Since when does ski season extend well into the spring and even summer? This east coaster who is used to a short ski season had no idea that many west coast mountain resorts aim to stay open until at least May. And some are open until July 4!
With two feet of snow in Utah and empty, groomed trails in Lake Tahoe, I experienced first hand that spring skiing can be some of the best.
To take advantage of my 2018/2019 Epic ski pass, I decided to plan a week long ski trip through some of California and Utah’s best mountains. I visited just after spring break and right before Easter weekend so I basically had the mountains to myself (OK, my boyfriend was there, too).
My road trip began by flying into San Francisco to spend the weekend visiting friends before making the quick and easy four hour drive to Lake Tahoe. I rented a car at SFO and dropped it off at the Salt Lake City airport a week later. Unfortunately, it is expensive to rent cars this way. Picking up and dropping off in different locations always adds at least $100 if not more to your rental. But since we wanted to visit multiple locations on this trip without doubling back, this was the best way to do it with all the ski gear!
Lake Tahoe
Northstar
Northstar is located on the northwest side of Lake Tahoe. Of all the mountains I skied during this road trip, Northstar was definitely the most family friendly. It had the most Green (beginner) and Blue (intermediate) trails of all the resorts. Though it also had the least amount of snow so Northstar closed for the season on Easter Sunday.
The highlight of spring skiing at Northstar for me was the empty, groomed trails. Northstar has more than 3,000 skiable acres and every trail was open while I was there. Even though the mountain was dead, the majority of the trails were groomed. And we never had to wait for a chair lift!
Compared to other mountains I skied during this trip, Northstar had the shortest runs. Their longest trail, Logger’s Loop, is 1.4 miles long while at some of the Utah mountains, I had 4+ mile long runs. I consider myself an intermediate to advanced skier and I will say that Northstar felt the most skiable to me. It was easy to navigate the map and get around the mountain.
The only downside to spring skiing at Northstar was that a lot of the mountain restaurants and bars were closed. Northstar’s summit bar, Tost, offers a complimentary glass of champagne daily at 2pm but it is not open during spring skiing. There was a lodge with food and a bar mid-mountain and I was still able to get my daily hot chocolate. Though with temperatures reaching well into the 40s, I didn’t exactly need it!
Another family fun activity that we unfortunately didn’t get to try at Northstar includes complimentary s’mores passed around at 4pm at the base of the mountain. Also we found that mid-week during spring skiing isn’t exactly the best time for aprés. While there are bars and restaurants open, there was absolutely no one around so it wasn’t super exciting!
We stayed at a 1-bedroom Airbnb that was ski on/ski off at Northstar during our three days in Lake Tahoe. Because it was spring skiing season and during the week, it only cost $99/night! The condo was perfect for our needs. It had free parking and laundry, a full kitchen, fireplace, and – my favorite part – boot and mitten warmers! This is a must for me going forward on all ski trips. If you’re looking for a place to stay at Northstar, I definitely recommend this condo!
Pro-tip for anyone renting skis/snowboards near Northstar. Make sure to rent OFF MOUNTAIN! I saved a ton of money by renting from Tahoe Dave’s in the town of Truckee rather than on the mountain of Northstar. I paid about $130 total for three days of their basic ski rental package (skis, boots, poles).
We were able to ski Northstar with the 2018/2019 Epic Pass. If you want beautiful views and empty trails, I recommend checking out Northstar spring skiing in 2020!
Squaw Valley
Of the two Lake Tahoe resorts I visited, Squaw was definitely the more advanced mountain. Even just driving into the parking lot I felt overwhelmed. The peaks are much taller and steeper than those at Northstar. I would consider Northstar a hill next to Squaw’s mountain! Squaw was home to the 1960 Winter Olympics after all.
With more than 550 inches of snow this winter, Squaw is planning to stay open until July 4. The woman at the ticket desk told us the first week of April was the first time she had seen outside of her SECOND STORY WINDOW all winter. So I think based on that, Squaw will make it to July 4 for sure!
Squaw reminded me a bit of Colorado’s Vail Mountain because of its bowls. Vail is famous for its’ back bowls which are really fun to ski and Squaw was very similar. There wasn’t any fresh powder when we were at Squaw so I can only imagine how much more enjoyable this skiing would be with fresh snow!
Before visiting Squaw, make sure to check that the top of the mountain is open. While we were in Lake Tahoe, one day the top was closed due to high winds so only half of the trails were open. This is definitely a mountain where you will get bored without having the top trails open so make sure to check this before visiting for spring skiing. You can always visit Northstar or Heavenly on the Nevada side of the lake if it’s closed.
I was able to ski Squaw with my 2019/2020 Ikon Pass that I recently purchased on a payment plan. Squaw is one of the mountains that is allowing you to use next year’s pass during this year’s spring skiing.
To see all of the mountains you can access with the 2019/2020 Ikon Pass, click here. I have the cheaper pass option that includes blackout dates for several mountains so it works out to about three payments of $199 (I think). In order to pay for the pass, I will need to ski with it for about 5-6 days. I got my money’s worth on the 2018/2019 Epic Pass so I hope to do the same with next year’s Ikon!
Utah
Solitude
Solitude is another mountain that allows visitors to use the 2019/2020 Ikon Pass for spring skiing. The resort is located about 30 minutes into the mountains from Salt Lake City, Utah.
Even though this mountain has 1,200 skiable acres, Solitude felt like the smallest of all the mountains we visited during this spring skiing trip. Lots of the trails are glades and skiing through the woods isn’t my favorite so that may be why it felt so small to me. Only 10% of the trails are for beginners so it is best for more advanced skiers.
I found that you have to be really aware when skiing at Solitude. There were so many people skiing and boarding through the woods and then just popping out into the trails at full speed. It was pretty scary! But if you want to explore and go off trail, this is definitely the mountain for you. There is so much to explore. As for me, I got lost in the woods in two feet of powder and was not happy about it!
Personally, I think Solitude is for a very specific skier/boarder and it was not my favorite mountain. I may need to go back one day with a local who can help me like it!
Snowbird
I had my most fun day of skiing probably ever at Snowbird. When I visited in early April, the mountain had two feet of fresh, fluffy powder on top of an entire winter’s worth of snow. Coming from the east coast, I don’t have a ton of experience skiing in powder. If I didn’t have a local skier with me to help get through it, I probably would have hated this mountain. We skied through a total whiteout so if I hadn’t had someone who knew the mountain to guide me, I probably would have been totally freaked out.
This is definitely NOT a beginner’s mountain. Snowbird even made an entire ad campaign about the fact that it is for advanced and expert skiers only. It is filled with black and double black diamond trails so you need to be pretty confident in your skiing abilities. You can take a tram from the base of the mountain to the summit and before getting off, a Snowbird employee literally tells everyone how to get down the easiest way if you’re not an expert. It’s no joke! I loved it! And the thick, fresh powder made the runs seem less difficult than they are.
From Snowbird you can also access the Alta Ski Resort. Unfortunately, I did not get to ski this mountain as it is for skiers only and I was with two snowboarders. Alta is also on the 2019/2020 Ikon Pass.
Snowbird is on the 2019/2020 Ikon Pass but they do not allow you to use it during spring skiing this season. I was able to ski this mountain for free thanks to a friend with some pretty awesome mountain connections!
Overall, spring skiing is definitely an activity I’m going to include in my yearly travel schedule. I loved the warmer temperatures and empty mountains. And if I could guarantee fresh powder, I would be there for as much as possible!