HEAVENLY
Ski & Snowboard Resort Review
Heavenly, LAKE TAHOE , CA , USA is spread accross 2 states; California and Nevada, and with a summit elevation of 10,067 feet it is the highest resort in Lake Tahoe. The terrain at Heavenly consists of acres of powder bowls, hair raising steeps, moguls, wide groomed long trails, treed areas and 5 terrain parks.
Advanced Skiing and Snowboarding
The advanced skiing and snowboarding at Heavenly is mainly on the Nevada side of the border. In the right conditions Dipper Woods and the treed terrain leading down to the Galaxy Chairlift can offer some of the best tree skiing and snowboarding in North America, while the double black diamond steep chutes and bumps of Killebrew and Mott Canyons are strictly for experts only.
Those wanting fresh powder look no further than the Milky Way Bowl. On the California side Gunbarrel is famous for its huge challenging moguls. Keep an eye out for the signs pointing out the best local powder spots and off piste access points.
Intermediate Skiing and Snowboarding
Heavenly specializes in long groomed intermediate trails. On the California side the Sky Express Chairlift gives the option of turning right to head down the cruising Liz's Trail or turning left and heading along the Skyline Trail to link with the maze of intermediate tree lined trails around the Dipper and Comet Express Chairlifts.
Having such a wide variety of terrain means that skiers and snowboarders of differing abilities are able to spend the day together only separating for the run down.
Beginner Skiing and Snowboarding
The world renowned Ski and Snowboard School which has its own 15 acre park, is located at 9,200 feet at the top of the Gondola and offers three day beginner clinics.
For skiers and snowboarders just starting out, the Boulder Lift at Boulder Lodge and First Time at California Lodge are good options, before taking the Gunbarrel Express to access the terrain off Patsy's Grove then moving onto Powderbowl Express.
Heavenly Terrain Parks
Heavenly has 5 terrain parks of varying skill levels and one superpipe, all of which are meticulously maintained. The High Roller park, on the upper California side just off the Canyon Express chairlift, is for the experts with challenging huge jumps, rails and boxes. The World Cup Nightlife park is open on Friday and Saturday nights from 5pm until 9pm and consists of mainly rails and funboxes.
On Mountain Dining at Heavenly
With 12 on mountain restaurants at Heavenly stopping for lunch can be a big decision! Chose from a quick snack at Cafe Blue in Nevada or a long lunch at Gunbarrel Grill in California.
Other Activities at Heavenly
Adventure Peak, located at the top of the Gondola, offers great activities for all ages with tubing, sledding, cross country skiing, snowshoeing and snowbiking available. In town the Heavenly Village Ice Rink is open daily from 10am till 10pm and always attracts a crowd while those who want to rest their weary bones head to the new 8-plex cinema.
Shopping at Heavenly Village
Ski and snowboard equipment stores like Heavenly Sports, Burton, Patagonia and the The Boarding House are just a few of the many sports shops. Food markets, factory outlet stores and T-shirt and gift shops are also found on the Californian side.
Heavenly Restaurants
In Heavely Village there are many cafes and small eateries including the classy Echo Restaurant and the ever popular Bear Moon Bar & Grill offering top steaks and meats. Sushi lovers should not miss the World class Samurai Restaurant, for the excellent variety of quality seafood.
Heavenly Casino Restaurants
The world famous Hard Rock Cafe is packed to the rafters every night in Harveys Resort Hotel/Casino as is the 19 Kitchen*Bar offering superb dining and views across the lake.
New for 2007/2008 at Heavenly
The new Olympic Express high speed quad chairlift has replaced the old Olympic double chairlift. The new chairlift takes under 4 minutes to cover the 3,533 feet distance compared to the old chairlift which took 11 minutes! The chairlift gives access to four new intermediate trails and expert treed areas.
Snowmaking equipment has been upgraded and new snow groomers have been purchased ensuring perfect corduroy runs everyday
More About Heavenly
Your Heavenly Ski & Snowboard Resort Reviews
Al Mattherson, Canada. March 2006 Unfortuntly I was dissapointed with Heavenly, as an advanced snow boarder I found it to be quite boring. I didn't find any challenging areas, it's almost no wonder with the terrible signage, and I felt like I was riding on an angle half the time. The lift system was average, the staff rude, the mountain overcrowded. I thought that being owned by Vail resorts that it would have been better. I wouldn't go back again. As for the town, it's very average, if you don't want to go to the dirty casinos there is not much night life around.
J. O'Connell, CA. Jan 2006 I live in California and wouldn't even ski at Heavenly anymore. It has got real expensive, real busy on weekends and hasn't expanded to cater for the better skiers amongst us. I could see how beginner and intermediate skiers would love it, but it doesn't cater for the rest of us. I also could not bring myself to pay over $15 for a soggy burger and a coke on the mountain.
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Statistics |
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Elevation |
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Average
Snowfall |
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360
inches |
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Lifts |
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30 |
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Trails
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map |
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Terrain
% |
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Halfpipe |
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1
super pipe |
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Terrain
Park |
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5 |
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Resort
Website |
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