Heavenly ski area–Great views, lots of room to ride
The most unusual benefit of riding or skiing at Heavenly Mountain Resort may be the views you get even before take your first run of the day.
(Photo credit: Heavenly Mountain Resort)
What you see in the background is Lake Tahoe, one of the great alpine lakes in the world. It’s about 22 miles long and 12 miles wide. It’s in class with the Turnagain Arm (Alyeska, Alaska) and Lake Superior (Lutsen, Minnesota). It will often, though not always, be visible to you as you start your descents.
The natural beauty of the lake contrasts with the neon of the casinos in nearby Stateline, Nevada. But if you stay there, you have a short walk to the gondola. The Embassy Suites, in California, is even closer. Once you’re on the gondola, be sure to stop at the mid-way station to soak in a view before starting your day.
Once your ride on the gondola ends, you’ll have plenty of choices, since the mountain sprawls out for over 4,800 skiable acres, more than just about any resort out there. (Mammoth, Vail, and Powder Mountain are bigger). For the most difficult terrain, pass through the gates at Mott and Killebrew canyons, as well as nearby Milky Way Bowl. If you like intermediate cruisers, the runs serviced by the Dipper Express are good; you can also make your way over to the Comet Express, if lines at the Dipper are too long for your taste.
(Did I mention there are lake views? Photo credit: Heavenly Mountain Resort)
Beginner’s runs are few and scattered across both the Nevada and California sides, so if you’re a novice, your choices may be limited. (Complete newbies should head straight for the California Lodge.)
There are of course several lodges on the mountain. The Tamarack Lodge, near the top of the gondola, is the most recent. From 3:30 until 5:30, the place hosts “Unbuckle” an apres-ski/ride party with DJs, music, and dancers known as “Heavenly Angels.”
(Photo credit: Chris Stamey, via Heavenly Mountain Resort)
Nearby terrain serves as a ski school for children, as well as the site of a tubing area. You may even meet “Ripperoo,” the resort’s official mascot.
Snowboarders, take note
Most ski areas have spots that are difficult for snowboarders, and Heavenly is no exception. For example, the Sky Express lift takes you to 10,040 feet, which is roughly in the middle of the mountain, on an east-to-west basis. From the top, Skyline trail takes you over to the Nevada side. Be warned, however: For quite a ways, it is relatively flat, meaning that you may need to unbuckle and walk for a while. You may also have the same problem, though on a smaller scale, if you head over to the Nevada side from the top of the Big Easy lift, which serves a short beginner’s slope near top of the gondola.
Getting home
One odd thing about Heavenly is that you can’t ski or ride down to the base–at least if you want to stay in bounds and on the good side of the management. You have two other choices. The first is to download, which is to say, take the gondola back down at the end of the day. The second is to ski or ride down to one of the several non-gondola bases and then wait for a shuttle bus. The bus works just fine, but you may find yourself stuck with nothing to do for 20 or 25 minutes to do. For example, the Stagecoach parking lot features a repair shop and … nothing else.