Introducing Kids to Snow Sports (Sledding/Skiing) in the Lake Tahoe Area

The right gear is essential to enjoying winter sports. Snow accessories are easier to come by for kids above three in Bay Area stores but stores closer to Tahoe stock for all age groups. The Internet is a good resource too.

Sledding

There is a universal appeal in going down the bunny slopes on small saucers and sledding is a good stepping-stone for kids five and under. The two options are

• Sno-Park
• Groomed Private Sledding hills

Sno-Park’s availability is on a first come first served basis. You are responsible for your gear and rental options are non-existent, since there is not much convenience offered unless otherwise mentioned at these places. Sno-Parks are crowded on the weekends and the biggest negative is that the slopes are not groomed. An annual pass is all one needs to access most of the Sno-Parks in the country. On groomed sledding hills employees are available to monitor the activity in the place. Boundaries are generally roped off. Most of the slopes require that sleds be rented from the facility. The rental fee is separate from the entrance fee but is generally nominal. Most sledding hills do not offer the convenience of a lift. A hint is to hit the slopes early since that translates to freshly groomed snow when the sun is not intense. After around 11:00 AM the hills turn icy making the ride bumpy.

Skiing

Granlibakken helped our kids make the transition from sledding to skiing. The bunny hill sported a rope pull that is very easy for kids to get used to. The T-bar lift was a hurdle, especially for the kids. Help from parents is valuable to keep the confidence level up and to get the core skills embedded in them. Another option is to take ski lessons from instructors. Advanced reservations are recommended for the lessons. A number of the slopes around Tahoe offer ski lessons for kids tailored to varying skill levels and age groups.

From Granlibakken we moved onto Homewood where the kids tried the green and the blue runs. Compared to the T-bar lift, the lift chair was welcome rain. The green runs are fairly easy, but the blue runs can be harder for younger kids. We could however see very small kids enjoying the black runs with ease.

Deals

A few years ago, Costco had a prepaid ticket purchase program that offered two adult lift tickets for Homewood at $54 (regular pricing is currently $44 online), which included free passes for two kids as well. That deal was excellent and we used it a number of times. Occasionally, similar deals become available and the sizable discounts make them very worthwhile.

"Kids ski free" deals are hard to come by for children above six. For children five and under, there are some such deals.

Related Posts:

1. Introducing Kids to Snow Sports (Sledding/Skiing) in the Lake Tahoe Area.
2. Tahoe Donner Skiing – Family Experience/Review.
3. Frugal Living – Skiing Story.
4. Lake Tahoe Ski Areas (Granlibakken, Tahoe Donner, Boreal, Homewood, Kirkwood, Heavenly, Squaw) – A Comparative Review.


Last Updated: 01/2015.