SNOWPALS’ RIDESHARE
- Since 1999, Bay Area & Tahoe Snow Sports Community – a grassroots effort
- Going on our 13th winter season
- Connect with 5,700+ Skiers and Snowboarders for Trips to Tahoe and Beyond
- Best of all, Snowpals Rideshare is a FREE service
- For 2012, we’re excited to announce Sports Basement as Snowpals’ designated meetup venue. Come to our monthly meetups at Sports Basement to expand your social circle and connect for Tahoe trips.
SF Bay Area Skiers & Boarders–rideshare to Tahoe, reduce your carbon foot-print, save money, and expand your social circle. Join now! Free!
This is the place where you can offer rides OR receive rides between the Bay Area and Tahoe, day trip or multiple nights. Our members are serious snow-sport fanatics. There is always someone doing the three hours haul to between the mountains and the bay everyday.
We’ve been promoting and facilitating rideshare and carpool between the Bay Area and Tahoe since 1999. We’re a grass-root organization, and we’re FREE to join. The more people you tell about us, the better our community becomes.
Here are some of the stuff our members have been doing:
1) Rider & driver barter, ie. ride to Tahoe for free night stay at cabin/ski lease.
2) Riders & driver pool resources to rent lodges and share expenses.
3) Members who are university students get to network with members who are professionals. Novice skiers/boarders get advice & tips from experts.
Going strong for our 12th year, we have not had any bad experiences reported for rideshares.
To keep everyone honest and on his/her best behavior,we use a blacklist (maintained by member’s feedback) for anyone who breaks agreements or act inappropriately.
In addition, as an added safety measure, we asked that drivers and passengers add each other as friends on facebook and/or linkedin.
(1) Rideshare host driver and riders/passengers exhange contacts.
If you’ve never met before, for safety purposes, we suggest you exchange business cards and/or photocopy driver’s license with your rideshare driver/passengers – you can give them back to the owner once the trip has been completed; exchange phone numbers & emergency contacts. Tell family/friends your trip plan/agenda, who you are going with/who to call, and when to expect your return.
(2) Host drivers: state clearly how much the rideshare will cost in advance and the method of determining cost. Drivers have the discretion to set cost sharing. Also state clearly your preference for passengers, ie. non-smoker, esp in the car; your preference in music, etc. Also, when posting a ride share offer, please include how much space you have for skis, snowboard and gear, etc./if you have a ski rack, the type of car you are driving, ie. AWD Subaru Forester, 4WD Jeep, etc, and your departure point in the Bay Area AND your driving route, and your ski resort destination in Tahoe for easy rideshare coordination.
(3) Passengers: be aware that aside from the cost of gas, other nontangible factors to consider: a) driver’s time to drive you to the slopes and back, b) the wear, tear & mileage on the driver’s car, c) oftentimes, the driver goes out of his/her way to pick you up and drop you off.
(4) Passengers: be sure to thank your driver (just common courtesy). Offer to drive if your driver is tired. If you brought some snacks, offer your driver some as a way to say thanks. Try to be flexible and easy going – it’s all about having a successful rideshare to Tahoe and a great day on the slopes. State your preference in regards to either skiing or riding together once you get to the resort or going solo and meeting up at a designated meeting point afterwards. Remember to set a meetup point if you go separate ways. Agree on what to do in case of an emergency ~ who to contact, etc. (ie. someone gets hurt on the slopes).
(5) Everyone should have with him/her a fully charged mobile phone and the numbers of his/her rideshare party.
These are just general guidelines to get you started on setting up a successful rideshare. SnowPals hope you meet some fun members in the group, and perhaps expand your circle of ski and snowboarding friends in the process. Happy ridesharing! Help SnowPals grow, tell people on the ski lifts and your friends on facebook about us. If you have some suggestions to improve our rideshare process, please contact us.
If you are not already a member, join Snowpals at
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ski_pal
to read the latest Tahoe rideshare/snow trip requests and/or post yours.
Monthly Meetups Mixers Help to Connect Members for Rideshares
If you’re shy about getting/giving rides with people you haven’t met, then come to our Meetup Mixers. Get to know them before riding with them!
RSVP for our upcoming mixers by checking out our evite links at www.snowpals.org/events
Check out photos from Snowpals’ past mixer:
Photos from SnowPals.org Oct 12 Pre-Snow Season Mixer at Loft 11 SF
Would you like to help with our meetups?
Please contact us if you’d like to help out with Snowpals’ bi-monthly mixers near you.We usually have meetups in SF, Berkeley and the South Bay. We’re looking to hold mixers in the North Bay, Peninsula and Tahoe apres ski events soon. If you’d like to host or help out, please contact us. You’ll not only be appreciated but we’ll give you some perks as well such as free event entry, extra event raffle tickets, free gift card, lift ticket, etc. 
~ check out Snowpals’ mixer photos ~
When you post a rideshare wanted or offer, please include these key info in your posting:
- First name
- Age (even a range is ok)
- M or F (this oftentimes matter esp for F who wants to rideshare with another F if she is trying out ridesharing for the 1st time & have a preference)
- Departure location (city); pick up at Bart or coordinate specifics
- ski or board? (if skiing or riding together)
- skill level
- Desired resort(s)
- Day trip or overnight
- Shared lodging, stay as a guest in a ski lease, etc
- Smoker/non-smoker
- Cost (filled out by the driver)
- Time-range for departure and return
- Willing to drive or looking for a ride
- (optional) a link to your FB to share face pics/get friended and/or share your Linkedin as an extra safety measure.
Too often, people do not include a lot of relevant info that I would be helpful for planning/coordination, and before meeting up with someone for ride sharing. It just requires more work to get this info with back and forth emailing if you do not include these key info. Please refer to this guideline whenever you post a rideshare on our list.
Below are some excerpts of rideshare offers & requests to give you an idea of how active and useful SnowPals RideShare can be(contact information have been removed):
(Scroll down to read more)
Here’s a detailed listing:
“Hello Fellow Snow Enthusiasts!
I’m doing a day trip to Kirkwood this Saturday. I’m looking for a couple passengers.
When: Saturday December 3rd.
Starting: I leave San Francisco around 4:30AM.
Arrival: I hope to get to Kirkwood around 8:30AM
Return: Leave Kirkwood around 3:00PM and hope to return to SF around 7:30PM
Cost: The trip cost is the cost of gas split evenly among everyone in the truck; usually around $15 per person (has been as low as $12 and as high as $25) depending on road conditions (4WD eats up more gas, being stuck in traffic too…but I anticipate good road conditions). (plus the cost of your lift ticket or pass of course)
Pick Up: I leave from Cole Valley and am willing to pick up people at convenient meeting spots along my way leaving the city and along the way leaving the Bay Area (I usually pick up others off of 580 or 24).
Me: I’m an expert Skier and a beginner to intermediate snowboarder, my friend is an expert snowboarder.
You: any skill level…ski/ride with me or on your own, engage in conversations with me and the other passengers or sleep all the way up and back. Just be punctual and chip in for gas.
If you’re interested or have any questions let me know.”
- Keith
More listing excerpts:
1) Day Trip to Sierra this Tuesday 12/8
Anyone up for a powder day up at Sierra this tuesday? I’m flexible and willing to leave any time to accommodate. Please send a reply.
This message came from our forum at
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ski_pal/message/11274
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2) Ride Offered Tuesday morning, returning Wednesday afternoon.
I’m heading up to Alpine tomorrow morning sometime (I just need to get to Alpine before 4:00pm) and returning on Wednesday afternoon. I’ll be leaving Alpine at 1:00pm sharp to be back on the Peninsula before a 6:00pm meeting. If either side of this commute works for you and you aren’t too far out of my way, let me know.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ski_pal/message/11273
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3) Shred Boreal or anywhere if you have passes tuesday the 8th
I’m thinking about heading up for all the fresh pow anyone want to split gas and come along for the adventure? I have room for 3+gear. I’m a snowboarder and am thinking about going to boreal from 9am to 9pm I live in vallejo.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ski_pal/message/11265
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4) Day trip/ride to Northstar or Heavenly on Sat, 12/12
Hi everyone, I am planning a one day ski trip on 12/12 to Northstar at Tahoe or Heavenly. Leaving earlier in the morning and coming back the same day. If you are planning the same trip, I would be happy to share ride, gas and even skiing on the slopes. I can ski pretty much everything blue, red, black, double black..
Instead of the gas contribution, I can also give you a Northstar or Heavenly lift ticket for $25-$30 less. I have two with me now. Alternatively, I can pay cash for gas and try to sell the extra ticket.
Shortly about me: I am young professional, work in the financial district and love to have fun! Originally from Europe, now enjoying CA.
I can meet pretty much everywhere in the bay area. Thanks.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ski_pal/message/11262
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5) Day trip or overnight trip rideshare offered
Day trip or two to any of the following: heavenly, boreal, sugar bowl, bear valley, etc. from the south bay if possible. Avid is better. Tell me something about you and leave me your contact info, email or #, friend me on FB or send LinkedIn contact, thanks – Jen
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ski_pal/message/11254
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6) Anyone going to be at Northstar Monday or Tuesday?
I’ll be heading up from Sacramento Monday early morning, then staying until Tuesday.
Not sure if anyone can use Monday morning as a ride share opportunity, return I’m not even sure time or if I’m really coming back Tuesday.
If your at Northstar thoes days, I’ll probably be the only ski-biker there, so come say Hi. I’d be nice to meet new folks. – Larry
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ski_pal/message/11247
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7) Rideshare from SF to North Lake Tahoe (NLT) – December 12 / 13
Hi, I will drive to North Lake Tahoe on Saturday morning [departure: ~ 5am] and come back to San Francisco on Sunday night. I may have a place for you to stay overnight. Let me know if interested…Claire
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ski_pal/message/11275
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Split costs to stay at Squaw?
I want to start this season off in relative comfort and limited driving. Thinking about reserving a place at the Squaw Valley Lodge. Anyone feel like splitting costs for a spot at the base of KT? I’m thinking about going up sometime between the Dec. 16th and 25th for as many as 5 days. If we split it 3 ways, that’s just around three hundred each. Or, the other option is you have a place close to Squaw already and I can pay guest fees? Could use a ride or will give a ride (only have room for one with gear). Female intermediate/advanced snowboarder. Fun as hell. -Joanna
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ski_pal/message/11276