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Published on 04/22/1996 All articles from this issue

Spring into sun-baked skiing at affordable Sierra resorts

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By Glen Putman

Special to the Town Crier

With the heavy snowfall this year, Sierra resorts are geared up for another long season. There are also money-saving specials at many ski areas that will make Spring skiing just that much more enjoyable. So from now until the lifts close, it's time to warm up to Spring skiing with sunny weather, skiing in jeans or shorts and picnics on mountain sides and sunny lodge decks. Here's a rundown for your Spring ski fling.Heavenly will remain open at least through April 30. An "It's Never Too-Late" package, which includes lift tickets for three days and lodging for three nights, begins at $181 per person, midweek; and $195 for weekends. Call (800) 243-2836.Kirkwood has the highest base elevation in Northern California, so usually has a great spring. Through May 27 (Kirkwood's projected closing date) adult and young adult lift tickets will be discounted to $25, a savings of $16 and $6, respectively. Hooray for May. On May 1, everyone skis free at Kirkwood. And you ski free when you stay in Kirkwood lodging. For information, call (209) 258-6000. Squaw Valley will be open until June 8, and in addition to spring skiing, the Olympic Ice Pavillion (8,200 feet) offers the highest Olympic-sized ice rink in the world. Call (916) 583-6955.Granlibakken Resort near Tahoe City offers one night's lodging, one adult lift ticket and a full buffet breakfast for $69 per person, double occupancy, valid seven days a week. Call (800) 543-3221.Spring Skiing TipsThe trick in the spring is to ski early and then quit early. The snow is usually best during the first two or three hours of operation, with the morning sun shining down to soften up the overnight freeze. This combination creates the famous Sierra "corn snow," which is the next best thing to fresh powder. The south facing slopes offer excellent Spring skiing up until about noon. It is usually marginal between noon and 2:30 p.m. and after that, not worth the time, effort or possible danger that slushy snow can bring. North-facing slopes are best after lunch.Conditions are very different during the springtime and skiers must use caution when skiing on changing conditions caused by extended sun on softening snow. Nothing is worse than skiing from nice firm-packed powder into a soft slush. Your skis stop almost immediately, but your body continues to surge forward. The result can be stretched or torn muscles. Lighting conditions can also be tricky as the sun moves in and out of the trees and behind mountain peaks. Yellow goggles help brighten up bumps and hazards in flat light. Use lots of sun-screen. Montecito-Sequoia Lodge, owned by Los Altos resident Virginia Barnes, is located at 7,500 feet in the Sequoia National Forest near Kings Canyon National Park. It has been called the "Sierra's Best Kept Secret" by cross country skiers and others who relish a relaxed, uncrowded spot for a remote excursion. The area has been named one of the Seven Scenic Wonders of the United States by the U.S. Travel Bureau.The lodge offers winter vacationers the inspiring opportunity to cross-country ski or snow-shoe among 2,000 year-old giant Sequoia trees, ice skate on the lighted rink of Lake Homavalo or just enjoy incredible views of the snow-capped peaks of the Great Western Divide. From the steps of the lodge, some 45 km of groomed trails--including two stride tracks and a skating lane--surround the immediate resort area. An additional 300 km of mapped trails in the Sequoia National Forest lead through forested areas and open meadows. The 36 lodge rooms house up to 125 people. Each room has a private bath. Meals are served buffet-style and include full breakfast, trail lunch "to pack," or served hot at the lodge and buffet dinners offering three entrees.For information, call (800) 227-9900. Montecito-Sequoia is about a five-hour drive south, via Highway 99 to Fresno and highway 180 East to Kings Canyon National Park.Glen Putman is a Los Altos free-lance writer. He is immediate past-president of the Western chapter of the North American Ski Journalists Association.