California skiers and snowboarders venturing off to the Sierra and Cascade ranges this winter will find themselves in unusually familiar surroundings: Prices and facilities will be pretty much as they remember them from last year Ð until the discounts start.

Because of the slumping economy and residual fears of airline travel stemming from the incidents of Sept. 11, the California winter sports industry - one of the largest in the country in terms of the number of resorts (38) and people served (7.4 million in the 2000-01 season) - is expecting to see a big drop-off in out-of-state visits. So local resorts are counting on Californians to make up the deficit.

"We've got a huge backyard of 35 million people," says Bob Roberts, executive director of the San Francisco-based California Ski Industry Association. "So, as long as we have snow, I don't think we will find the kind of (visitor) shrinkage our destination brothers (in Utah, Colorado, etc.) will find. . . . I think the option (for Californians) is "Let's drive.' "

So much for uncrowded lift lines.

However, because the resort operators are more than ever dependant on the drive-up crowd, they could make things very conducive to ski and ride locally. Reduced mid-week lift rates, generous two-fer offers and cheap family and package deals are expected to hit the market soon.

"I would be very surprised if you don't (see such inducements)," Roberts says. Resort operators "are very attuned to the word Ôvalue.' I expect there will be a lot of creative specials out there."

Roberts says it's too early for the resorts to unleash their money-saving plans just yet. "They are waiting to see how the season kicks off, to see what happens in November and early December."

When the snow comes - and there are some indications that California could be hit with another wet, El Nino-type weather pattern this winter - skiers and boarders heading for the local slopes won't find a heck of a lot different from what they saw last winter. Even the basic adult daily lift prices went up only a couple of bucks, if at all. There were just $20 million spent in capital improvements over the summer months in the Sierra, Cascade and other California ranges, compared to the nearly $70 million plunked down the year before - so don't look for many big-ticket changes.

"The product's going to be good," Roberts says, "just don't expect a lot of new lifts."

-- Sugar Bowl: Actually, there will only be one new lift in the Sierra, and that is a replacement. Sugar Bowl, as part of a $5.5 million outlay in off- season improvements, yanked out the slow-speed, fix-gripped quad chair that took skiers and boarders to near the top of Mt. Lincoln, moved the lift line about 100 yards to the east and installed a high-speed detachable quad that now reaches the actual summit. The new lift, christened the Lincoln Express, will haul up 2,800 riders an hour (versus 1,800 with the old chair).

"This now gives us high-speed lift access across the entire (three- mountain) resort," Sugar Bowl spokesman Greg Murtha says.

Sugar Bowl also expanded its snow-making capabilities all the way to the top of Mt. Lincoln, put in a computer-automated snow-making system on the Mt. Judah section of the resort and erected a structure next to the Judah Lodge, which now has 200 additional cafeteria seats.

-- Squaw Valley: Phase I of Intrawest's village project - three buildings containing 139 condominiums and 19 restaurants and retail shops - is expected to be completed and open for business by mid-December or so. A three-level parking structure, with 450 to 500 spaces for vehicles, also will make its debut.

On the mountain, Squaw spent much of its $3 million in offseason expenditures in erosion control, planting native grasses and flowers and some 3,200 trees and shrubs. The former Winter Olympic site also "slapped on paint on the buildings at the base area, moving away from all that purple," resort spokeswoman Katja Dahl says.

-- Mammoth Mountain: The eastern Sierra resort "had a pretty big summer, but nothing sexy," says resort spokeswoman Joani Lynch. "It was mostly behind-the- scene stuff, with $8 million spent on building employee housing, which is scattered throughout town."

Mammoth also laid out $4.7 million to spruce up the venerable but heretofore industrial-looking Mid-Chalet, adding a 130-seat sit-down restaurant and renaming it McCoy Station. Elsewhere on the hill, Chair 26 was repositioned to provide better beginner access, and snowmaking in the Little Eagle area was expanded.

In the spring of 2000, Mammoth put its season pass for the 2000-01 season on sale for a limited time at one-third the $1,120 regular price; the $399 cost for a good-any-day pass proved too good to pass up, and 26,000 people bought them. This past spring Mammoth sold 27,000 of them, and it expects to offer the deal again in spring 2002.

-- Northstar: The resort has spent $1 million to beef up its snowmaking system. "We've increased firepower on all the runs," says Mauer. "We can lay down a lot more snow a lot faster." The resort also added 250 indoor seats to its top-of-mountain Summit Deck and Grille.

-- Kirkwood: Its lodging was beefed up by an additional 62 housing units with the completion of the Meadowstone and Snowcrest projects, giving the resort 2,400 such units and more than doubling the amount of housing available in the valley five years ago. Kirkwood also installed a 6,000-square-foot ice skating rink on the edge of the Plaza and converted the Cornice Cafe into Bub's Sports Bar and Grille.

-- Bear Valley: The mid-Sierra resort has doubled its snowmaking, purchased a Bombardier Winch Cat to groom its steeps and will have a 2,000-square-foot "snow-skate park" adjacent to the day lodge.

-- Homewood: This small, family resort has retrofitted its Madden triple chair and spruced up its mid-mountain lodge.

-- Mt. Rose: It has expanded its parking lot and put in enough snow-making equipment to cover one-third of the mountain.

-- Alpine Meadows: Lights will now allow night skiing on the Kangaroo chair. The resort has also moved the half-pipe to the bottom of Kangaroo and remodeled the mid-mountain Chalet to make it easier to move around inside.

"We didn't do anything really sparkly," Alpine spokeswoman Rachel Woods says. "It's the same old Alpine - same old mountain, same old snow."

Much the same thing can be said about the rest of California skiing and snowboarding this winter.


Source: SF Chronicle

Stairway to Heavenly:
Will its $20 million gondola turn South Lake Tahoe into a true ski-in/ski-out resort?

South Lake Tahoe -- On a pleasant alpine afternoon I slipped out of my room at the Caesars Tahoe casino hotel, scooted past the blackjack games and made my way to the vertiginous shoulder of Monument Mountain at Heavenly Ski Resort. In years past this would have meant a drive up Ski Run Boulevard to the distant Heavenly parking lot, possibly with a stop to slither under the car and fumble wetly with chains. This time I traveled by gondola.

Never before could I have done that. And never before would I have treated one of Stateline's casino hotels as a ski lodge.

But Heavenly last year took a bold step to transform the South Lake Tahoe landscape, unveiling a $20 million aerial tram to whisk skiers directly from lakeside to the mountain. The ski resort says the gondola has turned Stateline's casino district and the adjacent California motel zone into a ready-built ski-in/ski-out resort, positioning more than 5,000 South Shore hotel rooms within walking distance of the groomed slopes.

The Heavenly gondola is located on the California side of the border, at the confluence of Highway 50 and Park Avenue. Stretching 2.4 miles up the mountain, it hoists riders from lake level to an elevation of 9,156 feet in just under 12 ear-popping minutes.

Earlier that afternoon I had checked into Caesars, reputed home of the South Shore's best casino-style rooms. More to the point: Caesars is the farthest major casino hotel from the gondola. If the ski-in/ski-out concept worked from there, I figured, it would work from anywhere in the casino-motel district.

The day was too far gone to don ski boots, but I was eager to take the new tram for a test ride. I walked two long city blocks to the ticket booth and shelled out $20 for a pass that took me up the hill, but did not permit me to slip around on its slopes.

Clambering into one of the gondola cabins, I was impressed by its spacious feel (with only two riders), enhanced by windows extending from roof to floor on all sides. The ride was serenely smooth: I traveled most of the distance standing upright with my hands in my pockets. The silence was almost surreal.

It pleased me to discover that each of the two padded benches folded up, making room for riders in wheelchairs.

The gondola, open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, makes two stops at the top. First, at 9,123 feet, is a mid-station platform where a little store peddles drinks, snacks and logo-laden apparel items. Just 33 feet higher is the turnaround, where skiers disembark.

Here's what you find at the apex of this gondola: The View.

Heavenly veterans will know what those words mean. For decades, they had The View to themselves, a sensual reward for learning to ski or snowboard, for buying the specialized clothing and gear, for ponying up the price of a lift ticket at one of California's most expensive resorts.

The View had to be earned.

Now anybody with 20 bucks - including wheelchair jockeys - can get a taste of The View. This rapture-inducing panorama encompasses Desolation Wilderness and Emerald Bay to the far left and, straight ahead, as magnificent an exposure of Lake Tahoe as can be witnessed outside of a balloon basket.

At the mid-station stop, I stepped onto a 14,000-square-foot deck of see- through steel mesh wrapped around a granite outcropping and made a beeline to one of those inevitable (and inevitably disappointing) coin-operated telescopes. Its lens gave my squinted eye tightly cropped views of cars passing through the tunnel in distant Cave Rock and of the Tahoe Keys, a wetlands development that ranks as this precious lake's most egregious environmental travesty. But the wide-screen spectacle available to my naked eyes was more satisfying.

I bought a drink at the snack bar and settled onto one of the benches scattered across the platform. I'd seen The View dozens of times before, but I sipped my pop slowly and became lost in the image before me.

Back in my room, I chuckled at the casino's concept of elegant living: a tub positioned in the bedroom. (I've encountered this eccentricity in other casinos.) Big enough for two, with Jacuzzi jets, it must have been conceived as an amenity conducive to swanky romance.

Over sausage and eggs the next morning, I contemplated the ski-in/ski-out concept. Rob Linde of the Colorado-based National Ski Area Association defines it as any place "one would feel comfortable walking in their ski boots and carrying their equipment to (ski) lift access." Though hardly new, the idea has gained momentum in recent years, with more condo and hotel construction appearing near the base lifts at American ski facilities. In Northern California, this trend has been manifested at Kirkwood, Squaw Valley and Northstar resorts, among others.

Heavenly took a novel tact. Instead of bringing the hotels to the mountain, it has, essentially, brought the mountain to the hotel zone.

My ski companion, Fred, and I hooked up in front of Caesars, where I had checked my skis and poles with the valet, and started our trek to the gondola. Because I would rather have my fingers nibbled by wombats than walk in my ski boots - even across a parking lot - I wore street shoes and carried my boots in a bag. By the time we arrived at the ticket booth, two long blocks later, my skis - resting on one shoulder - had quadrupled in weight. This was as far as I would care to hike while burdened by ski equipment.

We coughed up $57 each for lift tickets, slipped our skis into racks on the gondola doors and took our second ride to the top. There we stashed shoes in lockers and donned our boots - then moaned as we clumped down 45 metal stairs before we could step into our bindings and start to ski.

We didn't get far. The top of the gondola is well below the summit of Monument Peak, and there are no significant runs radiating out from it. We made a short traverse to the six-passenger, high-speed Tamarack Express.

That offered access to a seemingly endless assortment of ski trails (there are 86, spread over 4,800 acres). Our first dilemma was unique to Heavenly: In which state would we seek our downhill thrills - California or Nevada?

The Nevada portion of Heavenly seems to get more snow, so we concentrated our efforts on Orion, a blue-ribbon run rendered infamous when Congressman Sony Bono died there in a collision with a tree almost four years ago. Orion is representative of Heavenly's intermediate slopes, which make up 45 percent of the mountain (with 20 percent marked for beginners and 35 percent for expert skiers). The run is curved, scenic and steep enough to go lickety-split.

The run offers a view of its own: Nevada's expansive Carson Valley, as brown as the lake is blue.

For lunch, we munched on burgers at the base of the Dipper Express lift, one of seven eating spots on the mountain. Like most ski food, its primary attribute was that it was there. The gondola promises to expand dining options for Heavenly customers when the planned "village" at the base station is completed by fall of next year. In addition to a few hundred more hotel rooms, that development will include several upscale bistros, easily accessible to skiers on a break. For now, restaurants in the Embassy Suites hotel and Harrah's casino are a hop and a skip from the bottom of the gondola.

That evening, when I limped into my lodging with burning calves, the bedroom Jacuzzi didn't look so silly. Moments later I was up to my shoulders in steaming water, swigging soda and watching CNN.

What about those other elements of a good ski-in/ski-out resort, like gourmet restaurants and nighttime entertainment? In Tahoe's casino district, there's no shortage.

Casinos are infamous for their all-you-can-cram-in-your-face buffets of low cost and variable quality, but I found two restaurants that might appease a demanding palate: Caesars' Broiler Room, primarily a steak joint, and Llewelyn's atop Harveys - my personal preferance for its surprising menu (I recommend the boar tenderloin with cherry compote) and its five-star view.

Nightlife was an embarrassment of cheesy casino riches. Caesars' Club Nero promised a "Hot Buns Contest." Having no particular interest in bakery products, I passed.

Tahoe showrooms, dark during my stay (and on most weeknights), embrace the un-Vegas concept of a single act appearing on stage without benefit of laser lights, special effects or implanted showgirls. Headliners in coming weeks include Pat Benatar, Wynonna and the Temptations at Caesars; Penn and Teller, Tap Dogs, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy and Jim Belushi & the Sacred Hearts at Harrah's.

Harveys and the Horizon lean toward resident cabaret shows; on weeknights, these might form your only showroom options.

At Harveys, beginning Nov. 6, it will be "The Improv," featuring stand-up comics of undetermined effervescence. "Carnival Cabaret" at the Horizon is a female impersonator revue uplifted from the mundane by James "Gypsy" Haake, the comically gifted, 70-year-old ringmaster whose free-form interaction with his audience is a wonder to watch. You've got to love a drag act that pays homage to Liza Minelli, Carol Channing and . . . Michael Jackson.

Has South Lake Tahoe, in its gondola-driven transformational stage, become a true ski-in/ski-out resort? If you define the term rather loosely . . . then,

yes. If I was repeating the trip - and I will - I would choose to stay in one of the numerous motels located closer to the new tram than Caesars.

But I did manage to ski, dine and consume nightclub amusements without once asking the question that bedevils my life: "Has anybody seen my car keys?"

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IF YOU GO
-- GETTING THERE: It is about a 4-hour drive, depending on traffic and road conditions. Take Interstate 80 toward Sacramento, then follow signs to eastbound Highway 50 and continue over Echo Summit to the lake. Here's a locals' secret: As you pass the airport just outside South Lake Tahoe, look for Pioneer Road to the right. This cut-off will take you straight to the casino district and Heavenly's gondola, avoiding the often congested 5-mile drive through the center of town.

-- WHERE TO STAY: You can choose a casino or one of many motels in the area, which range in quality from fine to funky. Caesars Tahoe (Highway 50, Stateline; 888-829-7630; www.caesars.com) (http://www.caesars.com)) has room rates ranging from $75 to $250, but significant discounts are routinely available, especially in the fringe seasons and on weekdays. Neighboring casino hotels include Harrah's (800-427-7247, www.harrahs.com); (http://www.harrahs.com);) Harveys (888-427-2789, www.harveystahoe.com); (http://www.harveystahoe.com);) and Horizon (800-648-3322, www.horizoncasino.com). (http://www.horizoncasino.com).) An excellent noncasino choice - and closest to the gondola - is Embassy Suites (888-475-4824; www. embassytahoe.com), with prices ranging from $159 to $318, depending on the date. (Some packages include daily lift tickets.) A good guide to area motels, including pictures, can be found on the Web at www.virtualtahoe.com. (http://www.virtualtahoe.com.)

-- WHERE TO EAT: South Lake Tahoe has dozens of restaurants. If you want to stay out of your car on the next ski trip, you'll do well in the casinos, which offer inexpensive buffets, pizza take-out and upscale bistros. We enjoyed Llewelyn's (775-588-2411) in Harvey's, with entrees such as Asian tea- smoked duck, steak and that sumptuous wild boar at around $25. At the Boiler Room (800-648-3353 or 775-588-3515) in Caesars, appetizers (prawn cocktail, escargot, baked Brie) run $8 to $11 and entrees (various steaks, plus venison and some seafood dishes) cost $18 to $33. Both have excellent wine selections.

-- ENTERTAINMENT: Carnival Cabaret at the Horizon Casino plays nightly except Mondays. Prices are $16.95 Fridays and Saturdays, $15.95 on other nights. Phone (800) 683-8266; Web: www.horizoncasino.com/carnival.html. (http://www.horizoncasino.com/carnival.html.) For the latest on headliners at all the South Shore casinos, check the Web: www. virtualtahoe.com/playground/casino-ent.html.

-- THE GONDOLA: Heavenly's new gondola, at Highway 50 and Park Avenue, costs $20 for nonskiers ($18 for seniors; $12 for kids age 12 and under). A daily lift ticket is $57 ($47 ages 13-18; $29 ages 6-12 and 65 up), and includes unlimited use of the gondola. The gondola will be closed for maintenance through Nov. 3. General information: (775) 586-7000; ski conditions: (775) 586- 7000, press 1; Web: www.skiheavenly.com. (http://www.skiheavenly.com.)

-- FOR MORE INFORMATION: Contact the Lake Tahoe Visitors Authority, 1156 Ski Run Blvd., S. Lake Tahoe, CA 96150; phone: (530) 544-5050 or (800) 288-2463; fax: (530) 544-2386; Web: virtualtahoe.com.