Tahoe winter wonderland of fun
The Tahoe Sierra offers a smorgasbord of winter fun activities for all ages and abilities, including for those that don’t ski.
To make the most of your time in Tahoe (even if you’re a local), I suggest tackling my 16th Ultimate Tahoe Winter Bucket List. From skiing to snowshoeing, to sledding and snow angels, local events to competing in races, there’s something for everyone and hopefully at least a few things you didn’t know you could do in Tahoe.
Every bucket list is different. I try to pepper in new adventures along with classic outings and even some tips for how to be a steward of Tahoe. One winter bucket list item I’ve featured many times through the years is the first one – skiing all 16 downhill areas in the region in one season. I know there must be at least a few of you that have accomplished this feat, but to date no one has reached out to me to claim that title.
If you tackle No. 1 or any other items from the Bucket List, be sure to tag us @thetahoeweekly #thetahoeweekly. The person who tackles the most Bucket List items by the end of March (you’ll have to post photos and tag us as proof), will win a prize from Tahoe Weekly. Check out my past bucket lists at TheTahoeWeekly.com/bucket-list.
Sledding woes continue
Sledding is a winter rite of passage for kids. I remember my brother spending hours after every snowstorm building us the ultimate sledding course as kids.
Ken would head out in the morning to build a sledding lane from the top of a hill in our yard that meandered through trees and rocks, complete with an ice bridge that traversed our driveway, down another hill and continuing deep into the forest. My sister Michelle, Ken and I (along with all the neighborhood kids) would spend every moment sledding it until it melted.
Building a backyard sledding lane is still a fun family activity, but our region also offers scores of safe, sledding areas from groomed lanes at local resorts to Sno-Parks with parking. But, for some reason, many visitors head to non-designated sledding areas off the sides of highways and Interstate ramps, park illegally along roadways blocking traffic, sled in contaminated snow (with fuel, oil, road salt and trash), and sled into busy roadways endangering everyone. Then, many leave behind piles of broken sleds, doggie bags and trash.
Local officials have tried to address these issues through visitor education and outreach, providing corrals to collect broken sleds and spending countless dollars to collect trash, but the problems continue as Priya Hutner writes in her story “Sledding trash, traffic persists” as part of our annual Family Fun Guide.
If you’re looking to spend the day sledding, I urge you to visit one of our tubing areas. You can find a list in this edition in our Winter Family Fun chart or at TheTahoeWeekly.com/winter.
Most provide you with tubes or sleds, groomed lanes and some will take you back to the top of the hill. Many also offer hot chocolate and snacks, music and night sessions. Leah Pivirotto also shares the best spots for little ones in her story “Winter fun for babies & toddlers.”
