Okay turkeys, so you love snowboarding!
You are from the Bay Area or somewhere Lake Tahoe driving range love boarding at Alpine Meadows, Diamond Peak, Mt. Rose, Northstar at Tahoe, Squaw Valley, Sugar Bowl, Boreal, Donner Ski Ranch, Soda Springs, Tahoe Donner, Heavenly, Homewood, Kirkwood or Sierra at Tahoe, but you want to make sure you get the most out of every season because snowboarding ISN’T CHEAP!
Well, with you in mind and after eons of exhaustion, I have created your perfect snowboarding guide.
Here’s how to plan your snowboarding trip.
1) The weather, check the weather! You’ll want to know if you need 4 wheel drive, chains, or if you’ll need to leave early to beat the storm and/or traffic!
2) Transportation, personally I’d rather get a few more people involved, rent a car and save yourself the headache of wearing out your car, especially if you don’t have 4 wheel drive. Splitting the cost of a rental car and gas with four people can reduce your transportation cost to as little as $25 per head. Also, if you can’t get a group together to cut costs or just don’t like driving in the snow, you might want to consider taking a bus. There are many bus companies where you will find great deals for a bus ride to and from Lake Tahoe or your favorite ski resort.
3) Tickets! Did you get a season pass? If you plan to go 5 or more times, this is your most cost-effective option. If you plan to go more than once, but no more than 5 times, you may want to consider a “multi-day pass” available at many of these mountains. If you only want to go one day, or multiple mountains, Craigslist often has great deals for people trying to download their ticket. Our personal favorite is the “Double Whammy” season pass which is offered at $219 if purchased early in the season and you are a student. If you’re not a student, maybe you could consider taking a couple of classes at your local community college and save yourself a ton of money.
4) Do you stay overnight? Our favorite cheap hotel with a hot tub is called The Tahoe Inn. If you’re feeling adventurous, you can try looking into the Couch Surfing organization for a free stay and maybe even a new friend. =) If you’re determined to find a different hotel, check out the Kayak website for great discount deals.
5) Community? Do you want to find other like-minded snowboarders? Organization Google SnowPals to find discounted group tours and other organized events.
6) Equipment, boards, clothes? The Sierra Snowboard shop is on the way to Lake Tahoe from the Bay Area and it’s HUGE with great deals and discounts. You can also try Burton or House Snowboarding Company. For great protective gear, look up XSportsProtective. And if you know your size, we recommend looking on eBay, Craigslist, or Amazon first.
We hope you have benefited from our information, we have many more linked to on our website.