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Ski Season Update
GEToutside the outdoors | recreation | events | mountain life
Ski resorts announce 2020-21 plans
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STORY BY KATHERINE E. HILL
ki resorts throughout the Tahoe Sierra are getting ready for the 2020-21 S are getting ready for the 2020-21 winter ski season. While all regional resorts will be open for skiing and riding, the season will look di erent with face mask requirements in place at all local ski areas along with other pandemic safety protocols in place. Some ski areas will require reservations to access the mountain, while others will only require reservations for lessons and rentals. Walk-up day tickets, however, will be limited or not o ered at all at nearly all of the ski areas.
Along with other planned improvements in snow making at several local ski resorts, many have also put touchless systems in place for ticket and food purchases, and increased the use of RFID lift tickets, or radio-frequency identi cation tickets, for gate access.
For loading the chair, most resorts are asking that guests self-group with their party and load together. High-capacity lifts and closed cabins will be loaded to comply with physical distancing requirements. e most important thing, say resort representatives, is to prepare in advance for tickets, lessons, gear and food before visiting.
North Tahoe and Truckee area ski resorts laid out what the winter will look like at the North Lake Tahoe Resort Association’s Ski Season Roundtable on Sept. 17. Other regional ski areas have also announced plans for the season. Here’s a look at what to expect from some local resorts.
BOREAL & SODA SPRINGS
OPENS 3 RD WEEK IN NOV.
Boreal and Soda Springs will focus on opening safe and maintain safety protocols throughout the season to stay open, said Amy Ohran, general manager and president. Boreal, which is typically one of the rst to open for the season, and Soda Springs will open the third week in November to ensure there is adequate terrain for distancing. | rideboreal.com, skisodasprings.com
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Courtesy Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows
• Reduced day-use capacity • Phased day ticket model where guests will choose a start time • Season passes sales reduced • No reservations for passholders • Expanded use of RFID tickets • Will start with private lessons only and evaluate later
DIAMOND PEAK
OPENS DEC. 10
Diamond Peak will not require reservations for its passholders, but it is capping season pass sales like most ski areas. e resort will also o er some limited indoor dining using a reservation system. | diamondpeak.com
• Expanding seating for dining on the snow • Touchless system with all sales through the website • Modifi ed group lessons with smaller groups • More private and family-style lessons with new offerings for ages 3 to 6
GRANLIBAKKEN
OPENING TBD
Granlibakken, one of the region’s favorite spots for sledding, will be limiting the number of people on its sled hill and will likely use a reservation system. It will also push all tickets sales through its website. | granlibakken.com
• No indoor dining in the ski lodge • Expanding outdoor dining with outdoor food options
HOMEWOOD MOUNTAIN RESORT
OPENING TBD
Homewood will be reducing its season pass sales by 25 percent and reducing onmountain capacity by the day and there will be no in-person interactions. Guests area encouraged to use their car as their lodge. | skihomewood.com
HEAVENLY & KIRKWOOD
HEAVENLY NOV. 20 | KIRKWOOD DEC. 4
Vail Resorts CEO Rob Katz announced on Aug. 27 that the company will require guests to wear face coverings to get on the mountain and in all parts of resort operations, including in lift lines and riding in lifts and gondolas.
Other requirements will include maintaining physical distancing on chairlifts and gondolas, including restrictions or reductions in the number of people on lifts. Ski schools will be open as will on-mountain dining, but with changes to help keep guests safe. As well, there will be a mountain access reservation system and limits on lift tickets to prioritize passholders. | skiheavenly.com, kirkwood.com
MOUNT ROSE
OPENS WHEN CONDITIONS PERMIT
Usually the rst ski resort to open in the Tahoe Sierra, Mount Rose is taking a di erent approach this season and will be opening the top rst when conditions permit and o ering a number of ways to reach the bottom to spread out its visitors, says marketing director Mike Pierce. As well, the resort has increased its snow making and improved snowmaking storage. | skirose.com
• Opening fi rst to passholders only • Season pass sales will be capped • Advance reservations only for day tickets
NORTHSTAR OPENS NOV. 20
“We’ll be more focused on the core of our business, which is skiing and riding,” says Deirdra Walsh, vice president and general manager. Restrictions will also be consistent at all Vail resorts, she said, which include Kirkwood and Heavenly in the Tahoe Sierra. | northstarcalifornia.com
• Passholder access only from opening day on Nov. 20 to Dec. 7 • Face masks required for all guests and employees indoors and outdoors. • A reservations system will be required for all guests • No in-person ticket sales. All sales will be online only • Ski and ride school will be open • Limiting indoor dining with a focus on to-go food • Free parking at Village View and Castle Peak lots
SIERRA-AT-TAHOE
OPENING TBD
Sierra-at-Tahoe has announced that it doesn’t plan on using a reservation system for its season passholders. And, guests will not be required to ride a chairlift with people they do not know and will be asked to self-group with members of their party. | sierraattahoe.com
• Face coverings will be required in all indoor spaces, the base area, when loading/unloading a lift, as well as whenever physical distancing cannot be achieved. • Daily staff wellness checks • Lodge capacity will be limited • Restaurants redesigned for grab and go options with limited seating available
SQUAW VALLEY ALPINE MEADOWS
OPENS NOV. 25
Squaw Valley president and CEO Ron Cohen said that the resort will be tightly controlling all advance tickets sales and has temporarily suspending all walk-up tickets, but that the resort will not require reservations for passholders. Mountaineer transit will also be operating this season. | squawalpine.com
SUGAR BOWL OPENS NOV. 27
Sugar Bowl, which has temporarily halted its season pass sales for the season, may reopen sales if COVID restrictions are lifted in the future, says Jon Slaughter, marketing and sales manager. e resort is also encouraging guests to “use your car as your base lodge,” he said. | sugarbowl.com
• No reservations for passholders • Reservations will be required for day lift tickets, lessons and rentals • No walk-up ticket sales • No indoor dining, to-go only offerings • Indoor spaces will be set up as warming zones • Expanded RFID gates
TAHOE CITY WINTER SPORTS PARK
OPENS NOV. 27 e Tahoe City Winter Sports Park will be operating this season by reservation only for ice skating, sledding and cross county and snowshoe rentals. | tcpud.org
TAHOE CROSS COUNTRY
OPENING TBD e cross-country center will o er online daily ticket sales and outside ticket sales, but no indoor o erings will be available. Skiers should arrive prepared to ski as there will be no areas available to change or put on gear indoors. | tahoexc.org
• Trail ambassadors will monitor trails use and access, and offer public education • Limited touch rental procedures in place • Outdoor facility available for rentals • Food options will be available; but seating outside or in cars only • Nordic ski swap tentatively scheduled for Nov. 14
TAHOE DONNER
CROSS COUNTY NOV. 27 | DOWNHILL DEC. 11
Tahoe Donner Cross Country is working to providing snowmaking at the center for the 2020-21 season, said general manager David Mickaelian. | tahoedonner.com
• Online tickets sales in place • Limited indoor dining with preorder food options • Private lessons; group lessons not likely • Provide on-mountain picnic experience
