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Kiddie Koncierge: Snow Play Review
What is Kiddie Koncierge?
Kiddie Koncierge is the SF
Bay Area's premier resource
for fun, interesting, unique,
and creative kids activities.
We provide
recommendations, reviews,
and resources on all sorts of
fun things to do in San
Francisco, Berkeley/Oakland,
San Jose, Marin, and beyond!
Kiddie Koncierge is the SF
Bay Area's premier resource
for fun, interesting, unique,
and creative kids activities.
We provide
recommendations, reviews,
and resources on all sorts of
fun things to do in San
Francisco, Berkeley/Oakland,
San Jose, Marin, and beyond!
Special Snow Play Review
Updated January 16, 2011
Skiing: - Just a thought – if you are teaching kids, you do not
necessarily need a lift ticket if you do not mind walking up the hill.
Snow Play – There is not a lot of snow yet, but watch the weather
reports before you head up. In our experience, there are a few cool
places worth checking out. If all you want to do is throw some
snow balls and make a snow man, then you do not need to go to a
snow park. What we did is pull off Highway 80 on the way up to
Tahoe (after you reach the snow level, obviously). We like Yuba
Gap. It is close to the Bay Area and not a bad day trip. Once you
get off the highway, head right and you will hit a fork.. Two options:
If you head left, there is a snow park where you can sled and inner
tube. If you go right, there is a camp ground with areas to hike and
play in the snow. A complete list of snow parks is available here:
http://www.viamagazine.com/top_stories/articles/sierra99.asp
Note on ski resort snow parks: with the exception of Squaw,
these parks are a mess. Long lines, big crowds and mostly
geared towards the very young. Boreal and Soda Springs were
like that. The big issue is that you want to find a place like Squaw
where they don’t make you do tickets with the rest of the skiers.
Squaw has a ski school well away from the skiers and the snow
park is there. Very thoughtful. More details are below.
General:
Snow Parks are not just for small kids. Rather, they are for all
people who do not wish to ski but still want to play in the snow.
The tools of the trade are inner tubes, sleds, saucers, and in some
cases, these nifty hybrid inner tubes that wrap an inner tube in a
nylon sleeve with a smooth plastic bottom. In even rarer cases,
there are some places (like Salt Lake City) where they send you
down the hill in an inflatable raft, but that is for another Travel
Koncierge.
How cool is it to live in the Bay Area?
We are truly lucky. Yesterday, we left our home in Berkeley at 9:30
or so, got breakfast and were on the mountain by 12:30. We got in
about 3-4 hours of fun and headed back. Stopped in Napa for a
relaxed, civilized dinner, and were home by 8:00 p.m. A truly
doable day trip. If you DO decide to make it a day trip, consider
leaving on a Saturday morning. That way you do not have to
contend with the Sunday evening Tahoe weekender traffic on your
way home.
Go prepared
Do not be a bonehead like this family recently who decided to go
tromping through the woods in sneakers and windbreakers, dress
appropriately and with layers. Two things of utmost importance:
dress dry, and dress warm. The basics:
Good to know
Those plastic tennis ball throwers that you use with your dogs
make GREAT snow ball makers/throwers. In wet snow, you can
form and throw perfect tennis-ball sized snow balls. Powdery
snow probably not so good. Even a small child can get good
throwing leverage with those things.
Where to go
Our feeling is that you can go play in the snow anywhere you have
decent coverage. If all you want to do is walk, throw snow balls, or
make snowmen, anywhere off the 80 will do. Generally, any place
after about 5000 feet in altitude will have a decent accumulation
most seasons. Once you pass Emigrant Gap, there are places to
stop at almost every exit. The first snow park is at about Yuba Gap
on the East side of the freeway. Most places that have snow play
also allow cross-country skiing and, often, snow-mobiles. Not all
snow parks will have a decent enough slope for sledding, etc. We
profile a few of the ones that we have visited in order of our
preference. A complete list of snow parks from AAA’s Via magazine
can be found here. http://www.viamagazine.
com/top_stories/articles/sierra99.asp
Cisco Grove Tubes-R-Us – Kiddie Koncierge
Favorite
www.tubesrus.info
(As of 12/22/2010, the website was not yet up but the owners
say that it will be up soon - the Park is Open, however)
Weekends 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
1:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. (closed from 1:00 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. for
maintenance and staff lunch)
Cisco Grove is our favorite. It is two exits past Yuba Gap. Skip the
snow park just off the freeway to your right. It is a rip off and very
crowded. Instead, take a left at the top of the exit and head back
over the freeway. The road will come to a T where you take a left.
You are now at Cisco Grove. These guys run a good, clean,
professional operation.
Cost:
$10 parking fee,
$24 all day
$18 for adults per session,
$15 kids 12 and under
$5 kids 4 and under
You have to use their tubes (but it is included in these fees). No
time limit.
Key Features
Heavenly Mountain Resort Adventure Peak
www.skiheavenly.com/the-mountain/adventurepeakwinter.aspx
On the South Side of Tahoe off of Highway 50, is Heavenly. If you
take the Gondola up to the summit, they have installed a great
family oriented tubing area with five lanes of 500 foot runs (65 feet
vertical) and, thank goodness, a magic carpet which prevents you
from having to trudge up 500 feet with kids in tow (and they WILL
want you to pull them up). It is $30 per person and the cost does
NOT include lift or gondola fees (Gondola, by the way, is $32 for an
adult and $20 for a kid 5-12 so you are talking $50 for your kid to
sled) so this is not your budget trip and probably not a destination
JUST to tube. But, if you are there anyway and your kid wants a
break from the skiing, this is an option. You child should be 40"
tall or more.
Squaw Valley USA Snow Tubing Park
http://www.squaw.com/winter/snotubing.html
Weekends 11:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
The Squaw tubing park is not bad. Not sure I would do this as a
way to go sledding or tubing UNLESS you are there already. There
are other ways to do day trips that are closer and better. Still,
Squaw provides plenty of things for kids to do and enjoy in the area
– tubing and sledding being just two of them. The key attractions of
Squaw include:
There are a few bummers:
Cost:
$14 for one hour to tube
$15 for unlimited snow play.
Other key features:
Boreal / Soda Springs Playland/Tubing Park
http://www.rideboreal.com/winter/kidsclub/tubing
http://www.skisodasprings.com/about.html
Weekends and Holidays 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
One of our least favorite. In fact, it qualifies as lame. On the plus
side, it is near Sugar Bowl, so this side of Donner/Truckee. It is
close, but for less money and headache? Go to one of the other
snow parks. The idea here is that the kids go to this little ghetto
while the parents go skiing. It is just poorly executed. The 42” rule
is pretty ridiculous as the average height of a 5 year-old is 42” and
a child will have LONG outgrown the other Playland activities by the
time that they are able to use the Tubing slopes.
Cost:
$20 for two hours of tubing for kids > 42” tall
$15 for the carousel for kids < 42 inches tall.
In retrospect, a child will get bored of this place long before two
hours is up. Plan accordingly.
Key features
Others
Yuba Gap Snow Park
Yuba is the closest place to the Bay Area with decent snow play.
Check their website for conditions before you go up. This place is
pretty rudimentary but not bad. It is nice to have restrooms and
other infrastructure nearby. But that is it. There is little monitoring
of the slope, so you do take your own risks there. There is no way
other than your own two feet to get your sled and child up the hill
and guess who doesn’t want that nice empty sled you are also
pulling up the hill to go to waste? Yeah, nice and fun for your kid!
Good to Know:
Once you exit the freeway at Yuba, take a right and follow the road.
You will come to a fork in the road. To the left is a snow park. To
the right is a camp ground where there is just a ton of snow drifts
to play in. If all you want to do is play, then that is not a bad place to
go. If they don’t let you in, you can go to the other side of the
freeway and there is a little turn out to play in. Remember: dress
appropriately. Jeans and a sweatshirt are a really bad idea.
Cost: $5 per car plus $1.50 per person
Key features:
- Store nearby for snacks
- You can bring your own equipment but they also sell sleds at
the store
- Dogs welcome
- NO Magic Carpet.
- Pretty decent hill
Leland High Sierra Snow Play
www.snowplay.com/
10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Daily
When you do the math, Even the closest snow park in the
Tahoe/Donnerarea is 150 miles from the Bay Area, you really
shouldn't forget the Other snow play areas like Leland. Instead of
heading up the I-80 with every other Tahoe-bound family, consider
heading East on the 580 and heading north on the 120 to the 108.
Three hours later and your are at the biggest snow play area in the
Sierras with tubes, saucers, and mini snow mobiles! Definitely a
great alternative to the I-80 snow parks.
Cost: $15 mid week, $19 weekends. That's to walk up. Believe
me, it is worth the cost of the tow rope to NOT have to drag your
kids up at altitude. Tow rope costs are $20 for weekdays all day,
and 2 hours on weekends. For $30 you can ride the rope all day.
Northstar at Tahoe
www.northstarattahoe.com/info/ski/tubing.asp
Weekdays 12:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Weekends and Holidays 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
A little more expensive at $20 an hour, $12 for each additional
hour. Located at mid-mountain, you actually get to ride the lifts with
your tube. Note: you must be 36 inches tall to ride and you cannot
ride with your child in the tube. They MUST be able to hold onto the
tube by themself.
FYI, Northstar features FREE ice skating on their 9000 square foot
rink ($5 skate rental) from 1:00 - 8:00 daily.
Kingvale Tubing and Sledding
www.kingvaletubing.com
Open Weekends and Holidays 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Kingvale is the next closest snow park to the Bay Area, being an
exit or two shy of Soda Springs. Prices are $18 for 2 hours for kids
3-12, adults are $20. Four lanes, 400 feet of vertical drop. Good
thing they have a lift to make that climb a little easier. The
operators change the lanes every weekend so that you have a new
experience every visit. Fee includes rental. You can't bring your
own snow equipment. Call (530) 426-1941 for conditions.
Bear Valley
http://www.bearvalleyxc.com/Sledding/tabid/57/Default.aspx
Open Weekends and Holidays 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Bear Valley is part of the cross country ski resort. Sled rental is
$10, tube rental is $15. You cannot bring your own equipment. Be
prepared for a healthy walk along packed trails to get to the
sledding area. Also be prepared for healthy walks up and down
the hill as there is no lift or tow mechanism. Bear in mind that
Bear Valley is located between Tahoe and Yosemite off of Highway
4. Off the beaten track also means fewer crowds.
Badger Pass
www.yosemitepark.com/BadgerPass_Tubing.aspx
Open Weekends and Holidays
11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. and 2:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Badger Pass is a good one to keep in mind if your family is doing a
Yosemite winter visit. This is NOT a place to do a day trip at
unless you are an insane masochist driver. In addition to tubing,
they have skiing, ice-skating, snow-shoeing (a lot more strenuous
than it looks). Then you can slide down the hill in your car to the
Valley for cross country skiing, apres-ski, beautiful vistas, hungry,
sleep-deprived bears and more. Note: Tube rentals are
$9-$17.50 and there is NO lift mechanism, so you will be working
your thighs something fierce. At altitude, those lungs WILL burn.
Costs are $11 per two hour session plus rental. Call (209) 372-
8430 for conditions or, better yet, check out the website.
Notable Ski Resorts for the Beginner
Donner Ski Ranch
http://www.donnerskiranch.com/
Directly across the street from Sugar Bowl but a fraction of the lift
ticket cost, Donner Ski Ranch is a great place to learn because it is
close to the Bay Area (suitable for a day trip), inexpensive and has
a pretty decent learning area. Lines are pretty short and classes
are remarkably small. Lessons and packages including lift ticket,
equipment, and a group lesson start at $48. Lift tickets start at $10-
12 for kids, $40 for adults. Kids under 5 are FREE. Compare that
with Sugar Bowl Across the street where lift tickets start at $20 for
kids and $66 for adults. Kids under 5 are FREE there too but
unless you are planning on ditching your 4 year old in the snow, I
would count on paying for an adult ticket as well.
Updated January 16, 2011
Skiing: - Just a thought – if you are teaching kids, you do not
necessarily need a lift ticket if you do not mind walking up the hill.
Snow Play – There is not a lot of snow yet, but watch the weather
reports before you head up. In our experience, there are a few cool
places worth checking out. If all you want to do is throw some
snow balls and make a snow man, then you do not need to go to a
snow park. What we did is pull off Highway 80 on the way up to
Tahoe (after you reach the snow level, obviously). We like Yuba
Gap. It is close to the Bay Area and not a bad day trip. Once you
get off the highway, head right and you will hit a fork.. Two options:
If you head left, there is a snow park where you can sled and inner
tube. If you go right, there is a camp ground with areas to hike and
play in the snow. A complete list of snow parks is available here:
http://www.viamagazine.com/top_stories/articles/sierra99.asp
Note on ski resort snow parks: with the exception of Squaw,
these parks are a mess. Long lines, big crowds and mostly
geared towards the very young. Boreal and Soda Springs were
like that. The big issue is that you want to find a place like Squaw
where they don’t make you do tickets with the rest of the skiers.
Squaw has a ski school well away from the skiers and the snow
park is there. Very thoughtful. More details are below.
General:
Snow Parks are not just for small kids. Rather, they are for all
people who do not wish to ski but still want to play in the snow.
The tools of the trade are inner tubes, sleds, saucers, and in some
cases, these nifty hybrid inner tubes that wrap an inner tube in a
nylon sleeve with a smooth plastic bottom. In even rarer cases,
there are some places (like Salt Lake City) where they send you
down the hill in an inflatable raft, but that is for another Travel
Koncierge.
How cool is it to live in the Bay Area?
We are truly lucky. Yesterday, we left our home in Berkeley at 9:30
or so, got breakfast and were on the mountain by 12:30. We got in
about 3-4 hours of fun and headed back. Stopped in Napa for a
relaxed, civilized dinner, and were home by 8:00 p.m. A truly
doable day trip. If you DO decide to make it a day trip, consider
leaving on a Saturday morning. That way you do not have to
contend with the Sunday evening Tahoe weekender traffic on your
way home.
Go prepared
Do not be a bonehead like this family recently who decided to go
tromping through the woods in sneakers and windbreakers, dress
appropriately and with layers. Two things of utmost importance:
dress dry, and dress warm. The basics:
- A hat Your body loses something like 75% of its body heat
through your head (I imagine more if you are bald). It
doesn’t take much, just cover that head. - Boots Keeping your feet dry is a big part of keeping them
warm. Keeping them dry means drawing moisture away
from your skin. Mountaineers and skiers will do a multi-
layer approach with a polypropylene sock to wick moisture
away from your skin and an insulating sock to keep you
warm. I have used heavy wool in the past but there are all
manner of cool new materials that do as good a job. There
are two ways that you will get moisture in there:
perspiration and snow falling in. The idea is to keep as
much of that from your skin as possible so that it doesn’t re-
freeze. - Hand protection There is really no perfect way to keep
your hands dry and warm especially if you are falling in the
snow all the time. That being said, you can do things
prudently. Again, layers are important. I do a poly-pro or
fleece glove liner covered by a Gore-Tex glove shell. If it is
pretty warm, I skip the liner. If it is cold, I use the fleece.
The polypro keeps the hands dry and the Gore-Tex
breathes and keeps things as dry as possible. For kids,
gloves do not work so well since they cannot keep the glove
fingers on their fingers. Hence, mittens are best. In
general, mittens are the very best way to keep your hands
warm. You just sacrifice something in terms of dexterity. - Avoid cotton Cotton is the worst thing you can wear in
snow. It gets wet and stays wet. It does not keep moisture
away from you and takes a LONG time to dry. - Layers layers layers We generally have three types of
layers: long underwear (polypro or silk is best for function),
fleece, and outerwear. Outerwear, think Gore-Tex. In
general, you want to stay dry and this is a great way to do
that. It is also a great wind barrier. Something else to think
about: I have been in 0 degree F weather in only poly pro
and Gore-Tex and been comfortable. The nice thing about
this system is that you can shuck layers as you see fit.
Down, while a great insulator, is not that necessary unless
you are doing real polar climates. - Hydrate the only liquid you should have around you is in
your body. Drink non-alcoholic beverages often as cold
weather will pull moisture from your breath. - Eye protection - Even if it is cloudy, you can get eye
fatigue. Good eye protection is important for your comfort
and your safety. - Bring snacks
- Bring chains as road conditions can change rapidly
- Memorize the Cal Trans road conditions
number: (800) 427-7623 If you have a web-enabled
phone: http://www.dot.ca.gov/hq/roadinfo/mtnhwys.htm
Good to know
Those plastic tennis ball throwers that you use with your dogs
make GREAT snow ball makers/throwers. In wet snow, you can
form and throw perfect tennis-ball sized snow balls. Powdery
snow probably not so good. Even a small child can get good
throwing leverage with those things.
Where to go
Our feeling is that you can go play in the snow anywhere you have
decent coverage. If all you want to do is walk, throw snow balls, or
make snowmen, anywhere off the 80 will do. Generally, any place
after about 5000 feet in altitude will have a decent accumulation
most seasons. Once you pass Emigrant Gap, there are places to
stop at almost every exit. The first snow park is at about Yuba Gap
on the East side of the freeway. Most places that have snow play
also allow cross-country skiing and, often, snow-mobiles. Not all
snow parks will have a decent enough slope for sledding, etc. We
profile a few of the ones that we have visited in order of our
preference. A complete list of snow parks from AAA’s Via magazine
can be found here. http://www.viamagazine.
com/top_stories/articles/sierra99.asp
Cisco Grove Tubes-R-Us – Kiddie Koncierge
Favorite
www.tubesrus.info
(As of 12/22/2010, the website was not yet up but the owners
say that it will be up soon - the Park is Open, however)
Weekends 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
1:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. (closed from 1:00 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. for
maintenance and staff lunch)
Cisco Grove is our favorite. It is two exits past Yuba Gap. Skip the
snow park just off the freeway to your right. It is a rip off and very
crowded. Instead, take a left at the top of the exit and head back
over the freeway. The road will come to a T where you take a left.
You are now at Cisco Grove. These guys run a good, clean,
professional operation.
Cost:
$10 parking fee,
$24 all day
$18 for adults per session,
$15 kids 12 and under
$5 kids 4 and under
You have to use their tubes (but it is included in these fees). No
time limit.
Key Features
- A moveable sidewalk (“Moving Carpet”) that takes you from
bottom to top with little effort. OK, I know what you are
thinking: wimp. At 6000 feet, exertion at altitude sucks - Great parking
- Market for snacks
- Good crowd control for safety – this is nice because you
don’t have to worry about the family of four coming crashing
into your 3 year old. - Small and cozy with four runs. The runs are pretty good so
even adults will get a good rush before you flatten out. - Side areas for snow play. There are areas to make
snowmen and throw snow balls - Should you want to bring your dog, it is dog friendly. Ours
enjoyed romping in the snow by the river. - Not crowded – for now.
Heavenly Mountain Resort Adventure Peak
www.skiheavenly.com/the-mountain/adventurepeakwinter.aspx
On the South Side of Tahoe off of Highway 50, is Heavenly. If you
take the Gondola up to the summit, they have installed a great
family oriented tubing area with five lanes of 500 foot runs (65 feet
vertical) and, thank goodness, a magic carpet which prevents you
from having to trudge up 500 feet with kids in tow (and they WILL
want you to pull them up). It is $30 per person and the cost does
NOT include lift or gondola fees (Gondola, by the way, is $32 for an
adult and $20 for a kid 5-12 so you are talking $50 for your kid to
sled) so this is not your budget trip and probably not a destination
JUST to tube. But, if you are there anyway and your kid wants a
break from the skiing, this is an option. You child should be 40"
tall or more.
Squaw Valley USA Snow Tubing Park
http://www.squaw.com/winter/snotubing.html
Weekends 11:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
The Squaw tubing park is not bad. Not sure I would do this as a
way to go sledding or tubing UNLESS you are there already. There
are other ways to do day trips that are closer and better. Still,
Squaw provides plenty of things for kids to do and enjoy in the area
– tubing and sledding being just two of them. The key attractions of
Squaw include:
- If you are at Squaw or the Resort at Squaw Creek, there is a
non-skiing option for the kids. - They have two runs and a snow play zone.
- You are a short walk from the village for lunch and après-
tube. - The staff there does a nice job of keeping things safe.
- You can ice skate at high camp if you like later on http:
//www.squaw.com/winter/olyicepav.html
There are a few bummers:
- you are limited to 1 hour for $14,
- $15 is a lot to pay for playing in the snow,
- Two runs can make things a bit crowded.
- 11:00 a.m. is a late start for the mountain
- You have to be 4 years old or older to tube.
- There is no magic carpet to get you up the hill.
Cost:
$14 for one hour to tube
$15 for unlimited snow play.
Other key features:
- Tons of parking
- They limit the number of tubing passes sold.
- Located at the Papoose Discovery Center
- You can sled near the Squaw Creek chairlift. http://www.
squawcreek.com/lake-tahoe-family-vacations.php
Boreal / Soda Springs Playland/Tubing Park
http://www.rideboreal.com/winter/kidsclub/tubing
http://www.skisodasprings.com/about.html
Weekends and Holidays 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
One of our least favorite. In fact, it qualifies as lame. On the plus
side, it is near Sugar Bowl, so this side of Donner/Truckee. It is
close, but for less money and headache? Go to one of the other
snow parks. The idea here is that the kids go to this little ghetto
while the parents go skiing. It is just poorly executed. The 42” rule
is pretty ridiculous as the average height of a 5 year-old is 42” and
a child will have LONG outgrown the other Playland activities by the
time that they are able to use the Tubing slopes.
Cost:
$20 for two hours of tubing for kids > 42” tall
$15 for the carousel for kids < 42 inches tall.
In retrospect, a child will get bored of this place long before two
hours is up. Plan accordingly.
Key features
- Free, convenient parking
- A moving carpet to help you get up those hills
- A tow rope for the bigger tubers
- You have to endure the rental/lift ticket lines in order to get
passes for Playland. - You have to use their equipment
Others
Yuba Gap Snow Park
Yuba is the closest place to the Bay Area with decent snow play.
Check their website for conditions before you go up. This place is
pretty rudimentary but not bad. It is nice to have restrooms and
other infrastructure nearby. But that is it. There is little monitoring
of the slope, so you do take your own risks there. There is no way
other than your own two feet to get your sled and child up the hill
and guess who doesn’t want that nice empty sled you are also
pulling up the hill to go to waste? Yeah, nice and fun for your kid!
Good to Know:
Once you exit the freeway at Yuba, take a right and follow the road.
You will come to a fork in the road. To the left is a snow park. To
the right is a camp ground where there is just a ton of snow drifts
to play in. If all you want to do is play, then that is not a bad place to
go. If they don’t let you in, you can go to the other side of the
freeway and there is a little turn out to play in. Remember: dress
appropriately. Jeans and a sweatshirt are a really bad idea.
Cost: $5 per car plus $1.50 per person
Key features:
- Store nearby for snacks
- You can bring your own equipment but they also sell sleds at
the store
- Dogs welcome
- NO Magic Carpet.
- Pretty decent hill
Leland High Sierra Snow Play
www.snowplay.com/
10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Daily
When you do the math, Even the closest snow park in the
Tahoe/Donnerarea is 150 miles from the Bay Area, you really
shouldn't forget the Other snow play areas like Leland. Instead of
heading up the I-80 with every other Tahoe-bound family, consider
heading East on the 580 and heading north on the 120 to the 108.
Three hours later and your are at the biggest snow play area in the
Sierras with tubes, saucers, and mini snow mobiles! Definitely a
great alternative to the I-80 snow parks.
Cost: $15 mid week, $19 weekends. That's to walk up. Believe
me, it is worth the cost of the tow rope to NOT have to drag your
kids up at altitude. Tow rope costs are $20 for weekdays all day,
and 2 hours on weekends. For $30 you can ride the rope all day.
Northstar at Tahoe
www.northstarattahoe.com/info/ski/tubing.asp
Weekdays 12:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Weekends and Holidays 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
A little more expensive at $20 an hour, $12 for each additional
hour. Located at mid-mountain, you actually get to ride the lifts with
your tube. Note: you must be 36 inches tall to ride and you cannot
ride with your child in the tube. They MUST be able to hold onto the
tube by themself.
FYI, Northstar features FREE ice skating on their 9000 square foot
rink ($5 skate rental) from 1:00 - 8:00 daily.
Kingvale Tubing and Sledding
www.kingvaletubing.com
Open Weekends and Holidays 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Kingvale is the next closest snow park to the Bay Area, being an
exit or two shy of Soda Springs. Prices are $18 for 2 hours for kids
3-12, adults are $20. Four lanes, 400 feet of vertical drop. Good
thing they have a lift to make that climb a little easier. The
operators change the lanes every weekend so that you have a new
experience every visit. Fee includes rental. You can't bring your
own snow equipment. Call (530) 426-1941 for conditions.
Bear Valley
http://www.bearvalleyxc.com/Sledding/tabid/57/Default.aspx
Open Weekends and Holidays 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Bear Valley is part of the cross country ski resort. Sled rental is
$10, tube rental is $15. You cannot bring your own equipment. Be
prepared for a healthy walk along packed trails to get to the
sledding area. Also be prepared for healthy walks up and down
the hill as there is no lift or tow mechanism. Bear in mind that
Bear Valley is located between Tahoe and Yosemite off of Highway
4. Off the beaten track also means fewer crowds.
Badger Pass
www.yosemitepark.com/BadgerPass_Tubing.aspx
Open Weekends and Holidays
11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. and 2:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Badger Pass is a good one to keep in mind if your family is doing a
Yosemite winter visit. This is NOT a place to do a day trip at
unless you are an insane masochist driver. In addition to tubing,
they have skiing, ice-skating, snow-shoeing (a lot more strenuous
than it looks). Then you can slide down the hill in your car to the
Valley for cross country skiing, apres-ski, beautiful vistas, hungry,
sleep-deprived bears and more. Note: Tube rentals are
$9-$17.50 and there is NO lift mechanism, so you will be working
your thighs something fierce. At altitude, those lungs WILL burn.
Costs are $11 per two hour session plus rental. Call (209) 372-
8430 for conditions or, better yet, check out the website.
Notable Ski Resorts for the Beginner
Donner Ski Ranch
http://www.donnerskiranch.com/
Directly across the street from Sugar Bowl but a fraction of the lift
ticket cost, Donner Ski Ranch is a great place to learn because it is
close to the Bay Area (suitable for a day trip), inexpensive and has
a pretty decent learning area. Lines are pretty short and classes
are remarkably small. Lessons and packages including lift ticket,
equipment, and a group lesson start at $48. Lift tickets start at $10-
12 for kids, $40 for adults. Kids under 5 are FREE. Compare that
with Sugar Bowl Across the street where lift tickets start at $20 for
kids and $66 for adults. Kids under 5 are FREE there too but
unless you are planning on ditching your 4 year old in the snow, I
would count on paying for an adult ticket as well.
Cisco Grove Parking Lot and Main
Building
Building
Cisco Grove Slopes and "Magic Carpet" (L)
Kiddie Koncierge
A seedling of ImuaPartners, LLC
Copyright Kiddie Koncierge™, all rights reserved.
A seedling of ImuaPartners, LLC
Copyright Kiddie Koncierge™, all rights reserved.
| Best Snow Deals There are some awesome deals to be had to take the sting off skiing. Visit our Snow Deals Page for more details |
| Best Ski/Snowboard Instructor No doubt about it, Rick is a great teacher and works well with the kids. He works with skis, snowboards, kids and adults from rank beginners to advanced. He has been teaching for 10 years, snowboarding for 20 and skiing before then. He is big into safety and can get as technical as you like. He prefers to work at Northstar, but will gladly meet you at the resort of your choice. For information, rates, and reservations, call Rick Voege Snbdinstor@aol.com 510 393 6393 |
