Heavenly: Local Knowledge

Now, I’m a just a student and a snowboarder. I don’t get paid to ride; I don’t travel the world dropping first descents. So when I was invited to shred for free at Heavenly, I said , ‘Hell Yes! Let’s do this.’ All I had to do was write what I thought about the place. Though I was significantly wooed, I’ll try to be objective in my report.

That morning, the sun scared away all the clouds. It was warm, but the snow wasn’t slushy. We jumped on the Gunbarrel lift and I spent most of the chair turned around, staring at Lake Tahoe.

From the crest, I followed the Heavenly park team to another lift. It takes three lifts to get to the top of the terrain park from the California base. Heavenly’s peak is one of the only mountains in the Tahoe basin over 10,000 feet. The altitude keeps the snow dry, even in the spring.

Off the Canyon chair, we slid up to the top of their High Roller terrain park. It was a Monday, but all the features appeared neatly groomed. I cruised by a few jumps and jibs before hopping onto a long down-flat-down rail. The upper park is kind of short, which leaves plenty of room for broad carves on Heavenly’s wide runs. Mike Thomas and his crew plan to build the park up for the South Shore Soldiers camp, coming later in March.

Graham Raymond and Joanna Dzierzawski showed me the way to the Groove park, a quick run with a nice set of medium-sized features. The three-jump line is not too poppy, not too flat. My favorite feature was their skate-style wallrides, which could be hit with endless tricks.

I left the park team hiking the upper C box and went for a run up Sky Express to the pinnacle of the mountain. Heavenly has some serious views. From the top, you can gaze North over the whole lake or East down to Carson valley and into Nevada. In plain sight was the North shore of Tahoe 10 miles away and the Pinenut Mountains east of Carson City.

For lunch, we cruised to Gunbarrel Grill in the Lakeview Lodge. They’ve got a gourmet selection including prime rib, lobster quesadillas and all-natural chicken dishes. I got the halibut tacos with sweet potato fries. The food wasn’t average ski-lodge eats, it was a delectable mix topped with another great view.

Yeah, Heavenly does have a reputation of being filled with uptight skiers and yuppy weekenders. The people I crossed didn’t have Gucchi gators or gold one-piece suits. Mostly, they wore smiles and were ample with “Hello, How ya doins?” The park wasn’t extreme, but playfully fun. Another plus is the resort’s environmental concern. For example, their new gondola was designed with a slew of eco-friendly considerations. All-in-all, I thought it was a cool place to be on a nice spring day. Thanks to Aimi Xistra-Rich and the Heavenly PR department, for some good riding and great views!

If you’ve got a chance, check the place out. Lose yourself in their panoramas, and I can almost guarantee you’ll enjoy yourself.

skiheavenly.com