By Vicki Olds, aka Shibumi – “Snowpals Reporter At-Large”
SnowPals is making a difference; saving our planet and particularly the Lake Tahoe Basin, to help keep Lake Tahoe BLUE, one ride-share at a time.
“Did you know there are 1 billion cars in the world? Unfortunately, we’re set to double this in the next 10 years. Each shared car takes 13 cars off the road (on average). You can make a difference by sharing a car.” — getaround.com
Since 1999, SnowPals members have ride-shared from the Bay Area to Lake Tahoe and back at least 5,100* times (this is a conservative estimate*). For an average 400-mile round-trip to/from Tahoe in a vehicle that gets 28 miles per gallon average highway miles will burn 14.3 gallons of gas. A gallon of gasoline burned releases 20 pounds of CO2 into the air. By carpooling, each rider, in addition to the driver, represents 14.3 gallons of gasoline saved from being burned — or 286 pounds of carbon dioxide per round trip!
“Let’s break down how CO2 is produced: a gallon of gasoline weighs about 6 pounds. Roughly 90% of that mass is carbon or about 5.5 pounds. When that carbon is burned one atom of carbon, C, combines with two molecules of oxygen, O2, to form carbon dioxide, CO2. One molecule of CO2 weighs about 3.5 times as much as an atom of carbon, so that 5.5 pounds of carbon burned results in about 20 pounds of CO2.”
High Five yourself, SnowPals’ rideshare participants. Together we have saved the planet from 1,458,600 pounds of carbon dioxide pollutants!
To calculate how much carbon pollution you contribute to the planet, annually, use the energy calculators at Infinite Power (gee, those Texans are really serious about oil): http://www.infinitepower.org/calc_carbon.htm
Plus, think about how much you have saved in gasoline expenses by offering to share your vehicle with a snow rider or two. At 5,100 SnowPal ride-shares, times 14.3 gallons, times the price of a gallon of gas … that’s no small change. In fact, that would be $218,790 in total per snow season that did not go to Big Oil if you had paid $3/gallon at the pump.
And, how many of us have made friends along the way? Or shared a meal and a drink, or two, after the slopes … That’s the non-tangible perks of ridesharing so we at SnowPals encourage you to rideshare / carpool to and from Lake Tahoe resorts as much as possible and to forward this piece to folks you know who goes to Tahoe often but mostly drive solo – advance thanks in helping us preserve our natural environment for ourselves and for generations to come.
* Median of 15 ride-shares/wk; with New Snow this shoots up to 30-35 ride-shares/week. We’re saying that at least 4x/season when there’s a surge of snow riders looking for new snow.
Help keep our planet green, save money and expand your circle of friends by joining SnowPals to ride share to Tahoe area ski resorts and snow destinations beyond (SnowPals members’ in past years joined forces and resources to organize ski and snowboard trips via carpooling/ride sharing to Colorado, Utah and even British Columbia ski resorts).
Are you a local business? Please consider partnering with us to help increase awareness of SnowPals’ rideshare / carpool to help people pool resources to drive together to and from Lake Tahoe.
SnowPals’ mission is to enable SF Bay Area residents to pool resources to ride share/carpool to Tahoe resorts to reduce impact to our environment. We kick off the ski season with annualKickoff Parties around the SF Bay Area.
We invite businesses to partner with us to help bring awareness to our ride-sharing offerings, and to encourage people who might otherwise drive solo to use our services to make new friends and to reduce their carbon footprint.
Individually we each can make slight carbon footprint reductions, and together we can make significant reductions that will help preserve our natural environment. Please consider partnering with SnowPals and we can also help local businesses with its marketing exposure.
Join SnowPals to get that work life balance, and to engage in snow sports recreation. Join SF Bay Area Professionals to expand your circle of ski and ride buddies, btw, that’s how we came up with our name: Snow (Snow-Sports) + Pals.
Founded in 1999 by a small group of friends; we are now 8k+ members and growing. For 2023/24 winter, we celebrate our 25th year of connecting folks to expand their circle of snow sports activity partners. Also, a great way to network professionally since most of our members are busy Bay Area and Silicon Valley professionals who share the joy of snow-sports.
Connect with skiers and snowboarders of all skill levels for trips to Tahoe and to snow destinations covered by your multi-resort ski season pass like Epic, Ikon, Powder Alliance, Indy Pass, and the Mountain Collective Pass.
For the 2023/24 winter season, join us to celebrate our 25th anniversary!
SnowPals facilitates San Francisco Bay Area to Sacramento to Lake Tahoe rideshare/carpooling for residents and visitors to Tahoe during the ski season, and notably, some snow sports enthusiasts extend their ski season by taking advantage of Ikon, Epic Pass access to the southern hemisphere resorts to ski, ride South America and Australia resorts when it’s the summer months here in the Bay Area.
Join SnowPals to meet winter sports recreational activities partners and off-season activity partners for golfing, hiking, camping, biking, rock climbing, water sports and other outdoor recreational activities.
Who joins SnowPals.org?
SF Bay Area Sacramento Area working professionals, retirees, and college students.
When was SnowPals.org founded?
In 1999, a handful of like-minded fresh out of college kids founded SnowPals aka Snow-sports Pals (formerly known as Ski Pals and Bay Area Ski and Snowboard).
How do members connect for rides to Tahoe and other snow destinations?
SnowPals’ members only forum connects members for trips almost every day of the week since we have members who are college students, Bay Area working professionals, digital nomads, visitors on vacation to Lake Tahoe as well as retirees(who likes to ski off-peak weekdays, non-holiday periods) who engages in an active snow sports lifestyle.
Below is a screenshot of SnowPals’ members forum messages for Tahoe ride-share:
Frequently Asked Questions:
Q: Who are your behind the scene crew/the people who helps manage and run SnowPals?
Q: I live in Monterey/Santa Cruz/Sacramento/Davis/Roseville/Stockton/Central Valley California, are there Bay Area members who can give me rides to Tahoe?
A: Yes, if you live along the route to North Lake Tahoe, South Lake Tahoe, Sierra Nevada ski resorts, you can find rides since members stop along the route for a pitstop/to pick-up passengers on the way to Tahoe or other high Sierra resorts.
Q: Do you have ski/snowboard families? We are a skiing/snowboarding family and would like to meet other families who frequent Tahoe often to share snow sports experiences to give kids opportunities to meet new ski/ride friends to make the experience more fun.
A: Yes, many of our members have kids and would like to connect with other families to enjoy snow-sports together; often-times members collaborate to share a ski cabin to reduce their ski cabin lease expenses. Some parents enrolled their kids in resort based ski, snowboarding race training team programs. Many of our members got married over the years and became parents so naturally they would like to connect with other like-minded parents.
Q: I mainly do backcountry skiing/boarding, are there backcountry skiers/riders in the group?
A: Yes, we have many members who are backcountry skiers at various levels from beginners to expert touring level.
Q: I want to find folks for Nordic skiing/cross-country skiing and snowshoeing; are there members who engage in Nordic type snow sports?
A: Yes, we have members who cross train and who enjoys Nordic skiing/snowshoeing; a favorite destination is Lake Tahoe area’s backcountry trails, in addition, many often go to Yosemite National Park to not only engage in snow sports but to engage in winter snow photography and to enjoy off the beaten path Nordic skiing adventures.
Q: What’s the best way to meet people?
A: Make a point to attend our meetups to meet skiers, snowboarders in person to quickly establish rapport and plan Tahoe trips. Nothing beats in-person socializing which instantly creates rapport and connection by way of sharing similar interests and activities.
Screenshot of Tahoe Ride-share Contacts Preferences:
After college, it’s likely that our circle of friends become smaller and smaller with each passing year as family and work responsibilities require a bulk of our personal time, so at SnowPals, we would like to help expand your circle of snow-sports buddies so you can go on more powder ski and snowboarding trips than you have done in previous years.
At SnowPals, we help to expand your FUN horizon by connecting with SF Bay Area professionals of all ages/skill levels, college students and even retirees for Tahoe ski, ride trips and POWDER trips to snowy destinations world-wide. Network, connect and socialize with our active and friendly members.
Before the ski season starts (in October), join our pre-snow season ski-and-ride movie screenings, ski/board festivals, connect for ride-shares and join winter ski leases to make the most of your ski pass.
Our members often extend group activities into the summer seasons. We encourage an active lifestyle of not only snow-sports but the entire gamut of outdoor recreational activities, in the off-season, members often engage in various activities from active travel adventures to tropical R & R destination vacations or travel to bucket list destinations, or locally connect for nature hikes, surfing, sky-diving, rock climbing, mountain biking, wakeboarding among other outdoor activities.
Over the years, we’ve noticed that ..
Ski and snowboard friendships often last a lifetime as they are built on a core shared interest.
“Create ski and snowboarding memories today so when in later years, you’ll reminisce about moments that will likely trigger joyful smiles. That is in two words: ‘truly priceless’ 😉 “- SnowPals
What adventure(s) have you checked off your bucket list this year?
* To get an idea of folks who join SnowPals, the following are excerpts of members’ intros:
“I love snowboarding and starting to get into backcountry riding. Open to riding with new people and meeting others who are into BC riding/skiing.” – Daphne from Newark, CA
“Will be based in Tahoma and skiing on the Tahoe Local Epic pass this season. Getting back to skiing after a 10-year hiatus.” – Lydia
“I finally moved back to Roseville after living in Portland for the last 5 years. I’ve got a season pass to Sierra at Tahoe & hoping to have a good snowboarding season! I’ll be mostly going on the weekends, and taking a few days off here and there on weekdays. I’m interested in tahoe rideshare & possibly finding mates for snowboarding!” – V from Roseville, CA
“I’ve lived in the Bay Area for nearly 4 years now. I’ve skied off and on for about 19 years (with a big layoff in between). I started skiing annually again about 5 years ago. I mainly ski in Park City, UT (A big group of friends host an annual ski trip there).
This year I decided to really lean in and embrace skiing more. I purchased my own equipment and an all resort Epic Pass. I plan on visiting Tahoe a few times this year and hopefully a few non-CA resorts as well. I would love to find a buddy or group to join for a few trips this year. I’m open to joining a ski lease as well.” – Kevin from Emeryville, CA
“I am a digital nomad and thought it would be fun to spend some time up in Tahoe improving my boarding and skiing skills. I would love to find a ski lease that could be a month continuous or at least two to three weeks at a time, maybe twice over the season. I am a fun, easy-going person who can be social or quiet, as needed. I don’t want to live in a party house, but love to cook, enjoy wine, beer and cocktails and board games (sorry!). I am from LA, but please don’t hold that against me, I love San Francisco” – Dagney from SF, CA
“I am an intermediate snowboarder who enjoys park and free riding. 19/20 will be my 2nd full season. I have a season pass for Heavenly and Sierra and looking to ride up with people who enjoy snowsports. I live in San Jose.” – Mike
“Hi Skiers and Snowboarders!
I’ve been snowsporting in Tahoe my whole life and would like to move there someday. My boyfriend Aaron and I are from Los Gatos, and we have both Ikon and Epic passes but love to visit smaller resorts as well. I also love going to ski movie premieres to get pumped up for the season. We can cook pretty well so you definitely want us in your ski lease. Can’t wait to meet you!” – Anna
“Hi, I am from Chicago, moved here in 2018 from DC and spent many excellent weekends at Kirkwood last season. Typically overstoked Midwesterner, have AWD car, Epic local pass. Mostly a weekend warrior to save vacation days, open to ski lease options, and living in Oakland. In warmer weather I’m climbing in Yosemite and elsewhere. Looking for folks excited to hit the slopes all day long!
Looking to connect with others who have Epic Local- Kirkwood is my favorite, but also open to Northstar/Heavenly.” – Josh from Oakland.
Hi my name is Claire and I’m based in SF. I have the Ikon pass, and am interested in finding people to carpool with to Squaw Alpine.
I like to Ski and do Cross-country skiing too.”
“Hi, I grew up in SF, am 24, and recently got into skiing. I am hoping to go up more this season and am looking for a group or ski buddies to go with! 🙂 ” – Harmony
“Hello, I’m frequently driving back and forth from South Lake Tahoe to the Peninsula close to the weekends. I ferry my 6 year old daughter back and forth so we can ski together, but she’s with her dad during the school week. So, sometimes she’ll be in the car and sometimes it’s just me. I have a ski lease now, but hope to relocate to the area. I only travel during low traffic times. Hoping to connect with some weekly carpoolers!” – Ellen
“Hi All! I just moved out to San Francisco after spending some time in Chicago and New York, I am currently on Volunteer Ski Patrol at Squaw Valley So I’m up most weekends and looking to offer rideshare or catch a carpool with others. Myself and some of my family and friends are currently starting a new ski lease in Homewood and we’re hoping to use it to make some new friends! I’m 26 and work as a Programmer.” – Brian
“I am an intermediate skier living in the East Bay. “I’d like to go skiing more often than I used to. Willing to team up with others to share rides to Tahoe. I have a flexible schedule and can go most days during the week. I am professional in the tech field. Prefer to go to Kirkwood, Heavenly & Northstar.” – John
“Hi, I’m from the UK working as a doctor at UCSF and looking to do as many day trips/weekend trips as possible. I’m mainly looking for a ride, but if friends happen, it was meant to be! I am clean and travel without skis.” – V.
“I love skiing (resort and backcountry) and all sorts of climbing — rock and ice, especially alpine routes. Most of my climbing was up in the OR + WA Cascades, so I’d love someone to show me around the Sierra climbing and backcountry skiing. For 2018-19, I have an Ikon Pass and am looking to connect for rides to IKON resorts.” – Alex
Hello POWDER LOVERS, I’m Brian, 47, and I love to Snowboard, advance level, Surf, watch the SF Giants, and go to Happy Hour. I’m married with two great kids (in the middle school range). My wife is from Canada, and she’s realized her dream of making me a devout snow monkey. We bought season passes for the first time this year, so I’m aiming to put as many miles on my Epic Pass as I can. The kids play sports so our Tahoe trips are tag team with one schlepping kids while the other ski’s/boards. I drive our Subaru Outback when I go and like not needing chains. I’m interested in carpooling with anyone else who wants to day trip. I typically go to Kirkwood from San Mateo on weekends, and some weekdays.” – Brian
“Hello! I’m AJ, a PhD student at UC Berkeley who loves XC skiing. I also like snowshoeing. I’m hoping to get out to Tahoe on the weekends, and maybe even for longer during the holidays. Here for good company, new friends, ride shares, ski buddies, and also lodging-sharing.”
“Hi everyone! I’ve lived in SF for about 3 and a half years and am hoping to get up to Tahoe as much as possible on the weekends for some riding (intermediate/advance) this year. I would definitely be interested in ride-sharing with anyone who has space in their vehicle (I don’t have one). I’ve got the Ikon Base Pass so I will likely mostly be going to Squaw/Alpine, but open to other locations on Blackout Dates.” – Mike
“Hey, I live in Menlo Park, moved here from Toronto, Canada 1.5 years ago. Interested in carpooling up to Kirkwood, Heavenly, Northstar. Epic Local Pass holder. Preference is to drive up on Friday nights. I have an AWD SUV with chains, can comfortably take 3 plus gear. I don’t have a ski lease so I am very interested in exchanging driving for a guest stay nights at a lease. I am planning on getting into the backcountry scene as I accumulate the required gear.” – Andrew
– “Hi, I have been in the Bay Area for awhile (since 2000), married with kids, but still like to go snowboarding / skiing when I can. I have used the ski bus a number of times in the past, but this year I have an Ikon pass so I have to focus on ride-sharing to Squaw Valley as often as possible. Either me driving up and taking a passenger, or joining in with someone who is already driving up. I’m the “quiet / dependable” engineer type. If I say I’ll be ready to go at 4 am I’ll be there on time and ready to go. Cheers!”- Eric
“I’m super excited since I just relocated to Petaluma which is a bit closer to Tahoe and one of my fav most beautiful places to snowboard. I’m mainly interested in the Tahoe rideshare because I don’t have a 4 wheel drive vehicle and don’t trust driving in storms. I am flexible on resorts we go to and am interested in crashing at a ski lease as a guest for only a couple of nights if available. I usually can take off Fridays so we can leave early in the AM. I’m also able to meet up somewhere in East Bay or Sacramento and then we carpool from there. Super excited to shred some gnar!” – Megan
“Hello there! I moved here from Illinois last year and tried snowboarding for the first time last season. Fell in love with the sport and bought a pass to Sierra at Tahoe as well as an Epic Local for the upcoming season! Along with a ton of awesome gear so I don’t have to stand in long rental lines anymore. I’m interested in finding people who plan on getting out to Tahoe pretty much every weekend this season. I was told I should come here, so here I am!” – Marcus
“New to the Bay Area and pretty clueless about the various Tahoe resorts. I had a great ski group back East and I definitely miss them. Have Epic Pass and opened to Tahoe trips. Originally from South Carolina have been a Bay Area Resident as of August 2018.” – Matt
“Hello, A little bit about myself: single mom with 2 kids. We live in Scotts Valley. I work in Tech in Menlo Park so lots of commuting and computer hours.
I have been a skier since I was about 8. Last season we were at Heavenly quite a lot and spent $$$ on ski school and accommodations. I did find the ski school absolutely fantastic though and one of my friends recommended their ski team.
So here we are, I have signed both kids up for Heavenly’s Comet program and so looking forward to it and connecting with SnowPals who have kids who are in similar resort programs.
Thanks and looking forward to a great season.” – Mercedes
“Hello there! I moved from France to the Bay Area a couple of years ago but finally decided to get a season pass this year (Epic Local for Kirkwood, Heavenly and NorthStar) I don’t have a FWD car so I’m looking for ski buddies who would be willing to share the ride, ideally super early Sat mornings, but could also make it work some Fridays. I am an intermediate / advanced skier, perfectly comfortable skiing on my own but I would love connecting with people of similar level – powder is always more fun with friends!” – Laura
“Hi, I’m a Montana-native, newly transplanted to the Bay Area. Driving three hours (each way) alone is a bummer, so let’s ride together. I like to Ski, Snowboard and do Back-country skiing or snowboarding” – Adam
“Long time advanced level snowboarder. I prefer weekdays as Friday to Sunday are too crowded. I have the epic Tahoe local pass. I go to Northstar, heavenly and Kirkwood. Interested in finding snow board buddies and interested in a ski lease.” – Patricia
Hello there, I grew up snowboarding in Colorado and have been in the Bay Area for the last year. I am trying the Ikon pass this year so hoping to get a few trips to Squaw. I like to Snowboard (Advance level), Cross-country skiing, Snowmobiling, Snow shoeing and Ice skating” – Ellen
“Always looking for a ride up to the mountain. Kirkwood, Heavenly, Northstar. Epic Local Pass holder. My family owns a cabin about an hour away (depending on conditions). I like to leave the Bay Area Thursday evenings, stay at the cabin, ski Fridays and Saturdays and be home by Sundays. Can definitely host at the cabin. Rustic, but sleeps 3 comfortably. Can meet at any BART station for ride share.” – Josh
“Hi! I live in Sausalito, expert skier ( I lived in Vail for 3 seasons and taught 6-12 yr olds in ski school), and i purchased the Epic Pass this season— will be going to Vail for a week, Mar 9-16, but looking to utilize Epic Pass more this season, Locally~! Looking for other advanced/expert skiers to carve some turns within Tahoe, at any of the Epic Pass accepted resorts. Also looking for ride shares to Tahoe, and occasional places to stay/share. I work for myself, so my driving schedule is VERY flexible—-prefer to NOT be stuck in traffic, and weekdays are fine with me. I have an AWD Cayenne that fits 4 -5 people and equipment, or am happy to pitch in, if someone else can drive. I’m also a single, successful professional, I own my own company, and am hoping to meet other singles (men) that are active and enjoy the sports I am passionate about—- which include skiing and road biking/cycling:) Lets go skiing!!” – Janna
“Hi, I’m from Sonoma and work as a Chef. Been skiing Tahoe my whole life; have a family cabin on Donner. Currently living in Sonoma and skiing primarily midweek, storm chaser looking to connect with the same, all business; got a Sugar Bowl pass.” – Brannon
Why are new members required to send in a self-intro as part of SnowPals’ new member application?
Although internet interactions are quick and easy, they tend to be very one dimensional, unlike meeting someone face-to-face where you can immediately relate with and can readily establish rapport with; hence, to offset this, we need a catalyst in the form of a self-introduction whereby new members send in a self-intro as part of their membership application to facilitate social connections. Reading a person’s self-intro helps members to get to know more about the new member and to learn more about what his/her snow sports interests which helps to serve as conversation starter and can result in cultivating new friendships, or, at the very least to connect for Tahoe ride-sharing to share carpool trip expenses and to help reduce our carbon footprint impact to our natural environment for our benefit and for our future generations.
How do I join? Is there a membership fee?
Unlike traditional ski and snowboard clubs with yearly recurring membership fees, join us with a one-time fee of $20. Please complete the TWO STEPS NEW MEMBER APPLICATION BELOW.
This one-time fee helps us pay for web hosting, backend technical website services, time invested in growing the club, club management and various time consuming backend work such as facilitating Bay Area-Tahoe ride shares and organizing social events.
Alternatively, if you’d rather commit to volunteering two hours of your time to help us grow or manage the group, your membership fee will be waived; just inquire for details.
Our members range from newbies to experts in snow sports. Members’ ages vary from 18 to well into the 70s (single people and married and separated couples with and without kids).
Membership perks:
✔ Access to our Tahoe ridesharing/carpool members network of 8K+ members. We’re a free alternative to fee-based Uber, Lyft and other ride-sharing services. Expand your circle of ski and ride buddies for resort skiing and riding or opt for the backcountry and have the safety of a wing man and woman to stay safe.
✔ Participate in fun and engaging social events
✔ We often hold giveaway raffles for swag and lift tickets at our events and online
✔ In the off-season, we may facilitate connections for outdoor activities such as hiking, road cycling, mountain biking, wakeboarding, surfing, etc. to encourage an active lifestyle.
TO JOIN, PLEASE SUBMIT ONE OF THE FOLLOWING NEW MEMBER APPLICATION BELOW:
** FOR EXPEDITED NEW MEMBER APPLICATION (For those looking to joining ASAP to connect for Tahoe ridesharing/day or overnight trips).
using the email address you’d like to join with, and be sure to include a brief intro about you (approximate age, city of residence, how often do you ski/ride), why you’d like to join, which season pass do you have if any, your ski, board skill level; share your LinkedIn, Facebook or other social media links so members can easily connect with you, and lastly in the off-season, what recreational sports or activities do you engage in? At SnowPals, we encourage an active outdoors lifestyle to help balance work and play 😉 To complete your application, send in a one time $20 membership fee payment (opens in a new window). PLEASE allow us time to review and process your new member request once your payment has been received.
If you do not hear back from us within 24 hours, . Thank you!
** REGUALR APPLICATION
STEP 1: SUBMIT THE FOLLOWING NEW MEMBER APPLICATION FORM
➡ STEP TWO: send the one-time $20 membership payment.. New member application processing time typically takes 24 hours (Monday-Friday); if you’d like to request to rush your application because you’re looking for a Tahoe rideshare, please submit your application and payment, then to expedite the new member invite request.
* Please note: our club/group’s name was changed from Ski Pals to Snow Pals to be inclusive of all snow sports (ski, snowboard, Alpine skiing, kite-skiing, riding, cross-country, telemark, backcountry, ice skating, snowshoeing, sledding, tubing, ice hockey, snowmobiling, etc).
** In addition to Tahoe trips, join us to plan POWDER Destination Trips to:
1) Mammoth Mountain Trips (in Central Sierra Nevada)
2) Utah
3) Colorado
4) British Columbia Trips / Whistler Blackcomb
5) Hakuba, Niseko also known as the Japanese Alps
6) Other international ski and ride trips to Europe, South America, Australia (endless winter skiing and riding) covered by your multi-resort pass
Trip dates and lodging are open to discussion and planning by all club/group members; you can propose a trip and if folks are interested, can join in.
♥ Got family and friends who like to ski or snowboard? Please tell them about SnowPals.org – “Join SnowPals to expand your circle of ski and ride buddies, connect for Tahoe ride-sharing (share trip expenses) and help reduce your carbon footprint impact, hence helping to preserve our environment for us and for future generations.”
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For group ski lease cabin share setups among ski lease members, friends or families, a frequently asked question is..
Question: How can we keep track of who is going to be at the ski cabin on which date(s) and who is inviting guest(s), share cabin to do list and tasks, and who’s bringing what grocery items to share, etc. Is there a website or a group management tool/app where a group can sign in to manage and share an online calendar that could be used to keep group logistics organized?
Answer: Make use of a digital online calendar to organize schedules, keep track of members and guests visits, grocery lists, ski cabin to do list, errands and maintenance tasks.
Here’s a summary of online calendar that is easy to use and works for all members of your ski lease rental group:
(1) GOOGLE CALENDAR WITHIN GOOGLE GROUPS: Google Calendar is perhaps the most popular free digital online calendar; use it as part of Google Groups to effectively communicate with ski lease members and organize tasks, communications and collaborate everything in one central location. It’s simple and easy to use, and you can schedule tasks and events and share the calendar with group members. Visit https://groups.google.com | How to use Google Groups.
(2) TRELLO: “Trello lets you work more collaboratively and get more done. Trello’s boards, lists, and cards enable you to organize and prioritize your projects in a fun, flexible, and rewarding way. Visit https://trello.com
(3) COZI: This app is great for those who share ski cabins. Each person who is granted access can log in using only his/her email address and a shared master password. Besides the standard calendar, Cozi also allows for the creation of shopping lists, to-do lists, meal plans, a family journal and a family photo screen saver. You can also assign a different color to each member. For example, if you assign the color red to Uncle Bob, red will show up on the calendar during the weekend that he plans to be at the cabin. Best of all, this app works across multiple platforms, including iPhone/iPad and Android devices. The basic app is free, but you can also upgrade to Cozi Gold for even more options. Visit https://www.cozi.com
(4) THE VACATION CALENDAR: geared toward vacation home owners, this website includes a lot of cool features, such as a house blog and a photo album where everyone can post photos and comment on them. Authorized users can schedule vacations in the calendar, and the house bulletin board offers a convenient place to store contact information, cabin rules and instructions, directions, area attractions and more. You can even list and schedule out individual cabin bedrooms, so you never have to worry about whether there will be enough room for everyone. Cost: $20 a year (free to try for the first month). Visit https://www.thevacationcalendar.com
(5) Resercal.com is a SaaS app that makes private sharing easier by providing an online availability calendar so that members of your group can log in 24/7, check availability, see who’s going, and make their own reservations. Additional features include an annual use report by member, an editable rules page, waitlisting, cancellation policy and member management. An in-app invoicing and payments system for dues, deposits, fees, and shared expenses is in development. Visit Resercal.com
Are you using an online group management tool that’s not mentioned here for your ski lease or rental that you’d like to recommend? to share your favorite online calendar.
* Looking to create a ski lease members group to share the cost of a ski house/cabin lease, have a place to store your gear and to expand your circle of ski, ride buddies?List your ski lease.
* New to SnowPals? Join us to expand your circle of ski and ride buddies and Tahoe ride-share contacts for powder trips to Tahoe and to powder resorts in Utah, Colorado, British Columbia, etc.
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For the 2016-17 winter season, what’s the best multi-mountain/resort ski season pass?
We’ve crunched the numbers and compared the best multi-mountain/resort passes; the following is a summary guide. Remember that the more days you ski or ride, the more value you get from your pass. Also, keep in mind the best time to purchase a pass is in the spring, typically around early April. Many resorts offer a discount bonus and a spring ski / ride FREE the remainder of the current ski season when you buy your pass early.
One of the most popular ski passes, the Epic Pass gives you unlimited access to twelve resorts, including Australia’s Perisher. Adult Pass: $849 (Pays for itself in 6 days) Resorts: Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, Keystone, Park City, Heavenly, Northstar, Kirkwood, Afton Alps, Mt. Brighton, Arapahoe Basin International Resorts: Verbier (Switzerland), Perisher (Australia)
The Mountain Collective pass offers two days at each of its 14 resorts for a total 28 days of skiing/riding. Home resorts are SunValley, Stowe Mountain Resort, Taos, and Thredbo. Adult Price: $419 (Pays for itself in 5 days based on on individual resort pricing) Resorts: Alta/Snowbird, Aspen Snowmass, Jackson Hole, Mammoth, Ski Banff/Lake Louise/Sunshine, Squaw Valley/Alpine Meadows, Stowe Mountain Resort, Sun Valley, Taos, Thredbo, Whistler Blackcomb International Resorts: Valle Nevado (Chile), Hakuba Valley (Japan), Chamonix (France)
The M.A.X Pass gives you access for five days at each of its 39 participating resorts. There are no blackout dates and many options on both the east and west coast. Adult Price: $699 (Pays for itself in 7 days) Resorts: Big Sky, Boreal Mountain Resort, Brighton, Copper Mountain, Crystal Mountain, Lee Canyon, Mt. Bachelor, Steamboat, The Summit at Snoqualmie, Winter Park, Boyne Highlands, Boyne Mountain, Killington, Loon Mountain, Pico Mountain, Snowshoe, Stratton, Sugarloaf, Sunday River International Resorts: Cypress Mountain (Canada), Blue Mountain (Canada), Tremblant (Canada)
This pass includes unlimited access to Squaw Valley and Alpine Meadows, four days at Sierra-at-Tahoe and Sugar Bowl, unlimited 50% discounts on lift tickets at Mountain Collective resorts, and a worry-free guarantee that will credit users up to four days towards a 2016/17 pass if they don’t ski at least five times this year. Adult Price: $899 (Pays for itself in 9 days) Resorts: Squaw Valley, Alpine Meadows, Sierra-At-Tahoe, Sugar Bowl International Resorts: Two days at Zermatt (Switzerland)
Get access to multiple resorts in Colorado as well as resorts in places like New Zealand, you’ll be able to enjoy the snow year-round. Additionally, the Rocky Mountain Super Pass Plus offers many benefits from free “friends and family” tickets to discounts on rental equipment and tuning. Adult Price: $629 (Pays for itself in 7 days) Resorts: Winter Park, Copper Mountain, Eldora Alpine Pass, Steamboat, Crested Butte, Alyeska Resort International Resorts: Tomamu (Japan), Alts Bandai (Japan), Nekoma (Japan), Cardrona (New Zealand), Mt. Ruapehu (New Zealand)
Access Southern California’s mountains every day with this pass. It offers unlimited skiing, five “bring-a-friend” tickets, and up to 20% off lodging at Mammoth Lodging Collection properties. Adult Price: $849 (Pays for itself in 11 days) Resorts: Mammoth Mountain, June Mountain, Bear Mountain, Snow Summit
*Listed pricing is current as of November 1, 2016. Click on the name of the pass for the most up to date pricing details.
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POWder Parties, Ski Bus Deals, Ski & Ride Vacation Getaway
Help us celebrate our 14th Season as a ski and ride community: engage in some fun at our annual season kick-off POWDER parties happening around the SF Bay Area – view photos from previous events!
East Bay, Berkeley POWDER party – Wednesday DEC 5, 6:30 PM – 8:30 PM; 20% of event funds collected will be donated to Hurricane Sandy Relief efforts managed by New Your Cares; $5 event fee,view details & RSVP
Hop on the Bay Area Ski Bus to Tahoe for a fun-filled day on the slopes of your favorite ski resort and sleep or watch a featured movie on the way back home; bus trips for family, teens, adults, and singles. Get $6 per person off one day trips and $10 off two day trips.
Treat yourself, family and/or friends to a ski/ride destination vacation to Revelstoke Mountain Resort in British Columbia, Sun Valley Idaho / Grand Targhee in WY and Brekenridge / Vail in Colorado; get $30-$40 off these trips.
SF Ski Season Kickoff Party in San Francisco – Thursday, Nov 1, 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM: view event details & RSVP
Join us on Wednesday October 31, 2012, 2:30pm-5pm to celebrate: San Francisco Giants 2012 World Series Champion Post Parade Celebration. Meet local skiers and snowboarders who are fans of the SF Giants to celebrate with an after parade celebration meetup for drinks and conversations.
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