To ski Heavenly or Northstar? Why not both?

At the end of a ski and ride season there's a melancholy feeling.  As you take that last ride up on the chair lift there's a bit of sadness.  This is it.  Your last run of the year.  Will you push your limits?  Or will you take it slow and just enjoy the ride?

The feeling at the beginning of a season is completely different.  You cross off dates on the calendar.  You track the weather reports.  You start to feel your body subtly make the movements of the mountain.

I'm ready.

Only question left is where I'll ski on opening day.  Heavenly or Northstar?

Why go to Heavenly ski resort?

1. The bars
   Steins, the new Euro-themed beer garden will be serving up brats, sausages, chili, and good drinks.  Hey, you need to take a break while you're on the slopes -- my friend Beth Hartman has more on taking a break on the mountain -- and if I'm going to take a break I may as well enjoy myself. 

• Ski school
  One of the things I'm looking forward to most about this ski season is helping my 4-year-old son learn to enjoy the slopes.  Bear Cave is the new kids ski school lodge and offers 2,000 square feet of fun. 

• Après Ski 
  Toward the end of a day on the slopes I find myself conflicted.  I want to get every run in possible. But I'd also like to chill out at the lodge.  Heavenly has solved this problem for me with apres ski.  Tamarack Lodge will stay open after the lifts close with DJs spinning tunes and the Heavenly Angels hosting contests and giveaways.

Why go to Northstar California ski resort?

1. On-mountain improvements
   Northstar spent $30 million on improvements this summer.  The new Zephyr Lodge won't quite be ready for opening day, but some of those new runs will be thanks to Northstar's improved snowmaking capabilities.  My friend Kate Thomas has the scoop on the art of snowmaking. 

• Off-slope experiences
  I attended a media day at Northstar a few weeks ago.  The overall impression I walked away with?  Northstar is not just a place to go skiing.  They want to take care of you and serve up an epic mountain experience.  I like being taken care of, so that definitely makes my list. 

• Shaun White snowboards at Northstar
  Maybe I'll run into Shaun White.  A 2 time Olympic gold medalist and professional snowboarder, Shaun White has made Northstar his home mountain.  Will he be there opening day?  I don't know, from the looks of this video of Shaun White at Keystone it looks like he could be camping there now.

So what will it be?  Why not both?

I'll ski the morning at Northstar and the afternoon at Heavenly.  Along the way I'll pick up a few EpicMix pins, like the Alpha and Omega Pin, rewarded for skiing at Heavenly and Northstar in the same day.

Still debating where to kick-off your ski and ride season?  Stop debating and do what I'm doing and collect your Alpa and Omega pin on EpicMix.  It will be an epic way to start an epic season.

-- Clark Vandeventer