Looking to share a ski lease or are you a ski lease organizer? We’re trying to gauge interest, consider sharing your input with the following survey..
Like many of you, the ski/snowboard community is trying to adjust to the new normal with the COVID-19 pandemic still at the top of many of our minds. You can help us by sharing your opinion about ski lease housing options.
Please take a few minutes to help us at SnowPals understand your thoughts for the upcoming 2020/2021 Ski Season. Your opinion matters and will help ski Lease/ski club operators better adjust.
Our ski lease share housing survey concluded on 9/21/20. The following are the top level results:
1) Did you participate in a ski lease last season for 2019/2020?
41% YES
2) Has the Covid-19 crisis & ‘work from home’ changed your ability to ski mid-week? (Select the option the best describes your situation.)
48% Yes, it has changed, I CAN NOW ski mid week!!!
3) What type of membership are you looking for?
66% Full time
4) Are you planning to participate in a ski lease for the 2020/2021 season? Given providers can offer a safer alternative (with Covid-19 exposure minimization as the focus) to a traditional lease?
57% Maybe, it depends on the what the offering is
5) If you were to join a lease this year, how would you join?
48% As an individual
6) If ‘No’, please share with us why you have decided against participation in any ski lease for 2020/21? (Enter ‘N/A’ if you answered ‘Yes’ or ‘Maybe’ previously.)
Survey responses:
“Not sure it will work for us. open to reviewing available options, though.”
“I would be comfortable with a ski lease with MY friends, but am wary about joining with strangers due to COVID.”
“This is not the year to risk my family’s health to go boarding. We’ll be hitting the mountains, but most likely traveling up “day of.”
“Currently undecided, waiting to see how pandemic restrictions will be for the winter – if infections will or will not get out of control. It’s really a cost/risk/benefit analysis so still on the fence.”
“Uncertainty about ski resorts operating.”
Due to uncertainty around ski resort opening and constraints around leases, I will figure out after the season has started what I’ll do.
“Covid concerns”
“Limited funds/money for leisure budget this year”
“Not safe to be in a ski lease”
“For my family, it’s a lot of work to ski with a toddler, and they’re not good at social distancing or hygiene. The resort plans kinda sound like a mess, and it’s hard to plan backcountry days when only one of us can go at a time.”
“I don’t trust a group of random skiers to truly be covid safe unless it was proven”
“Covid – too much expanded risk. Last year’s lease had wonderful people – including icu nurse, home healthcare provider. May contribute financially to our ski lease group so it’s in existence a year from now.”
“Haven’t decided yet. Waiting to see if we get COVID infections under control especially during flu season/winter months.”
“I would only join with people I know and trust who agree to keeping the ski lease closed to others.”
7) If you were to participate, which Tahoe area?
South Shore: 28% or about 1 out of 3
North Shore: 55% or about 1/2
8) What are your concerns about joining a ski lease this season?
39% Related to the people I would be joining with (related to Covid-19 exposure)
33% Related to the possibility of limited access to the house vs. the cost to join (because of possible Covid-19 limitations)
9) Which one of these ski lease configurations would be most interesting to you? (Given cleaning and safety options were put in place).
Smaller Bubble Lease: Leasers in small bubbles (4 to 6 lease members). A smaller lease with NO OVERLAP between bubbles of leasers between the weekend and mid-week leasers. Possible guaranteed room for you and your partner. Example: Weekend+ Bubble A (Friday through Monday) has access the first weekend, Midweek has access for 3 days (Tuesday through Thursday), Weekend+ Bubble B has access for the next weekend, repeat.
Survey questions created by Mike K., South Tahoe ski lease organizer.
What are on most people’s minds in regards to 20/21 ski season as winter is coming?
Tahoe winter season poll survey results are in; see how many Bay Area residents plan to sit out 20/21 ski season vs how many people plan to ski, snowboard and how often vs how many people plan to ski, engage in snow-sports in the backcountry?
Poll survey result reveals that 14% of people are planning to sit out this ski season due to COVID concerns, 54% plan to take 11+ trips, and 25% 1-10 trips while 7% plan to ski, ride backcountry or participate in other snow-sports.
Season Pass holders’ message is clear: ski, ride as much as possible contingent on Tahoe resorts’ operations staying opened.
Please feel free to with friends and family ♥
?❄️☃️⛷?⛸
Looking to share a ski lease or looking for a Tahoe area rental for the winter?
As ski resorts open, the most commonly asked question on the minds of many skiers’ and snowboarders’ is:
What will the 2020-21 Tahoe ski season will be like during coronavirus with resorts implementing COVID-19 safety measures?
Tahoe area ski resorts indicated that cleaning and sanitation will increase in frequency and rigor and that physical distancing and masks will be required in indoor areas, base areas, lift mazes, on chairlifts and on shuttle buses.
Only related groups can ride together on chairlifts; there will be occupancy limits at indoor spaces and on shuttle buses, and Ski & Ride School will operate with reduced capacities.
Most resorts will have a reservation system to limit resort and slope-side capacity. Resort visitors will be required to make a reservation before arriving at the mountain. Resorts will limit the number of people allowed on site daily. Many will require you to buy your lift pass and book your time on the slopes at least a day in advance; you can no longer just show up on a powder day and buy lift tickets the day of.
Those with season pass will still need to reserve slope-side days. Resorts will likely sell-out for several days in advance especially on powder days. How does Epic Pass resort reservation system works?
Also as many transactions as possible will be conducted online prior to arrival to reduce interactions.
If you’d like to book your resort visit for fresh POWder days & holiday weekends, the best strategy is to..
Megan Michelson, a reporter with the San Francisco Chronicle, details what Tahoe ski season could look like during coronavirus/COVID-19:
“Winter sports can still happen in the COVID era. Skiing and snowboarding are relatively well suited to a viral outbreak. They take place outside, generally away from others, and skiers are used to wearing face coverings and gloves. But life at ski resorts — assuming they’ll be able to open safely this winter — will not look the same. Many resorts were able to open for limited summer operations, like biking and hiking, and Southern Hemisphere ski resorts in places like Chile and New Zealand opened with strict COVID guidelines. With guidance from public health experts, California ski resorts are now working on reopening plans and how to best protect guests, employees and ski-town communities.
“Things will be different this winter, but we are a highly adaptable industry, having faced droughts, excessive snowfall and road closures,” says Katie Hunter, director of sales and marketing at Sierra-at-Tahoe. “We believe that winter outdoor recreation, when practiced safely, will be a source of healing for people.”
Goggle tans no more
Masks will be required at most ski resorts in congested areas. Vail Resorts — which operates Tahoe’s Heavenly, Northstar and Kirkwood — is requiring face coverings in designated zones, like inside the lodge, in lift lines and in ski school corrals. “Just as other tourist destinations have required, we must ensure that face coverings are not optional if you are walking around with a drink or snack in your hand,” Vail Resorts CEO Rob Katz wrote in an open letter to guests.
Proper masks are preferable to the standard skiers’ Buff. “Synthetic fibers like those in a Buff are technically not as good as a cotton mask, which has more three-dimensional structure to block the potentially virus-laden droplets more efficiently,” says Peter Chin-Hong, a professor of medicine and an infectious disease specialist at UCSF. “But in community mask wearing, fit and convenience trump quality of the mask. For skiers, it’s perfectly fine to use the neck gaiter if it means you will wear it when you need to.”
Give a ski’s length in line
Physical distancing guidelines will also be in place. You’ll find signage and marked spots on the ground to remind you to give at least 6 feet of space while you wait for food, rentals, lifts and other services. You’ll load chairlifts and gondolas only with those in your existing group. (Singles will likely need to ride solo or with empty spaces in between.) Lift lines will inevitably move slower and stretch farther in length.
In the lodge, you’ll find signage that could indicate one-way traffic or specific doors for entering and exiting to eliminate congestion. Yes, everything will take a little longer, but that’s OK. Take a deep breath and be thankful you’re out there.
What day is it anyway?
While everyone used to live by traditional Monday-through-Friday work and school schedules, with schools and jobs going remote, expect to see more crowds midweek and less of a hustle on weekends. With many city dwellers relocating to the mountains with remote jobs, the typical Friday-night traffic flow to Tahoe may be reduced. Best news? If you’ve already relocated to the mountains, your kid can now ski for PE on a Monday and you can squeeze in a midday powder session between Zoom meetings.
Plan your ski days ahead of time
Ticket sales may be capped to limit the number of skiers on the hill each day. Homewood, for example, plans to limit season-pass sales and cap daily lift tickets during peak periods. So this is not the season to spontaneously go skiing. Plan well ahead and purchase lift tickets online and in advance.
“When there are capacity restrictions, you can expect advance registration systems,” says Adrienne Saia Isaac, spokesperson for the National Ski Areas Association. “Ski areas will be responsible for creating clear, up-to-date messaging across their channels, and skiers and riders will need to check the ski area’s website before they hit the slopes to learn about whatever local regulations may be in place.”
Lunch will be served on the tailgate
Ski-town and on-mountain restaurants are pivoting to offer more takeout and outdoor dining options. Think grab-and-go windows, food trucks and patio seating. You’ll still be able to enter lodges and order food, but you’ll find more heat lamps and outdoor firepits to encourage you to dine alfresco. You’ll also see a lot more people packing their own lunch and eating at their car or slopeside condo. In towns like Truckee or South Lake Tahoe, gone are the days of weekend crowds surging popular bars and restaurants. You’ll order food and drinks to go and bring it back to your cabin.
“For skiers, many settings are low risk — particularly those in the open air and while enjoying the slopes,” says Chin-Hong. “One area that is especially at risk is the après-ski setting at the lodge where people may be eating, drinking. I would avoid that area if possible and take your hot chocolate outside or back to your room.”
Goodbye, carpooling
Carpooling to the mountains with people not in your household is a thing of the past, so you may see an uptick in cars heading from the Bay Area to Tahoe. When in the mountains, you can still ride public transportation like buses or on-demand rides to the ski hill, but plan on wearing a mask, sitting far from others and keeping the windows open. Most likely, you’ll be driving your own car or staying close enough to the mountain that you can walk to the lifts. Before you go, check resorts’ apps or websites for up-to-date parking and transportation tips.
Lifties gone robotic
Resorts are moving many services to digital to reduce face-to-face contact. Take Sugar Bowl. The resort has invested in radio-frequency identification scanning gates at all primary chairlifts for this winter, as well as new self-service stations for other services to promote contactless transactions. It’s official: Gone are the days of human ticket checkers scanning your pass in line. This winter, you’ll purchase or reload your lift ticket, sign up for ski lessons and talk to guest services online or via the resort’s app.
You can always cancel
New cancellation policies and beefed-up refund guarantees are now in place to give you peace of mind in case the ski season gets shut down due to COVID or you need to cancel plans for any reason. Vail Resorts introduced Epic Coverage, which comes free with every Epic Pass this season, to provide refunds for certain resort closures, as well as job loss, illness or injury. Ikon Pass — which works at Squaw Valley-Alpine Meadows, Mammoth Mountain and June Mountain — now comes with Adventure Assurance to let you defer use of your pass for any reason to next year.
Sierra-at-Tahoe has a Play it Forward Guarantee that lets you credit this year’s pass to next season due to any unforeseen circumstances, and Homewood’s new guarantee offers prorated refunds on passes if the mountain is forced to close before March 1 due to non-weather events.
Squaw Valley-Alpine Meadows has tentative plans to open on Nov. 25. “Our team is doing everything we need to do to be ready to offer skiing and riding for the upcoming winter season,” says Ron Cohen, president of Squaw Valley-Alpine Meadows. “We are planning for a dynamic environment, building a full set of tools to be able to best respond to whatever comes our way, so that we can continue to offer outdoor recreation to all of our dedicated skiers and riders.” – SF Chronicle.
Looking to join a shared ski lease or are you a ski lease organizer? We’re trying to gauge sentiments, consider sharing your input with the following survey..
Like many of you, the ski/snowboard community is trying to adjust to the new normal with the COVID-19 pandemic still at the top of many of our minds. You can help us by sharing your opinion about ski lease housing options.
Please take a few minutes to help us at SnowPals understand your thoughts for the upcoming 2020/2021 Ski Lease season. Your opinion matters and will help ski Lease operators better adjust. We will publish the top level results for everyone to benefit from.
Survey questions created by Mike K., ski lease organizer.
Ski resorts opening dates and operations are contingent on state and local public health restrictions and guidelines during the pandemic; read the latest on COVID-19 pandemic emergency alert to see what businesses are opened:
“The Tahoe-Truckee region is governed by 6 counties, a city, a town, two states, and the federal government. This can create a lot of confusion even when we aren’t operating under COVID-19 restrictions. Here are some frequently asked questions and answers.
Keep in mind, guidelines and laws are changing almost daily; check the latest update at
Looking for the best value offerings for learn to ski and snowboard package deals for Lake Tahoe resorts?
Skiing and snowboarding is an expensive sport; you not only have to buy or rent skis, snowboard, winter clothing and gear but you also have to purchase a lift ticket to be able access mountain slopes. So the best way to save money for first time learn to ski, board is to take advantage of learn to ski, ride package deals.
What does a typical ski/snowboard package deal includes?
First time learn to ski and snowboard package includes:
+ an all-day beginner lift ticket
+ all-day equipment rental (skis, poles, boots or snowboard and boots) and
+ a 1.75 hour group lesson
Most resorts will have an option to upgrade to a full lift ticket (allowing access to all chairlifts) in the afternoon after completion of lesson package can do so for an additional cost.
The best value deal for Tahoe resorts’ learn to ski, ride packages are ..
1) “Only 280 steps from lift-to-lake gives us an unbeatable lakeside skiing experience.” – parking is free and is slope-side so no need to lug your gear long distances to the ski lift.
2) Homewood got scenic panoramic lake views which makes it seem like you are skiing/riding right into the lake. Great resort for lakeside photography.
3) Great tree runs and especially great on windy days when other Tahoe resorts have to place their ski lifts on wind hold, Homewood’s lifts continue to spin since the resort’s tall trees protect the ski lifts from wind gusts.
Area Map, Get Driving Directions
✔ === Sugar Bowl Mountain Resort === Learn to Ski or Snowboard for $99
Get coaching from the best instructors. Sugar Bowl’s team can take you from “never ever” to making turns on the slopes in no time.
Includes a half day group lesson, rental equipment and beginner lift ticket. Lift ticket valid on White Pine and Nob Hill beginner lifts. Ages 13+.
Morning Half Day | Starts at 9:45am
Afternoon Half Day | Starts at 1:00pm
To ensure availability of instructors prior to your arrival, reservations highly recommended – book ahead at Sugarbowl.com
* Lessons will sell-out most weekends and holidays. If getting rentals, plan to arrive at the rental shop at least 1 hour prior to your lesson time (1 1/2 hours on weekends/holidays). Plan to arrive to the meeting area at least 15 minutes prior to your lesson.
Area Map, Get Driving Directions
✔ === Donner Ski Ranch === – quick and easy access off Interstate 80 North towards Reno on Donner Summit.
Lifts Open 9 am – 4 pm
Snow Tubing 10 am – 4 pm.
LESSON TIMES
9 AM, 10:30 AM, 1 PM, 2:30 PM.
Adult and Youth Learn to Turn Package, Ages 13-69 for $99
Child Learn to Turn Package, Ages 6-12 for $79
This resort has a wide introductory hill, with 16 out of its 52 runs marked for beginners (green circles). Donner Ski Ranch has a front and backside accessible through six chairlifts and a magic carpet.
Donner Ski Ranch is one of oldest ski resorts in Tahoe perfect for everyone including families with kids. Donner Ski Ranch spans 500 acres of varied terrain so there’s something for everyone.
They also have a tubing hill with magic carpet access.
No need to book in advance, pricing is the same everyday even on holidays. If you’re concerned about the ski lessons filling up on the weekends, make sure to reserve spots in advance at donnerskiranch.com/skischool
✔ === Mt Rose ===located less than 20 minutes to Incline Village, and about 45 minutes to Reno on the Mt. Rose Highway (NV-431); a medium sized mountain with 1,200 acres of terrain and a base elevation of 8,260 feet which equates to getting more snow, and to be able to preserve the snow better since it’s colder at higher elevation. Mt Rose offers $99 learn to ski, ride deal which must be booked in advance at SkiRose.com
A great option to ski then stay in Reno with its abundant nightlife, live music, casinos, spa, variety of restaurants and sushi buffets to choose from.
On a holiday weekend when most Tahoe area hotels are booked out or priced out of your range, staying in Reno offers good value lodging accommodations.
Area Map, Get Driving Directions
✔ === TAKE 3, RIDE FREE at Boreal ===
SKI + SNOWBOARD LESSON PROGRAM
Looking for the quickest and most convenient Tahoe resort to get to? Boreal is right off I80 North in Soda Springs and has nine chairlifts, and offers night skiing until 9 pm.
Complete 3 Qualifying Lessons, Get a FREE Boreal Unlimited Season Pass
‘Go from learning to turn and stop to full shred in no time with Boreal’s Take 3, Ride FREE program. Recognized as one of the best beginner ski and ride programs in the country, this prepaid package includes (3) single-day, half-day lesson packages and a FREE Boreal Season Pass* on your fourth visit.
LESSON REGISTRATION
Register for the half day Take 3, Ride Free lesson at any rental services cashier station. After registration and rental pick-up, lessons meet outside at the Snowports School meeting area.
LESSON TIMES
Please allow adequate time for registration paperwork, rental equipment fitting, and check-in. Arrive at least two hours prior to your lesson-start time on holiday* dates and one hour prior to your lesson start-time during non-holiday dates.
✔ === Sierra-at-Tahoe == 2019/20 Adult Learn to Ski + Snowboard Online Advance Booking Special Rate From $79 and up depending on how far in advance you book it online.
2.5-hour First-timer Lesson Package
‘Save up to 50% off! This is the most affordable learn to ski or snowboard package in Lake Tahoe. There goes your final excuse to not get out on the slopes with the rest of your family!
This package includes:
Lift ticket (limited access to the conveyor lift(s) on Easy Street and Easy Rider Express)
Rental equipment (includes skis and ski boots or snowboard and snowboard boots)
A 2.5 hour first-timer group lesson
These packages are valid for adults age 13+, everyday.
This package is available in limited quantities and must be purchased online 48 hours in advance of your lesson package reservation. Valid for first timer skiers/riders only. Not valid in terrain parks. Learn to ski and snowboard package deals start at $79, to get the best rate, book ahead at SierraatTahoe.com
2019/20 Peak Dates
November 29-30, 2019 | December 26 – January 1, 2020 | January 18-20, 2020 | February 15-22, 2020
Things to Know
+ Please note that lessons are subject to selling out. While reservations are not required, we strongly recommended you make them at least 48 hours prior to your arrival.
+ Please check in 1 hour before the start of your lesson. After pre-lesson registration and equipment fitting, attendees meet ON SNOW 15 minutes before lesson start time (9:45 am or 12:45 pm) with instructor to discuss itinerary/lesson details.
+ Dress appropriately for the weather. Layers are best.
+ Be sure you have eye protection (goggles for snowy days and sunglasses for sunny days).
+ Hats, gloves, sunscreen and other items you might forget are available at the Sierra Mt. Sports Shop .
+ Ski pants and helmet rentals are available at the mountain.
See what it is like when you enrolled in a learn to ski, ride lesson; watch the YouTube video
Frequently Asked Questions:
Is there enough snow in Tahoe?
March 1, 2020 brings fresh snow to Tahoe with Sierra at Tahoe reporting 1 foot of new snow and Mt Rose reporting 17 inches of fresh powder.
In addition, with current season total ranging from 109 inches to 196 inches (equals 16.3 feet) of snow, and January 2020 snow total of 19 inches to 45 inches (3.5 ft) of snow, Lake Tahoe resorts got abundant snow to enjoy freshly groomed corduroy ski slopes and bluebird ski days. View Tahoe resorts live cams and current snow report.
Tahoe Resorts Snow Report by OpenSnow .com
How much money do I save when I choose a package deal vs ala carte pricing for learn to ski/ride?
Let’s break it down:
+ Adult lift ticket window pricing at Squaw Alpine $169
+ Adult ski or snowboard rentals at Squaw Alpine Sport Package (skis, boots, poles or snowboard and boots) is $62 for one day rate
+ Learn to ski, snowboard private three hour lesson is $609
Compared with learn to ski, ride package deals, how much savings are you looking at?
Why is it ideal to learn to ski, snowboard on bluebird days?
Notably, it is much faster to drive to/from Tahoe when tire chains are NOT required (as of Feb 21, 2020). With tire chains installed, maximum speed is 30 mph which means it will likely take you 40-50% longer to get to the resort when chains are required. Even with AWD/4WD vehicles, posted speed limit is 35 mph when chain controls are in effect.
Clear blue skies means you will have great visibility to see and navigate your way down the mountain when you learn to ski/ride (unlike during a snow storm with wind gusts and snow flying sideways where you’d likely have low to zero visibility).
In addition, you’ll likely find great deals on lodging and hotel stays when it is not snowing.
What to pack/checklist for a ski, ride day on the slopes?
– Sunscreen
– Gloves: water-proof types
– Glove and sock liners: these are thin liners that you can wear on cold days to stay warm and to help keep your feet/hands dry
– Goggles/sun-glasses
– Socks: moisture wicking ski socks
– Snow-pants: water-proof/gore-tex types
– Jackets: water-proof/gore-tex types
– Helmet
– Water/Gatorade so you won’t get dehydrated
– Energy bar or trail mix for a quick snack
– Helps to bring a two-way radio to communicate with your family/friends since cell phones will likely not have reception/service
– Helps to bring a set of dry clothes, socks to change into after skiing/snowboarding
How many days does it take to learn to ski and snowboard?
Learning to ski/snowboard takes time and it really depends on various factors such as if you have some experience in similar sports like in-line skating, surfing, skate boarding, etc where you learned how to balance and handle fluid, agile movements. In general, it helps to learn to ski, ride for consecutive days (at least 3 days in a row) so you can repeat the lesson and practice to learn the skills needed to improve to the next ski, ride level.
Photo courtesy of Heavenly Mountain Resort
What’s the best snowboarding protective safety gear?
SF Bay Area to Tahoe ski bus trips: one day, overnight ski trips: get $10 off on one day trips, $15 off on overnight ski bus trips. Sleep on the bus, have a fun day of skiing and snowboarding and watch movies on the return bus ride. Overnight ski bus trips consist of two days of skiing + hotel stay close to the resort with hot tub amenities and nightlife so you can make the most of your ski/ride trip weekend getaway.
if we missed listing a deal you know about; advance thanks!
♥ Invite family and friends to join in on a learn to ski, ride trip; share this page via , twitter, facebook.
*Remember to check your county’s COVID Tier and travel restrictions before you plan your trip. To ski, snowboard at Lake Tahoe resorts, advance reservations are required (no day of lift ticket sales available) because ski resorts have to limit resort’s visitors’ capacity as a Covid mitigation measure.
?Town of #Truckee has clear guidance on what is allowed during the 3 weeks of Stay at Home order; #Tahoe resorts R opened since #CA designated resorts as #outdoorrecreation. No overnight hotel stays or short term rentals less than 15 days allowed https://t.co/Js82eXbh50… #SF ⛷
Lodging Share During the Pandemic FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTION (FAQ)
A frequently asked question SnowPals.org get asked is..
Our group will be sharing a Lake Tahoe rental/ski lease lodge for the winter season and I’d like to ask you what safety measures should I implement during COVID-19 to prevent my friends and family from getting infected with the coronavirus (which will ruin everyone’s enjoyment of snow sports this winter)?
Great question and an important one because although deaths related to Covid19/coronavirus have decreased significantly, however, the rate of infection is still rising quickly as the winter months flu season starts and there is no united or coherent federal leadership and guidance on Covid prevention as states issue various guidance from no masks required to masks mandated.
Before we delve into safety measure tips, let’s first examine the impacts of coronavirus..
Long-term effects of COVID-19
According to the Mayo Clinic, long-term effects of COVID-19 (coronavirus) includes problems with mood swings and fatigue..
Many people who have recovered from SARS have gone on to develop chronic fatigue syndrome, a complex disorder characterized by extreme fatigue that worsens with physical or mental activity, but doesn’t improve with rest. The same may be true for people who have had COVID-19. – Mayo Clinic
Costs for a Hospital Stay for COVID-19
“FAIR Health estimated the costs based on ICD-10 procedure codes and revenue codes associated with flu and pneumonia (lung inflammation caused by infection). We analyzed data from our database of over 30 billion private healthcare claim records, the largest such repository in the country. We found the average charge per COVID-19 patient requiring a hospital stay to be $73,300. That charge is the estimated cost for a patient with no health insurance. It’s also the cost for a patient seeing an out-of-network provider and whose health plan has no out-of-network benefit.
The average estimated in-network amount per privately insured patient is lower: $38,221. The in-network amount is the amount that the providers in the plan’s network have agreed to accept as full payment. It includes both the amount the plan pays and the amount the patient pays. The amount the patient pays is based on the cost-sharing provisions of the plan.
These numbers are useful to know to help you understand how much the COVID-19 pandemic is costing our country. But it’s also important to know that they’re not the actual amount you’re likely to have to pay if you or someone in your family gets COVID-19. If you have insurance, your costs will be determined by the cost-sharing terms of your health plan. If you don’t have insurance, your costs will vary based on your specific case. And you may be able to negotiate a lower amount with your providers.” – https://www.fairhealth.org/article/costs-for-a-hospital-stay-for-covid-19
COVID-19 affects different people in different ways. Infected people have had a wide range of symptoms reported – from mild symptoms to severe illness.
Symptoms may appear 2-14 days after exposure to the virus. People with these symptoms may have COVID-19:
“COVID-19 is a respiratory condition caused by a coronavirus. Some people are infected but don’t notice any symptoms. Most people will have mild symptoms and get better on their own. But about 1 in 6 will have severe problems, such as trouble breathing. The odds of more serious symptoms are higher if you’re older or have another health condition like diabetes or heart disease.
Here’s what to look for if you think you might have COVID-19.
Common Symptoms
Researchers in China found that the most common symptoms among people who were hospitalized with COVID-19 include:
Fever: 99%
Fatigue:70%
A dry cough: 59%
Loss of appetite: 40%
Body aches: 35%
Shortness of breath: 31%
Mucus or phlegm: 27%
Other symptoms may include:
Sore throat
Headache
Chills, sometimes with shaking
Loss of smell or taste
Congestion or runny nose
Nausea or vomiting
Diarrhea
Look for emergency warning signs for COVID-19. If someone is showing any of these signs, seek emergency medical care immediately:
Trouble breathing
Constant pain or pressure in your chest
Bluish lips or face
Sudden confusion
Inability to wake or stay awake
Bluish lips or face
You need medical care as soon as possible. Call your doctor’s office or hospital before you go in. This will help them prepare to treat you and protect medical staff and other patients.
Strokes have also been reported in some people who have COVID-19. Remember FAST:
Face. Is one side of the person’s face numb or drooping? Is their smile lopsided?
Arms. Is one arm weak or numb? If they try to raise both arms, does one arm sag?
Speech. Can they speak clearly? Ask them to repeat a sentence.
Time. Every minute counts when someone shows signs of a stroke. Call 911 right away.
Lab tests can tell if COVID-19 is what’s causing your symptoms. But the tests can be hard to find, and there’s no treatment if you do have the disease. So you don’t need to get tested if you have no symptoms or only mild ones. Call your doctor or your local health department if you have questions.
Call your medical provider for any other symptoms that are severe or concerning to you.” – WebMD
Is COVID-19 similar to the common cold?
“Coronaviruses usually cause mild to moderate upper-respiratory tract illnesses, like the common cold. However, SARS-CoV-2 can cause serious illness and even death. Why people’s COVID-19 symptoms vary so greatly isn’t fully understood.
What is the difference between the flu and COVID-19 regarding how long it takes to develop symptoms?
Flu
Typically, a person develops symptoms anywhere from 1 to 4 days after infection.
COVID-19
Typically, a person develops symptoms 5 days after being infected, but symptoms can appear as early as 2 days after infection or as late as 14 days after infection, and the time range can vary.
The U.S. recorded more than 90,000 new coronavirus cases yesterday, a new daily high. That’s more than one new case every second, The Times’s Mike Baker notes.
Stephanie Ruhle On COVID-19 Diagnosis: I Did All The Right Things, But I Still Got The Virus | MSNBC YouTube Video:
To prevent Covid infection/transmission, aside from keeping social distancing, our recommendations are sourced from leading career doctors and scientists:
(1) Agree on a set of safety protocols but most importantly, all members of the ski lease must stick to following them without fail. As a group collectively agree to and implement ‘preventive health measures like frequent hand washing, physical distancing, and wearing a mask when going out in public, to help protect themselves and to reduce the chances of spreading the infection to others.’ – Read Harvard Health’s Recommendations
Have available at all corners of the ski cabin/ski lease from ski lodge entrances to bedrooms, hand sanitizer bottles readily available to use in all community areas/located by high touch shared items, microwave, door knobs, etc.
(2) Use HEPA air purifiers – one for each bedroom, one for the living, dining room area which can remove up to 99.97% of bacteria, molds, and viruses. ‘And long enough exposure to the UV light in an air purifying device can disable some viruses, including COVID-19.’ – https://www.mdanderson.org.
(4) Check your central air/heating system to see how air is directed/identify air flow vents and see how air is directed into each room of your home. If your air vent is blowing air from mid-torso to head level, consider having a qualified handyman or AC/Heating specialists install air flow duct accessories that will direct the outbound air directly to the ground. Why? It has been shown that air flow directly to the ground is key in preventing virus transmission by directing the air to the ground instead of to the torso and head level where infected asymptomatic person(s) virus exhalation can be captured and spread by the air flow of the AC/Heating unit.
See screen-capture photo of how airflow on an airplane effectively does this:
Effective use of HEPA certified air purifiers to eliminate coronavirus:
Safe travels start with science
“Studies show COVID-19 exposure risk is minimal when air filtration systems and masks are in use
The latest research is showing that aircraft cabins are among the safest of public indoor environments. According to a recent study conducted by the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD), the risk of COVID-19 exposure on board our planes is almost zero thanks to advanced air filtration systems, required mask-wearing and diligent cleaning protocols.
Since airlines began putting these measures in place in spring 2020, “there has been little evidence to date of onboard disease transmission,” according to researchers at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Their report notes that when the “highly effective” ventilation systems are running from boarding until deplaning, which is our practice at United, the risk of exposure falls below that of activities like grocery shopping and dining out.
And even when the plane is full, on average only 0.003% of infected air particles could enter the breathing zone of seated, masked passengers, according to the DOD study.”
How using a humidifier to maintain your house’s humidity at 40-60% is optimal in reducing the risk of viral infections in the common flu and Coronavirus infections:
How taking Vitamin D supplements during the winter months help to boost your immune response to viral infections including Covid-19?
YouTube Interview with Professor Roger Seheult, MD; Dr. Seheilt explains the important role Vitamin D may have in the prevention and treatment of COVID-19. Dr. Seheult illustrates how Vitamin D works, summarizes the best available data and clinical trials on vitamin D, and discusses vitamin D dosage recommendations.
He is an Associate Professor at the University of California, Riverside School of Medicine and Assistant Prof. at Loma Linda University School of Medicine
Dr. Seheult is Quadruple Board Certified: Internal Medicine, Pulmonary Disease, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine
How effective are masks in terms of preventing Covid infection/transmission?
Mask Standards and Effectiveness Bottom Line
New study from Ueki et al. with live airborne #SARSCoV2 virus confirms 1) Masks worn by infected ppl reduce #coronavirus transmission. 2) Masks worn by healthy ppl protect themselves from infection. 3) N95 mask>surgical>cloth>no mask (1/2)https://t.co/9V0R5YoiYX Note log scales. pic.twitter.com/4XoD4K6etF
– Single use masks (normally one layer, very thin) are typically only effective at capturing larger dust particles, but can do so fairly well.
– Surgical mask standards have higher requirements for capturing virus-sized (0.1 micron) particles, however they vary by region.
– Pollution masks (respirators) typically capture >90% of virus-sized particles. You can use the rating system in the table above to see the exact proportion each certification requires. This includes ratings such as N95, KN95, FFP1, FFP2 and FFP3. – https://smartairfilters.com/en/blog/comparison-mask-standards-rating-effectiveness/
CDC updates guidance on aerosolized COVID-19 spread
According to #Taiwan virology expert opinion, he did not understand why the West puts so much emphasis on #SocialDistancing but not #N95#Masks , regular masks don’t protect the wearer.
(5) Collectively agree to get Covid tested 24-48 hours of first meetup at the ski lease cabin(in the meantime, shelter in place until you get your test result); share test results prior to first meetup, after which all ski lease members keep a contact journal of daily activities and share any incidents of concern. Keeping a social contact and activities journal can be time consuming but if it means everyone in the ski lease is more mindful of his/her contacts and activities they engage in that can be cause for concern/considered high risk, can then be shared among all members. Communication is key. Find free Covid testing near you (opens in a new window using Google search).
Which ski lease group did the most research and analysis on best practices for Covid safety protocols?
Johns Hopkins experts in global public health, infectious disease, and emergency preparedness have been at the forefront of the international response to COVID-19 pandemic.
Please feel free to with friends and family ♥ to keep them safe 😉
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Engage in Critical Thinking
– Critical to democracy & survival of citizens of these United States of America
TOTALLY UNDER CONTROL – Official Documentary Trailer On-demand on Hulu
On Demand October 13
On Hulu October 20
On January 20th, 2020 the US and South Korea both discovered their first cases of COVID-19. However, 9 months later, the novel Coronavirus has claimed the lives of over 200,000 Americans and caused staggering economic damage, while in South Korea, there were no significant lockdowns and, in an urbanized population of 51 million, only 344 lives have been lost. Where did we go wrong? As the presidential election nears, Americans are increasingly enraged by a lack of clear leadership, endemic political corruption and left to wonder how did the wealthiest and most powerful country in the world manage to fail so thoroughly in its response to a global pandemic?
Academy Award-winning filmmaker Alex Gibney, directing with Ophelia Harutyunyan and Suzanne Hillinger, interrogates this question and its devastating implications in Totally Under Control. With damning testimony from public health officials and hard investigative reporting, Gibney exposes a system-wide collapse caused by a profound dereliction of Presidential leadership.
It will be a generation before we know the full extent of the damage wrought by this pandemic, but Totally Under Control will stand as the definitive account of the Trump administration’s incompetence, corruption and denial in the face of this global pandemic.
Senate GOP disavowed their oaths to let Trump off the hook during the Impeachment Trial, Trump takes no responsibility for the Covid response & Grassley is doing nothing about an unreasonable dismissal of an IG>Trump is a dictator with GOP supporthttps://t.co/Yvu5XShVZY
Like to ski and snowboard in the backcountry where there’s abundant natural beauty, no lift lines, untracked powder slopes and wide open bowls?
Perhaps the most important consideration for all who goes to the backcountry to enjoy snow-sports is avalanche safety and acquiring the training and education to know what to do to avoid avalanche prone areas and what to do if you happened to be caught in an avalanche.
SnowPals‘ November snow-sports nonprofit HERO AWARD goes to the Sierra Avalanche (Avy) Center’s commitment to post daily avalanche forecast advisories to provide important backcountry safety information to keep everyone safe in the greater Lake Tahoe area.
♥ Sierra Avalanche (Avy) Center functions as a private-public partnership between the US Forest Service and a 501(c)(3) not for profit organization known as Sierra Avalanche Center (SAC).
The 501(c)(3) not for profit organization known as Sierra Avalanche Center is focused on educational and safety programs to support winter recreation and fundraising to support the financial needs of the program. It consists of a volunteer Board of Directors, a volunteer Advisory Panel to the Board of Directors, and a paid Executive Director to run programs and operations. Through its fundraising efforts this group provides two thirds of the funding necessary to cover budget expenses and operations. Other expenses paid for by the not for profit include the costs of continuing education and some of the cost of the equipment necessary for the forecasters to operate safely in the field. The not for profit also funds sub contracted field observers to collect additional information for avalanche, snowpack, and weather data. Fundraising for these expenses is accomplished through the organization of the SAC Ski Day fundraisers, by securing sponsorships and grants, as well as by gathering private donations and conducting a membership drive for user support. Additionally, the Board of Directors works jointly with the Tahoe National Forest to make decisions regarding the future direction of the avalanche center that are acceptable to both parties.
Mission Statement
Sierra Avalanche Center’s mission is to inform and educate the public about backcountry avalanche conditions in the greater Lake Tahoe area.
SAC Board Member Holly Yocum wrote this lovely essay in the November newsletter. You can sign up for the newsletter and make a donation to the Sierra Avalanche Center on our website:https://t.co/qoW8O1p0MVpic.twitter.com/bo6la2iKn9
=== Join SnowPals’ Annual Backcountry Mixer (due to Covid, 2020 we will not have group events until the pandemic is over) ===
Meetup with local backcountry skiers + boarders near you to connect for backcountry trips, share expenses, rides & perhaps lodging, expand your circle of backcountry ski, ride buddies/your wingman/woman for safety in the backcountry ..
The California Avalanche Workshop (CAW) offers a mix of video chats and Instagram IG/Facebook live talks with forecasters, researchers, and past CAW presenters.
The California Avalanche Workshop (CAW) will look a bit different this year. Over the month of October we will share a mix of video chats and IG/FB live talks with forecasters, researchers, and past CAW presenters. pic.twitter.com/vn0K0g4MwU
The Truckee Ranger District on the Tahoe National Forest houses and runs the avalanche forecasting operations of the avalanche center. It houses three full-time, seasonal avalanche forecasters and provides infrastructure including office space, computers, internet access, phones, vehicles, fuel, safety equipment, and supervision. The forecasters gather avalanche, snowpack, and weather observations then use this data to create and issue avalanche advisories and avalanche warnings.
Other not for profit organizations we commend for their passion and service to the snow-sports community..
♥ Our featured snow-sports nonprofit for October is SkiDuck, a nonprofit organization, whose mission is full of heart; since 2010, when ski season is in full force, they offer a free program to bring disadvantaged and financially underprivileged youth to the snow and to teach them the joys of skiing and snowboarding.
“SkiDUCK (Skiing and snowboarding for Disabled and Underprivileged Children and older Kids) is a volunteer-based non-profit organization dedicated to enriching the lives of disabled and underprivileged children by bringing them to the snow to share the joys of skiing and snowboarding! Read more about SkiDUCK.
♥ Spotlight pick for September for Non-profit Community Service is awarded to the High Fives Foundation..
In the last decade, the High Fives Foundation has gained widespread acclaim among snow sports athletes for the foundation’s dedication to raise injury prevention awareness while providing resources and inspiration to those who suffered life-changing injuries. Even more impressive, they’ve managed to become a common thread of connection and hope between a variety of athletes, outdoor sports communities, and charitable initiatives. Read more about the High Fives Foundation
♥ Share SAC backcountry safety advisories with family and friends and plan a Tahoe getaway; share this page via , twitter, facebook.
*New to SnowPals? Join SnowPals to..
+ expand your circle of ski and ride buddies for resort skiing/riding or if you opt for the backcountry, connect with a buddy to ski/ride with as your wingman/woman for safety.
+ expand your Tahoe rideshare contacts for trips to Tahoe and beyond especially those with multi-resort pass that gives you access to resorts worldwide (share trip expenses and perhaps make a few friends who are members of a ski lease and get invited to stay at the ski lodge as a guest)
What’s the best value ski season pass deal for 2019/20?
IKON Pass ($749/$1049), Epic Pass ($699/$939), or Mountain Collective Pass at $489?
Here’s why the MOUNTAIN COLLECTIVE PASS 2019/20 is the best value season pass:
Ski, Ride & Explore 18 Mountains Around The World. 2 Days At Each Resort. No Blackout Dates, 2 Days at the Collective Ski Resort Destinations for Passholders.
For the 2019-2010 season included is a BONUS THIRD DAY AT THE DESTINATION OF YOUR CHOICE. Perfect Ski Getaway. Adults and Kids’ Passes. That’s a total of 35 lift tickets included with the pass.
Unlimited 50% off single day lift tickets after the 2 days of lift tickets per resort, plus exclusive lodging deals at each destination. Includes big name resorts like Squaw Valley/Alpine Meadows, Mammoth Mountain, Aspen Snowmass in Colorado, Taos in New Mexico, Niseko United (Japan) & more (see full list below)
The pass includes two days of lift tickets at each of the following resorts:
+ Taos Ski Valley (New Mexico)
+ Jackson Hole (Wyoming)
+ Big Sky Resort (Montana)
+ Sugarbush Resort (Vermont)
+ Revelstoke Mountain Resort (British Columbia, Canada) – sets record for highest vertical at 5,620 feet & longest ski season in Canada and is only 35 miles away from Banff Sunshine
+ Banff Sunshine (Alberta, Canada)
+ Lake Louise (Alberta, Canada)
+ Niseko United (Japan) – watch the epic powder riding video below; Japan skiing is on many skiers’ bucket list
+ Coronet Peak | The Remarkables (New Zealand)
+ Thredbo Alpine Village (Australia)
+ Mt Buller (Australia) – added for 2019/20
+ Valle Nevado (Chile) – added for 2019/20
How is THE MOUNTAIN COLLECTIVE SKI SEASON PASS a best value deal?
1) Ski or ride three days and the pass will have more than paid for itself; keep in mind a single adult regular lift ticket goes for $169 at Squaw Alpine and similar resorts cost just as much. Once you have redeemed three days of lift tickets, you still have 32 more days of skiing at other resorts. The more days you ski and ride, the more value you get from the pass. So the key question is from your past experience, how many ski days do you actually take? If you have a busy work schedule, this pass offers the best value for the price aka the best bang for your buck.
2) THE MOUNTAIN COLLECTIVE SKI SEASON PASS gives you the opportunity to ski and discover big name resorts like Alta, Aspen Snowmass, Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, Revelstoke Mountain Resort, Snowbird, Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows, Mammoth Mountain, Niseko United (Japan), Banff Sunshine, and Taos Ski Valley resort. The pass gives you an excuse to explore new resorts. Take to 2-3 days at one resort, then take a road-trip to another as opposed to staying in one place for a week or longer. This pass is your ticket to adventure.
3) If Tahoe area resorts suffer from lack of snow as a result, you can chase powder dumps at your choice of 16 other resorts included in the pass, namely Alta (Utah), Aspen Snowmass (Colorado), Big Sky Resort (Montana), Banff Sunshine (Alberta), Coronet Peak | The Remarkables (New Zealand), Jackson Hole (Wyoming), Lake Louise (Alberta), Mammoth Mountain (California), Niseko United (Japan), Revelstoke Mountain Resort (British Columbia), Snowbird (Utah), Sugarbush Resort (Vermont), Taos Ski Valley (New Mexico), and Thredbo (Australia). THE MOUNTAIN COLLECTIVE SKI SEASON PASS lets you go where the powder is. In case Lake Tahoe area resorts suffered from insufficient snow, you have a list of other resorts you can go to.
With the Mountain Collective, it’s possible for passionate skiers and riders to discover thousands of vertical feet and chase ideal winter snow conditions across Alberta, Australia, British Columbia, Japan, California, Colorado, Montana, New Mexico, New Zealand, Utah, Vermont, and Wyoming.
ADDITIONAL BENEFITS FOR PASSHOLDERS
+ 2 days at Chamonix in France*
Chamonix — France
* Benefits at Chamonix apply to their 2019/20 season. Mountain Collective global affiliate benefits are valid only at the current Mountain Collective Global Affiliates. Global Affiliates are subject to change each ski season.
Looking for an EPIC POWDER ski/ride trip that will stay with you for life? Watch the YouTube video below to see why Japan is on many skier’s POWder galore bucket list.
Every year consistently Epic POWder: Niseko, Japan
Included in the pass is one of the top ski destination: Niseko United (Japan), where you’ll discover simply some of the driest, lightest powder aka champagne powder in the world. Consistently recording winter seasonal snowfall of 45.9 feet of snow or more, it’s a favorite powder skiing and riding destination.
The ski resort Niseko United – Annapuri/Grand Hirafu/Hanazono/Niseko Village is located on Hokkaido (Japan). For skiing and snowboarding, there are 44.5 km of slopes available. 32 lifts transport skiers and riders to the summit (check out the resort’s trail map). The winter sports area is situated between the elevations of 300 and 1,200 m.
Seasonal winds from the Eurasian continent pick up moisture over the warm currents of the Sea of Japan to form snow clouds and in turn some of the driest, lightest powder in the world. With its rich variety of terrain and beautiful winter woods, Niseko offers an unforgettable experience for all levels of skier/snowboarder.
The Niseko United is composed of four resorts on one pass: Annupuri, Niseko Village, Grand Hirafu, and Hanazono. With over 14 meters of powder per year, fantastic lift-accessed backcountry, a short 20-minute hike from the top lift to the 1308m-high peak, and night skiing until 8:30pm throughout the season; Niseko offers the best ski resort experience worldwide. The international nature of the resort means that even English speakers can travel to Japan without any language barrier worries.
Watch the video below to see what riding powder looks like at Niseko United (Japan):
Join us for an epic silky powder ski/ride trip to Hakuba + Niseko, Japan Feb 1 to 12, 2020; details @
What: Join to increase your ‘fun factor” by expanding your circle of ski, ride buddies for Tahoe ski trips & powder trips to other snow destinations especially covered by a multi-resort pass such as the
EPIC PASS, IKON PASS, MOUNTAIN COLLECTIVE PASS + POWDER ALLIANCE PASS.
Our Host is Emily ..
“I was born & raised Vermonter, and a current Epic Pass holder. Most weekends you can find me at Kirkwood, or Heavenly shredding the pow. Interested in carpooling on weekends, or weekdays to any Epic Resorts. Looking forward to meeting everyone!”
– Swag giveaway: $25 Sports Basement gift card Sports Basement + other swag in the works
– Watch ski/ride video from last season to get stoked for winter season powder ski/ride trips to Tahoe, Colorado, Utah, British Columbia, South America Europe and Japan.
– Share POWDER Stories from last season and enjoy complimentary drinks and light snacks 😉
– Expand your circle of friends/buddies for snow sports & backcountry ski/ride partners as well
Find yourself driving to/from Lake Tahoe with mostly empty seats?
Carpool/RideShare with skiers, boarders who love snow sports as much as you, share expenses and help preserve our environment by ride-sharing to/from Tahoe.
At 8 pm, we will have a swag drawing giveaway so get there early to partake – print your event ticket and it will be used as your drawing entry to win event swag.
7:30 PM – New ski & board gear demo
8:00 PM – Event Swag Giveaway Drawing
8:10 PM – Learn how to wax your skis / snowboard based on the type of snow slopeside
Important: PLEASE be courteous and let us know if you can’t make it after you have RSVPed; sign into EventBrite to change your RSVP so that we can get an accurate count of how many folks to expect. Behind the scene, we work tremendously hard to put together events so in return please be mindful to give us a heads up if your plans have changed and you can no longer attend. Much appreciated!
Thank you everyone for your vote for our ‘Best of Tahoe List” and tips. Congrats to winners (announced on Tuesday January 22, 2019 at 11 pm PST) on our Facebook page 🙂
Planning a getaway to Lake Tahoe to enjoy snow-sports?
Check out our ‘Best of Tahoe List’ and tips from our veteran skiers and boarders 😉
– pitstops en route to/from Lake Tahoe; best place to refill gas for low prices
– North Tahoe & South Tahoe apres-ski spots/venues + happy hour deals
– pet-friendly hotels
– pet-sitting
– winter driving tips
– wind protected Tahoe resorts, etc.
Travis S. tips:
(1) What is your favorite place for a pitstop whenever you drive to and from Tahoe & why?
(2) Owners of all wheel drive vehicles, this tip is for those looking to buy an AWD or 4WD vehicle for Tahoe trips/driving on snow/icy roads, what make & model do you recommend? why?
I think it’s less about the model and more about getting snow tires. They make all the difference.
(3) For winter snow & icy roads, which tire brand do you use and recommend for best traction control and why?
I like and use Bridgestone Blizzak snow tires. They’ve served me well, from Tahoe to Montana, Colorado, Utah, and all over icy/snowy conditions in the west.
(4) For Apres ski & ride, what places do you like to hang out to enjoy drinks / snacks? happy hour?
Tahoe Aleworx in South Lake Tahoe is the best. You can’t beat RFID wristbands to pour your own beer 🙂
They have 2 locations in South Lake Tahoe (Stateline near Heavenly Village and at the “Y”).
I’ve seen countless people driving to and from Tahoe in cars that have no business being in the mountains in snow and icy conditions. Have or use 4WD/AWD *and* snow tires!
(6) Which resort do you recommend for first time beginners and advance level/expert skiers and snowboarders?
– True beginners/first timers: Tahoe Donner
– Beginners: Sierra at Tahoe, Northstar
– Advanced: Heavenly, Kirkwood, Squaw Valley/Alpine Meadows
(8) What’s your favorite Tahoe area for cross-country skiing and snowshoeing?
(9) On high wind days, which resort is your go to that is mostly protected from high wind/gusts? FYI, on high wind days, many resorts put ski lifts on wind hold; to avoid, good to know which resort is unlikely to be affected?
– Homewood
– Northstar
– Sierra at Tahoe
(10) For those who are new to skiing and snowboarding, what are your tips for gear? Buy new or used? Learn from friends/family or from ski resorts experts?
If planning to develop and progress, buy new. If just going for a few times then buy used or rent.
(11) What’s your favorite place for Tahoe area petsitting?
(12) Which Tahoe area resort have the best lake view run?
Heavenly-Ridge Run
(14) What’s your favorite Tahoe area hotel? Fave hotels that are dog & pet-friendly?
– Edgewood is the best, and priced accordingly.
– Best pet friendly: Basecamp (South Lake Tahoe & Tahoe City) or a vacation rental (such as those found on dogtrekker.com
###
Marc D tips:
(1) What is your favorite place for a pitstop whenever you drive to and from Tahoe & why?
If driving to South Lake Tahoe, one good pitstop for the cheapest gas and coffee is the new Fuel Express Station between Folsom and Placerville. Stay along highway US-50 and take exit 39 for Shingle Springs Dr.
Coming back from SLT along the US-50 after a good skiing day, best is to escape SLT before traffic builds, drive all the way to Placerville where you can enjoy the best BBQ in town at the Hog Wild Bar-B-Que (good food and reasonable price). If you are not a meat fan, then not far away still in Placerville is Let’s Poke restaurant. Quick and delicious.
(2) Owners of all wheel drive vehicles, this tip is for those looking to buy an AWD or 4WD vehicle for Tahoe trips/driving on snow/icy roads, what make & model do you recommend? why?
Some newer cars like the RAV4 AWD, it is not AWD all the time but when required. This is good if you are driving on fresh snow on a flat road but I don’t like it when going downhill or uphill. So check your car before driving to ensure it is full time AWD or if it is a 4WD then put it to 4H and drive carefully.
(3) For winter snow & icy roads, which tire brand do you use and recommend for best traction control and why?
The best is to have studded snow tires but we all know most of the people live in the Bay Area and can’t have these snow tires in the city. So another safe option is to have All Season Tires. These tires can be identified with a Mountain / snowflake Symbol on the side of the tire or an M+S label.
(4) For Apres ski & ride, what places do you like to hang out to enjoy drinks / snacks? happy hour?
Again this is for Skiing Heavenly and staying in SLT.
If skiing from the Gondola, then you have multiple choices for drinks and food for Après-Ski. Azul Kitchen and California Burger in Heavenly Village have good happy hour deals (4 to 6pm) and good food too.
If you are parked at the California lodge (top of Ski run Blvd) then don’t worry no need to drive after your long epic day. Himmel Haus is a great German restaurant across the street from the parking lot and have great drinks and food.
(5) Winter snow and ice driving and safety tips?
Driving on snow is tricky and the best is to avoid sudden braking or turning. Try to use engine braking when going downhill versus braking all the time. Don’t use your phone and get distracted, again sudden reactions when driving on snow can lead you to an accident.
Accelerating, stopping and turning take longer and are less predictable when driving on snow.
Slow driving is the key to maintaining control.
(6) Which resort do you recommend for first time beginners and advance level/expert skiers and snowboarders?
– for first timers, Heavenly has good easy runs (maybe easier on California side), but another great and easy resort (my favorite) is Northstar. Very convenient for families.
– for advance skiers and snowboarders, then Squaw Valley and Kirkwood are the best places around Tahoe to enjoy double diamond runs and push your skiing limits.
(7) For Lake Tahoe backcountry skiing/snowboarding, what are 2-3 of your favorite backcountry areas?
The north side of the lake (around Mt Rose) has great backcountry areas.
Also the road to Kirkwood along the 88 has multiple spots for backcountry (Waterhouse peak being the easiest).
Best is to check the App Snow Project for locations and levels.
(9) On high wind days, which resort is your go to that is mostly protected from high wind/gusts? FYI, on high wind days, many resorts put ski lifts on wind hold; to avoid, good to know which resort is unlikely to be affected?
Both Heavenly and Kirkwood get very windy during stormy days. Heavenly is probably the one that shuts down first.
Squaw as well is known to receive strong winds.
Northstar on the contrary is well protected from winds, being in the back side of Lake Tahoe so that would be my best option in a bad stormy day.
(12) Which Tahoe area resort have the best lake view run?
For best views over Lake Tahoe I recommend Heavenly and Mt Rose.
(13) What’s your favorite Tahoe area restaurant / eatery?
Adam J tips: is our 2nd prize winner; he innovates with his Subaru DIY POWder chaser makeshift sleeping pad so he can be slope-side for first tracks – see pic below (passionate pow seeker sans ski cabin)
(1) What is your favorite DIY money-saving strategy for Tahoe trips?
My greatest realization was that with a little bit of effort, I can make the back of my Subaru a very comfortable (and cheap) place to sleep for the night. So now, I drive up to the Truckee rest stop the night before, crash out in back since I’m usually tired from driving, and then pop up bright and early in the morning and I’m parked in the front row of free parking at Squaw within 20 minutes. Then I can take my time getting ready cuz I’ve already got a great parking spot! I love it.
(2) Owners of all wheel drive vehicles, this tip is for those looking to buy an AWD or 4WD vehicle for Tahoe trips/driving on snow/icy roads, what make & model do you recommend? why?
Subaru. Period. Also, luggage racks make your car top-heavy and reduce fuel efficiency people.
(3) For winter snow & icy roads, which tire brand do you use and recommend for best traction control and why?
Anything at Costco, mostly because they will do rotations for free. More importantly, have a good set of CHAINS. Also, make sure to test the chains before you need them! Amazon sometimes sends you chains for a different tire size by mistake.
(4) For Apres ski & ride, what places do you like to hang out to enjoy drinks / snacks? happy hour?
My backpack. The resort takes enough of my money. My wife’s sammiches are the bomb! Also, remember those lil flasks you see people use on tv? They work well for apres ski, too!
(5) Winter snow and ice driving and safety tips?
Checklist: Chains (that fit), good tires (lots o tread left), and good wipers (Rain-x, baby!). Don’t crowd the plow!
(10) For those who are new to skiing and snowboarding, what are your tips for gear? Buy new or used? Learn from friends/family or from ski resorts experts?
Thicker socks don’t help! If your feet are cold, they probably aren’t getting sufficient circulation (took me years to figure this out). Try loosening your boots.
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Check out our Tahoe money saving tips such as where to go for lift ticket deals, free birthday lift ticket, learn to ski, snowboard package deals, apres ski happy hour venues, etc at
* Rideshare to your favorite Tahoe resort and for those who are holders of Epic Pass, Ikon Pass, Mountain Collective Pass, or other multi-resort season pass, connect for POWDER trips to Utah, Colorado, Whistler, Europe, Japan, South America and other worldwide snow destinations.
♥ Share this page with friends and family via , twitter, facebook.
At SnowPals, we invite snow-sports businesses (world-wide) to join us as an affiliate to cross promote/share with San Francisco Bay Area and Lake Tahoe Area snow-sports consumers about what you do best: (1) services you offer, and/or (2) products you sell.
We strive to build stellar long-term business relationships with consumers; we strive to deliver great value and service to customers in order to build a genuinely loyal customer base; if this sounds like your business’ endeavor, please reach out to become an affiliate by submitting the form at the end of this page.
Our 2019/20 Affiliates List
South Bay
Apres’ Ski Club Lodge at Kings Beach (North Lake Tahoe): Join Apres ski and snowboard club based out of the Santa Clara, CA (South Bay) is a singles club for active adults residing in the San Francisco Bay Area. Website: http://apres.org
Lake Tahoe
Backcountry Ski Maps is the best all-in-one backcountry ski touring maps on the marketplace where you can find all the route information you need on one piece of paper or via digital format on your smartphone or laptop. Website: https://backcountryskimaps.com
Canada
SkiBuds: Find friends to ride with based on skill level making the skiing experience in Whistler, British Columbia more enjoyable. Website: http://www.skibudsapp.com
Our 2019/20 Partners List
If you’d like to partner with SnowPals, please reach out to for metrics and benefits of partnership.
What does becoming an affiliate entails? Send us a one sentence description detailing what you offer as a business, a URL link to your biz’s website and your business logo.
Please use the following sentence and logo to add SnowPals to your affiliates’ page (your business must have an affiliate page that you can easily include us on your page as well). We will in turn do likewise on this page, please contact (Monday to Friday, non-holidays, 9 AM to 5 PM) once you have added SnowPals to your business’ website. View a sample of what an affiliates’ page look like on SkiBuds’ website.
For Lake Tahoe ski trips, join SnowPals.org – San Francisco Bay Area based snow-sports club for busy professionals, since 1999.
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By Joe Woo, Snowpals’ Resident Ski Gear Tester & Columnist.
Skiing with kids. It seems like a simple thing. But let me tell you. If you haven’t done it before and aren’t prepared for it, it can ruin a great time on the slopes. However, with the right preparation, it can be more fun skiing with them than skiing without them. For those of you toying with the idea of finally bringing the kids up or maybe you’re considering bringing up a nephew or niece…read this. What I’ll do first is share some of my kid skiing experience and what we do to make it lots of fun.
For me, skiing pre-kids was easy. I never thought about anyone else. I never considered having to ski with anyone. If anyone I was skiing with slowed me down or was having a bad time, I could separate from them and meet up with them later. That was no big deal. When you add kids to the mix, things really change. The main thing is that you can’t just dump the kids and continue skiing when they’re cramping your style. When you’re on the mountain with your kids, you’re stuck with them for better or for worse. What is a parent to do?
Over the last two seasons I’ve come up with a pretty good system for skiing with kids. My wife and I came up with it using trial and error to finally dial in something that works for our family. It was a lot of effort using trial and error and lots of frustration but it was worth it. Why go through all the effort? Why not just dump the kids in ski school for the day so that I could ski without them?
Cost is an obvious issue, but more importantly skiing with my kids is fun. It is more fun than skiing without them because when they’re having fun, there is nothing better than skiing together, laughing together and watching them learn, grow and overcome all the little challenges of skiing. The look on their face when they accomplish something they didn’t think they could is priceless and worth more than anything in the world. When it is good, skiing with them is better than any skiing I could do on my own.
So, what’s the issue? Those fun times were rare and didn’t happen often. When they did happen, they were priceless, however it seemed like the bad times outweighed the good times. Finding a way to make those fun times happen more was something I had to do.
So, how do you do that? What I discovered through two years of trial and error is CCSF. What does this mean? Confidence, Comfort, and Sated (not hungry) equals Fun. If you can get the Confidence, Comfort and Sate (not hungry) issues right that will equal Fun for your family. Lets look closer at each element.
Confidence
Confidence is a very important thing for anyone. It is especially important for kids to have when skiing. I’ll go so far as to say that confidence is so important that I believe it is the foundation to successful family skiing. Without confidence, the kids will never want to ski, will dread skiing and will make your time on the mountain miserable. You should do everything in your power to build your kids confidence in skiing.
How do you do that? For us we decided to always try and put our kids in skiing situations that we knew they could be successful. We never made them do anything we knew they would fail at. They quickly built confidence the second day they ever skied. The thing that built confidence the most was succeeding in tasks when they were scared of doing something even though I knew they could do it. These were the cases where I pushed them hard because I knew they could do it, but they needed to realize they could do it and when they did it you could see the confidence grow.
For example, my 5 year old son refused to ski without being between my legs and me holding him down the bunny slope. I knew he would crash at first if he tried skiing by himself as this was his first time on skis. After about 5 runs between my legs I started to stop actively holding him and he would ski holding me. Then after a few runs of doing that we would stop halfway down the hill, put his skis in pizza and let him go so that he was standing still on the hill in pizza. Then I would go about 10 feet in front of him and tell him to slide to me. At first it was a struggle because he didn’t want me to let go of him. He would cry when I would let go. I just wanted him to slide to me in pizza. He didn’t have to stop. I would catch him. But he was scared to do it, but I knew he could do it and he finally did through the cries and tears. Once he realized he had actually done it, he did it again.
At first it was 10 feet, then 20 feet and I would stop him. If he veered off course I would slide over to catch him. Then I told him to stop by himself and he just did it. He was amazed that he could stop by himself and the rest is history. He skied the rest of the day by himself without ever turning. Just pizza strait down the hill with his arms held in front of him like he was ready to do some serious karate chops. His way to balance I guess. The next day he was turning back and fourth and excited about skiing.
My daughter was the same progression at the same time. Soon they got bored of the slope and asked to do another lift. We moved onto another beginner lift with slightly steeper terrain and a longer run. That was last year at Diamond Peak. They gained so much confidence at Diamond Peak, Mt. Rose and Squaw Valley. I continued to teach them parallel skiing and my daughter is no longer in pizza. My son is in an advanced pizza today, but is almost ready for parallel skiing.
Today my younger son is six and my daughter is eight and both are happily skiing black diamonds off Red Dog, KT-22, Headwall and other lifts at Squaw Valley. My older son is actually skiing (as opposed to just surviving down) West Face, Tower 16 and the various terrains off Silverado chair! It is amazing what a little confidence can do. My kids are testament to that without ever having professional ski lessons. Whatever you do, make sure the kids gain lots of confidence. I truly believe it is the foundation to successful family skiing.
Comfort
Now your kids are confident skiers. Is that it? Not really. No matter how confident they are, if they are not comfortable, they will complain and ruin your day. Kids are not mature enough to overcome the little issues so they don’t ruin the big things like a fun day of skiing. Our kids are pretty tough and the last thing we do is baby them, but every kid has a limit to what comfort they’re willing to give up on to have fun on the slopes.
It is important that you take the time to learn what your kids comfort limits are and make sure those needs are satisfied. My kids don’t complain that much about their comfort. I think it is because I’ve invested in making sure they stay warm and dry no matter the conditions. They have top of the line ski pants, jackets, gloves, base and mid layers. They have great helmets and goggles. Goggles were an issue and I finally got them decent stuff that doesn’t fog and they can clean easily. Another important piece of equipment was the neck gator. It seals out the cold air getting in from the neck. The kids rarely complain about being cold or wet and it is one less issue we have to worry about.
Sate
Kids don’t do well when they’re hungry. Instead you sould make it a priority to make sure they’re sated and not hungry. This one is really simple. Kids start getting moody and melting down when they get hungry. It is amazing. They are like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Feed your kids periodically and your chances are better at having a great day. We discovered that if we have a big breakfast, lunch around 12:30 or 1, 2:30 heavy snack and small snacks on the lifts in between, we avoid the hunger meltdown altogether. Now I always have a large Hershey bar in my pocket and on every other lift ride, I’ll give each kid one piece to eat. This system has worked great this season.
Skiing with your kids can be fun and very rewarding. Just remember that kids have unique needs that you have to consider. The best way I know is to remember CCSF. Confidence, Comfort and Sated equals Fun. Try is next time you’re out with the kids. Good luck!
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More skiing with kids tips for parents..
From Jeremy Feinberg, a Ski Instructor at Kirkwood for 6 years plus, a certified PSIA Level 2 instructor, training for Level 3; he teaches skill levels that range from first timers to expert; he coaches a Progression team that skis 99% of the legal terrain at Kirkwood.
As someone who makes their living teaching children how to ski I can say that there are some good things in this survival guide; a comfortable and well fed child is one who is set up for success, and depending on the child, confidence can be a limiting factor, however in the 1+ page of text there was very little emphasis on skill development and no mention at all of the physical and cognitive limitations that change as a child grows.
That being said, a few things to keep in mind include:
It’s hard to learn new skills when people are on terrain that is at the edge of their comfort level, dial it back, gain ownership over the movements and then take it to the steeper snow.
Confidence can be a good thing, but you can have too much of a good thing… your child needs to ski in control and not be a menace or hazard.
Leash and harness systems enable parents to get younger kids on the snow but can reinforce bad habits, however the harnesses themselves can be useful for picking up kids from the snow and helping them on to the lift.
The Edgy Wedgie can be a useful teaching tool, try it for a run or two, take if off and see if the child can stop without it… use it for a few runs, not a few days or seasons.
If its your child’s first time skiing, start on a small hill below the lift, 30-50 feet long and almost flat with a flat runout at the bottom, or a gradual uphill if you can find it, learn to stop there, then head to the chair.
Some children perform at a higher level with their parents around, some excel within their peer group under the tutelage of an experienced coach, it helps to know which group your child falls into
The pace of skill development as detailed in the Survival Guide sounds about right, just keep in mind that today I had a 6 year old girl first time skier (along with a five year old girl with separation anxiety issues whose mother checked her out after lunch) who was able to stop within the first hour, we were on the chairlift before lunch and making turns. By the time her parents picked her up (1/2 hour early) she had taken several runs through the trees. Tomorrow after a brief warm up she will be ready for the lower intermediate lift. Her older brother who was on a snowboard was unwilling to follow us through the woods. Her parents were impressed by her success and gave me a generous tip.
If you want to get your child out of the wedge and making turns that have a least some parallel at the end of each turn, and you want that to happen quickly, ski school is the place for your child, especially on the weekdays when group sizes are small and only experienced and highly certified instructors are getting any work.
Please don’t be that person who has their child skiing advanced terrain in a power wedge, if you are going to ski with your child and teach them how to ski, make the day about them, you need to be there to support them and help them along the way.
Recognize the limitations of your own teaching abilities and don’t let your child (or yourself) get stuck in the skill rut; if you have any questions about how this can manifest one can use the intermediate rut as an example: go to most ski resorts and watch the way people on the intermediate runs ski, particularly how they initiate their turns. What you will see in most cases are varying degrees of stem (wedge or pizza) to start the turn. People make this movement because they are not comfortable performing a movement that ski instructors call crossover.
Crossover is the movement that separates advanced skiers from people that ski advanced terrain, it is defined my crossing your center of mass over your skis, down the hill into the new turn (basically throwing one’s body down the hill, swooping your skis underneath the body to catch the center of mass)
Crossover one example of a movement that can define a skill rut, it’s difficult to teach and limits a person’s ability to explore and enjoy the mountain.
**On a related note** Teaching the spouse or significant other how to ski is tough, I call it the relationship tester, put that person in a group or private lesson, meet up for lunch and ski together in the afternoon, at their pace, where the instructor said would be a good place to ski. Your romantic relationship is one of equals, the student/teacher relationship is not, things can get ugly quick.
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