Skiing in the Sierra Nevada Mountains
- The Sierra Nevada sits between the dry air of the Nevada desert and the moist ocean air of California. The mountains get between 20 and 80 inches of precipitation per year, mostly as snow at elevations above 6,000 feet. The climate is influenced by the Mediterranean climate of California–dry during summer with low humidity. Resorts are usually open from mid-November to late May.
- Most of the Sierra Nevada ski resorts are focused around the northern shore of Lake Tahoe. The 12 resorts in the area have 29 ski lifts and 75 miles of downhill pistes. There are several family-friendly and snowboarding areas. Resorts on the north shore of Lake Tahoe include Alpine Meadows, Mt. Rose, Diamond Peak, and Northstar-at-Tahoe. Squaw Valley is also on Lake Tahoe's north shore.
- Squaw Valley was the first ski resort in the area. It is the second largest skiing area around Lake Tahoe, and features chairlifts that have continued to be a marketing tool since the 1960s. The resort hosted the 1960 Winter Olympic Games–the first to be televised. Squaw Valley has a cable car system which carries visitors to the 8,200 foot level, where there are indoor pools and tennis courts.
- The area south of Lake Tahoe has more than 180 ski trails. The longest is more than 5.5 miles, and the largest drop is 3 500 feet. Both are found at Heavenly Mountain, the area's largest resort. It has 30 lifts and features after-ski activities such as a cinema, shops, restaurants and ice skating.
- In Ruby Mountain in northwestern Nevada, the ski lifts are complemented with helicopters, taking skiers and their guides into 200,000 acres of skiing territory. Skiers typically go into the off-piste areas four to five hours per day. Snowcats are used on days when the helicopters cannot fly. Off-piste skiing is very demanding and not for novices.