshoes to make the sport more comfortable) or simply enjoy the apres-ski scene.
Photo by dannebrog