Happy New Year!
Even though the snowstorms have been a little sparse compared to last season, it has been plenty cold enough, and there is still a lot to do in North Lake Tahoe. Last season, the first big storm didn’t come in until after January 1st, and it didn’t stop snowing until June, so hopefully we’ll have another winter like that.
Thanks to amazing snowmaking capabilities, all of the ski resorts are open from the West Shore to the east, including: Homewood, Squaw Valley/Alpine Meadows, Northstar California, Diamond Peak, Boreal, and Mt. Rose. Many of them are open top to bottom with plenty of groomed, skiable terrain.
If you are looking to get better at skiing or snowboarding to be able to keep up with your friends on powder days, January is the perfect time to get better. Diamond Peak is honoring incredible ski and snowboard packages during January 22-25th’s Learn to Ski and Ride Week and Squaw Valley is inviting women to improve their all-mountain riding skills with lunch and après ski events at its Jan. 28-30 Women of Winter Camp.
However, if you’re not into skiing or snowboarding, that’s okay, too — there’s still ice skating and other winter activities for family members of all ability levels.
The Tahoe City Winter Sports Park has a manmade sledding hill and rentals on not only sleds, but snowshoes, cross-country skis, fat bikes, and ice skates. Northstar California, tucked off of Highway 267, also has a village with plenty of shopping, an ice skating rink, bungee trampoline, Village Cinemas, and kids’ adventure zones.
If you can’t seem to let go of summer, then you should know that you can still play 18 holes of golf at the Incline Village Championship Course — in the pro shop! The FlightScope X2 Elite launch monitor and indoor hitting net are set up in the golf shop for the off-season, and you can spend an hour playing one of 15 different virtual golf courses. Golf lessons are also available, so that you don’t have to let your game get rusty.
For something a bit more relaxed, head over to the Tunnel Creek Café in Incline Village for a hot beverage, sandwich, or freshly baked good. Limited time seasonal treats include peppermint hot chocolate, brown sugar mochas, butternut squash quesadillas, and pulled pork sandwiches. After your meal, wander up the nearby Flume Trail and snap a pic of Lake Tahoe’s scenic East Shore.
Start this New Year off right by getting your ski legs under you and enjoying all that North Lake has to offer in 2018!
— Kayla Anderson
