California: Golden State Mines White Gold These Days -
You'll be hard pressed to find a more diehard skier than a Californian. They'll drive four, six, seven, even eight hours each way - and that's if there's no traffic - just to ski two days in Mammoth or at Lake Tahoe resort.
That doesn't mean that the smaller Southern California resorts like Snow Summit, Mountain High, Bear Mountain (or Big Bear as long timers know it), and Snow Valley don't get their share of ski and snowboard business. It's just that with all that sunshine, a Californian will go a long way for a snow fix.
Start in southern California. Located in the San Bernardino Mountains and a mere gas tank away many Angelenos take advantage of the day trip to the groomers at Snow Summit or the terrain parks of Bear as the resorts are about two miles apart and are connected via a free inter-mountain express shuttle service. One super cool feature is Bear Mountain's revolving jib setup that puts both riders and skiers on center stage.
Still closer to the big city is Mountain High, just 75 minutes from Los Angeles and Orange Counties. It's a fave with the snowboarding and family market with three distinctly different mountains and the North Pole Tubing Park.
Outside of county limits, head north towards Mammoth and June mountains. Tucked up high on the eastern slope of the Sierra Nevada, world-class Mammoth draws staggering weekend skier visits spread over vast terrain, but that same terrain and park features open up to lucky weekday vacationers and sneakaways. When you don’t mind a more intimate mountain and less crowded slopes, head 20 miles north of Mammoth Lakes to June Mountain.
Heading to northern California: The Central Sierra is slightly closer to the Central Valley and San Francisco Bay Area than Southern California spots and offer a region of spectacular scenery including Yosemite, Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks.
Stay in Yosemite National Park and take the free shuttle for a day of skiing at Badger Pass - a venerable mostly beginner's dream hill. Other cool spots for beginners and families are Bear Valley, Dodge Ridge and Sierra Summit.
The California side of beautiful Lake Tahoe encompasses more than a dozen downhill and cross-country resorts and endless winter vacation opportunities.
Kirkwood Mountain Resort is located atop the Sierra Crest and receives some of the lightest and driest snow in the region. Sierra-At-Tahoe, the closest resort to Sacramento and the Bay Area, boasts that 70 percent of their open trails are groomed each night, but the steep Huckleberry Canyon beckons backcountry extremists.
Heavenly, well, is heavenly with over 4,800 acres (California’s most) and over $250 million in enhancements from on-mountain amenities to village improvements, and a family adventure center for non-skiing fun. Plus, there's the devilish border side in Stateline for all-night games or clubbing at the vibrant casinos or the only stateside Cabo Wabo.
Squaw Valley USA, on the opposite side of the Lake, may not have the same nightlife as Heavenly, but after a day of wicked cliffs, giant bowls, and thigh-burning runs more than three miles long, you'll be begging for soft sheets and eight hours of zzzs. Squaw was the site of the 1960 Winter Olympics, the first to be televised worldwide.
Squaw's antitheses, Alpine Meadows and Homewood resorts, proudly boast more relaxed atmospheres and a return to the soul of skiing (pre- lattes and wireless networking).
Count on early season skiing at Northstar-At-Tahoe thanks to an extensive snowmaking system that covers more than 50 percent of their nearly 3,000 acres. The Northstar Village and many new developments are transforming the Truckee resort into one of the nation's finest.
At Sugar Bowl, the closest major ski resort to the Bay Area, skiers and riders in the know understand one can skip the Squawlywood crowd and the Tahoe Basin traffic and get right to the powder. Boreal’s world-class terrain parks helped it reign in the February 2009 U.S. Snowboarding Grand Prix.
No matter where you live in California, you’re guaranteed to find a resort within driving distance that will suit your needs, your family's needs and even your drinking and partying buddy's needs.
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