Lady’s Guide to Skiing in Lake Tahoe, California

After a great visit to Oakland and Sacramento, my California road trip continues in the Sierra Nevada Mountains on the border with Nevada. My sponsor, Visit California, has arranged for me to go skiing in Lake Tahoe, and I can’t wait to get back to the place I skied so many times growing up.

North Lake Tahoe

Getting to North Lake Tahoe from Sacramento is a breeze. I make it in record time, arriving in Tahoe City in just over 2 hours. My family had a place here when I was younger, and as I drive in, the memories come flooding back.

Sunnyside Restaurant & Lodge

I’m staying at Sunnyside Restaurant & Lodge, where I’ve had lunch and dinner a million times but have never spent a night. I’m looking forward to seeing the rooms.

And when I do, I love mine. It not only has a lake view, but also a cozy fireplace. It’s just the mountain retreat I hoped for, and I start taking photos off the balcony as soon as I walk in.

Gar Woods Grill & Pier

But I’m not here for long. I have a lunch date at Gar Woods Grill & Pier, another restaurant I went to a lot growing up.

I meet a group here for everything from zucchini sticks to Dungeness crab cakes, Snickers cheesecake, and deep-fried Oreo beignets.

It all goes down a treat with a view of the lake through the picture windows.

Skiing in Lake Tahoe

The next day I’m off to Homewood Mountain Resort for the main event: skiing in Lake Tahoe. Loads of snow fell overnight and it’s coming down thick and fast today, so I’m excited to get on the slopes.

I meet with Laura, a guide from Homewood who takes me skiing and tells me about the resort.

There’s only one lift open due to the heavy snow and wind, so we spend more time talking and less time skiing. It’s still nice to get a few runs in, though.

I remember skiing at Homewood a lot in high school and loving the lake views from the slopes.

When we go in for lunch, Laura brings me up to speed on what’s going on at Homewood these days. The resort has always been known for its inexpensive lift passes (as compared to other resorts in the area) and its family focus.

Thrill-seeking skiers can also take advantage of Homewood Snowcat Adventures.

They grant guided access to over 750 acres of backcountry terrain on the flanks of Ellis Peak, which sits above the resort’s traditional ski area boundary. It’s great for adventurous skiing in Lake Tahoe.

After lunch Laura takes me over to see the West Shore Cafe, a traditional Tahoe mountain lodge with a restaurant.

They serve complimentary s’mores on certain afternoons, which makes my inner child wonder why I never knew that when I was young enough to get super excited about it (not that I’ve grown out of that stage).

When my day of skiing in Lake Tahoe wraps up, I head back to Sunnyside. I have fish tacos for dinner at the Mountain Grill, which is surprisingly busy given how snowy it is outside.

The tacos are good, but I’ve had better meals in their Lakeside Dining Room restaurant in the past. Later I discover they overcharged my credit card by $5, too.

Beyond Skiing in Lake Tahoe

The following day I wake up to sunshine. I’m sad to be heading home, but my stay is extended by the closure of Highway 80.

The heavy snow has made it difficult to clear, and small avalanches make it unsafe to drive on. It’s rare that the highway is closed for long, but there’s been so much snow lately that it’s proven a challenge.

Truckee

I spend my morning in the town of Truckee waiting for news of a re-opening. I pop into a number of shops, browsing local ceramics in one and books in another. There are a lot of places to explore here, so it keeps me entertained.

Resort at Squaw Creek

By noon it looks like the highway isn’t going to re-open, so the North Lake Tahoe tourism board books me a massage and lunch at the Resort at Squaw Creek, another great place for skiing in Lake Tahoe.

The massage with Nick is one of the best I’ve ever had (and I used to get one every week when I lived in San Francisco). It takes away all the stress of worrying about the highway.

Lunch afterwards is at Sandy’s Pub in the main resort building. The highlight is the Mountainous Pretzel, a ginormous buttery knot hanging from a metal stand.

It’s every bit as good as it sounds, and we demolish it with relish (well, mustard).

Flying from Lake Tahoe to San Francisco

By the time we’re finished, it’s time to give up on the highway and book a flight from Reno to San Francisco.

It’s an easy drive to Reno-Tahoe International Airport in Nevada, and as an added bonus, Alamo doesn’t charge me a one-way return fee for the rental car Rentalcars.com arranged for me.

The person who handles my return isn’t sure why there’s no charge, but says it happens sometimes.

Best Skiing in Lake Tahoe

I fly out in the evening, waving good-bye to the mountains and feeling happy to have added some good new memories of skiing in Lake Tahoe to the ones from my childhood. I hope I’ll be able to add more in years to come.

This post is sponsored by Visit California.

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