Dispatches

Heavenly & Kirkwood Extend Winter (Whoo-Hoo!!!)

2012-03-27T01:07:00Z

What's there left to believe in? I don't believe in Santa Claus. Don't believe in the Easter Bunny. The Tooth Fairy is a hoax. And sadly, this year, I lost faith in Punxsutawney Phil.

Dear Punxsutawney Phil,

I don't believe in you anymore. Groundhog Day came and went this year and though you saw your shadow you were stingy when it came to delivering the powder we all craved. Now, on the heels of the biggest storms of winter in Lake Tahoe, Heavenly and Kirkwood have done what I now believe you don't have the power to do -- extend winter.

Sincerely,
Skiing in Lake Tahoe

That's right. Heavenly and Kirkwood have done what Punxsutawney Phil couldn't do. They've extended winter. With 9 feet of fresh powder in this most recent set of storms we now have the snow pack needed to keep enjoying the slopes well into spring.

What welcomed news. As I hit the slopes this morning I felt a tinge of sadness knowing that this season was slipping away. With an original closing date of April 15, the sand was really slipping through the hourglass.

Both resorts will now be open Friday through Sunday the weekends of April 20 - 22 and April 27 - 29. You can get all the details on Heavenly's website.

An April 29 closing date. Epic.

“It’s no secret that this has been one of the most challenging seasons on record,” said Pete Sonntag, Heavenly’s general manager. “So we wanted to reward all the pass holders who stood by us this season, and create more opportunities for them to realize even more value from what was already the best pass product on the market.”

Hey, thanks, Pete.

There's also no time like now to buy your 2012/13 Epic Pass, Tahoe Local Pass, or Tahoe Value Pass. New pass holders get access to the mountains on 1 day prior to April 15 and have full access during the extended season. It's a great perk. I have friends who did not buy a pass this year who I am going to be hounding to join me now -- and next year -- on the mountain. Just $49 down with the balance due in December. Amy Kemp has the details and the scoop on why you should buy your pass now.

That extended season time also gives me a little wiggle room to accomplish some of my personal goals on EpicMix. I'm a bit of an addict when it comes to tracking my stats and I haven't hit my vertical feet or days on the mountain goals yet.

-- Clark Vandeventer

Spring Loaded at Heavenly

2012-03-26T23:34:00Z

Spring is here and the conditions are the best they’ve been all year. April is the best month up in South Lake to enjoy California’s sunny skies, good vibes and of course the South Lake lifestyle.

April is going to be a great month not only have Heavenly and Kirkwood extended their seasons to include Fridays through Sundays for the last two weekends in April (more info). Heavenly’s Spring Loaded also kicks off with tons of events lined up every weekend. Check out the Schedule of events going down at Heavenly Mountain in April.

April 7

Gunbarrel 25 – Join legendary skier and infamous Mohawk rockin’ Glen Plake for some good ole’ mogul action. Gunbarrel 25 is non-stop action on the Gunbarell Express to see if you can mash 25 mogul runs down “The Face” in an allotted time. This mogul marathon will not only burn your legs out it will also give your Epic Mix a significant stat boost. Dress up like a kook and shred some moguls. If you’re a boarder pray for powder coz this even will tear those quads up.
Click here to register.

Ski Patrol Fundraiser – The best way to wrap up 25 consecutive mogul runs is with multiple drinks. Head over to the top level of the Heavenly Village Parking Garage for Ski Patrol’s “Thank You” party for the community. Enjoy drink specials, great eats, raffle prizes, and live music all for a good cause as the proceeds benefit local causes and non-profit organizations.

April 14-15

Pond Skimming – Do you think you got what it takes to ski/ride on water? Then join tons of kooky competitors at Heavenly’s Pond Skimming tournament. If you don’t want to compete don’t worry the spectating is just as entertaining. Watch tons of skiers and riders try to make it across Adventure Peak’s Lake while being judged on distance and style. Also don’t forget your Costumes and crazy outfits because judges tend to favor the crowd appeal factor the most. All the action goes down at the top of the Gondola.

Winter Snow Blast - Shred all day, party all night at the Lake Tahoe Winter Snow Blast weekend. Join us for a weekend filled with live music at Harrah's Center Stage, 4800 acres of amazing skiing/riding at Heavenly, après ski parties at Tamarack everyday from 3:30 to 5:30 and more. The weekend features performances from some of the hottest bands in the industry. Check back soon for more details.

Check out some of the madness from last years Pond skim at Heavenly.
(Please visit the site to view this video)

March Madness – Tahoe Style

2012-03-12T16:38:00Z

This season has been a bit lackluster as far as powder days are concerned, but that’s all about to end. Experts are predicting the month of March to be the revival for the region. We could see all resorts snow bases double by the time these two systems roll through and dump multiple feet all over the Tahoe Basin.

If you have yet to make it up to Tahoe this winter, you will not want to miss this. With only a few days of winter left, now is the best time to head into the Sierra for what you have been wanting all year. The action will begin either tonight or early Tuesday morning and last through the week. It will bring even more snow in the forecast next week.

According to snowforecast.com, we will see significant snow Wednesday through Friday with up to five feet expected on the peaks. Snow levels will start off high on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, but they will significantly drop on Friday. It's going to be an Epic Mix of rain and snow conditions for the first part of the storm so. However Friday can be a different story with lower lake levels, if you're heading up for the weekend always make sure you check the road conditions with CalTrans as well as the Heavenly ski phone (1.800.HEAVENLY) to check on lift status in the morning.

The system won’t end this week according to tahoeweatherdiscussion.com. We could see multiple systems come through. “With the continuous moisture stream off the Pacific the snow will be almost continuous through next Sunday. Then on Friday, the cold trough pushes onshore bringing a cold front through. This will drop the snow levels and raise the snow:water ratios for powdery snow that will pile up fast. These could be the biggest storms of the week on Friday and Saturday. We could see another 2 feet in the basin and 3 feet on the crest. Totals by next Sunday could be 5-6 feet above 7000 ft. in the basin and up to 8 feet along the crest.”

Not only are the weather experts buzzing on this subject many local snowboarders are getting amped about the upcoming weather. Jeremy Jones (@JeremyJones) local Tahoe pro tweeted “Forecasters are drooling over the next two weeks of storms coming into California. Here are some quotes to excite you: “I’m in awe of what the models are forecasting for the Sierra heavy, heavy snow, maybe one maybe two 100 plus weeks C. McDonald.” Heavenly’s GM Pete Sonntag (@PeteSonntag) tweeted “March Madness – Tahoe style Several feet of snow possible by the end of the week the fun begins.”

Better late than never seems to be the theme of this storm since there’re only a few days of winter left. If you’re a weekend warrior, this weekend is your chance to revive your season. The snow should slow down a bit by Sunday making it a perfect powder day. Make sure you are dressed for the occasion as Friday through Sunday will be chilly.

Photo credit NOAA.gov

Powder day guide for Heavenly

2012-03-06T02:56:00Z

More snow is in the forecast for this week Wednesday and Thursday are looking like they will be great powder days. Don’t blow it and take the right routes to get to the best terrain on the mountain at the right time. Heavenly can be very tough to navigate and your going to need a plan. Check out a few recommended routes to score the best powder on those perfect days.

California Lodge
Gunbarrel Express offers some of the steeper terrain at Heavenly right off the lift. If you’re at the lift early enough just charge down The Face for some wide-open steep powder turns. East Bowl Woods and Hogsback will preserve the powder longer and can be saved for later runs. Also If there is a long line at Gunbarrel head over to the tram tourist tend to shy away from it.

Killerbrew/Mott Canyon is by far the best terrain at Heavenly but it’s also the hardest to access and it’s a one and done deal but if you score it at the right time it’s worth the wait. First you’ll nee to wait to hear word from ski patrol that the green light is on and terrain is open. Now it’s quite the chairlift ride you’re going to need to take three lifts in this order Gunbarrel, Powderbowl, and Sky Express. Off of Sky take the Skyline Trail to the Milky Way Bowl entrance. From here you will need to hike but it’s not long and well worth it. Once at the top pay attention to trail signs look for Ramarrah’s, The Fingers, and Pipeline for some steep and deep. Enjoy the traverse out its, take a few more laps on Mott if it’s looking fresh.

Heavenly Village
The Gondola is the best way to access some of the best tree skiing in Tahoe. Take the Gondola up to the Big Easy, yes it’s the bunny hill but trust me. Head left off Big Easy take Von Schmidt for a bit but stay high and look for signs to Olympic Express. Once you’re off the lift head right and look for the Firebreak gate entrance. In order for Firebreak to be going off conditions need to be excellent and there needs to be plenty of snow lake level. If Firebreak is open this run is epic and if navigated right it will take you right back to the Gondola and you can lap it over and over until it beats you up. Remember to obey all signs and closures.

Boulder Lodge
North bowl is often forgotten about by all the tourist, I've had some of my best days on the North Bowl lift. This is not a high speed lift but it will take you to some of Heavenly’s sweet stashes. If you’re running a bit late you can still save your pow day by heading to the Boulder Lodge. The Nevada Woods and The Burn have steep terrain and tons of awesome tree riding opportunities. If you have had enough of the North Bowl Lift you can always head to Olympic and drop back into Firebreak.

Check out footage from a true Heavenly powder day.
(Please visit the site to view this video)

Heavenly Opens 40 New Runs

2012-01-24T23:19:00Z

This past week, Heavenly was hit with a massive storm that dumped snow in Tahoe. Since almost all of the mountain is above 8,000 feet, that meant three plus feet at Heavenly!

The mountain ops team worked around the clock yesterday to assess every run at Heavenly to see what was safe to open, and we're stoked to share that we were able to open 40 MORE RUNS today! This brings our total run count to 64.

Included in the new terrain are some favorite black diamonds - Ellie's Swing and Lower Ellie's, Waterfall, Bohemian Grove and Little Dipper. In addition, we opened some great blue cruisers like Stagecoach, Emily's Run and High Five. A lot of the new open runs are not groomed either, so there's powder to chase down. Head over to Heavenly's blog for a full list of all the new open runs.

This image shows all the newly opened terrain in bright green as well as the existing open terrain in darker green. As you can see, that's a lot of green.

It's important to note that everyone should obey all posted signs and warnings from Patrol. They're the experts and have assessed every run to make sure what's open is safe. That means avoid the trees (except for The Pines and Bohemian Grove, which are open) and stick to the open trails.

Big thanks to patrol, grooming and snowmaking for helping get much more of our mountain open. These guys and gals are amazing!

Now. What are you waiting for? Stop sitting at your computer and come get some freshies at Heavenly!

- Liz Batman

Snowcial: The Presenters (Part 2)

2012-01-23T23:16:31Z

Snowcial, a 4-day conference in Lake Tahoe, gathers the minds of those who share a passion for new media and social engagement especially within the ski industry. After two speakers in the keynote session, the buzz at Snowcial could be felt around the room fueled partly by the interactive Twitter screen, revealing every #Snowcial update. That and the fact that the presenters this year were phenomenal. Here are the highlights from the final three speakers:

Porter Gale: Virgin America (former)
When Gale took to the Snowcial stage, she lit up the room and had an inspirational message to communicate: Collectively we can make a positive change. Developing on this idea, she shared that, what was once 6 degress of separation, is now 3 degrees of separation due to social media. By using this power of group acceleration in social media, positive change can occur.
Gale talked of real-life examples to prove her point. She described Amit Gupta’s story, who, having being diagnosed with acute leukemia, used social media to find a 10/10 match. She encouraged everyone to do whatever it takes.
“You never know who you will meet or what will happen next,” Gale said. “Learn the power of asking. Success boils down to confidence and follow through.”

Rob Katz: Vail Resorts
Katz, Klout member, and apparent expert on Nicole Scherzinger, spoke to the Snowcialites about the new ‘game changer’ at Vail Resorts, Epic Mix and Epic Mix photo. Katz emphasized how these new applications improve the experience at all of the Vail Resorts mountains.
“It makes the conversation with guests more authentic, more timely and more actionable,” Katz said.
Katz wasn’t concerned about privacy and recognized that his consumer is, generally speaking, a younger crowd, who are passionate and digitally savvy.
Epic Mix users have jumped from 15% last year to 22% so far this year.

Jonathon Crowley: FourSquare
Having the graveyard shift as we call it in England, the last slot of the day, is the hardest, yet Crowley’s energy and enthusiasm swept through the room and he had everyone onboard with his FourSquare experience in no time. Crowley cleverly linked his examples to the skiing industry making his application not only relevant to the audience but even more exciting. Imagine mayor status parking at your favorite ski resort right next to the gondola. Imagine a radar that tracks where you are all the time so you don’t even have to check-in. Imagine interactive goggles that tell you awesome tree lines your friends have taken as you approach them on the mountain. With over 15 million users already and 1.5 billion check-ins, FourSquare looks set for a healthy future in making the world easier to explore.

So there you have it. This year’s speakers really blew away the crowd at Snowcial and everyone left the conference buzzing with enthusiasm and ideas for the future. For a minute-to-minute run down of all the events from this year’s Snowcial, follow the Twitter hashtag #Snowcial. Most importantly, with Snowcial came the snow, at last, to Tahoe. 4 feet and counting at my last check. See you on the mountain. Old man winter has finally arrived.

--Kate Thomas

Snowcial: The Presenters (Part 1)

2012-01-20T23:21:01Z

Snowcial, a 4-day conference in Lake Tahoe, gathers the minds of those who share a passion for new media and social engagement especially within the ski industry. Attendees get the opportunity to learn, ask questions and chat on a 1 to 1 basis with some of the frontrunners in the new media business. The presenters this year were phenomenal. Here are some of the highlights from the first two speakers:

Openings:

John Wagnon, Senior Director of Brand Marketing at Heavenly, kicked of the keynote session, addressing the 'elephant in the room...' The lack of snow. "It's Mother Nature's way of letting us know who is really driving the bus." Wagnon said He continued on to praise the amazing amount of snowmaking hours clocked up in Tahoe this year. 1200 hours to be exact and a new record. Pete Sonntag, General Manager of Heavenly Mountain Resort, reiterated Wagnon's thoughts and focused on how Operation Skyline send the message of Vail Resorts. "It captures what we are all about. Total dedication to the customer experience." Sonntag said. With the devastating news of the passing of professional skier, Sarah Burke, David La Plante, Co-Founder of Snowcial, led a minute of silence before launching into the first interview of the day, Joe Fernandez.

Joe Fernandez - Klout

Fernandez, a skier and CEO/Co-Founder of the new online influence rating system, Klout, tackled questions from La Plante regarding the controversy around Charles Stross' description of his business as "the internet equivalent to Herpes." "They hate us and we love it. We are about creativity and not caring what other people think. We believe the Internet is changing from pages to people. We want to help people understand their influence." Fernandez said. Fernandez went on to confirm that Klout is not about how many followers you have or how many friends. Klout cares about how many people react to the content you create. The future for Klout lies in people creating more data and that data being more accessible.

Hope Frank and Justin Kistner - Webtrends

Frank, CMO of Webtrends and Kistner, Director of Social Products described Facebook as "The Big Blue Mountain," emphasizing the importance of using Facebook to launch an advertising campaign. Kistner described the benefits of Facebook advertisements in an analogy comparing the ads to traditional mail and email."The good thing about Facebook is it is cost per click so you only pay for the letters that are opened." Kistner said. The pair outlined steps to success on Facebook making the points that 84% of Facebook fans are existing customers and that the lifespan of a Facebook advertisement is 3 days. Businesses need to constantly refresh.

Stay tuned to hear about the following three speakers: Porter Gale, former CMO at Virgin Atlantic; Rob Katz, CEO of Vail Resorts and Jonathan Crowley, Director of Business Development at FourSquare. Also follow #Snowcial on Twitter for minute to minute updates.

-- Kate Thomas

Snowcial descends on Lake Tahoe

2012-01-20T00:04:00Z

It's been billed as the Sundance Festival of the Facebook generation for snow sport enthusiasts. And it has descended on Lake Tahoe. The 4th annual Snowcial is taking place now through Jan. 21. Conference sessions and plenty of snowcializing are happening at Harvey's Casino and Resort. And of course no conference for snow sport enthusiasts would be complete without plenty of time on the slopes. Each morning begins on the mountain at Heavenly. Why can't every conference be this way?

When thinking about the perfect place to host a conference designed to make those in the ski and travel industries more influential social networkers, what criteria would you consider?

How about the number 104,095? That's the number of people who "like" Heavenly's page on Facebook. I'd say that's a good place to start.

If I can brag a little more about who I'm rubbing elbows with -- when I'm on the slopes at Heavenly I'll be there with Rob Katz, CEO of Vail Resorts. I plan on leaving him in my powder as I ski my way into fame at the EpicMix Snowcial Scavenger Hunt. I don't know all the details yet, but this digital scavenger hunt combines both EpicMix and Facebook and will have us criss-crossing Heavenly mountain to complete challenges and connect with our friends.As a blogger and social media maven I'm excited about the incredible line-up of speakers. I'll be tweeting updates -- follow me @clarkvand -- but what's really cool is that I'll be doing my social media thing while the people behind these networks are in the room. Maybe I'll give a +1 on Klout while listening to Joe Fernandez, the founder and CEO of Klout. I'll check in on foursquare while sitting across from Jonathan Crowley, the director of business development at foursquare. That's just the beginning. Check out the lineup of Snowcial speakers.

With all that fun on the mountain it's hard to remember a conference is going on back at Harvey's. Actually, if I were a speaker at this conference I'd have one serious concern: losing my audience.

You're speaking to people who are fanatic about skiing and riding. And word on the street is that an epic storm is about to hit Tahoe. Tahoe Weather Discussion -- my favorite site for tracking the weather in Tahoe -- reports that the first flakes should start falling right around the time the first speakers are taking the stage. By Saturday night, we could be looking at up to a few feet above 7,000 feet. Oh, by the way, you do know that almost all of Heavenly's terrain is above 8,000 feet. This is looking good. Maybe as much as 4 feet at the crest. Stay up to date on the conditions at Heavenly with the Heavenly Snow Report.

Yeah, if I'm a speaker at Snowcial speaking to a bunch of ski bums I am very concerned about losing my audience.

You planning to enjoy all the fresh powder at Heavenly? Give me a shout on Twitter or Facebook and I'll give you the Snow Squad treatment.

-- Clark Vandeventer

7 Tahoe pubs serving up tasty food and drink

2012-01-04T22:02:00Z

There are few better ways to top off a day on the slopes than with a good beer and some tasty food. It's a good thing I burn so many calories on the slopes because there’s plenty of both in South Lake Tahoe when I've wrapped up a day of skiing at Heavenly.

From local brews to spirited concoctions. From fish 'n chips to trendy cuisine, here are 7 of my favorite pubs in South Lake Tahoe.

Fire and Ice
In Heavenly Village and just a few steps from the gondola, there are few places in Tahoe that match the feeling that Fire and Ice delivers. This place is what I imagined ski culture being before I'd ever been near a ski resort. Sit by 1 of their outdoor fire-pits and order a beer or hot chocolate. Repeat.

McP's Pub Tahoe
Located right across the street from Heavenly Village, McP's is your quintessential Irish pub cross bred with a ski town bar. Combine those 2 things and you've got 1 friendly party. There's live music every night. Oh, and parents, here’s a tip you’ll appreciate: they have a very reasonably priced kids menu. Here are some more family friendly pubs in Tahoe.

Stateline Brewery & Restaurant
Located between Heavenly Village and the the casinos, Stateline brews its own beer -- my favorite is the Double Time Strong Ale -- and they also have additional selections on draught. You can get anything from a salad to a steak or a burger, but what they do best is pizza -- and those come in a wide variety.

Mo's Place
If there's a big game going on that you can't miss go to Mo's Place. Mo's has every sports package out there -- NFL Sunday Ticket, NHL Center Ice, MLB Extra Innings and NBA League Pass. You can also catch a fútbol match -- or what we in America like to call soccer. And there's no better place for March Madness. Oh, and the food and drink is good too.

The Brewery at Lake Tahoe
Located in an old brick house that's been around for three quarters of a century, The Brewery at Lake Tahoe has been serving up delicious brews since 1992. They've got a diverse menu but The Brewery is most famous for their pizza made with Bad Ass® Ale pizza dough.

MacDuff’s Public House
I love this place. MacDuff's is in an old house and modeled after a Scottish pub. 1 of the 4 partners is originally from Scotland but all are now South Lake Tahoe locals. Get the fish 'n chips. You can thank me later.

Divided Sky
Located on Highway 50 in Meyers, Divided Sky is the best place to go if you want to get a little off the beaten path. It's in a small space on the second floor or a little building but there's a great vibe to the place. The sandwiches and salads feature a unique blend of tastes and ingredients. A real locals place.

Give them a try. You’ve earned the right to indulge yourself after burning all those calories.

Cheers.

--Clark Vandeventer

Headline photo by Tim Dobson. Body photo by Caccamo. Used with permission.

The search for the next Heavenly Angel

2011-12-29T22:44:00Z

Calling all aspiring models who also happen to love snowsports. Heavenly is looking for the next Heavenly Angel and you may be it! If you are outgoing, love meeting new people and are passionate about skiing or riding, we want you to enter to win our "Search for the Next Heavenly Angel" contest.

You can enter on our facebook page at facebook.com/skiheavenly. Just click on the Heavenly Angels Contest and then upload your photos and tell us why you deserve to be the next Heavenly Angel. Then, share the entry with all your friends on facebook so they can give you a thumbs up. We'll narrow the field down to ten ladies and open it up for voting. The top four vote getters will fly out to Heavenly for an all expenses paid trip and participate in a professional photo shoot. The angel with the most votes will be our next Heavenly Angel and featured in a Heavenly Angels ad campaign. She will also be featured as the Freeskier Gear Girl in the 2012 Buyer's Guide. Wow, talk about having your picture everywhere!

The contest runs through January 15^th so what are you waiting for, enter today and you may just be the Next Heavenly Angel for 2012!

Enter now for the search of the next Heavenly Angel>

Best things to do in South Lake Tahoe for New Years

2011-12-29T00:15:13Z

If you don't have any plans for New Years and are still thinking of what to do with yourself, you should consider heading up to South Lake Tahoe. The scene is gonna be crackin' up here and there will be plenty of activities going down all weekend.

There's so much stuff going on you're gonna need some help deciding what to do. I've narrowed it down to the best things to do on your last days of 2011.

Heavenly Holidays
The best day of Heavenly Holidays is New Years Eve. The Village turns into a party, the streets are shut down, and all of South Lake comes out for the free concert and for the best firework show in Tahoe. Click here for a complete schedule of Heavenly Holidays and to check out the line up. All the fun begins December 19th.

Casino Parties
Pretty much all the casinos have big New Years parties. If you like to party indoors and enjoy the club scene, you will love the scene in South Lake. Check out Montbleu Casino basically the whole casino turns into a party. There's a pool party as well as a party at Club Blu. Harrah's also has quite the scene going on throughout the casino with a NYE party in Vex nightclub.

Snowglobe Music Festival
The Snowglobe Music Festival in South Lake has one of the best line-ups of all time. The festival runs from December 29 to the 31 and tickets are going fast. A few headliners are Thievery Corporation, Bassnectar, Glitch Mob, Dilated Peoples, and one of my personal favorites, Pretty Lights. This festival is going to be sick and the best part about it is that everyday it kicks off in the afternoon so you can still hit the mountain before all the shows.

Sking/Riding at Heavenly
Hopefully by the time all the partying and snow dancing goes down, it should bring in some fresh snow just in time for 2012. Snow is in the forecast for the holidays and there are possibilities of a white Christmas. Heavenly had the most terrain open in Tahoe and has the best terrain so theres no reason to not head up to @skiheavenly this New Years Eve.

The Alpha and Omega Pin

2011-12-12T23:59:00Z

Whether your a Tahoe local or a day tripper from a few hours away earning the Alpha and Omega Epic Mix pin is a mandatory feat and every pass holder should have this pin under there belt before the season ends.

The distance between Heavenly and Northstar is about forty miles and depending on the speed of traffic on highway 28 it can be anywhere from an hour to a forty-five minute drive. Which gives you plenty of time to take down a sack lunch.

With the conditions now it's the best time to attempt the Alpha and Omega journey since mountain openings are limited and roads are clear. It's a great way to spice up the day and add some flavor to your life when your a bit over the same runs over and over and you're ready for something fresh.

Change is a good thing and now with the addition of Northstar to the Vail Resorts family all of us in Tahoe now have the option of two mountains in one day. There are plenty of

Change of scenery Having an Epic Pass or Tahoe Value Pass allows you to get a change in scenery between the two mountains. You are able to go from stunning world renown Lake Tahoe views at Heavenly then shoot across the lake to the wooded hills of Northstar with Views of Martis and Castle Peak as well as lake views from both Vista and Comstock Express. differences between the mountains. Here are my three favorite changes from Alpha to Omega.

Change in wallet size The fastest driving route is on the Nevada side of the lake which takes you through through Stateline and Crystal Bay, which are littered with casinos. You may have the tendency to venture inside one of these establishments. I want to wish you luck my friends and hope your wallets increase in size and weight.

Change in features You get the best of both worlds as far as Tahoe terrain parks go. Heavenly and Northstar have been dedicated to building some of the best parks in the country and this year with the conditions at hand they have delivered two of the nations best early season parks. Heavenly, just rebuilt the Ante Up Park last week and Northstar has been consistently switching it up and building new features on Pinball. Both parks offer something for everyone and are consistently changing.

Heavenly for the Holidays

2011-12-05T23:14:00Z

There are tons of activities for the whole family to enjoy this holiday season at Heavenly. Children can expect to meet Santa Claus in his South Lake workshop and parents can enjoy an array of activities from live music, ice sculpting, to ski après.

Santa's workshop snow globe
December 19 - 24 / 2:00 - 7:00pm
Santa's workshop is being recreated inside a giant 16-foot snow globe in Heavenly Village. Children can come visit Santa and ask him for their wildest dreams as well get a picture taken with jolly St. Nick. Also, a DJ will be on hand spinning the ones and two's with your favorite holiday music, trust me this workshop beats any mall's Santa set up.

Concert series
December 26 - 29 / 2:00 - 4:30pm
Once Santa Claus takes off on his sleigh, his workshop will be replaced with a party in Heavenly Village and the celebrations will begin. The stage will be set up in Bellamy Court under the Gondola. The series kicks off on December 26.

Dec 26 - Jelly Bread a funk/rock group who describes their music as "rootsy funk/rock guitar licks with a bit of dirt under the nails."
Dec. 27 - Lavish Green a local band that has a laid back Sublime/Reggae sound will be jamming out bringing positive vibes to the snow gods.
Dec. 28 - The Trey Stone Band another local act will be bringing their rhythmic Blues, Rock, and Funk sound to the stage.
Dec 29 - Tragically White a cover band from Sacramento will be playing your favorites from Michael Jackson to CCR in a different and new way that you've never heard before.

Ice Sculpting
December 20 / 7:30pm
The world's best touring ice sculptors will grace the Heavenly Village with their amazing ice sculpting performances. "Fear No Ice" takes a block of Ice adds music and turns it into a one of a kind performance. This is a creative and exciting show you don't want to miss

New Years Eve celebration
December 31 / 3:00 - 9:30pm
3:00 - 3:30 Kick off the new year after your ski day in the Heavenly Village with interactive games and experiences.
6:00 - 6:30pm Watch "Fear No Ice" sculpt a chunk of ice into a masterpiece in a performance they call the "Rock and Roll Show.
6:30 - 8:55pm New Year's Eve concert featuring Atlanta's "Band X" an all out party on stage expect to hear any hit from any decade when "Band X" is rock'n the party.
9:00pm Heavenly's New Years Eve firework extravaganza nothing brings in the New Year with a massive display of fireworks come watch Tahoe's best firework show @skiheavenly.

Happy Holidays

Après ski at Heavenly Mountain

2011-11-20T17:26:00Z

My friends and I are busy planning another installment of what we like to call an "Epic Weekend." Since our crew will consist of both Tahoe locals and skiers and riders from Colorado, our trip is centered on getting the most out of our Epic Passes at Heavenly Mountain this upcoming February.

With all the buzz surrounding opening day at Heavenly, my mind has been on one track. (Is it February yet?!) This year, Heavenly Mountain really outdid themselves by opening with 44 acres of terrain -- that's the largest early season amount to be opened that the resort has ever had! The terrain park opened with a massive amount of terrain as well, including three jumps and 18 features.

Obviously, getting as many runs in during the day is one of our top priorities, but planning a killer après ski experience is top on the list as well.The great thing about riding at Heavenly Mountain is that you don't have to go far to unwind after your day on the slopes.

Here are my top three après ski to-dos for our Epic Weekend at Heavenly Mountain.

Tamarack Lodge
Have you seen this place? It's a 15,000 square foot restaurant with a huge outdoor patio, just steps away from Tamarack Express. Rumor has it Bar 9150' has some killer drinks and deals.
Ice skating in the village
Heavenly has the only outdoor ice rink in South Lake Tahoe, which means there's absolutely no way we're leaving without twirling under their sparkling lights. Check out what the ice rink looks like right now on Heavenly's live webcam.
Dinner at Fire and Ice
Luckily, there are tons of great places to eat within Heavenly's Village, but this one in particular has been on my list since my last trip to the mountain. Open until 11:00pm on the weekends, with huge Mongolian-style grill and an extensive drink menu, this will be a great night topper before we explore the after-hour scene in South Lake Tahoe.

-- Vanessa Vancour

Heavenly mountain to give away 120 prizes

2011-11-06T17:03:00Z

Can you believe it? Opening day at Heavenly mountain is only 12 days away. Yes -- less than two weeks until first chair!

We are already counting our snow in feet here in Tahoe, and the staff at Heavenly mountain have been working around the clock (grooming at times for 46 hours straight!) to get the mountain in tip-top shape for this winter season.

To add to the building excitement, Heavenly Mountain is launching a Facebook contest tomorrow, Nov. 7 through Nov. 23. The promotion is called "Accessorize Your Season" and it's Heavenly's way of making sure you're dialed in with the best gear before the season starts on Nov. 18.

Heavenly Mountain is giving away 120 prizes Monday through Friday during the sweeps period; that means 10 prizes per day.

The prizes include:

30 $100 Helly Hansen gift cards
30 Smart Wool socks
30 $250 Maui Jim sunglasses
30 Oakley goggles

All you have to do to enter is visit the Heavenly Mountain Facebook page and click on "Giveaway" under the main image. Enter your information and wait anxiously by your computer for an email announcing you're a winner.

Sure, you can spend the next 12 days drooling at your desk, reading every snow update from the mountain. Why not make the most of your time and enter to win some sweet prizes?

The 2011-2012 winter season is scheduled to run from Nov. 18, 2011 to April 15, 2012, weather and conditions permitting. Season passes are now on sale, starting at just $389 for the Tahoe Value Pass, which provides seven-day-per-week access to Heavenly Mountain Resort.

Other pass options are available, including the Epic Pass, priced at just $669. The Epic Pass offers unrestricted access all season long to Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, Keystone and Arapahoe Basin in Colorado, and both Heavenly and Northstar California Resort at Lake Tahoe, California/Nevada. For more information, visit the Epic Pass website.

-- Vanessa Vancour

* Excuse our math! We had originally reported that we'd be giving away 130 prizes -- it's actually 120. Thanks for the consideration!