Background:

Family (in laws etc love skiing as well as my kids/wife) love to ski. I do not ski and trying to learn as an adult is not in the cards. The risk of an ACL or general injury isn't appealing. I am the family Uber...

So what to do there if I don't ski?

Edit - flying there on 12/28, will be there 6 days. We'll be at South Tahoe, near Heavenly.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: sig 226,

Do you gamble? There is gambling on the Nevada side of the line.

Try snowshoeing. Fun, great exercise, no injuries.

Enjoy beautiful high mountain scenery? Drive around. Visit Donner Pass, but don't go hungry.

Reno is not too far away, might be some options there, beside casinos.

Just a few thoughts off the top of my head.

When I lived in CA, we used to go to Tahoe to vacation every summer for over a dozen years, and in the winter we also visited various ski resorts several times depending on snow conditions, we mainly skied at Badger Pass in Yosemite. But my wife doesn't ski so when my son and I were on the slopes, she would join a snowshoe tour group and trek on trails around the ski resort. She still owns a pair of snowshoes, even though they haven't been used in close to 10 years.

Snowmobile. Cross country skiing. Go to lake Tahoe. Visit the bonanza tv set. Go to Reno. Go somewhere that has a restaurant/bar at The bottom Of the mountain and watch all the ski bunnies coming in.

Truckee has an awesome little downtown and isn’t too far from the resorts. I think Truckee may well be my favorite place in CA from the year I spent working there and I worked all over the state.

There is a ranch over in Nevada....

South lake tahoe has plenty going on, as does Truckee. Where are they planning on skiing? As its about 45 minutes from top to the bottom of the lake.

Tahoe is an alpine lake and has all the activities one expects from a mountain community. Right now, the lake finally got snow, this looks to be another abbreviated Winter, as the bulk of the snow fun happens around mid-Jan to Memorial Day. Perhaps not skiing but sledding/tubing might allow you to join everyone, zero skill involved and some thrills. There's a handful of locations that families go to, just ask the local outdoor & hardware shops as some areas you can rent tubs others you'll have to buy your own tube or, sled.

North Lake (Truckee, Tahoe, Incline Village) is more affluent of the two sides on the Lake, with a very active population, Palisades Tahoe and Northstar are the major ski resorts where both have a village to walk around and spend time while others are enjoying the slopes, Palisades also has a high-camp where non-skiers can ride up and enjoy the amenities from higher elevation. Truckee is the largest of the towns, it straddles I-80 and sits below Donner Pass, it has a very walkable old town who's history is tied to the railroads, the Donner Party tragedy is located there with a variety of historical markers memorializing that along with the building of the Trans-Contintental Railroad, where construction through the Sierras was the most difficult part. Tahoe City sits right on Lake Tahoe, much smaller than Truckee with a single main street that out-of-towners can wander. Incline Village is on the Nevada-side, exceptionally wealthy but very quiet town, no main commercial street to wander down. The Hyatt Regency sits right on the lake, they have a restaurant/bar that sits on the beach which is quite pleasant to enjoy a cocktail.

South Lake Tahoe has the largest population and is much more commercial, neighboring Stateline in Nevada has the big casinos that occasionally has a decent concert. Marriott has a major property that sits along I-50 against Stateline, partnered with Heavenly Valley resort they have funitel/gondolas to take people up to 'Heavenly Valley' where non-skiers can enjoy the stunning views of the lake and get a meal. South Lake with the larger population also has a wider range amenities, they recently had a Target and Whole Foods open, South Lake has a broader range of places to eat and stay at when compared to North Shore...the flip-side, because of the larger casinos South Lake has a lot of 'down & outers' wandering around, basically bad decisions on two-legs as a number of old motor lodges and run-down apartments sprinkle the area that have that methy-vibe.

On the Nevada-side the Ponderosa Ranch from the show Bonanza is no longer around. Below South Lake is Nevada's capital Carson City and nearby historical Virginia City. I recently went there having last visited as a kid 35+ years ago, its a tourist attraction with a lot of schlocky shops, I didn't have time to do a mine tour but, I figured I could return when I had more time. Reno is the big city of the region, its North of Carson City and East of Truckee, it has the big airport and hospital for the area, Tahoe locals go 'into town' for their Costco and other shopping needs.

As for drive times, depending on weather, it normally takes an hour to drive from South Lake Tahoe to Tahoe City and vice-versa, so two hours if you were to drive a loop around the lake; another 20-30 min Tahoe City to Truckee. Road construction, accidents and weather play a major factor in how things flow so, pick your destination carefully and make sure to give enough time if someone has ideas. Traffic jams become exceptionally bad between 3-6pm when people leave the ski resorts so, if you've got a reservation or need to be somewhere, you gotta do some pre-planning.

Snowshoe, backcountry/cross-country ski, if the have the trails.

I did this at Mt. Rainier one year, for the same reason as you. Simple and fun.

quote:

Originally posted by LS1 GTO:
backcountry/cross-country ski, if the have the trails.

Largest XC area in North America, Royal Gorge is West of Donner Pass next to Sugar Bowl Resort

My first skiing expedition was in Squaw Valley, where the Olympic Games were held. That, as well as other ski villages, are neato to visit.

We always love to drive around the lake and the the little towns around it. I birdwatch and photog, so I’m always on the hunt for ‘THE shot.’

We once stayed in South LT, where there was a casino. We did a quick loss to some 21, and that was probably the last time I’ve ever gambled. Yep, a casino hotel just isn’t a draw for us.

Is Royal Gorge cross-country ski place still in operation? We used to go there for XC'ing. I think these days at over 80 my XC days are behind me; so snowshoeing would be the way to go.

We just moved to El Dorado Hills, next to Folsom. From here Tahoe is less than an hour, at least in the summer. On 50 maybe half an hour from EDH is Sly Park, where families go sledding.

Emerald Bay is a must see even if just a drive by. Looks like we are in for an "atmospheric river" that may turn into a "Bomb Cyclone" over Christmas. Used to call it winter. There will be plenty of fresh snow for your family to play in.

I live in the Carson Valley just East of the lake. Lots of cows and wildlife. Virginia City would be an hour and a half drive or so, while touristy its worth checking out. Downtown Carson City is actually pretty cool and has a great museum. It also has a pretty nice trap and skeet range,

There may be enough snow to make it inconvenient to park and get around at lake level.

Beautiful part of the country. Enjoy!

OZ

If they don’t get an assload of snow in the next week it may be a bust of a ski trip.

Downtown carson city just over the hill from state line has some interesting historical things and museums.

If it’s not actively raining/snowing book yourself a lake trout fishing charter. Those big boys can put up a good fight and that cold deep water grows them big.

Casinos…

quote:

Originally posted by sjtill:
Is Royal Gorge cross-country ski place still in operation? We used to go there for XC'ing. I think these days at over 80 my XC days are behind me; so snowshoeing would be the way to go.

We just moved to El Dorado Hills, next to Folsom. From here Tahoe is less than an hour, at least in the summer. On 50 maybe half an hour from EDH is Sly Park, where families go sledding.

Royal Gorge is indeed still in operation. It is owned and operated by the Sugar Bowl resort.
The weekend commute to Tahoe in the winter is miserable, whether the 50 for south Tahoe or on the 80 for North. There are so many Bay Area people with ski lease properties, or own their own cabins that the Friday evening and Sunday afternoon drives can be horrendous.