California Archives

Is Heavenly the Best Ski Resort in the USA?

March 15, 2015March 26, 2013 by Matt

Heavenly certainly has a lot going for it. At 4800 acres, it’s one of the biggest ski resorts in the United States. It also stands above two unique landscapes — Lake Tahoe and the Nevada desert — which makes for beautiful views unlike those found anywhere else. Heavenly is a Vail Resorts property, and as such the mountain has photographers stationed strategically at particularly beautiful spots to take visitors’ photos, which are then sent to them via the Epic Mix app.

Do those qualities make Heavenly the best ski resort in the United States?

Heavenly Micro Guide

September 14, 2015March 24, 2013 by Matt

We’re traveling to ski resorts in the western U.S. trying to decipher which will provide the best vacation experience for skiers and snowboarders like you. We spent a few days at Heavenly interviewing locals, shooting local skiers and boarders tearing up the hill, and then compiling what we learned into this micro guide.

Heavenly Eye Candy

September 14, 2015March 22, 2013 by Matt

My buddy Bryon and I spent two bluebird days exploring Heavenly, which isn’t nearly enough time to actually get to know all 4800 acres of the massive mountain. Fortunately, I had a very spry guide named Mike Frye. Mike’s a former ski racer, coach, and extremely fit and fast biped who slows down for no man.

So, I despite time constrictions, and thanks to Mike, my snowboard did make contact with a very large portion of that mountain.

This is what it looked like.

Special thanks to Bryon of Exploring Elements for contributing some of his photos to this post. If these pics aren’t enough for you, then you should check out his photos from Heavenly.

Heavenly skier snowboarder

Sh*t People Say About Heavenly

March 15, 2015March 20, 2013 by Matt

Heavenly is one of the best-known ski and snowboard destinations in the United States, and for good reason. With Lake Tahoe sprawling below the California side of the gargantuan resort, and the Nevada desert below the other, Heavenly has some of the most beautiful and unique scenery of any resort in the country. At 4800 … Read more

0 Shares

Is Sierra-at-Tahoe the Best Ski Resort in the USA?

March 15, 2015March 18, 2013 by Matt

Sierra-at-Tahoe is a medium-sized ski resort in South Lake Tahoe. It’s not nearly as well-known as other resorts around the lake — like Squaw Valley, Heavenly, and Kirkwood — which would seem to make it a bit of an underdog in our Best in the West Showdown.

On closer inspection, however, the idea may not be so strange.

Sierra-at-Tahoe Micro Guide

September 14, 2015March 12, 2013 by Matt

We’ve been traveling to ski resorts in the western U.S. trying to decipher which will provide the best vacation experience for skiers and snowboarders like you. We spent a few days at Sierra-at-Tahoe interviewing locals, shooting local skiers and boarders tearing up the hill, and then compiling what we learned into this micro guide.

The video above contains lots of useful information, but, if you want to carry have this information on the hill where it will really come in handy, bookmark this guide on your phone.

Sierra-at-Tahoe Snowboarding Porn

September 14, 2015March 8, 2013 by Matt

When we asked people at Sierra-at-Tahoe what they loved most about the hill, they mentioned a few things. Many people mentioned the amazing terrain park system, which includes five terrain parks that gradually increase in difficulty from a kiddie park with features that rise just a few inches above the snow, to the big feature park with jumps up to 40 or 50 feet. Several people mentioned the beautiful job the hill does of maintaining their groomed runs, and lots also loved the Huckleberry sidecountry gates.

We got a few pictures of each during our trip.

Special thanks to Bryon of Exploring Elements for contributing some of his photos to this photoessay.

sierra at tahoe skier snowboarder 1