This is my all time favorite resort. Under the radar, with incredible terrain, no crowds and a very flexible side-country policy, it's an awesome mountain

This is a great area if you're staying near the southwestern side of Lake Tahoe and are looking for a good family area. It's mostly intermediate terrain, with some great tree skiing on powder days for experts. The views of the lake and surrounding mountains from the top are stunning. The facilities are old but comfortable--much less crowds, traffic, cost, and glitz than the Squaw Valley scene. The staff, many of whom are from South America, are very friendly and helpful. A guy in the rental shop took the time to help me with a kid's binding problem right away--much appreciated when you're trying to get the family all out on the slopes. My daughter took a three-day snowboarding beginner package and had a great time--couldn't wait to go back each day, and had basically one-on-one attention much of the time.