The crisp winter blanket of white that envelopes the Sierra Nevada each year has begun to cover the peaks and valleys of the Range of Light, including in the Tahoe Sierra where skiers and snowboarders anxiously await the opening of downhill ski resorts.
Heavenly, Kirkwood, Mt. Rose and Northstar were all preparing to open runs on Nov. 18 as of press time for this edition, with Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows, Boreal and Sugar Bowl not far behind. Each year, skiers and ski resort operators anxiously await incoming storm fronts to bring white gold to the mountain ranges, and carefully monitor weather conditions for the chance to give Mother Nature a hand by turning on snow guns.
We’re just as anxious for the winter season to begin at the Tahoe Weekly office, eyeing each drop of snow to see how much will stick, feverishly checking Web pages and Facebook posts for resort openings, and willing the snow to start falling from the sky like manna from heaven.
In what has become our tradition to do our part to kick off each ski season, we have two special features in this edition of Tahoe Weekly – our annual Downhill Ski Guide inside this issue, and the Winter 2016-17 edition of our Tahoe Powder magazine, which is also included in this edition.
The Downhill Ski Guide gives our readers a snapshot of Tahoe’s 15 ski areas and what they have in the works for the 2016-17 season, while Tahoe Powder magazine focuses on the pleasure and business of skiing from bagging Mt. Rose’s 16 Chutes in a single day, to examining how snow making has changed the ski industry to a profile on local Olympian Maddie Bowman.
Ski season is here. Get out there and enjoy.
