User Reviews

I have been going to Sierra, since it was Sierra Ski Ranch.  The ski area is served by well-placed high speed lifts that follow the terrain and stay open during even heavy winter storms.  As a result, this ski area has some of the best storm-skiing in the Sierra.   The terrain is served in 1800 vertical foot chunks, with the possibility of going from Grand View to West Bowl for a total of 2200 vertical.  With high speed lifts,  and a good layout, it is possible to ski tens of thousands of vertical feet in a day. 

Sierra appeals to families  because it is easy to meet.  The beginner area and ski school are centrally located.  On-piste terrain features one of the longest beginner runs in the region, and a wide variety of intermediate and expert terrain and trails.  Sierra has some interesting nooks and crannies to explore including lots of off-trail trees and glades, and fun challenging terrain that comes in short shots like Avalanche Basin and the recently inbounds Huckleberry Canyon.  Sierra pioneered some  big feature terrain parks and has held many events over the years. 

Sierra is the closest ski area to California populations centers along Hwy 50, and with the access comes very large crowds on weekends and holidays.  Many South Lake Tahoe residents also ski at Sierra which offers bus service to South Lake, and few road and lift closures during storms.    While there is still a large brown-bag and family picnic contingent in the lodge, there are also several large cafeterias, two bars, and outdoor BBQ/grill.   Sierra is a more easy-going locals vibe, and is a favorite with local race teams and ski club organizers.

Sierra is one of the closer resorts to the Bay Area, and the closest on highway 50 up to South Lake Tahoe. It's a smaller mountain, but has a lot of good solid terrain for intermediate and advanced skiers. The resort has high speed lifts serving most of the key areas of the mountain, but could probably use a few more, especially on the backside (where it has only slow two-person chairs). 

 

One nice thing about Sierra is that it has a 'double whammy' pass with Northstar-at-Tahoe, a sister resort on the north side of the lake. For $329, you get ski privileges (minus a few blackout dates) at both resorts all season long.