What makes a legendary day on the slopes? For us, it comes down to three things: great snow, positive vibes and most of all empty slopes. A tough trifecta to get in Lake Tahoe. But, closing day at Sierra-at-Tahoe was one of those special moments. Nearly 15 inches of cold snow fell overnight plus highs in the upper 20’s and no one around. For us, it wouldn’t go down as a great day but one of the best for the season.
Encore! Encore!
When you think of the greatest music concerts you’ve ever been to, how do they typically end? Do they just walk off the stage making you yearn for more? Heck no! They have an encore! Sierra-at-Tahoe’s final chapter of the season was just like that. Instead of keeping their last day to Sunday April 15th, they decided to show the community just how much they appreciate their customers by offering us one more day! And the best part? The forecast was saying a foot of snow was on its way. Even old man winter wanted to make sure Sierra ended on a high note.
Last Day Is For The Children
Besides an optimistic weather forecast and staying open an extra day, Sierra-at-Tahoe really turned up the volume by offering lift tickets for only $35. You read that right THIRTY-FIVE BUCKS!!! What could be better than that? How about all the proceeds from the lift tickets benefit youth recreation and education including baseball, soccer, swimming and other youth activities in South Lake Tahoe. Talk about making you feel good about spending your hard-earned cash.
Sleep In & Get Powder
Instead of starting at the typical 9 am, they gave all the employees an opportunity to sleep in and started the lifts turning at 10. With the snow coming down at an intense rate, we couldn’t hold ourselves back and ended up being 40 minutes early. The energy in the lift line was infectious as old friends as well as new ones each talked about the snow. Then at 9:48, one of the managers walked up and yelled over the crowd, “Thank you for being our loyal customers and to show our gratitude we’re opening up the lifts one more time for four hours AND twelve minutes.” The gathering erupted in cheers.
Organic Non-GMO Snow!
As we ascended Grandview, the blank canvas below the lift looked enticing. As the cold snow lightly drifted down, we exited the lift and headed looker’s left. Quickly ratcheting our bindings, we turned and pointed it down the fall-line. The snow had covered everything including any moguls that existed. Taking massive turns down the face, huge plumes of snow flew past us. Only one word would describe it: GLORIOUS!
No one is here
We stopped for a moment to take it all in. Looking around, there isn’t a SINGLE person anywhere. The quiet sound of falling snow is deafening. Jaime and I look at each other and smile. This is the BEST day of the season. Together, we head back down the slope bouncing from side to side through the magnificently soft snow. We make it back to Grandview lift and see NO ONE in line either. Our jaws drop.
Rinse & Repeat
Sliding right onto the lift, we head back up. We continue to lap Grandview over and over and over finding untracked powder everywhere we look. It’s unbelievable. Taking a quick barley pop break to give our legs a rest, the snow is just too good to finish up the day. So, we head back out. While the steep trees might’ve been a bit bony, nearly every main trail was bananas. And, you didn’t even have to worry about hitting another person. It was heaven on earth. Finally finishing up the day, we unstrap and absorb the moment. Grinning from ear to ear, I say out loud, “Now THIS is how you finish a season right.”
Sierra-at-Tahoe is #1 in our books
While Alpine Meadows may be our happy place on the north shore for spring skiing, Sierra-at-Tahoe will ALWAYS be #1 in my heart for all of Lake Tahoe. From how they manage the mountain to caring about the community, it’s one of the few resorts left in the basin that does it right. In their immortal words, “They’re certified unserious.”
