I’ve had a wide range of experiences as a traveler including skiing for the first time outside of Reno at Northstar-at-Tahoe. Many people who base themselves in Reno make a day trip of skiing at Northstar-at-Tahoe. But until my visit to Reno en route to Northstar-at-Tahoe, skiing had never been a part of my travel plans. When I’ve told people that I had never skied before, they’ve looked at me with dismay. Wyoming is known for its skiing in the northwestern corner of the state, roughly 450 miles away from where I live. But then again, the ski paradise of Colorado is just ten miles to the south.
I ventured in a coach bus to the Northstar-at-Tahoe ski resort, roughly a 45 minute drive from Reno. Ah, that’s when the weather is good. On the contrary, my first ski adventure in late February 2007 met with some pretty nasty weather as the gallant bus driver braved the “chain law” conditions on Interstate 80 (in the same geographic neighborhood as the infamous Donner Pass) to get me and the other skiers to our appointed destination. Snow fell heavier and heavier, stopping many semi-trucks in their tracks westbound, and caused a complete halt to eastbound traffic towards Reno.
After we reached the grounds of the Northstar-at-Tahoe resort, the bus’ luck ran out, because it got stuck on the road for about an hour, and had to be rescued by a tractor, which pulled my transportation into the parking lot. During the wait, automobiles had whisked by us, making it dangerous to get out onto the road to walk to the drop off point. Anyway, our ski equipment was in the bottom of the bus, so it would’ve been rather impossible to get into our gear from the busy roadside! As we were being pulled, the other skiers on the bus started rejoicing because all that heavy snowfall we got stuck in was to make for better skiing.
People who are into skiing must really have a passion for it because of the effort and expense it takes to pursue this sport. Think of having to lug around heavy skis (though modern skis are much lighter than their predecessors) and ski poles to the gondola and chair lifts; getting fitted just right in really heavy and tight-fitting ski boots; having to buy quality ski apparel like ski pants and gloves which resist the absorption of snow; and the prices for lift passes as well as the potential for treacherous roads that have to be driven on from a city such as Reno just to get to a ski resort like Northstar-at-Tahoe.
I found a dry place (a parking garage) in which to put on my ski boots, got my equipment, then headed up a few flights of stairs to the gondola lift. I shared the gondola box with others who were from the Reno area. The conversation once again got around about me being a ski novice. I was chided by one skier in particular, “You’ve never skied before, but you live in Wyoming. Wyoming has Jackson Hole. And Colorado, too, has all that skiing.”
We disembarked, and I was advised to go find the lessons area for new skiers. I found the sign admonishing me to go some 500 feet “that way”. I ventured there with some other novices, including those wanting to learn snowboarding. We waited awhile, then were advised to go back the same 500 feet we had just covered. I had yet to ski one foot, and I was becoming exhausted. Running six miles a day doesn’t really exhaust me, but carrying skis and poles more than a 1000 feet was beginning to tax my reserves. We finally found our respective Northstar-at-Tahoe instructors in the midst of steadily falling snow.
The instructor we got, a middle aged man, turned out to be very nice and very patient with me and the others. The first thing we did was to walk with one ski at a time on each foot, using our ski-less foot to help move around. We then got used to moving around on both skis, using our poles to help us navigate through the snow. Finally, it was now time to a move up the hill (pictured). As you can see from the picture, it doesn’t look that steep, but I was about to learn the hard way that a good pair of skis can create quite a lot of speed. I had trouble heading up the hill walking straight, as the newly fallen snow seemed like quicksand. So the Northstar-at-Tahoe instructor told us all to turn sideways and walk. For several minutes, I was still in “quicksand”, until I realized that I needed to make sure my feet were turned inward. Now, I was finally moving up the hill better.
We got about a third of the way uphill, and the instructor began talking to us about gliding down the hill, showing us how to position our feet, which would affect the way the skis moved. So finally, I would be doing my first downhill skiing. I came downhill pretty slowly, but I could see that I was gliding. Now it was time to go higher. We didn’t take a lift, but an escalating carpet ride, some 100 or so feet further upward.
Again, the Northstar-at-Tahoe instructor told us about how to position our feet and bodies, and admonished us to land on our bottoms if we felt like we were losing control. Eventually, it was my turn to go. I looked down the hill, and it didn’t seem that bad. So I started downhill and noticed that I was picking up speed. It was all happening too fast for my courage. I even turned my skis inward, but I was going faster….faster….I’m scared….I’m gonna die….Ahhhhh……until I decided to bail out by sitting down. I was immediately covered in snow and immobilized by the attached skis until the ski instructor came and helped me up. The man was really nice about it, and he didn’t even chide me for being from Wyoming either! This same scenario would repeat itself a couple more times, but with each attempt, I did feel more comfortable doing it, even as the instructor had to rescue me two more times by helping me off the ground: I bailed out again and again by sitting down when I thought I was going too fast.
So, this is what skiing is like. Will I ever do it again? Well, you never know, especially if I find myself in the Reno area again during skiing season.
More information on Northstar-at-Tahoe:
For more experienced skiers, Northstar-at-Tahoe features 2,480 acres of skiing terrain. One-fourth of their runs are for advanced skiers, including such runs that begin from the top of Mount Pluto (elevation: 8,610 feet) like The Burn Out and The Promised Land. 62 per cent of the runs are for intermediate skilled skiers. The maximum vertical drop from Mt. Pluto is 2,280 feet to the Day Lodge area, which includes a tubing center.
Northstar features more than 67 jib features and five terrain parks for snowboarders. One of the runs, called “The Stash”, combines some backcountry feel and features for the snowboarders’ riding pleasure. For cross country skiers, roughly 25 miles of trails are available, and the Village Center contains an ice rink for free ice skating, though lessons do cost.
You’ll have plenty of dining and shopping options at Northstar-at-Tahoe, especially at the Village Center. Its eateries serve up such wintertime fare as smores and Starbucks coffee. You can buy jewelry and The North Face brand goods! At mid-mountain and at the summit of Mount Pluto, dining options are available, too, though less plentiful.
During the spring and summer months, take advantage of such Northstar-at-Tahoe pastimes as horseback riding, mountain biking, hiking, tennis, and more! Check the website in the “Resources” section below for their offerings of accommodations and Stay & Ski Free package deals!
It’s never too early to plan your next skiing holiday at Northstar-at-Tahoe!
Northstar-at-Tahoe (roughly a 45 minute drive from Reno with good roads): 100 Northstar Dr., Truckee, CA 96161. Phone: 1-800-GO-NORTH.
Reference:
- Northstar-at-Tahoe website: www.northstarattahoe.com
