Pops’ California Travel Guide, Heavenly Valley

Well, Monday was my birthday and I turned 60. I like to go skiing on my birthday and this year was no different. My goal is to keep skiing until I’m old enough to ski for free. So far my body is cooperating.

This year we went to Heavenly Valley at South Lake Tahoe, California that also has a Nevada side. Heavenly has always meant a lot to me since that is where I learned to ski 48 years ago. If you want to know what the equipment was like back then all you need to do is go into most ski lodges and on the wall they will hang many antique skis and some of them I skied on. On my first day of lessons I rented my equipment which was wooded skis with cable binding and lace up boots. Look how things have changed.  

Enough of the past. I think yesterday was the best day for skiing in California this year. We had a pretty big storm come through over the weekend, which dumped a load of fresh powder. The storm also had high winds which made skiing over the weekend sketchy. The storm finished up on Sunday and on Monday the roads were clear and there was fresh powder. This made a full day of skiing on great conditions in sunny weather. We arrived before the lifts opened and skied until just before they closed. After skiing we headed over to the Beacon in Camp Richardson for Rum Runners and steak tacos. What a way to celebrate a birthday.

Heavenly is a huge ski area that straddles the California/Nevada border. You can ski in two states in the same day on one lift ticket. The views are incredible on either side. On the California side you are looking down on Lake Tahoe and you can see the entire lake. There are plenty of runs for every type of skier. There are also terrain parks if you want to try jumps and rails. On the California side the base lodge is around 6,000 feet and the peak is 10,000 feet. It is about the highest elevation for a ski area in the Tahoe area. This was important because the back end of the storm was warmer and the show level was above 7,000 feet.

My favorite run starts at the top of the Sky Chair which takes you to the 10,000 foot peak. When you get off the chair and head to the left there is a trail that will take you to the Nevada side. Along the trail you get the best views of the lake. All of a sudden you wrap around the ridge and there is Nevada. From that height it feels you are looking down from a plane. You see the valley below with the patchwork of farms and small towns. Looking east it also feels like you can see all the way to Utah, what a view! This is where you start skiing in Nevada. One of my favorite runs is called The Milky Way Bowl. This is a black diamond run that drops into a trail. At the bottom of The Milky Way Bowl is Motts Canyon. This is only for expert skiers and there are special gates that you have to pass to get there with plenty of warning signs. I skied it once on my 40^th birthday and that was enough for me. When they first opened Motts Canyon you had to ski all the way down into the valley and take a bus back. Now there is a lift that will get you back.

The Nevada side is full of runs for every level of skier on a big mountain. If you come to Heavenly don’t just think about the California side. Ski both sides and get the entire experience. What a way to celebrate a birthday. Another perfect day!