Tag Archives: snowpals

Feedback from property owners who have listed their Tahoe Ski Lease Rentals

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get your Tahoe ski lease rental property listed featured

About SnowPals: since 1999 we have been connecting busy SF Bay Area snow-sports enthusiasts together to share skiing, snowboarding experiences and to share ski lease cabins/homes for the last 24 years.

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Get your rental property or ski lease featured on SnowPals to get noticed and to get referrals from our monthly 6k to 15k unique visitors.

Feedback from property owners who have listed with us:

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“We have used SnowPals for 4 yrs in a row to help find others to share our ski lease. We have had great success with quality applicants. We have tried other sites and none can compare. The nominal fee is a great value.” – Chris of Family Ski Lease Agate Bay.

“I think SnowPals is fantastic; I’ve actually been on both sides of SnowPals. We actually found this ski lease last year on SnowPals and the organizer from last year wanted to hit up North Lake this year, so we took over the lease. We included the $50 listing fee within our rent so actually the person who is leasing from us will pay that. We obviously didn’t tell them that, but I think $50 is a reasonable amount for someone to pay to alleviate the stress of finding the right fit. We filled the spot for the ski-lease quickly! Thanks for your help. We had so many people interested. My husband was telling me that he thinks SnowPals has great potential, and I agree with him. We had at least 25 people contact us, which means there’s a market for matching up owners of homes with tenants. Not sure if SnowPals has the capability to essentially be a management company to find tenants, but I do know our organizer last year actually found our place by reaching out to Airbnb/VRBO listings in Tahoe to see if we could take the house off their hands for the winter time. Just a thought. I am sure it would invaluable to an owner. Hopefully one day we’ll be coming to you to help lease our home in Tahoe 🙂 ” – Sally B. of Tahoe Heavenly Boulder Lodge Ski Out Condo |

Page down to read more feedback from property owners, ski lease groups and families who have listed on SnowPals.

SnowPals have been helping ski lease rental property owners increase their booking referrals since 1999 by connecting SF Bay Area professionals who enjoy snow sports with Tahoe area property owners for referrals and by helping ski lease organizers looking for seasonal ski lease members to fill their ski lease cabin share.

We have a 16,000+ audience reach for social media, newsletter list and new visitors to our website; the chart below is a screenshot of SnowPals’ visitor statistics from Google Analytics:

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list on SnowPals to get results

List your ski lease property rental or if you are a ski lease organizer who already leased a home and looking to add members to share the lease with, list your ski lease share.

To get an idea of what people are listing: browse Tahoe rentals and ski lease share opportunities.

Are you considering turning your home or vacation rental property into a seasonal winter ski lease?

Read up on Key Tips for Drafting Ski Lease Property Rental Agreements.

Reviews And Feedback From People Who Have Listed With Us

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== The following quotes are feedback/reviews from ski lease and vacation rental advertisers who have listed with SnowPals ==

“I was able to quickly rent my condo by posting on snowpals.org – very effective, highly recommended!” – George September 5, 2020

“Another year, another house filled! Will we ever have continuity of ski lease members? Probably not. Thank you SnowPals for making the worst part of ski season as easy as possible.” – Malcolm; listed: Alpine Meadows ski lease. Ski lease filled on November 10, 2019.

“I highly recommend using SnowPals to post your available ski lease. I listed my ski lease to look for 2 more ski lease members for my ski lease and it worked perfectly within 1 week of posting. Thanks Snow-Pals!” – Caroline, listed: Tahoe City Ski Lease. Two membership spots filled on 10/9/2019.

“We had our place posted on Airbnb as a Winter Ski Lease and on other online listings for about 4 months and maybe had 3-4 inquiries. Within 1 day of posting our chalet for winter ski lease rental on SnowPals, we had immediate inquiries and we had it leased within a couple of weeks. Tim is great to work with and made the process super easy. I will definitely continue to use SnowPals listing!” – Margie, property owner of Tahoe City Chalet. 10/2/2019; you can also read this review on SnowPals Facebook Page.

“SnowPals has been a huge help in finding the last few member of our ski lease this year. Not only does the service act as a recruiting tool, it is a great resource for members to see lease specifics and photos of the house even after they have signed up. Creating a listing was easy, and personally I thought the advertising support was extremely responsive to emails. Thanks for offering a great service.” – Jonas of Truckee New Luxury House 11/16/2018

“I’ve been a member of Snow Pals since it started. For the last two years I have been using the cabin share ad listing on SnowPals to fill vacancies in my seasonal rental. For the money involved this is a great deal as it targets a very direct market. It’s incredible that so many Bay Area snow sports enthusiasts get together in this manner. Highly recommended.” – John W. of Donner Lake Cabin Share 10/5/2018

“We have used SnowPals for 4 yrs in a row to help find others to share our ski lease. We have had great success with quality applicants. We have tried other sites and none can compare. The nominal fee is a great value.” – Chris of Family Ski Lease Agate Bay 10/1/2018

“Thanks to your wonderful website, our cabin is now full for the 2018-19 ski season. This is our 6th season advertising our ski lease on SnowPals. I had about 35 people contact me for the listing this year. I don’t know how you they do it, but with SnowPals we get only professional folks and most of them people familiar with snow country. I had tried craigslist and pretty much just got people who wanted to pay $100 and have someplace to lay their head, and could they make the $100 payment in two payments. When I switched to Snowpals.org I found almost exclusively professional working people who had no trouble paying the full lease membership fee and who appreciates a nice, uncrowded place, which is how we do our cabin. THANKS!!” – JoAnn M. of Alpine Meadows Luxury Ski Lease 09/10/2018

“Snowpals ski lease listing is the best for the Tahoe area lease and rental market advertising! It’s well worth the $50 listing fee which is comparatively very cheap. I very much appreciate all you guys do in attracting folks who share a passion for snow sports.” – Christine S. of Tahoe Donner Truckee Ski Lease 9/6/2018

“Thank you Snowpals. I have listed my vacation rental property for the last 4 years with great results. The results from Snowpals advertising brings me good responsible renters every year. I only list with Snowpals now.” – Randy S. of North Tahoe Home Rental 9/6/2018

“I’ve listed my ski lease ads on Snowpals over the past several years. The ads have helped me greatly in filling the memberships in my ski annual ski leases. They have also given me the opportunity to meet and get to know and create some great friendships over the years!” – Jack D. of Lake View Tahoe Donner Ski Lease 9/4/2018

“Our Snowpals ski lease ad listing worked great. We posted the ad on a Wednesday, and had filled the last 4 spots in our house within 6 days. We had plenty of responses which allowed us to be selective and ensure a good fit for the house. We would definitely use it again. Thanks!” – Kelle & Marc of Great Donner Lake Ski Lease 12/5/2017

“Snowpals offer a great ski lease listing service! I was uncertain at first about whether we’ll actually find someone we wanted to share a ski lease with, however lots of people ended up approaching me of all ages and backgrounds. Most of those seemed like they would be a good fit, and it only took me a single meeting with one of the first responders to decide it would be awesome to share a lease with. I give SnowPals a rating of 10/10; would re-list next year if we need people to join our ski lease!” Jaco R. of Heavenly Kirkwood Ski Lease 11/18/2017

“Listing my ski lease on Snowpals helped us fill the remaining 5 spots with cool people (and great skiers, even one woman who has trained with the US ski team!). It’s better than posting on Craigslist, because all of the people who reach out are actual ski/snowboard enthusiasts. Would definitely recommend, and $50 is totally worth it–just put it into your ski lease budget–a drop in the bucket for great ski members additions!” – Alan A. of Ski Palace Tahoe City Ski Lease 11/16/2017

“I can’t say enough about how great my experience with Snowpals was! Snowpals made it easy and logistically possible to find cool ski / snowboarders for our house!! You know the people you find and who find your listing are like minded, and love to be in the snow! The vetting process is so much faster, and it’s a great community to get involved with.” – Michelle M. of Squaw Valley Ski Lease 11/08/2017

“This is our second season using Snowpals to find the last couple members of our ski lease. It’s easy to post and we end up getting tons of responses! We’ve had so much success that every person we’ve found so far on Snowpals has joined the cabin for the next season! Definitely worth $50 ad fee!” – Miriam M. of Alpine Meadows Ski Lease 11/02/2017

“For the second year in a row I found great tenants in less than a week on Snowpals aka SkiPals. So much more efficient than using Craigslist, which attracts all the international people on visas, and Airbnb, which attracts weekend rentals. Will continue to be my go to Snowpals to list my ski lease.” – Kathleen M. of Kings Beach Ski Lease 10/26/2017

“I’ve now used Snowpals two years in a row to fill my ski lease and it’s been an amazingly smooth process! There are so many fun people who share my enthusiasm for ski season – and are all courteous, helpful, clean, and overall a blast to hang out with. I can’t imagine going back to trying to hunt down unsure friends! Snowpals is now my go-to for filling my ski lease every year.” – Agatha of Heavenly Four Bedroom Ski In Out Ski Lease 10/5/2017

“We’ve used SnowPals for the last couple of seasons and compared to other listings it’s brought in the best leads by far. Keeping our listing up-to-date is always easy, and this year we didn’t bother to list anywhere else… it’s not worth the time or trouble vs relying on SnowPals.” – Robert H. of Beautiful NEW Truckee Luxury House 10/2/2017

“I think Snowpals is fantastic; I’ve actually been on both sides of Snowpals. We actually found this ski lease last year on Snowpals and the organizer from last year wanted to hit up North Lake this year, so we took over the lease. We included the $50 fee within our rent so actually the person who is leasing from us will pay that. We obviously didn’t tell them that, but I think $50 is a reasonable amount for someone to pay to alleviate the stress of finding the right fit. We filled the spot for the ski-lease quickly! Thanks for your help. We had so many people interested. My husband was telling me that he thinks Snowpals has great potential, and I agree with him. We had at least 25 people contact us, which means there’s a market for matching up owners of homes with tenants. Not sure if Snowpals has the capability to essentially be a management company to find tenants, but I do know our organizer last year actually found our place by reaching out to Airbnb/VRBO listings in Tahoe to see if we could take the house off their hands for the winter time. Just a thought. I am sure it would invaluable to an owner. Hopefully one day we’ll be coming to you to help lease our home in Tahoe 🙂 ” – Sally B. of Tahoe Heavenly Boulder Lodge Ski Out Condo 9/26/2017

“I am please to let you know that we filled our ski lease in Tahoe Donner. I am sold on Snowpals! Last time we were in the market for a replacement, we advertised on CraigsList and this was a much more pleasant experience! Thanks for your help.” – Laurie B. of Beautiful Tahoe Donner Ski Lease 9/22/2017

“Tim and the Snow Pals’ team have made filling our ski lease drop dead simple. One post and we fill our lease right up.” – Micaiah F. of Meyers Ski Lease 9/18/2017

“We have successfully used Snowpals to fill a few vacancies in our house over the years (pre-season and mid-season). We received multiple responses in a short amount of time, and nobody flaked (unlike experience with other sources). Snowpals is definitely worth the minimal advertising investment.” – Jen W. of Carnelian Bay Ski Lease 11/30/2016

“Snowpals is a great site to get quality referrals for our vacation rental. I received more than 23 different enquirers and had my vacation rental condo booked for as a ski lease within a month of posting. I am pleased with the professional renter we were connected with and look forward to using SnowPals again next year.” – Kathleen M. of Northstar Condo Vacation Rental 11/25/2016

“Thanks to Snowpals we went from 5 members and an expensive, empty house to a dynamic group of 11 consisting of regular and weekdays only members in about a month’s time. A $50 listing fee saved the original members over $1200 each, and we all made new friends!” – Kate S. of South Lake Tahoe Ski Lease with Hot Tub 11/24/2016

“Snowpals is a great resource which helped us to find additional members for our ski lease. We now have a fun winter to look forward to with a great group of skiers from San Francisco. Snowpals’ website was easy to use, and ad placement just took a few minutes and we got tons of responses. I would definitely use Snowpals again.” – Alexis R. of Tahoe Donner Ski Lease 11/21/2016

“I was astounded by how much high quality interest I got through Snowpals – I could have easily filled my lease twice over.  Tim at Snowpals was very responsive; great experience overall, would use it again and would be happy to recommend to others.” – Anne R. of Tahoe City Ski Lease Memberships 10/27/2016

“Snowpals saved our winter this year! We wanted to organize a ski lease but had friends who were unsure if they could commit. We listed our lease on snowpals in mid September and were able to fill it by the end of September. And the people we met are amazing! I would highly recommend using snowpals for anyone trying to organize a ski lease.” – Agatha B. of Heavenly Ski-in/out Ski Lease 9/28/2016

“Snowpals is just what you need if you are trying to fill your ski lease with quality members.  I posted an ad on Snowpals, and within 9 days I had received a dozen inquiries.  We were able to close out our roster quickly and conveniently.  I will use the site again for certain.” – Alex P. of Alpine Meadows Year Round Family Ski Lease 9/17/2016

“Thanks for running Snowpals’ website. Met some of my best friends on here when I found my first ski lease. This year we advertised on Snowpals and filled our ski lease memberships quickly.” – Justin H. of Alpine Meadows Ski Lease 9/20/2016

“Snowpals helped us find amazing families and fill our lease more quickly this year than we ever have in the past!  I highly recommend snowpals for anyone who is looking to fill a few spots in their ski house!” – John H. of Tahoe Donner Family Ski Lease 9/12/2016

“Thanks for listing my ski lease quickly – in the last 10 days I got a lot of people who where interested, so now I finalized and we’re full 🙂 !  Thanks again for your help and for SnowPals, it’s great to get this done so quickly!” – Jan V., Tahoe Donner Luxury Cabin

“We found 4 great folks via Snowpals to fill up our ski lease. Totally worth the $50 ad listing fee. It usually took us longer to fill our lease with another listing service we had to pay a higher listing fee than Snowpals’. Thanks!” Mike M., Carnelian Bay Ski Cabin

“Last year we advertised on both Snowpals and Craigslist.  The Craigslist responders were to a person looking for the cheapest bed possible, with one scammer who wanted to come look at the house when we weren’t there, and tried to get all sorts of information from me. The Snowpals responders (last year and this year), were professional, business owners, professors, and high tech people. We will certainly be back next year!”- JoAnn M, ski lease organizer, Alpine Meadows Ski Lease

“I’m very happy with the quality of people referrals your site attracts. Keep up the good work!” – Sandy W., owner of Truckee Rental House

“It was awesome posting on Snowpals! Within 36 hours, I received a bunch of responses in my inbox, and our listing closed fairly quickly. All the emails were super nice and friendly, and many responses were from people already familiar with the Tahoe area and experienced in previous ski leases, which was a huge plus!” – Cindy L., Tahoe City Ski Lease

“SnowPals is a far better resource than Craigslist or the local papers. For several years running I’ve managed to find excellent full season renters in a very short time and with minimal hassle. Thanks Snowpals!” — Chris K., Markleeville homeowner

“We got about twice as many queries from SnowPals as from Craigslist. The queries seemed from ‘more normal’ people, and it was nice to not have to hit renew every few days.” – Trent G., Donner Lake Ski Lease

“Advertising my ski lease on Snowpals was quick, easy and highly effective! In no time, I had responses from really nice, high-caliber potential ski cabin members. I filled my spots in no time with people I really like, who are a great fit for the cabin.” – Heather D. of Alpine Meadows Ski Lease

* Read additional reviews from people who have advertised / listed their Tahoe vacation rental and ski lease on SnowPals’ Facebook page:

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♥ Share this page with friends and family via , twitter, facebook. List your ski lease or vacation rental. Browse ski leases or vacation rentals.

 

 

Winter Snow Sports Biz Spotlight: Lake Tahoe & beyond

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Photo Credit: Sierra-at-Tahoe

Last updated: February 17, 2022.

Winter Snow-Sports Businesses Spotlight

At SnowPals, we invite snow-sports businesses (world-wide) to become a cross-promotional biz partner. Spotlight your business to San Francisco Bay Area and Lake Tahoe Area snow-sports consumers about what your biz does best:

  • Services you offer, and/or
  • Products you sell

    • At SnowPals, we work diligently to earn a Five Star Rating. We strive to build stellar long term business relationships with our fans and with consumers. We work tirelessly to deliver great value and service in order to build a genuinely loyal customer base. If this resonates with what your business strives to do, please reach out to become a cross-promotional biz partner by submitting the form at the bottom of this page.

    Don’t have a partners’ or an affiliates page on your business website? Consider adding one.

    Here are some reasons why an affiliates page is the most effective way to help you grow your business:

    1) serves to increase cross promotional marketing referrals which is the ideal way to attract new visitors to your website instead of paid advertising via Google, etc.

    2) cross marketing provides organic advertising that attracts snow sports niche audience to your website

    3) cross promotion is about expanding the marketing reach of your product and/or services so by helping to promote others, you also in turn receives prime organic visitors traffic to your business website whenever people search for businesses that are winter sports related

    4) Lastly, success comes from collaborating, rarely from isolation – that’s our takeaway from 20+ years at SnowPals and we have the success track record to show; in 1999 we started SnowPals.org with a few friends, fast forward until 2020, we have gained over 8,000+ members and we continue to grow with the help and support of our fans.

    Our 2021/22 Affiliates & Partners List

    == SF Bay Area ==

    tahoe-ski-trips-logo

    Tahoe Ski Trips, since 1996, over 23 years of stellar service: “operating with integrity and a commitment to quality, Tahoe Ski Trips (also know as the Bay Area Ski Bus) contracts with the finest transportation companies and recreation outfitters/ski resorts with fantastic reputations and safety records; we focus on the details, while you focus on having Fun! Our quality and service is unmatched.” – Kevin, TST CEO. Get a private ski bus group quote or a corporate price quote for your company as a team building ski, snowboarding outing in Tahoe. Partner’s Promotional Offer Page: new Tahoe ski trips users receive up to $50 off day and overnight ski bus trips/gift cards available.

    sportsbasement-redwood-city

    Sports Basement with 10 Bay Area Store Locations: ’21 Years of Sports Basement’. a sporting goods store that “catered to everyone that wanted to enjoy the outdoors, with no high-cost barrier to entry. The whole idea was to work with the smallest margins possible so Sports Basement could have the best brands at, well, Basement prices. It worked, and now Sports Basement is able to deliver great gear at great prices at 10 different stores in the greatest place on Earth! Partner’s Promotional Offer Page: Basementeer membership gives you a discount for all purchases which also adds to even sale and clearance discount sporting goods items (online and in store).

    snowbomb ski snowboard festival sf santa clara sacramento

    SnowBomb: SnowBomb produces NorCal’s yearly Ski & Snowboard Festival in San Francisco, San Jose and Sacramento featuring wine/beer tastings, ski resorts from all over North America, snow-sports exhibitors & leading manufacturers in the ski and snowboard industry, hoteliers and destination getaways and auto industry showcase. Partner’s Promotional Offer Page: Get 1/2 off POWDER PASS AND VIP WINE/BEER tasting tickets.

    apres-ski-club-active-singles-logo

    Apres’ Ski Club Lodge at Kings Beach, CA (North Lake Tahoe): join Apres ski and snowboard club based out of the Santa Clara, CA (South Bay), a year-round singles club for active adults residing in the San Francisco Bay Area. Partner’s Promotional Offer Page: view Apres ski, ride club benefits.

    Casa-tours-logo

    Casa Tours: Chile Argentina Snow Adventures (CASA), is a grassroots organization whose mission is to increase exposure to South American landscapes, mountains, and cultures. CASA is about traveling safely in the mountains; introducing our guests to new places, people, cuisines, language and customs; achieving personal ski and snowboard goals; and developing lifelong friendships and memories. By building cultural bridges and embracing sustainable travel principles, we hope to promote global peace and prosperity while introducing people to some of the best skiing and snowboarding on the planet. Partner’s Promotional Page: ski, ride year round; sign up for our endless winter powder trip tours.

    == Lake Tahoe ==

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    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. Partner’s Promotional Offer Page: get 10% off backcountry topo ski maps.

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    SkiDUCK is a nonprofit organization founded in 2010; SkiDUCK offers a free program to bring disadvantaged and financially underprivileged youth to the snow to teach them the joys of skiing and snowboarding. Partner’s Page: seeking volunteers to teach underprivileged kids how to ski and snowboard.

    Tahoe-fund-nonprofit

    Tahoe Fund TahoeFund.org is a registered nonprofit in the States of Nevada and California. The goal of the Tahoe Fund is to become a major source of private funding for environmental projects around the Lake Tahoe Basin with an emphasis on forest health, lake clarity, sustainable recreation, transportation and stewardship. Partner’s promo: Buy a Tahoe License Plate or Nevada License Plate and get a Tahoe resort lift ticket or get a day pass to access Lake Tahoe cross-country areas.

    sugar-bowl-resort-tahoe-logo

    Sugar Bowl | Royal Gorge is Hiring North Lake Tahoe’s Sugar Bowl | Royal Gorge is Hiring. Partner’s Employment Openings Page: apply for job openings at Sugar Bowl and Royal Gorge.

    == Canada ==

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    SkiBuds: Find friends to ride with based on skill level making the skiing experience in Whistler, British Columbia more enjoyable. Affiliate’s Website: http://www.skibudsapp.com

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    Canadian Mountain Holidays aka CMH is touring California; see what it’s like to heli-ski, ride untracked powder with our virtual reality (VR) heli-ski experience. We’ll have the goggles and guides available at all events. Partner’s VR Tour Event RSVP Page: What is it like to heli-ski untracked POWDER? RSVP for CMH’s virtual reality heli-ski experience. 

    == Our 2020/21 Partners List ==

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    Since 1999, we have been passionate about connecting San Francisco Bay Area residents and visitors to Lake Tahoe to enjoy snow-sports and to engage in outdoor recreational activities in Tahoe and in other powder destinations. Our partners have chosen to advertise on SnowPals, year after year, because we quantify referrals that contribute to their success!

    What are the benefits of partnering with SnowPals?

    New customer referrals and increase your brand’s visibility are two of the key benefits of partnering with SnowPals.

    Partner with us to reach Bay Area Professionals, their family and their circle of friends. Let us spotlight your business to reach and exceed your business goals.

    For partnership inquiries, please reach out to for a digital media kit for key metrics and benefits of partnership.

    What does becoming an affiliate entails? There is no cost to become an affiliate.

    We are looking for snow-sports related affiliates who would like to establish a cross marketing relationship.

    How to become an affiliate?

    On your partner/affiliates page, please add 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).

    snowpals-logo

    For Lake Tahoe ski trips, join SnowPals.org – San Francisco Bay Area snow-sports club for busy professionals, since 1999.

    In return, we will include your business on this page. View what an affiliates’ page looks like on SkiBuds’ website.

    Use the form below to send us a one sentence description detailing what your business offers, a URL link to your biz’s website and your business logo. after you have added our logo, link and description to your affiliates page and we’ll do likewise.

    Become an Affiliate

    Submit this form to become a SnowPals affiliate,
    • Send us a one sentence description detailing what you offer as a business.

    Next Step After Submitting the Form:

    After adding our logo and the above sentence on your Affiliates page, please contact (Monday to Friday, non-holidays, 9 AM to 5 PM). We will proceed with listing your business on this page. Please allow a 24 hours turn-around since we need to review your submission and work on listing your business if it meets our snow-sports category listing. Advance thanks!

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    Tahoe powder skiing, snowboarding video contest

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    Page updated: February 4, 2023 at 5 AM PST.

    Enter SnowPals Ski, Ride POWder Video Contest ?⛷❄️❄️❄️

    We’re currently taking one minute POV Shred the Powder video submissions until 11:59 PM PST on Feb 5, 2023.

    2022 Tahoe powder skiing, snowboarding video contest

    After 44 days of no rain/snow, finally Lake Tahoe resorts got some very cold (low of 1F) dry powder freshies so we’d like to invite you to join in the fun by participating in our 2022 Tahoe powder skiing, snowboarding video contest to win cool prizes.

    tahoe weather snow totals feb

    source: Tahoe Weather

    Congrats to the winners! This giveaway was held in conjunction with “All things Tahoe” tips giveaway – view the winners list and check out the winning POWDER Day GoPro skiing video.

    First prize: Ski Bus Day Trip of your Choice (expires 12/31/2023) sponsored by Tahoe Ski Trips (view the bus trip schedule).

    Second prize: Mellow Mountain Hostel (weekday night’s stay). ‘Surrounded by pine trees, this laid-back hostel is 11 minutes by foot from Lakeside Beach along Lake Tahoe. It’s a 3-minute walk from the Heavenly Ski Resort and a 5-minute walk from the
    Stateline Transit Center.’ View Map/driving directions.

    Third prize: an unrestricted Bear Valley Resort Lift Ticket (a $153 value)

    Fourth Prize: Free entry to any SnowPals Events (a $20 value to cover event fee; expires 12/31/2025); next event in the works is our small group wine tasting on the patio TBA.

    Giveaway entry video submission deadline: is 11:59 PM PST on Sunday February 27, 2022.

    Tip: use a free online video editing software to edit and add music to your video before you upload it; ie. https://clipchamp.com/en/video-editor/

    Winners will be announced on Monday Feb 28 before 1:00 PM PST.

    Bookmark this page and check back on Feb 28 to see winners’ name listed here. Page last updated Feb 24 at 7 AM PST.

    View videos of our 2020 Ski/Ride POWDER Contest Winners

    Powder skiing/snowboarding video contest selection process/rules:

    The SnowPals’ crew will select seven video entries to be entered into our randomly selected draw of three winners for the above prizes.

    Rules:

    One video entry per person. Videos must recorded between November 2021 until present day. Videos must be at a Lake Tahoe/ Sierra Nevada ski resort. Videos must show a skier or snowboarder engaging in skiing/riding powder: either first person point of view recording (GoPro) or by a ski/ride buddy who have recorded you skiing/riding powder. Minimum video length is 60 seconds; maximum length is three minutes. Upload to your YouTube Channel, Instagram, Twitter or Facebook then tag your video with SnowPalsDotOrg to officially enter our contest – click here to share with us your name and your video posting share link.

    By submitting your video to SnowPals’ contest, you agreed to give SnowPals permission to share your video.

    Submit your video to get entered into SnowPals’ giveaway:

    Click here to submit your video (opens in a new window).

    Odds of winning: 1/10; this contest is held in conjunction with our Tahoe Getaway Tips Contest (three entries received). We will select seven entries for this contest; from the ten entries, we will run a random number picker to pick the top three prizes.

    Read up on 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

    http://www.snowpals.org/deals/daily-tahoe-tips/

    * Join our fun informal happy hour meetups organized by our members to connect for Tahoe ridesharing (share expenses, help reduce impact to our environment, expand your contacts for ski & ride buddies).

    * Plan a Tahoe getaway: browse Tahoe vacation rentals or those with a season pass, join a ski lease to set a new personal record for most ski and ride days.

    * Book a SF Bay Area to Tahoe ski resorts SKI BUS trip: one day, overnight and 7+ day trips; also makes a great gift for holidays, birthdays, etc.

    * 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.

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    SHRED THE POW ONE MINUTE VIDEO CONTEST – TAKE 2

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    cmh-powder-skiing

    SHRED the POWder One Minute Video Contest Submission ?⛷❄️❄️❄️ TAKE 2

    Page updated: February 6, 2023 at 12 AM PST.

    With such an epic powder freshies 2022-23 winter we are witnessing and it’s not over yet, we’d like to invite you to join in the fun by participating in our 2022/23 Tahoe powder skiing, snowboarding video contest to win prizes for sharing your joie de vie.

    First prize: $100 USD to do as your heart desires; put it towards next season pass or offset your decadent Sushi Yoshizumi gourmet dining experience.

    Second prize: Round-trip Ski Bus Day Trip Transportation of your Choice to any Tahoe resorts on the ski bus calendar (expires 4/12/2023) sponsored by Tahoe Ski Trips (view the bus trip schedule). TST also offers corporate and private small group ski bus trips customized to your preferences. Ask for a ski bus trip quote (minimum 22 passengers to a maximum of 55).

    Third prize: a Sugar Bowl Resort ski lift voucher that lets you buy an adult lift ticket for $20 (regular ticket window: $168 Saturday pricing)

    Fourth prize: $25 e-gift card for your choice of Starbucks Coffee, Peet’s Coffee or Philz’s Coffee.

    Video submission deadline: Tuesday February 7, 2023 at 11:59 PM PST

    Tip: kick it up a notch by using a free online video editing software to edit and add music to your video before you upload it; ie. https://clipchamp.com/en/video-editor/

    How to submit your 1 minute of shredding pow video to the contest:

    1) Upload your one minute video to YouTube and include this tag line:

    “SnowPals.org SHRED THE POW CONTEST VIDEO ENTRY/Submission” as part of the description of your video. Remember to include the date and resort or Sierra backcountry you recorded this video at. Bonus points for detailing the description of the lift access/trail you took to get to this alpine downhill skiing/riding run.

    Instructions on how to upload your video to YouTube

    2) to send us the direct YouTube link/URL to where your video is posted.

    By submitting your video to SnowPals’ contest, you agreed to give SnowPals permission to share your video.

    The SnowPals Team will pick the top 5 videos, from which we will run a poll for viewers to select the top four winners. The poll to pick the winners will run from Feb 7, and will conclude on Feb 14 at 11:59 PM PST. Winners names will be announced on Feb 15 at 10 PM PST on our Twitter feed.

    View videos of our 2020 Ski/Ride POWDER Contest Winners

    Powder skiing/snowboarding video contest selection process/rules:

    One video entry per person. Videos must be recorded between December 2022 until present day. Your one minute video recording must be at a Lake Tahoe/ Sierra Nevada ski resort or Sierra mountain backcountry. Videos must show a skier or snowboarder engaging in skiing/riding powder: either first person point of view POV recording (GoPro) or by a ski/ride buddy who has recorded you skiing/riding powder using an iPhone/smartphone.

    ==================================

    Get the inside scoop on Tahoe money saving tips such as which resorts to go for lift ticket deals, free birthday lift ticket, learn to ski, snowboard package deals, apres ski happy hour venues, etc at

    http://www.snowpals.org/deals/daily-tahoe-tips/

    * Join our fun informal happy hour meetups organized by SnowPals members to connect for Tahoe ridesharing (share expenses, help reduce impact to our environment, expand your contacts for ski & ride buddies).

    * Plan a Tahoe getaway: browse Tahoe vacation rentals or those with a season pass, join a ski lease to set a new personal record for most ski and ride days.

    * Book a SF Bay Area to Tahoe ski resorts SKI BUS trip: one day, overnight trips; also makes a great gift for holidays, birthdays, etc.

    * 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.

    Know of family or friends who love snow sports? Share this page with friends and family via , twitter, facebook.

    How to Increase Bookings for your Airbnb, VRBO, Zillow, HomeAway, FlipKey Listing!

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    a01

    How for Increase Bookings for your Airbnb, VRBO, Zillow, FlipKey and HomeAway Listing! A Property Owner’s Guide of Proven Tips on How to Successfully Rent/Lease Out Your Rental Property

    We won’t waste your time so let’s get to it:

    (1) Professional photography highly recommended – this is the most important factor if you’d like to attract renters over other listings in the same geographical area. Invest the money to hire a pro photographer to take photos of your rental property especially to feature the amenities that make your rental stands out from the rest, be it hot tub, lake views, prime location, etc.

    Even if you have a tight budget, consider hiring an ‘up and coming’ photographer from Craigslist to take professional looking photos of your vacation home/ski lease rental property. And yes, it’s true: “a picture is worth a thousand words” and photos are priceless when it comes to instant appeal which will get you more clicks on your rental listing which equates to more booking inquiries.

    Considered yourself an amateur photographer? Got an eye for optimum lighting, composition, and choice angles? Go at it but here are some photography tips to help you get started from www.liv.rent and www.fitsmallbusiness.com/real-estate-photography-tips.

    Also, be sure to implement tips on how best to decorate your rental property/ski lease for maximum appeal by implementing visual decorating tips on Pinterest.

    Like to see an example of a photo that sells it? Here’s what we called a ‘money shot’ because yes, it brings in the money 😉

    truckee-ski-lease-share-2020

    A prime examples of listings with stellar photos:

    * http://www.snowpals.org/leases/latitude-39-lodge-lease/

    (2) Take time to write a clear and concise description of your rental/ski lease listing and be sure to include things such as:

    * amenities? what makes your rental property unique? prime location at the base of Squaw? hot tub and sauna?
    * how many people can your property sleep/accommodate? How many beds and baths total?
    * location and proximity of your property in relation to points of interests in the area: resorts, restaurants, grocery markets, etc.
    * is this a family type rental or a group type rental?
    * duration of rental/lease: daily, monthly or winter seasonal lease?
    * rental/lease rates: discount if booked for longer term? Security deposit? Cleaning fee? Snow plow service included? Utilities included?
    * how many covered parking spaces? flat driveway?
    * pet friendly? other restrictions?
    * for group ski lease, guest fees? full time residence ok?
    * for ski lease group, it’s good idea to describe age range of people in the group and preferences for social activities, apres ski happy hour, family type shared meals, etc
    * best way to contact you: by email, phone, text or?
    * what basic information would you like from potential renters or ski lease members to provide as part of initial email contact so you can get an idea of who they are? Ask renters to share something about themselves such as profession, LinkedIn profile, FB, Instagram, etc.

    (3) Make use of well written rental agreements:

    Your rental agreement is essential for setting expectations between you and your guests/renters/lease members! It provides a sense of security for all parties involved, and defines the rules and policies for the property prior to their stay. Some key items to include in rental/lease agreements:

    * Dates
    * Rates/Payment
    * Maximum Occupancy
    * Cancellation Policies
    * House Rules (very important to be specific)
    * Check In/Out procedures (be clear & specific)
    * Damage Policy

    Consider having your renters/lease members read and sign House Rules and rental policies to show that they clearly understood your rental terms prior to their stay. For example, include in your policy things like where guests can smoke, where they can’t smoke (a fine is levied if they are caught smoking where they aren’t allowed to). Consider including rules and policies on pets, occupancy and type of use (no wild parties, etc).

    Visit the following sites to view some examples/templates of Lake Tahoe area lease/rental agreements/terms/contracts/policies:

    Template 1

    Template 2

    Template 3

    Template 4

    Template 5

    (4) Complete a rental market research ‘due diligence’: ask yourself.. ‘have I priced my rental or ski lease competitively for the current rental market for my geographical area my rental is located in?’

    Do some market research and make sure to price ‘apples to apples’ comparison based on rental location, number of bedrooms, baths, amenities, square footage, etc. If you don’t nail your rental pricing competitively, you won’t get as many rental inquiries no matter how pretty your rental photos look.

    Now to rental market research; first off browse on our rentals/private ski lease listings and/or browse group/family share ski lease listings to get an idea of what prices are like for comparable rentals/ski leases.

    Next, perform keyword searches on Airbnb, VRBO and Craigslist among other rental sites to get an idea of what is the current market rate for rentals/ski leases.

    (5) Lastly, leverage your social connections (before you submit your listing) by asking family and friends to give you feedback on ways to improve your rental/ski lease listing for clarity, conciseness and appeal.

    More rental property and ski lease tips ..

    * Read advice and tips on how to draft effective rental property/lease agreements to protect your rental property.

    * Are you part of a family or group ski lease cabin share and would like to use online Calendars and Management Tools to help you coordinate, and have a central point to communicate with ski lease members? Read this.

    * 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.

    Upcoming

    * Join our winter season kickoffs throughout the SF Bay Area for drinks + eats. Get stoked by watching ski/ride film screenings. Join our engagingly fun events to connect with skiers, boarders for winter season ride-sharing to/from Tahoe resorts.

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    tags: airbnb, vrbo listing tips

    Ski Lease Cabin Share Group Members Coordination and Collaboration Calendars and Tools

    Posted on by

    apres-ski-lodge

    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.

    * Read advice and tips on how to draft effective rental property/lease agreements to protect your rental property.

    * 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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    Backcountry Skiing, Snowboarding (spilt-boarding) Q&A Series, part 4

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    Backcountry Skiing, Snowboarding (spilt-boarding) Q&A Series

    Part 4: interview with Richard Bothwell, Backcountry Touring Guide and Director of the Outdoor Adventure Club (OAC)

    richard bothwell inbounds hiking

    Photo Credit: Richard Bothwell

    Part 4 – Backcountry Skiing, Snowboarding (spilt-boarding) Q&A Series

    Background timeline context

    The boom in backcountry skiing, snowboarding and other snow-sports was brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic as ski resorts started closing down like falling dominoes starting in March of 2020 as state and local counties mandated ‘stay at home’ (SIP) orders as coronavirus outbreaks spiked.

    Winter season 2020/21 will likely see similar trends especially pronounced if resorts are unable to implement effective protocols of limiting on-site visitors’ capacity, and social distancing especially indoors in common areas which will result in COVID infection outbreaks resulting in resorts’ closures.

    Of particular concern is that finally CDC acknowledges that the coronavirus infection transmission is airborne by aerosols which means it is highly contagious. This fact does not bode well so we’ll see how this flu season and winter months play out.

    Back to our topic, our backcountry Q&A feature looks at backcountry from a range of diverse perspectives, from an amateur to expert backcountry skier, from a ski shop small business retailer to backcountry touring guide, these Q&A series provide some key insights and also we’ll list resources to consider for avalanche safety training that is critical to stay safe in the backcountry. Most importantly, we list key resources to connect you with folks who share a passion and love for the backcountry.

    Part 4 Q&A interview with interview with Richard Bothwell, Director of the Outdoor Adventure Club (OAC) which has been around since 1996; OAC professional guides have been organizing and leading great adventures all over Tahoe Sierra Nevada and up and down the length of California ..

    Richard bothwell violet

    Could you tell us a little about your background in BC, snow-sports and how you came to create your backcountry skiing/Avy training and touring company; how it grew to become one of the best backcountry training camps around?

    Sure! I started snowboarding in the early 90’s while living in NYC. In 1996 I moved to SF to help start the Outdoor Adventure Club and started riding at Squaw and in the Lassen backcountry. I also started learning about avalanches and wilderness first aid. I went through the AMGA Backcountry Ski Guide class soon after, as well as going through the AIARE instructor training program. I’ve been teaching/guiding for years, gaining experience in a variety of operations, including LTCC, Feather River College, ASI, and TMS, in addition to my own company. The Outdoor Adventure Club became an AIARE course provider, and permitted to guide backcountry trips in Lassen, where we love guiding and teaching. We’re working with the Forest Service to obtain a permit in Tahoe to teach avy classes in the Truckee area this winter, which will be nice as I live and ski in Truckee.

    There are a few things that set the Outdoor Adventure Club backcountry program apart from other companies. We have smaller class sizes. We’re limiting our avalanche classes to 8 students with two instructors this year. Most avy classes have 12 or more students. It’s tough to get to everyone’s questions with that many students. We do a lot of private classes, too. If you have a group, we can set up a custom class just for you and your friends. Mentorship is an important part of backcountry education, so we offer an open door to students who want to follow up and ask more questions after the classes. And we have a FB group just for people who have taken our classes, where you can continue to learn, meet other backcountry skiers/riders, plan trips, etc. In “normal’ years we have everyone in our avalanche classes stay in our house in Lassen during the class. This provides an immersive learning environment, where you can ask questions to your instructor over breakfast or dinner.

    How many backcountry training levels do you offer?

    Richard Bothwell couloir

    We teach backcountry skills as well as avalanche classes. We also teach online classes on using CalTopo to plan trips.
    For people who are new to the backcountry we have a great intro to backcountry program where you learn the mechanics of backcountry skiing/riding, while getting out skiing/riding. We have a one day class in Tahoe and a weekend-long program in Lassen, where (Covid-depending) everyone stays in our cabin there.

    We also have AIARE avalanche classes, AIARE 1, AIARE 2 and Avalanche Rescue. And we have a really cool AIARE refresher class, where you go out with a small group and run through your processes, under the watchful eye of a guide/instructor. It’s a unique opportunity for recreational skiers to see if they are applying what they learned in their avy class.

    When Covid hit, we pivoted quickly to develop a series of online “mini-classes” focusing on avalanches that people can take as either new material, a refresher, or prep for an avy class. Some people just aren’t able to commit the time to a full class, or they are just interested in one topic, like “what is surface hoar?”..we created a class just for those people.

    We have a series of online classes just for using CalTopo to plan trips. There’s so many features to CalTopo, with little documentation, so a lot of people don’t realize the power it has. We get people up to speed using everything from basics to advanced features.

    With the impact of resort closures due to the Covid pandemic from mid-March of this year, can you describe from your observations if there’s an increase in demand for backcountry snow-sports?

    Oh yeah. There is a huge uptick in interest among people who want to get into the backcountry. I’m hearing from people who want to get into the backcountry for the first time, and I’m hearing from “50-50” folks people who historically split their time between resorts and the backcountry. It seems like everyone wants to get into the backcountry this winter. It’s going to be an interesting, exciting season I’m sure!

    What is the most important aspect of backcountry that you would like to get across to new-comers?

    Be patient.

    There’s a lot to learn and it’s a long, fun process to gain that knowledge. You should take an avalanche class, but taking an avalanche class doesn’t teach you everything you need to know.

    Oh, it’s also dangerous…people can/do die going into the backcountry. Fortunately, people don’t die often, but it does happen. And in Tahoe accidents often happen only a short distance from the road.

    So what’s important? Be patient. Start with a cup of coffee. Literally and figuratively. Start small, especially with new partners, or going to a new area. If your spider sense is tingling, listen to it. If you realize the group you’re with isn’t behaving how you’d like…bail. The best time to bail is before you leave the trailhead, so get to know your team before you get to the trailhead.

    How does a newbie get started?

    Richard in Alaska

    Give me a call at 415.377.1195 and let’s set up a private day of guided skiing or splitboarding! Seriously, going with a guide is a great way to get started. Get out and do it with someone who is well prepared to manage the risks, while also able to choose appropriate terrain for you, and who is a good teacher. That’s a tough mix to find in a recreational setting, especially in groups. Get a couple of friends together to split the cost, and let’s go have some fun!

    Take a couple of classes; Take an intro to backcountry class and an AIARE 1 avalanche class. Then go skiing with friends, once you can contribute to the team planning, discussions and decision making.

    None of the technical skills of backcountry riding are difficult. Skinning, transitioning, making uphill turns, when to use crampons, etc. I’ve never met anyone who can’t do it. But I’ve met a lot of people who have terrible form, are inefficient and fall over their skis. Spending a day with a guide gets you up the learning curve a lot faster, confirms you’re doing it right, and should put you on a good path for more training.

    You can skip classes and get started by going with friends, but we’ve all heard horror stories about being taught to ski by friends in resorts. Think about that dynamic in the backcountry and you can imagine how things can be sub-optimal.

    When you do start going out recreationally, start with short, less committing trips. Go out on days when the avalanche advisory suggests the danger level is low. Go out on days with clear weather. Go on trips with easy route-finding. Ski on terrain that is well within your ability level. Go out with people you know. If you feel like your friend is pushing you into something more committing than you’d like, don’t go. No one is forcing you to go backcountry skiing.

    We’re lucky these days- there are so many great brands creating great gear. The challenge we have is tuning our gear choices to our objectives. What works well for someone else, doing something else may not be the ideal gear for us. My splitboard boots for day trips are different than my boots for overnight trips, for instance. I chose my ski bindings with an eye toward reliable release. Someone else may priortize light weight.

    The essential gear list:

    Ski straps
    Avy gear- every day, every partner; transceiver, shovel, probe
    First aid gear- including splints, pressure bandages, steri strips
    First aid training
    Rescue gear*- sled, tarp
    Repair kit/tool
    Headlight
    Navigation gear- map, compass, app with your route in it (I’m a big fan of CalTopo)
    Communication gear- varies with the location, but includes a whistle for everyone, phone, FRS radios to talk in the team, InReach to get a message out to the outside world
    PB&J

    *For years I’ve heard people say that rescue sleds are “guide gear”, not recreational gear. Rescue sleds are gear for people who want to be prepared to deal with injuries in the backcountry. People break legs and tear ACLs in the backcountry. If your partner breaks a leg a mile from the car, how are you going to get him/her back? Hitting SOS on your Inreach may get a response, but it could be hours or overnight before help arrives. Are you ready for that?

    What mountain guide trips are you planning for 20/21 winter?

    What is the takeaway message for newbies, intermediate & advance level BC skiers in regards to what you’d like folks to learn from your experience and outfit?

    Go skiing. It’s fun. Do it often. It’s more fun the more you do it. Keep learning.

    If you’re new, ease into it.

    If you’re intermediate, find a more experienced friend to mentor you and help you sharpen your skills.

    If you’re more experienced, help out the newbies. We were all new to the backcountry once. There will probably be a lot of people who could benefit from your insights this season. Don’t take people out on trips over their head, and seek out opportunities to take less experienced people on easier trips.

    My trip plans for this year: With the expected influx of so many more people in the backcountry this year, I know the roadside standards/classics are going to be crowded. I’m using that as motivation to explore new areas, go to less well known trailheads, check out some of the lines that I’ve always wanted to ride, but never motivated myself to get after. I’m looking forward to some adventures!

    For everyone:
    Have a plan for every trip. Sometimes plans are really simple, sometimes not. Reflect on each day, the good ones and the bad ones, so your next trip will be awesome. What did we do that we’d want to do again? When did we first get a sense that things were going sideways? Have frank conversations with partners before, during and after trips…Tell your partners what you expect from them before the trip…hold them to it during the trip, and let them know how they did after the trip.
    Pick your partners wisely, and don’t ski with people who rub you the wrong way.

    Richard Bothwell

    Program Director, Guide,
    AMGA SPI Climbing Guide
    AIARE Level 1 and 2 Avalanche Educator
    PSIA Ski Instructor &
    CFO (Chief Fun Officer)
    Outdoor Adventure Club
    “Make every weekend count!”
    415.377.1195

    For more information, browse events and outings at OutdoorAdventureClub.com

    Outdoor Adventure Club backcountry ski and snowboard program
    Outdoor Adventure Club online classes

    outdoor-adventure-club-sf-bay-area

    Part 1

    Part 1 Backcountry skiing Q&A interview with Alyssa Olenberg-Meltzer who got into backcountry skiing and loves it from the start; she has four winters of experience.

    Part 2

    Read our Q&A with Greg of California Ski Company, a retail store specializing in ski, backcountry, and touring gear and service based in Berkeley, CA.

    Part 3

    Interview with Robert Shattuck, founder of San Francisco Backcountry Skiers (SFBS) Community on Facebook Groups.

    Part 5

    Interview with Carl Hlavenka, ski patroller with Tahoe Backcountry Ski Patrol and California Winter Search and Rescue Team North

    Part 6

    Interview with Shane Robinson Owner & Lead Guide at Graybird Guiding based out of Mt. Baker, WA

    Part 7

    Interview with Mathias Bjoern, Founder of 48 FreeRiders, a backcountry ski, board community based out of Denmark

    Backcountry Skiing, Snow-Sports Resources

    ✔ San Francisco Backcountry Skiers Facebook Group: ‘San Francisco Backcountry Skiers (and Riders) is a resource and inspiration for people in the San Francisco area (and beyond) who are interested in backcountry skiing and riding. SFBS welcomes both experienced and aspiring backcountry skiers and riders.’ Membership type: free, public group. 3.3k members. Visit their FB group page.

    ✔ SnowPals.org is a non-traditional snow-sports club for busy Bay Area professionals. Join SF Bay Area professionals to expand your circle of ski and ride buddies (resort based and backcountry), btw, that’s how we came up with our name: Snow (Snow-Sports) + Pals. Membership type: one-time paid membership fee of $20; join SnowPals. Read members’ intros to get an idea who joins. Founded in 1999 by a small group of friends; we are now 8,249 members and growing. Celebrating our 21st year of connecting folks to expand their circle of snow sports activity partners.

    ✔ Sierra Avalanche Center’s education resources where you can get the backcountry safety education and hands on training

    ✔ Lake Tahoe Backcountry Ski Topographic Maps and Guidebook

    ✔ California Ski Company in Berkeley is one of the top ski shop retailer for ski gear for sale and rentals, plus boot fitting and equipment service. Cal Ski Co is a ‘specialty ski shop focused on ski equipment sale and rental since 1989. They sell and rent equipment for both Resort and Backcountry Ski Touring. Their team of expert ski boot fitters are the best in the business. They repair and tune about anything that slides on snow. Looking for a job? Cal Ski Co is currently hiring as of October 29, 2020. Full-time and part-time employment available: job openings, ski tech and boot-fitter. Experience is desirable but not necessary. The only criteria is that you are a skier. Interested or know of someone who is? Email resumes to .’

    ✔ Backcountry and Outback Adventures for Telemark and Randonee Ski Rentals, Fremont, CA and Larkspur, CA – Outback Adventures is a comprehensive outdoor adventure guide service, rental shop, and paddlesports and nordic ski specialty retailer located in the San Francisco Bay Area.

    ✔ Sequoia National Park Lodging WUKSACHI LODGE

    Located in the Giant Forest area of Sequoia National Park, Wuksachi Lodge is a modern lodge with 102 guestrooms. It offers a cocktail lounge, a full service restaurant and both a retail and ski shop. At an elevation of 7,050 ft. (1,980 m), Wuksachi Lodge is only 4 miles away from the Giant Forest Museum.
    Delaware North Parks & Resorts offers multiple services like overnight accommodations, retail, food and beverage, etc. at Kings Canyon National Park in the area of Grant Grove and Cedar Grove. Limited Internet is available in some areas of the main lodge. Wuksachi Lodge is open throughout all the seasons.

    ✔ GRANT GROVE CABINS

    At an elevation of 6,500 ft (1,980 m), the Grant Grove Cabins is located in the Grant Grove area of Kings Canyon National Park. It offers 6 types of cabins; some are even opened all year. Main attractions like a sequoia grove, gifts shop, markets and restaurants are half a mile (800m) away from the Grant Grove Cabins. Open: All Year (limited in the winter)

    ✔ PEAR LAKE WINTER HUT

    Managed by the Sequoia Parks Conservancy, Pear Lake Winter Hut is a rustic hut of 10 bunk beds that opens during winter and requires reservations but only for wilderness skiers who travel to Pear Lake during the cold season. At an elevation of 9,200 ft. the hut sits high above Lodgepole. This hut includes a wood-pellet stove. To get to it, you need to go through six miles on skis or snowshoes. Reservations can be made online or by phone: 559-565-3759.

    Got a key backcountry resource not listed here that you’d like to share? Contact . Advance thanks for sharing.

    * Browse Tahoe area rentals and private seasonal ski leases:
    ?
    http://www.snowpals.org/rentals/

    * Browse shared ski leases: :
    ?
    http://www.snowpals.org/leases/

    * How to increase bookings for your rental, ski lease listing on Airbnb, VRBO, HomeAway, FlipKey, Craigslist:
    ?
    http://www.snowpals.org/2020/property-owners-guide-tips-create-appealing-listing-vacation-rental-ski-lease/

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    Backcountry Skiing, Snowboarding (spilt-boarding) Q&A Series, part 1

    Posted on by

    Alyssa Olenberg-Meltzer

    Photo Credit: www.jshawphoto.com Jonathan Shaw Photography

    Part 1 – Backcountry Skiing, Snowboarding (spilt-boarding) Q&A Series

    The boom in backcountry skiing, snowboarding and other snow-sports was brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic as ski resorts started closing down like falling dominoes starting in March of 2020 as state and local counties mandated ‘stay at home’ (SIP) orders as coronavirus outbreaks spiked.

    Winter season 2020/21 will likely see similar trends especially pronounced if resorts are unable to implement effective protocols of limiting on-site visitors’ capacity, and social distancing especially indoors in common areas which will result in COVID infection outbreaks resulting in resorts’ closures.

    Of particular concern is that finally CDC acknowledges that the coronavirus infection transmission is airborne by aerosols which means it is highly contagious. This fact does not bode well so we’ll see how this flu season and winter months play out.

    Back to our topic, our backcountry Q&A feature looks at backcountry from a range of diverse perspectives, from an amateur to expert backcountry skier, from a ski shop small business retailer to backcountry touring guide, these Q&A series provide some key insights and also we’ll list resources to consider for avalanche safety training that is critical to stay safe in the backcountry. Most importantly, we list key resources to connect you with folks who share a passion and love for the backcountry.

    Part 1 Q&A interview with Alyssa Olenberg-Meltzer who got into backcountry skiing and loves it from the start; she has four winters of experience..

    With the impact of resort closures due to the COVID pandemic from mid-March of this year, can you describe from your observations if there’s an increase in demand for backcountry skiing/boarding/snow-sports?

    Anecdotally, I can say that I have had a few friends reach out to me expressing interest….these are all folks that have been meaning to try backcountry skiing/splitboarding for at least a couple years but haven’t gotten around to it because it seemed too expensive and like a huge time commitment. We’ve had at least a couple posts and many comments from new folks on the group’s facebook page from folks interested in getting started. Personally, I’ve talked to more current backcountry skiers who are worried about new users flooding the backcountry than I’ve talked to people who plan to go backcountry skiing for the first time.

    Do you know if there are backcountry snow sports folks from around the world visiting Tahoe/Sierra Nevada? Would BC visitors be able to connect with your FB group (see link below in resources) BC folks to freeski/split-boarding with when they join your group?

    Yes, anyone can join and we love discussion. Lots of members (myself included) have found partners through posting on the group (see link below in resources), and at the very least posting is guaranteed to get you tons of advice from enthusiastic members. While everyone is nervous that an influx of new backcountry users may be a safety concern, I definitely believe that the people who are willing to spend time researching before they go out and asking questions of experienced backcountry users will be better equipped to make better-informed decisions, and I know that all of the moderators are committed to being welcoming and not acting like pompous gatekeepers.

    That said, try to get some training before you go out. I wouldn’t feel super comfortable going out with someone who hasn’t had a good amount of practice with their beacon, shovel, and probe; an avalanche rescue course or AVY 1 is a good credential to put partners at ease.

    How does a newbie get started in BC in three essential steps? What are just the bare essential set-up for BC skiing or split-boarding?

    Step 1/pre-requisite: be comfortable skiing at least moderate un-groomed slopes in all snow conditions.

    1) Get comfortable with backcountry equipment. I recommend both practicing what you can at home to make everything less fiddly (step into bindings, put on skins, transition, etc), and spending some quality time skinning without skiing. Cross country ski trails and flat forest service roads are great for skinning practice!

    2) Learn to read terrain both from maps before you go out and in the field. I recommend spending lots of time staring at CalTopo maps with the slope angle shading overlay turned on for areas you know well- your usual ski runs are perfect, places you hike frequently, etc. You want to be able to have a mental image of what enjoyable (to you) skiing looks like on a map, so you can identify good potential routes. It’s also critical for being able to identify terrain traps to avoid and safe ascent routes.

    3) Take an Avalanche AVY Level 1 course. It’ll help you understand avalanche terrain, improve your decision making process in the backcountry, give you necessary hand-on practice with beacons and probes and digging efficiently, and you may meet some great partners.

    Bare minimum setup:

    – skis/splitboard with AT, telemark or splitboard bindings
    – boots for said bindings
    – skins
    – poles
    – beacon, shovel, probe
    – a comfortable backpack, preferably with a solid separate compartment for your shovel and probe that you can very quickly access
    – warm, breathable and sweat-wicking layers…here in California much of my backcountry skiing is in thin soft-shell pants and relatively light base layers, but obviously having warm layers, windproof and waterproof layers is essential for safety and comfort. Packable is usually key too.

    Your recommended gear and manufacturers with a success track record of building solid skis and or boards?

    I care a lot more about my boots than my skis to be honest, but since you’re asking….Coalition is a Tahoe company that’s pushing the inclusion and equity that I want to see more of in the outdoor industry and makes super fun skis to boot! Also in the area, Moment makes some really killer skis too.

    Can you recommend avalanche training outfits and mountain guides locally/in Tahoe/in Reno?

    As part of the Mountain Festival, I took a course through Alpenglow Expeditions with Will Sperry and Ali Agee that really built my knowledge and confidence with reading avalanche conditions and terrain! I also can attest to Richard Bothwell (owner of Outdoor Adventure Club) as being a really thoughtful guide who will make you think critically about your risk taking and has a great attitude.

    What is the takeaway message you’d like to get out to newbies about the joy of snow sports and the importance of Avy training, on-going BC education and connecting with mentors, ski buddies for safety?

    Don’t be scared to reach out and ask questions. The folks worth going out into the mountains with will be happy to share their enthusiasm with you. Try to gain as much competence as you can on your own before going out by ideally taking Avy 1, or at least learning how to read an avalanche forecast, understanding the nine avalanche problems, and trying to solidify your terrain reading skills, and practicing with a beacon, shovel, and probe; then be ready to ask questions and learn.

    Anything else you would like to add?

    A lot of people assume that backcountry skiers start exploring the backcountry because they’re bored in resorts and want radder lines, but my experience was the opposite. I got interested in skiing because I love spending time in the mountains in the summer and wanted to get to explore the forests and alpine I loved in the winter. I tried cross country skiing once, but it seemed like it would be difficult to access the places I really wanted to go without beefier equipment. I started skiing resorts in January 2016 with the goal of gaining competence for backcountry skiing (but quickly fell in love with skiing because it is insanely fun, who knew?).

    I went on my first tour in May 2016 and took Avy 1 the next winter, and since then I’ve become more and more obsessed. I’m still not, and probably will never be, a hotshot skier, but time in the backcountry has definitely helped my confidence in skiing all sorts of different snow and terrain, and the more competent I get, the more fun I have. It’s the hobby that brings me the most joy, I think because I get to have the unparalleled peace that comes with being in the mountains in the snow and the rush of racing down in the same day.

    To be honest, COVID precautions are going to make it harder to get comfortable backcountry skiing. I’ve progressed and become more confident thanks to mentorship and some social situations…backcountry cabins, ski races, and classes. Try your hardest to find solid mentors that you feel comfortable going out with. And I can’t overstate the importance of this…be sure you understand what avalanche terrain is, what the nine types of avalanche problems are, and how to read an avalanche forecast before you go out. Lastly, don’t be falsely reassured by having a beacon, shovel, and probe; be sure you’re completely proficient in their use.” – Alyssa Olenberg-Meltzer, SF Bay Area resident and a member of the San Francisco Backcountry Skiers Facebook Group.

    human-powered-backcountry

    backcountry-skiing

    edward-caldwell-photography

    Photo Credits: Edward Caldwell Photography https://edwardcaldwell.com

    Part 2

    Read our Q&A with Greg of California Ski Company, a retail store specializing in ski, backcountry, and touring gear and service based in Berkeley, CA.

    Part 3

    Interview with Robert Shattuck, founder of San Francisco Backcountry Skiers (SFBS) Community on Facebook Groups.

     Part 4

    Interview with Richard Bothwell, Backcountry Touring Guide and Director of the Outdoor Adventure Club

    Part 5

    Interview with Carl Hlavenka, ski patroller with Tahoe Backcountry Ski Patrol and California Winter Search and Rescue Team North

    Part 6

    Interview with Shane Robinson Owner & Lead Guide at Graybird Guiding based out of Baker Mt, WA

    Part 7

    Interview with Mathias Bjoern, Founder of 48 FreeRiders, a backcountry ski, board community based out of Denmark

    Backcountry Skiing, Snow-Sports Resources

    ✔ San Francisco Backcountry Skiers Facebook Group: ‘San Francisco Backcountry Skiers (and Riders) is a resource and inspiration for people in the San Francisco area (and beyond) who are interested in backcountry skiing and riding. SFBS welcomes both experienced and aspiring backcountry skiers and riders.’ Membership type: free, public group. 3.3k members. Visit their FB group page.

    ✔ SnowPals.org is a non-traditional snow-sports club for busy Bay Area professionals. Join SF Bay Area professionals to expand your circle of ski and ride buddies (resort based and backcountry), btw, that’s how we came up with our name: Snow (Snow-Sports) + Pals. Membership type: one-time paid membership fee of $20; join SnowPals. Read members’ intros to get an idea who joins. Founded in 1999 by a small group of friends; we are now 8,249 members and growing. Celebrating our 21st year of connecting folks to expand their circle of snow sports activity partners.

    ✔ Sierra Avalanche Center’s education resources where you can get the backcountry safety education and hands on training

    ✔ Lake Tahoe Backcountry Ski Topographic Maps and Guidebook

    ✔ California Ski Company in Berkeley is one of the top ski shop retailer for ski gear for sale and rentals, plus boot fitting and equipment service. Cal Ski Co is a ‘specialty ski shop focused on ski equipment sale and rental since 1989. They sell and rent equipment for both Resort and Backcountry Ski Touring. Their team of expert ski boot fitters are the best in the business. They repair and tune about anything that slides on snow. Looking for a job? Cal Ski Co is currently hiring as of October 29, 2020. Full-time and part-time employment available: job openings, ski tech and boot-fitter. Experience is desirable but not necessary. The only criteria is that you are a skier. Interested or know of someone who is? Email resumes to .’

    ✔ Backcountry and Outback Adventures for Telemark and Randonee Ski Rentals, Fremont, CA and Larkspur, CA – Outback Adventures is a comprehensive outdoor adventure guide service, rental shop, and paddlesports and nordic ski specialty retailer located in the San Francisco Bay Area.

    ✔ Sequoia National Park Lodging WUKSACHI LODGE

    Located in the Giant Forest area of Sequoia National Park, Wuksachi Lodge is a modern lodge with 102 guestrooms. It offers a cocktail lounge, a full service restaurant and both a retail and ski shop. At an elevation of 7,050 ft. (1,980 m), Wuksachi Lodge is only 4 miles away from the Giant Forest Museum.
    Delaware North Parks & Resorts offers multiple services like overnight accommodations, retail, food and beverage, etc. at Kings Canyon National Park in the area of Grant Grove and Cedar Grove. Limited Internet is available in some areas of the main lodge. Wuksachi Lodge is open throughout all the seasons.

    ✔ GRANT GROVE CABINS

    At an elevation of 6,500 ft (1,980 m), the Grant Grove Cabins is located in the Grant Grove area of Kings Canyon National Park. It offers 6 types of cabins; some are even opened all year. Main attractions like a sequoia grove, gifts shop, markets and restaurants are half a mile (800m) away from the Grant Grove Cabins. Open: All Year (limited in the winter)

    ✔ PEAR LAKE WINTER HUT

    Managed by the Sequoia Parks Conservancy, Pear Lake Winter Hut is a rustic hut of 10 bunk beds that opens during winter and requires reservations but only for wilderness skiers who travel to Pear Lake during the cold season. At an elevation of 9,200 ft. the hut sits high above Lodgepole. This hut includes a wood-pellet stove. To get to it, you need to go through six miles on skis or snowshoes. Reservations can be made online or by phone: 559-565-3759.

    Got a key backcountry resource not listed here that you’d like to share? Contact . Advance thanks for sharing.

    * Browse Tahoe area rentals and private seasonal ski leases:
    ?
    http://www.snowpals.org/rentals/

    * Browse shared ski leases: :
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    http://www.snowpals.org/leases/

    * How to increase bookings for your rental, ski lease listing on Airbnb, VRBO, HomeAway, FlipKey, Craigslist:
    ?
    http://www.snowpals.org/2020/property-owners-guide-tips-create-appealing-listing-vacation-rental-ski-lease/

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    Snow-Sports Businesses Spotlight

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    sierra-at-tahoe-photo-credit

    Photo Credit: Sierra-at-Tahoe

    Last updated: January 22, 2021.

    Snow-Sports Businesses Spotlight

    At SnowPals, we invite snow-sports businesses (world-wide) to become an affiliate. Spotlight your business to San Francisco Bay Area and Lake Tahoe Area snow-sports consumers about what you do best:

  • Services you offer, and/or
  • Products you sell

    • At SnowPals, we work diligently to earn a Five Star Rating. We strive to build stellar long term business relationships with our fans and with consumers. We strive to deliver great value and service to customers in order to build a genuinely loyal customer base. If this resonates with what your business strives to do, please reach out to become an affiliate by submitting the form at the end of this page.

    Don’t have a partners’ or an affiliates page on your business website? Consider adding one.

    Here are some reasons why an affiliates page is the most effective way to help you grow your business:

    1) serves to increase cross promotional marketing which is the ideal way to attract new visitors to your website instead of paid advertising via Google, etc.

    2) cross marketing provides organic targeted advertising that attracts snow sports niche audience to your website

    3) cross promotion is about expanding the marketing reach of your product and/or services so by helping to promote others, you also in turn receives organic visitors traffic to your business website whenever people search for businesses that are snow sports related

    4) Lastly, success comes from collaborating, rarely from isolation – that’s our takeaway from 20+ years at SnowPals and we have the success track record to show; in 1999 we started SnowPals.org with a few friends, fast forward until 2020, we have gained over 8,000+ members and we continue to grow with the help and support of our fans.

    Our 2020/21 Affiliates & Partners List

    == SF Bay Area ==

    tahoe-ski-trips-logo

    Tahoe Ski Trips, since 1996, over 23 years of stellar service: “operating with integrity and a commitment to quality, Tahoe Ski Trips (also know as the Bay Area Ski Bus) contracts with the finest transportation companies and recreation outfitters/ski resorts with fantastic reputations and safety records; we focus on the details, while you focus on having Fun! Our quality and service is unmatched.” – Kevin, TST CEO. Get a private ski bus group quote or a corporate price quote for your company as a team building ski, snowboarding outing in Tahoe. Partner’s Promotional Offer Page: new Tahoe ski trips users receive up to $50 off day and overnight ski bus trips/gift cards available.

    sportsbasement-redwood-city

    Sports Basement with 10 Bay Area Store Locations: ’21 Years of Sports Basement’. a sporting goods store that “catered to everyone that wanted to enjoy the outdoors, with no high-cost barrier to entry. The whole idea was to work with the smallest margins possible so Sports Basement could have the best brands at, well, Basement prices. It worked, and now Sports Basement is able to deliver great gear at great prices at 10 different stores in the greatest place on Earth! Partner’s Promotional Offer Page: Basementeer membership gives you a discount for all purchases which also adds to even sale and clearance discount sporting goods items (online and in store).

    snowbomb ski snowboard festival sf santa clara sacramento

    SnowBomb: SnowBomb produces NorCal’s yearly Ski & Snowboard Festival in San Francisco, San Jose and Sacramento featuring wine/beer tastings, ski resorts from all over North America, snow-sports exhibitors & leading manufacturers in the ski and snowboard industry, hoteliers and destination getaways and auto industry showcase. Partner’s Promotional Offer Page: Get 1/2 off POWDER PASS AND VIP WINE/BEER tasting tickets.

    apres-ski-club-active-singles-logo

    Apres’ Ski Club Lodge at Kings Beach, CA (North Lake Tahoe): join Apres ski and snowboard club based out of the Santa Clara, CA (South Bay), a year-round singles club for active adults residing in the San Francisco Bay Area. Partner’s Promotional Offer Page: view Apres ski, ride club benefits.

    Casa-tours-logo

    Casa Tours: Chile Argentina Snow Adventures (CASA), is a grassroots organization whose mission is to increase exposure to South American landscapes, mountains, and cultures. CASA is about traveling safely in the mountains; introducing our guests to new places, people, cuisines, language and customs; achieving personal ski and snowboard goals; and developing lifelong friendships and memories. By building cultural bridges and embracing sustainable travel principles, we hope to promote global peace and prosperity while introducing people to some of the best skiing and snowboarding on the planet. Partner’s Promotional Page: ski, ride year round; sign up for our endless winter powder trip tours.

    == Lake Tahoe ==

    backcountry-ski-maps-logo

    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. Partner’s Promotional Offer Page: get 10% off backcountry topo ski maps.

    SkiDUCK-logo

    SkiDUCK is a nonprofit organization founded in 2010; SkiDUCK offers a free program to bring disadvantaged and financially underprivileged youth to the snow to teach them the joys of skiing and snowboarding. Partner’s Page: seeking volunteers to teach underprivileged kids how to ski and snowboard.

    Tahoe-fund-nonprofit

    Tahoe Fund TahoeFund.org is a registered nonprofit in the States of Nevada and California. The goal of the Tahoe Fund is to become a major source of private funding for environmental projects around the Lake Tahoe Basin with an emphasis on forest health, lake clarity, sustainable recreation, transportation and stewardship. Partner’s promo: Buy a Tahoe License Plate or Nevada License Plate and get a Tahoe resort lift ticket or get a day pass to access Lake Tahoe cross-country areas.

    sugar-bowl-resort-tahoe-logo

    Sugar Bowl | Royal Gorge is Hiring North Lake Tahoe’s Sugar Bowl | Royal Gorge is Hiring. Partner’s Employment Openings Page: apply for job openings at Sugar Bowl and Royal Gorge.

    == Canada ==

    skibuds-canada

    SkiBuds: Find friends to ride with based on skill level making the skiing experience in Whistler, British Columbia more enjoyable. Affiliate’s Website: http://www.skibudsapp.com

    cmh-heli-skiing

    Canadian Mountain Holidays aka CMH is touring California; see what it’s like to heli-ski, ride untracked powder with our virtual reality (VR) heli-ski experience. We’ll have the goggles and guides available at all events. Partner’s VR Tour Event RSVP Page: What is it like to heli-ski untracked POWDER? RSVP for CMH’s virtual reality heli-ski experience. 

    == Our 2020/21 Partners List ==

    snowpals-partners

    Since 1999, we have been passionate about connecting San Francisco Bay Area residents and visitors to Lake Tahoe to enjoy snow-sports and to engage in outdoor recreational activities in Tahoe and in other powder destinations. Our partners have chosen to advertise on SnowPals, year after year, because we quantify referrals that contribute to their success!

    What are the benefits of partnering with SnowPals?

    New customer referrals and increase your brand’s visibility are two of the key benefits of partnering with SnowPals.

    Partner with us to reach Bay Area Professionals, their family and their circle of friends. Let us spotlight your business to reach and exceed your business goals.

    For partnership inquiries, please reach out to for a digital media kit for key metrics and benefits of partnership.

    What does becoming an affiliate entails? There is no cost to become an affiliate.

    We are looking for snow-sports related affiliates who would like to establish a cross marketing relationship.

    How to become an affiliate?

    On your partner/affiliates page, please add 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).

    snowpals-logo

    For Lake Tahoe ski trips, join SnowPals.org – San Francisco Bay Area snow-sports club for busy professionals, since 1999.

    In return, we will include your business on this page. View what an affiliates’ page looks like on SkiBuds’ website.

    Use the form below to send us a one sentence description detailing what your business offers, a URL link to your biz’s website and your business logo. after you have added our logo, link and description to your affiliates page and we’ll do likewise.

    Become an Affiliate

    Submit this form to become a SnowPals affiliate,
    • Send us a one sentence description detailing what you offer as a business.

    Next Step After Submitting the Form:

    After adding our logo and the above sentence on your Affiliates page, please contact (Monday to Friday, non-holidays, 9 AM to 5 PM). We will proceed with listing your business on this page. Please allow a 24 hours turn-around since we need to review your submission and work on listing your business if it meets our snow-sports category listing. Advance thanks!

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    You’re invited: Ski & Ride Winter Season Kick-off Party

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    donner-lake-cabin-share-2020

    *** Annual Ski & Ride Winter Kick-off Party ***

    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.

    Got your skis/snowboard tuned & waxed?

    Get 20% off at this event to shop at Sports Basement for ski/ride gear & winter attire and get your skis, snowboard waxed, tuned/serviced while waiting for resorts to open.

    When: Tuesday November 5, 2019 from 7 pm to 9 pm.

    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

    Where: Sports Basement Bryant, SF

    1590 Bryant St

    San Francisco, California 94103

    event-rsvp-eventbrite

    RSVP for this event on Eventbrite.

    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!

    View events in other parts of the Bay Area.

    ###

    Fun Poll Questions

    Which Tahoe resort do you ski / ride at most often?

    View Results

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    What's your Skiing / Snowboarding Experience?

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    * 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 beyond.