North Lake Tahoe: Spring skiing and lazing by the lake

The Modern Family on North Lake Tahoe Skiing

One of the best things about visiting Northern California is having North Lake Tahoe a short reach away. Just a 4-hour drive from San Francisco, this snow sport mecca has the highest concentration of ski areas in the world (12 downhill and 5 cross-country).  Coupled with the largest, BLUEST alpine lake in North America – many say Lake Tahoe’s natural beauty is right up there with Yosemite – it’s easy to see why the region is a popular holiday destination.

I’ve been going to North Lake Tahoe since I was a kid (I can proudly tick off 10 of the ski resorts). But come early Spring, when the weather warms and the Bay Area starts thinking about doing up their gardens, camping and going to the beach – the slopes are virtually empty except for the diehards. It’s the perfect time to go. There are no queues, lots of sunshine and you can often get bargains for accommodation and ski passes. The amount of snow varies season to season, so to be sure of white stuff look for resorts with higher elevations.

For us Squaw Valley was a good choice, as many of their beginner/intermediate runs are at the top of the mountain at 8,200 feet. The resort recently merged with Alpine Meadows, giving access to 6,000 acres, 43 lifts and 270 trails – all on the same ski pass. We enrolled the girls in the Squaw Kids ski school on their first day to get them back up to speed (it had been a year since our last ski trip). After a short ability test, they were off up the mountain on the Funitel with their Argentinean ski instructor. Hubby and I explored the mountain on our own and on our second day we skied as a family for the first time.

Here’s a short video of the girls learning to ski.

Each afternoon we were back at Mourelatos Lakeshore Resort in Tahoe Vista and had our own apres ski on the private beach on Lake Tahoe. We picked up nibbles at the local Safeway and then plopped down exhausted onto comfy chaise lounges looking over the deep blue and turquoise alpine lake surround by snow-capped Sierra Nevadas. The girls changed out of their snow gear and into their bathing suits to play in the lake. The whole scene was a bit surreal.

Enjoy the pics and if you have any questions about the area – please ask!

My 10-year-old’s perspective

Skiing was really fun at Squaw Valley in North Lake Tahoe. My favourite run (slope) was Mainline because it was a little steep and you went fast, but not too fast. You have to wear special gear to go skiing safely. You wear boots connected to your skis.You have to wear ski pants and a jacket. Most people wear helmets and you have to wear ski goggles or sun glasses.

IF YOU GO:

North Lake Tahoe Visitor Bureau gotahoenorth.com A great source of information on all things North Lake Tahoe.

Squaw Valley Resort 1960 Squaw Valley Rd, Olympic Valley, CA 96146 +1 (530) 452-4331 squaw.com Recently merged with Alpine Meadows, this combined resort gives you access to 6,000 acres, 43 lifts and 270 trails – all on the same ski pass.

Squaw Kids at Squaw Valley Resort. Full day group lessons, and they’ll kit the kids out with equipment too (it’s almost worth it just for this).

Terrace Restaurant & Bar at Squaw Valley Resort. You don’t have to ski to enjoy panoramic Lake Tahoe views. Take the tram up 8,200 feet to High Camp. Grilled burgers, chilli con carne and to-die-for fish tacos. Kids menu.

Olympic Museum at Squaw Valley Resort. Check out the recently renovated museum that highlights Squaw Valley as the host of the 1960 Olympics. These games put Tahoe on the map as a world-class skiing destination.

High Camp Hot Tubs at Squaw Valley Resort. After lunch at the Terrace Restaurant, put on your swim suit, soak in the hot tubs and enjoy the alpine views. The crowd here varies and can be more for the over 21s.

Alpine Meadows 2600 Alpine Meadows Rd Alpine Meadows, CA +1 800 403-0206 www.skialpine.com Merged with Squaw Valley in 2011, the resort is known for its varied terrain for all levels. A tickets gets you access to both resorts, and there’s a shuttle between the two.

Mourelatos Lakeshore Resort 6834 North Lake Tahoe Blvd, Tahoe Vista, CA 96148 +1 530-546-9500 www.mlrtahoe.com My new favourite place to stay in North Lake Tahoe. Family friendly, meticulously clean, lots of character and stunning lake views. We had a King room with a lake view, kitchenette, with a sofa bed and futon for the girls. It’s centrally located, and just a 15 to 20-minute drive to most ski resorts. Apres ski, we chose our favourite chaise lounge and lazed on the sandy beach looking at the snow-capped Sierras. There might have been a glass of Cabernet involved too. This resort is very popular with families, especially in the summer, as they have a private beach with LOTS of water activities.

Las Panchitas 8345 N Lake Blvd Kings Beach, CA +1 (530) 546-4539 Very reasonable priced Mexican food. I had chilli rellenos; a roasted poblano pepper stuffed with Monterey jack cheese, coated in an egg batter, pan-fried and served with a red chilli sauce. The girls had burritos and of course lots of chips and salsa.

 My 12-year-old’s review of Las Panchitas

“Hola!” the cheery staff greeted us as they led us to our seats. I could smell a waft of salsa and beans, and instantly knew Las Panchitas would be a good place to eat. As we browsed though the menus we couldn’t make up our minds, but soon settled on some yummy dishes. I picked an enchilada from the kids menu. At first I thought it would be too small, but I was wrong, as I was still very full afterwards. My enchilada came with rice and beans and was very very good.

 

The Rustic Lounge at the Cedar Glen Lodge 6589 N Lake Blvd, Tahoe Vista, CA 96148 (530) 546-428 www.tahoecedarglen.com  The BEST food in North Shore (if you don’t believe me read all the TripAdvisor reviews).  The Cordon Bleu-trained husband and wife team blend French inspiration with twists on American classics. There’s not a children’s menu, but for a small fee you can share dishes. For starters we had mac and cheese with bread crumbs and English peas, and a tri color beet salad with white balsamic, thyme, arugula, burrata, toasted hazelnuts. For mains we shared a roasted free-range chicken breast, with honey and garlic glazed root vegetables, sweet potato mash, chicken jus; pan-seared Atlantic salmon, fennel and orange salad, orange beurre blanc, broccolini and “Parisienne” gnocchi with butternut squash, hedgehog mushrooms, fava greens, preserved meyer lemon beurre noisette, and almonds. There’s modest but perfectly picked wine list. If you stay in the lodge, take advantage of the nightly bonfire with all the fixings to make your own s’mores. I love this place. Make reservations because it books up fast.

Gar Woods Grill & Pier 5000 N Lake Blvd, Carnelian Bay, CA 96140 +1 (530) 546-3366 www.garwoods.com The food’s a bit pricey, but the lakeshore deck is well worth it.

Old Post Office Coffee Shop 5245 N Lake Blvd Carnelian Bay, CA +1 (530) 546-3205 A great old-fashioned American breakfast in equally great portions.

Safeway Grocery Store N Lake Blvd, Kings Beach, CA 96143  +1 (530) 546-0170 With a little planning, if you have access to a kitchen you could prepare all your own meals with minimal effort. We picked up everything here for breakfast (bagels, cream cheese, sliced fruit and cereals) and apres ski – tart granny smith apples, gorgonzola, chips, salsa and a few bottles of California Cabernet.

My 9-year-old’s perspective

We went to Squaw Valley, a ski resort in North Lake Tahoe, California. The first day we went to ski school. Then on the second day we skied with mum and dad. My favourite run was Mainline. It was a blue. I liked it because it was fun and challenging and you got to go really fast! Skiing is really fun and it is one of my favourite sports.

Skiing: More reading

• Spring skiing at Dodge Ridge!

• Skiing in England!

• The best family ski resorts in France: Skiing La Plagne

• Best family-friendly resorts in La Plagne

• Is skiing the perfect family holiday?

Note: Our activities were provided by Visit California for the purposes of this review. All opinions are my own and my family’s.