Starting Friday, Nov. 16, five Lake Tahoe ski resorts will be open. Three more Lake Tahoe ski resorts are opening Friday for the 2018-19 season.
A pair of Vail Resorts in Lake Tahoe — Northstar California, Heavenly Mountain – announced they will be opening Nov. 16 with limited terrain. Both resorts have been making snow the past several weeks.
Also thanks to its snowmaking capability, Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows is opening Nov. 16.
Mt. Rose was the first Lake Tahoe area ski resort to open for the season on Oct. 19, followed by Boreal Mountain on Nov. 9. Previously open on weekends only, Mt Rose just announced it will be open seven days a week, starting Nov. 16.
Like all Lake Tahoe ski resorts, Northstar wants to be open for the crucial Thanksgiving holidays, an important weekend for not only Northstar, but the entire Tahoe region.
All three resorts opening Friday upgraded their snowmaking capabilities over the summer.
“We’re really excited about opening day. We are snowmaking around the clock right now,” said Stephanie Myers, Northstar Manager of Communications. “Things may change depending on how much snow we can make, (Northstar crews) are just cranking it out.”
According to weather forecasters at OpenSnow, the Lake Tahoe area could see the first storms of the winter season as soon as Thanksgiving weekend.
To mark the start of the season, all three Lake Tahoe ski resorts will host celebrations.
Heavenly will have DJs starting at 8 a.m. at the lake-level Heavenly Village and on the mountain at 9 a.m. A ski and snowboard gear raffle will take place outside Tamarack Lodge at 11:30 a.m.
Northstar is hosting a Welcome Winter celebration all weekend. The activities get underway Friday and will feature s’mores, sleigh rides, live music, and more. It continues Saturday with a “Salutation to the Season” and a “Pass Holder Pub Crawl.”
The first guests of the season at Alpine Meadows will be welcomed with free coffee and a limited supply of complimentary Yeti mugs.
Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows and Ikon Pass will be distributing swag throughout the day at Alpine Meadows. Last Chair Bar will be open at Alpine Meadows Base Lodge, along with Treats Cafe.
Squaw Valley has invested millions in upgrades to facilities in the past seven months.
“Our snowmakers are some of the best in the business, and they are working tirelessly to get the resort open for our guests,” said Ron Cohen, president and COO of Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows. “It’s amazing to see our snowmaking and grooming teams putting a great snow surface together, even without natural snow, and even with largely unfavorable snowmaking conditions.”
The scenic Squaw Valley Aerial Tram will open for the season Friday, starting at 10 a.m. with the last download at 4:30 p.m. The tram provides sightseeing and food and drink at High Camp Marketplace from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Soda Springs Mountain: The family-friendly resort that caters to young children will open Planet Kids and Tube Town on Friday, Nov. 16, marking the resort’s earliest opening in 85 years of operation.
Planet Kids, a snow playground designed for children (7-under), and Tube Town will be open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. through Thanksgiving.
For more information, visit SkiSodaSprings.com.
