I booked a hotel the other day, already put in for time off, from December 28th-30th i'm going to be in South Lake Tahoe and I'm going to try snowboarding. has anyone ever been to any of the parks in that area? i'm staying across the street from Harrah's to give you an idea of the neighborhood. I'm thinking Heavenly right now, but thats just because from the map it looks close to my hotel. what do you guy think?
From my experience with casinos. They are found in no name small backwater towns or in the the worst neighborhoods in an area. If your staying IN the casino hotel then you'll be ok and pampered like crap.. but if your not IN the casino i'd worry. vegas being the exception. I've never been to South Lake Tahoe, or the west coast in general. So i'm extrapolating knowledge, so take it with a very large grain of salt.
Been to Heavenly twice, some great off piste stuff there. It sort of depends which side you're on really, Nevada side seemed the less busy both times I've been there, although that's been Easter on both occasions. Aside from Heavenly was also at Kirkwood, though it seems smaller and caters more towards advanced skiers / boarders.
What the heck. Am I or is woodshop totally off the topic here, or..? Anyway when snowboarding for the first time, just, for all that's holy, DON'T perform an epic faceplant. It's fine to bust your butt falling over, but DAMN does it suck to come face first to the snow, with any luck lose your breath and probably also bust your neck in the process Been there.
When you fall (you will) Don't brake your fall with your arms. My cousin broke both her wrists that way. When trying to turn its really easy to catch an edge, work your way up to harder slopes. It really sucks rolling down a mountain/hill cause you can' t carve correctly. Best piece of advice I have is "Have Fun"
Probably me.. I saw "Harrah's" and interpreted his message to be asking if he made a good choice in lodging, thinking his experience would be "heavenly".
I took jujitsu for five years, when i eat it off my bike it's reflex to roll or fall correctly. that and developing balance are prolly the two most useful things i ever learned from martial arts. i am prolly going to eat copious amounts of snow anyway, but at least i'm somewhat prepared. i've got myself a good shell, i'm going to get a heavy fleece inner layer soon, thats all i have in the way of equipment. can i just wear wraparound oakleys instead of renting or borrowing goggles?
Based on your hotel location, Heavenly is definitely the most convenient resort. There's actually a gondola at the stateline that will take you from hwy 50 right up to the lodge. Also, Heavenly is a pretty good sized resort and has plenty of beginner/intermediate runs for you to get your feet wet. There aren't really any other options close by, as most resorts are on the West and North sides of the lake which tend to get more snow. We had a good storm last week though, and there's another storm on the way so there should be plenty of snow for you when you get there. The only other thing I might add is that South Shore is a popular New Years Eve destination for college students, so be ready to fight the crowds! Have fun!
Snowboarding = Awesome for a while and then you realise how cold and wet it is and that you are halfway up a mountain and miles away from heat. Surfing = fantastic untill you are exauhsted and swallowed a litre of nasty sea water and need to swim back to the beach in big waves hauling a large floatation device that wish's to suck you back out to sea. Skateboarding = yes
Aaaaw man Tahoe you lucky ba****d. Want to go there so bad, that or anywhere in Canada (Lake Louise etc) You'll probably be fine with just Oakleys as long as they will stop snow blindness, otherwise I would recommend a proper pair of goggles, nothing more annoying than having a great day on the slopes only to find your vision is buggered when you get back to the lodge. Hopefully your getting lessons, its easy enough to get on a board and go but you really need someone to show you how to do it right and not be twisting your body trying to turn.
Wrap-arounds that really do block out the periphery should be fine, although I'd always take a pair of goggles with you in case a) they break or b) a storm rolls in. Sunglasses < goggles when it's really coming down. Even just a cheap pair would do fine for emergencies etc.
