Affordable snow activities just up the hill
January 4, 2012
Unless you are simply taking a walk on a snowy
day or smashing a snowball into your little brother’s face, winter
activities can be quite expensive. Between lift tickets, ski
attire, gas and lodging, your money vanishes rather quickly.
If you are not the avid skier or snowboarder
and at most will only visit a mountain once or twice while
attempting to master the hobby, the best bang for your buck is
going to come from either Soda Springs or Boreal.
Soda Springs offers a day pass for $36, which
also includes a pass for tubing, while Boreal offers a slightly
more expensive day pass for $49, but has three times as many lifts
and more acreage to explore, according to the resort’s website.
Both Soda Springs and Boreal are about 90
miles away from Sacramento, which, depending on the weather and
road conditions, makes for about an hour and a half drive to the
resort – that is, of course, if you average 60 mph and avoid peak
traffic hours.
“I normally try to go up seven or eight times
a season and my favorite mountain is Northstar-at-Tahoe,” said
senior biology major Brianna Waterstratt. “Typically I try to buy a
season pass, depending on my finances throughout the year. This
season, I will probably just go to Boreal on Fridays because of
their student deal.”
At Boreal, a valid college identification will
get you a Friday lift ticket for $15.
For skiers and snowboarders who want to more
or less live on the mountain for the season, the epic pass maybe
the right option. According to Heavenly Ski Resort’s website, for
$669 you get unlimited access to local resorts Heavenly and
Northstar-at-Tahoe as well as Colorado’s Vail, Beaver Creek,
Breckenridge, Keystone and Arapahoe Basin, just in case you feel
like making the trip for your winter break.
If you and one other are looking to get away
for the weekend and have some winter fun on Lake Tahoe, there are
deals out there if you look in the right places.
Located on the southeastern corner of Lake
Tahoe lies Zephyr Cove. The resort offers RV and trailer hook-ups,
a lodge and private cabins for visitors.
According to the Zephyr Cove website, a
three-night stay for two adults in a studio cabin, separated from
the main lodge, would run around $350, after tax.
If staying closer to a mountain is more along
the lines of what you are looking for, The Blue Lake Inn at the
Heavenly Village offers rooms starting at $86 if you are
deal-searching through www.kayak.com.
According to the Blue Lake Inn website, the
hotel is only 175 yards away from the Heavenly gondola and the
Heavenly Village, which are accompanied by restaurants and casinos
as well as a private beach on the lake.
With research and budgeting, it seems almost
anyone can afford a snowy winter getaway.
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