Our Lake Tahoe Snow Trip
The Lake Tahoe area has made national headlines after getting an unbelievable amount of snow early this year. After a dry start to the ski season, we were getting a little nervous we might not have snow for our first trip of the season. Instead, our lovely mother nature delivered for us just in time! We didn’t make it up to Tahoe last winter since Harper was a fresh newborn, so this trip was her first time seeing snow and we literally couldn’t handle how cute she was in her puffy pink marshmallow suit. Being outdoors and seeing her experience winter for the first time was so fun! She had a blast playing in the snow and we got lots of adventuring in as a family!
Snowboarding Palisades/Squaw Valley
We spent our first half of our snow trip at our favorite resort at Palisades (formerly Squaw Valley), called Resort at Squaw Creek. The place can get a little pricey last minute or on the weekends, but if you plan ahead of time and book during the week, the perks of staying at a ski-in/ski-out resort are totally worth it! We even got a free upgrade to a larger suite with an amazing view of the valley! Stepping out of your room and onto the lift right in the morning has got to be one of the most luxurious feelings! The place also has heated pools that are open year round, several hot tubs, a fitness center, spa, and restaurants/shops on site. You really don’t need to leave once you get there! It was so exciting to get back on the mountain after missing out on last years season since we had Harper in December. This was our first time taking a winter trip with Harper and since she’s not big enough (yet) to come out riding with us, we hired a babysitter for 2 days so Matt and I could ride together. Hiring help is something we don’t do very often, so it was a real treat to spend some time snowboarding together! As hard as it is to give yourself a break as a parent, it really is so important.
Matt and I had so much fun kicking off the rust and riding together. We’ve made so many memories on this mountain since we moved to California, so reminiscing on those adventures and riding our favorite runs again was so special. The second day of riding we headed back a little earlier and had a lunch date at the resort. Harper did a great job with her babysitter — I think we missed her more than she missed us lol!
South Lake Tahoe
After spending a few days riding and relaxing at Palisades, we drove down the west side of the lake, stopping at Emerald Bay to take a few pictures and then headed meet our friends in South Lake Tahoe. We rented a house from a friend that had enough room for both our families and spent the rest of the week exploring! It was both our friends’ birthday so we celebrated by cooking together at the house and indulging in some homemade coconut cream pie. In the mornings we made breakfast and in the afternoons took the babies out and snowshoed/backcountry skied some trails during the afternoons.
Matt borrowed some gear from our friend and I rented snowshoes so we could spend some time outdoors. The first day we snowshoed starting at the High Meadow Trailhead and then did a couple sledding runs with Harper before packing up. After every run she would sign “more, more, more”. She is definitely our little adventure girl. She and her friend bonded with hugs while playing in the snow.
The second day we did a loop at Fallen Leaf Lake. The weather was gorgeous and as a Minnesota girl I can safely say winter in Tahoe feels more like spring in the Upper Midwest. Harper had a blast bonding with her baby friend, playing in the snow. After our outdoor adventures we enjoyed a dip in the hot tub, cooking together and hanging by the fire at the house. It was lots of good people, good conversations, and special memories made with our families. We definitely want to do more traveling with friends!
TIPS FOR PLANNING TAHOE TRIP
Ideas for keeping a ski trip more affordable!
Purchase lift tickets early!! We purchased our 4-day packs to Palisades on sale at Sports Basement’s Snow Fest event. If you plan to go more than 4 days, a season pass is almost always worth it. Again, purchase these early! If you buy your season pass in the Spring for the next season you are usually allowed to ride from the purchase date until the resort closes! We did this in a couple years ago and were able to ride spring 2019 and winter 2019-2020 under the same pass.
Book your lodging ahead of time and visit during the week! Everything is cheaper and quieter. Less waiting in lift lines at the resort or getting stuck in traffic. Plus, accommodations are almost always cheaper. We spend about 50% less on our lodging just by doing this.
Pack snacks/lunches for the mountain! An easy way to save on food prices at the resort. We also save by bringing a few groceries and making our own breakfast at the hotel. We do usually treat ourselves by going out to a restaurant or ordering in for dinner after riding!
If you don’t own gear, rent gear seasonally if you plan to go more than a couple times! In previous seasons, we’ve rented our boards from Sport’s Basement and packed them with us on the drive up.
Book accommodations with friends! Splitting the bill on a larger spot can often make things more affordable. We did a lot of cooking during the second half of our trip which helped us save some cash and was a great social activity. It helped that everyone on the trip loves to cook good food! There is nothing quite like sharing adventures with friends!
Finding babysitters!
There are a couple different ways to hire sitters for the kids while visiting Tahoe. You can either use a babysitting referral service, or find sitters through your resort staff. We found our sitter using the UrbanSitter app, which is how we’ve found help in San Francisco as well. The great thing is you can search for sitters based on location, read reviews from past families that have hired them, and interview/chat with them ahead of time. We’ve always had good experiences with booking through UrbanSitter in the past and this time was great as well.