Here are some of the major improvements we can look forward to for the 2010-11 season while skiing around Lake Tahoe.
Alpine Meadows
Alpine Meadows will become the first North American ski resort to offer a breakthrough children's chairlift safety system. Designed by Magnestick®, the new technology uses an electromagnetic seatback and magnetic vest worn by children riding a chair lift. This latest announcement continues the resort's technological offerings such as the flaik™ GPS tracking system for children, radio frequency identification (RFID) chair lift gates, reloadable lift ticketing capabilities from home, and the all new Alpine Club Fast Trax program, which allows members to purchase a lift ticket simply by skiing through an RFID gate.
The resort will also unveil a newly expanded children's indoor center including interactive educational stations for kids and automated registration stations for parents; as well as a new outdoor snow play area including the addition of a new magic carpet surface lift, multiple tubing lanes and a mini terrain park. Alpine Meadows also plans to expand its groomed surfaces to new areas of the mountain.
More information: Alpine Meadows
Heavenly Mountain Resort
Heavenly Mountain Resort has begun construction on its new 14,980-square-foot Tamarack Lodge located mid-mountain at the top of Heavenly's Gondola. Slated for completion in February of 2011, the lodge will offer 500 indoor seats along with 250 outdoor patio seats and completes Heavenly's Adventure Peak family recreation area, where guests can enjoy enjoying snowshoeing, ski biking, sledding and Heavenly's Super Tubing Hill. The Tamarack Lodge is the crown jewel of Heavenly's major revitalization over the past eight years.
Heavenly Mountain Resort recently unveiled the new EpicMix technology, an online and mobile application which will allow guests to capture their ski and ride experience and digitally share it with friends and family. EpicMix will record the activity of guests using radio frequency (RF) scanners installed at each of the resort's chairlifts and automatically calculate vertical feet, number of days skied and other achievements by reading RF-enabled chips embedded in season passes and reloadable lift tickets. Guests can then log in to view and share results on social networks as well as post private messages and locate friends on the mountain, including a real-time locator for parents with children.
More information: Heavenly Mountain Resort
Kirkwood Mountain Resort
Kirkwood Mountain Resort's new ZipTahoe Treetop Canopy Tour will offer thrills high above the slopes this season through more than 10 zip lines over 1,100 feet with aerial spans and bridge networks. New family-focused attractions in the resort's new High Alpine Adventure Center include tubing, cross country skiing, snow shoeing, dog sledding, evening snowcat tours, sleigh rides and snowmobile tours.
The resort also offers a new "Daycare Dilemma" lift ticket allowing parents to split shifts on the slopes.
Kirkwood will once again host the North American Freeskiing Championships and the North Face Masters of Snowboarding. New this season, Kirkwood will also be one of the stops on the new Banzai Series inspired by U.S. Olympian Daron Rahlves that blends skier/boarder cross with a traditional downhill race.
More information: Kirkwood Mountain Resort
Mt. Rose-Ski Tahoe
The new Winters Creek Lodge will benefit from a new sustainability initiative including three "extreme energy windspires." Mt. Rose-Ski Tahoe continues to partner with a number of resort casino properties to offer some of the most affordable stay-and-ski packages starting as low as $79 per person.
More information: Mt. Rose-Ski Tahoe
Northstar-at-Tahoe Resort
Northstar-at-Tahoe Resort has announced a number of new stores and outlets as additions to the Village at Northstar. The resort also upgraded its fleet of rental equipment with the latest offerings from leading manufacturers.
More information: Northstar-at-Tahoe Resort
Sierra-at-Tahoe Resort
Sierra-at-Tahoe Resort adds of two new carpet conveyor lifts for the upcoming 2010-11 season, allowing beginning skiers and snowboarders to access 11 acres of sculpted Smart Terrain™ that has shortens the learning curve for beginners.
More information: Sierra-at-Tahoe Resort
Squaw Valley USA
Squaw Valley USA's "Ski with Jonny Days" returns with Olympic gold medalist Jonny Moseley's complimentary tours of his favorite runs. Olympic medalist, Julia Mancuso, will host an unforgettable spring event.
The resort will expand its night skiing and has also created a new mountaintop kids terrain park, with a snow fort, kid-friendly jumps, and whoopty-doos.
Squaw Valley USA has also upgraded the mountain's dining facilities and base village. The legendary Olympic House base lodge has been remodeled. The resort has also completed more than $3 million renovation to the Gold Coast Lodge.
Other upgrades include an extensive remodel of the Olympic Village Lodge & Conference Center, renovations to the Squaw Kids Children's Center, and upgrades to the resort's snowmaking system.
More information: Squaw Valley USA
