LAKE TAHOE VACATION GUIDE

Alpine Meadows

Located in the Tahoe National Forest at Lake Tahoe's North Shore, Alpine Meadows Ski Resort is known for its 'mild side' and its 'wild side' because of its Open Boundary Policy. The resort is open from mid-November into May and offers skiing, snowboarding, snowshoeing and winter hiking on the mountains and the back bowls.

Whatever your personal adventure zone, with plenty of natural snow and nightly grooming, these mountains are ready to rip. As you glide up the mountain, your adrenaline will be pumping. As you slide off the lift, you'll swallow your heart as you inhale the inspirational vistas. The possibilities sprawl across 2,000 acres of diverse terrain on two mountains. Wide-open bowls for easy cruising. Solitary trails through the trees. Drop-ins to the steep and the deep.

This is a resort where skiers and boarders can graduate to off-piste terrain, mastering skills along the marked runs and then slowly stretching to ski the trees, unmarked runs and hike-to bowls.  

Alpine Meadows has 13 lifts and 100+ runs and trails. The base elevation of the mountain is 6,835 feet and the summit is 8,637 feet, making for a vertical drop of 1,802 feet. The longest run is 3.0 miles. The average snowfall is 402 inches. The resort rarely needs to employ it's snowmaking machines which can lay down two to four feet on all the runs. The terrain is rated 25% easier, 40% more difficult and 35% more expert.
 

Alpine Meadows welcomes snowboarders with open arms. The machine-made terrain parks feature hits, jumps, spines, banks and table tops. The natural terrain areas have creek gullies and natural halfpipes and quarterpipes. Check out Alpine's halfpipe park and its two terrain parks -- for little kids and one for big kids.

Snowshoers are welcome at Alpine Meadows. As a partnership with the Tahoe National Forest Service, Alpine offers marked trails that begin near the lodge and meander through the old-growth forests around the base of the mountain. Atlas snowshoe rentals are available on-site.

At Alpine Meadows you can enjoy and off-the-beaten-path hiking adventure. Alpine's Adventure Zones provide an experience similar to backcountry, within the patrolled ski area boundary. Alpine's open-boundary policy allows guests to exit and enter the ski area at will to access thousands of backcountry acres in the Tahoe National Forest.

	Alpine High Adventure Tours Guided by a Level III instructor, this tour offers advanced skiers and snowboarders an experience like no other. The runs accessed will not be found on any map. The tour includes lunch and shuttle transportation back to the main lodge from remote areas.
	Ski Instruction and Equipment Rental Adult programs include group lessons, special interest clinics and private lessons. Snowboarders are invitied to participate in group lessons. A variety of programs are offered for children to help them develop their natural sense of adventure. The Tahoe Adaptive Ski School has helped thousands of students of all ages to meet the challenge of skiing with a disability. Adaptive skiing instruction is by appointment only. Call 530-581-41651. Alpine Meadows has a well-stocked ski and snowboard equipment rentals shop.
	Master's Race Course Challenge yourself to become a better skier, skiing gates under the guidance of experienced racer/coaches! Starting December 6, three-hour race training clinics will be held from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. daily.
	Mountain Lodge and Restaurants Alpine Meadows offers guests easy and convenient access to a variety of dining options. The base lodge includes a full-service restaurant, cafeteria, deli, boulangerie and a large sundeck. The Chalet is an on-mountain, full-service restaurant that is perfect for midmountain breaks. And at the base of Sherwood chair in the back bowls, the Ice Bar offers a snack bar. You can enjoy great tunes and a laid-back atmosphere in the cocktail lounge.
	Family Ski Zone At last there is a safe haven to learn to ski and gain confidence before venturing out with the ski demons! The Family Ski Zone is a moderate slope for those who wish to ski or snowboard with family and friends at a leisurely, relaxed pace.
	Parents' Lounge The Parents' Lounge is a great indoor play alternative for little kids, featuring indoor jungle gyms and play themes. Kids can romp and parents can recline, or vise versa!
	Sun Kid Surface Lift The new Sun Kid beginner surface lift is 80 feet in length and resembles the moving sidewalks found in many airports. It offers a mellow first-lift-experience for kids and novices.
	Kids Camps The Little Mountaineers Kids Camp is a great program for kids ages 4-6. The Junior Mountaineers Kids Camp is for kids ages 7-12.
	After the snow season, come back and enjoy an Alpine Meadows summer! Although the ski resort is closed during the summer, the Tahoe National Forest is open to picnickers, hikers, mountain bikers and wildflower gatherers.

COOL FACTS SKIING LIFTS 13  RUNS 100+ ACRES 2000  VERTICAL DROP 1802  SUMMIT EL 8637 BASE EL 6835 LONGEST RUN 3.0 mi AVG SNOWFALL 402" MACHINE-MADE SNOWFALL YES  TERRAIN   % BEGINNER 25%  % INTERMEDIATE 40% % ADV / EXPERT 35%      SNOWBOARDING PERMITTED YES OPEN MOUNTAIN YES RESTRICTED NO SNOWPARKS & TERRAIN PARKS YES

Main Mountain Trail Map   Back Bowl Trail Map Winter Hours Once the lifts are running, Alpine Meadows is open for skiing between 8:30 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. daily. Spring Hours During the spring, Alpine Meadows is open for skiing between 8:30 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. daily. Ticket Sales Tickets go on sale daily, one-half hour prior to lift operations. Half-day tickets go on sale at 12:00 noon. Pricing Alpine Meadows provides a wide variety of ticket programs and options to fit your vacation plans. There is sure to be a ticket option just right for you. Information  800-441-4423  530-583-4232 24-hour Snow Phone  530-581-8374 Equipment Rental Ski, snowboard, snowshoe and snowblade equipment rentals on-site. Ski Shuttle System The Alpine Meadows Shuttle transports skiers from the main road to the mountain base. Tahoe Area Regional Transit (TART) offers bus transportation on the North Shore between 6:30 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. daily. Buses are equipped with ski racks. Call for routes and schedules.  TART 800-736-6365 Physical Address Alpine Meadows Ski Resort 2600 Alpine Meadows Road Tahoe City, CA   96145 Main Numbers  800-441-4423  530-583-4232 Directions   By Plane: Frequent commercial service by most major and regional carriers to Reno-Tahoe International Airport.   All-Weather Highway Access:  From Reno to South Lake Tahoe SR 395 south to U.S. HWY 50 west 58 miles, 1.25 hours  From South Lake Tahoe SR 89 north to Tahoe City, 6 miles northwest 44 miles, 1.0 hours  From San Francisco I-80 east 200 miles, 3.5 hours  From Sacramento I-80 east 120 miles, 2.0 hours