Heavenly - Introduction
Heavenly ski resort is located in the south-eastern corner of Lake Tahoe, on the border with Nevada and the sunshine state of California, about 3 hours 30 mins from San Francisco and 1 hr 15 mins from Reno. Heavenly is appropriately named as it enjoys around 300 days of sun each year, not to mention 360 inches (914 cm) of snowfall. The skiing at Heavenly is suitable for all abilities and you can choose to ski in Nevada, with stunning views of the arid vastness of the Nevada Desert, or to head for the Californian side overlooking the lush beauty of Lake Tahoe.The stateline area at the centre is dominated by a handful of hotel-casinos located just inches on the Nevada side of the line. Along with the gambling, these establishments also offer some big name entertainers from the world of music, circus and comedy. Now you won't find that in your typical ski resort!
Skiing
The upper Californian side is generally fast, blue, cruising terrain with more difficult runs higher up, but plenty of easy cruising runs descending to mid-mountain. Most of the trails are ideally suited to intermediates, long cruisers bordered by banks of pine trees and enhanced by the stunning views of the lake. You can take the Sky Express chair and try Liz's or Betty's, then head to Nevada for the Big Dipper, Sand Dunes, Perimeter and Galaxy runs, the Nevada face consists mainly of blue trails.The most advanced Heavenly skiing and riding is found in Mott Canyon and Killebrew Canyon. Steep chutes are cut through the trees, with runs such as Snake Pit, Widowmaker, and the difficult Boundary Chutes. Links between the two sides involve a number of lengthy flats that bring complaints from snowboarders. Heavenly has four terrain parks and a super-pipe.
Snowboarding
Heavenly offers three snowboard parks and a superpipe, two terrain parks complete with bank turns, table tops, rollers, hits and rail slides, as well as a halfpipe. With the vast network of lifts, snowboarders can easily access everything.
Ski Schools
Several packages are available for adults and children at Heavenly's Ski and Snowboard School.
Eating Out
There are more than 150 restaurants on the south side of Lake Tahoe. The Summit Restaurant at Harrah's has an extensive wine list and is also rated as one of the top 100 restaurants in the United States. Dotted throughout the resort are an incredible amount of eateries ranging from take-away to grills and from seafood restaurants to old-style diners.
Bars and clubs
Traditional après-ski is limited in Heavenly, where Fire + Ice at the gondola base is the main resort rendezvous. Otherwise you must head into South Lake Tahoe and try your hand at the green baize tables. As in Las Vegas, a by-product of casino culture is a wide range of cabaret acts and concerts featuring famous American and occasionally international artists. Nero at Mont Bleu and Altitude at Harrah's feature dancing late into the night, or if you like a slower, quieter setting you can enjoy drinks by the fire at the Christiana Inn near the California Base Lodge, or at the Riva Grill at Ski Run Marina.
Off the slopes
Heavenly's alternative offerings include sledding, snow-shoeing, horse-drawn rides, hot springs and, of course, shopping.