City: Norden, CA

Category: Parks & Recreation

Telephone: (530) 426-3635

Address: 19320 Donner Pass Road

Description: Base elevation: 7,031 feetTop elevation: 7,781 feetVertical drop: 750 feetNumber of runs: 45Capacity: 7,200 skiers per hourTerrain: 25 percent beginner, 50 percent intermediate, 25 percent advancedSkiable acres: 460Longest run: 1.5 milesNumber of lifts: 6Average snowfall: 396 inchesLift tickets: $30 to $40 depending upon day of weekSnowphone: (530) 426-3635Getting there: To get to Donner Ski Ranch, take I–80 west about 45 miles from Reno and exit at the Soda Springs/Norden exit onto Donner Pass Road. The resort is 3.5 miles east. Perched at the top of Donner Summit, Donner Ski Ranch is one of Reno/Tahoe’s best-kept ski and snowboard secrets. It’s not the Ritz, but it offers a back-to-basics mountain experience for half the price of major resorts. One of the oldest ski resorts in the West, it boasts the distinction of being one of California’s last family-owned ski resorts. Its setting is simply spectacular, with gorgeous views of Donner Lake and the surrounding Sierra Nevada. Because the runs are wide open, you can enjoy the panorama all the way from the top to the bottom. Donner Ski Ranch can provide welcome relief from the hassles found at major ski resorts. If you don’t need dozens of watering holes, world-class cornices, and multi-mile runs, you can kick back here and just commune with the unspoiled mountain environment. Insiders know it’s a great place for beginners: The small size and uncrowded slopes give novice skiers and snowboarders a feeling of comfort and security. Donner Ski Ranch offers the essential amenities found at most resorts, including a ski school, a base lodge with bar, a cafeteria, and a ski shop. My only word of caution about this resort is that it can get very windy when winter storms are coming into the area.

City: Norden, CA

Category: Parks & Recreation

Telephone: (530) 426-3901

Description: Base elevation: 6,700 feetTop elevation: 7,352 feetVertical drop: 652 feetNumber of runs: 16Terrain: 30 percent beginner, 50 percent intermediate, 20 percent advancedSkiable acres: 200Longest run: 1 mileNumber of lifts: 4Average snowfall: 420 inchesLift tickets: $30 to $35Terrain parks: Kids X ParkSnowphone: (530) 426-3901Getting there: To get to Soda Springs, take I–80 west from Reno for about 45 miles to the Soda Springs/Norden exit, and follow the signs to Soda (about 1 mile). From Tahoe City take CA 89 north to Truckee, and then I–80 west to the Soda Springs/Norden exit. One of the oldest ski resorts in the Lake Tahoe area, Soda Springs is a great beginner hill. You can count on uncrowded runs, even on weekends and holidays, and the prices can’t be beat. It’s easy for novice skiers to feel comfortable here, since the runs are comparatively gentle and wide open. Soda’s location at the top of Donner Summit affords breathtaking views of the surrounding mountains on clear days. Amenities include a full-service rental shop, snowtubing, sledding, snowshoeing, ski lessons, and a cafeteria. With an emphasis on family fun, Soda offers a variety of affordable lesson packages plus a moving carpet for first-time skiers and boarders age 8 and under. Kids ages 6 through 12 can also try out mini-snowmobiles on weekends and holidays.

City: Norden, CA

Category: Parks & Recreation

Telephone: (530) 426-9000

Description: Base elevation: 6,883 feetTop elevation: 8,383 feetVertical drop: 1,500 feetNumber of runs: 84Capacity: 21,740 skiers per hourTerrain: 17 percent beginner, 45 percent intermediate, 38 percent advancedSkiable acres: 1,500Longest run: 3 milesNumber of lifts: 12Average snowfall: 500 inchesLift tickets: $46Snowphone: (530) 426-1111Getting there: To get to Sugar Bowl, take I–80 west about 45 miles from Reno and exit at the Soda Springs/Norden exit onto Donner Pass Road. The resort is about 3 miles east. From Tahoe City take CA 89 north to Truckee, and then I–80 west about 10 miles to the Soda Springs/Norden exit. If you’ve always wanted to ski in Europe but never quite made it, come to Sugar Bowl, where the ambience is decidedly old-world Austrian. Built in 1939 by wealthy families from San Francisco (who continue to own and operate it), Sugar Bowl has a colorful history that includes the rich and famous. It was the winter playground for celebrities like Walt Disney (he even had a mountain named for him), Errol Flynn, and Janet Leigh, who would arrive on the train and cozy up in the charming Sugar Bowl Lodge or in one of the picturesque cabins scattered among the pine trees. Home to the first chairlift in northern California and the first gondola in the country, Sugar Bowl offers a peek into the past with a dash of high-tech. Today it maintains its quintessential classic flavor amid the sophisticated technology of a modern-day ski resort. Skiing here is on four mountains: Mt. Judah, Mt. Lincoln, Mt. Disney, and Crows Peak. Beginner terrain may be found at both entrances, and intermediate terrain is found on the west side of Disney, the east side of Lincoln, and also on Judah. Because Sugar Bowl is often the snowiest of all Reno/Tahoe resorts, expert skiers absolutely revel in its deep ungroomed powder. Insider shredheads (ardent snow-boarders) know that Sugar Bowl is one of the best boarding resorts in the area: It offers an abundance of natural chutes along with terrain parks with pipes, jumps, and rails. With magnificent views from almost any run, Sugar Bowl delivers a quality mountain high for skiers and boarders of all abilities. Parking is somewhat limited at the Magic Carpet gondola, which you reach first on Donner Pass Road, but if you arrive early enough, I recommend taking the gondola for a picturesque ride to the base of the mountain. Other parking and base facilities are found just a short way down the road at Mt. Judah. Amenities include bars and restaurants midmountain and at both bases, but the most colorful is the original Sugar Bowl Lodge near the gondola. For a truly romantic ski getaway, the lodge offers a classic alpine experience, with comfortable rooms and gourmet dining. A 14,000-square-foot addition to Mount Judah Day Lodge includes a new bar and restaurant.

City: Norden, CA

Category: Parks & Recreation

Telephone: (530) 426-3632, (800) 679-6775

Description: Tucked deep into the forest on top of Donner Summit, this rustic old lodge is owned by the Sierra Club. It operates its own track system consisting of 13 kilometers of machine-groomed trails, with about 60 percent beginner and 40 percent intermediate terrain. Wandering through stands of magnificent pines, the striding and skating lanes provide a great workout and spectacular scenery. Instruction and rental equipment are available. Trail passes are $7. Accommodations in the lodge are open to both members and nonmembers of the Sierra Club, but because it’s a very popular place, I recommend you reserve as far in advance as possible. To reach Clair Tappaan from the Reno/Sparks area, take I–80 west about 45 miles to the Norden/Soda Springs exit, and then travel east for 2.4 miles on Donner Pass Road. From Tahoe City take CA 89 north to Truckee, and then I–80 west about 10 miles to the Soda Springs/Norden exit. The lodge is on the left, partially hidden in the trees above the road; you need to look carefully so as not to miss it.