Northstar at Tahoe
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| Northstar at Tahoe | |
|---|---|
| Location: | Truckee, CA |
| Nearest city: | Tahoe City, CA; Truckee, CA; Reno, NV |
| Top elevation: | 8610 ft (2624 m) |
| Base elevation: | 6330 ft (1929 m) |
| Skiable area: | 2480 acres |
| Runs: | 79 |
| Longest run: | 2.9 miles (4.7 km) |
| Lift system: | 16 lifts |
| Snow fall: | 350 in (9 m) |
| Web page: | Official Site |
Northstar-at-Tahoe is a year-round resort situated near the North Shore of Lake Tahoe, approximately 200 miles from the San Francisco Bay Area. The 2,480 acre resort features 2,280 vertical feet of downhill terrain accessed by 16 lifts (including 8 express lifts), a snowmaking system, a cross-country center, the new Village at Northstar, on-site lodging and summer activities including an 18-hole golf course and a lift-served mountain bike park.
Northstar-at-Tahoe is undergoing a transformation into a year-round mountain resort including a new village featuring a variety of shops, restaurants, art galleries, jewelry boutiques, luxury condominiums and a 9,000 square foot skating rink. Hundreds of millions of dollars have been invested to make Northstar a classier resort akin to Vail or Squaw Valley USA. Additionally, mountain expansion plans are underway with new slopes and lifts going in; existing roads are being widened and some new ones are being built; day skier parking has been substantially increased in a brand new parking lot served by enclosed buses (a big improvement over the old tractors pulling skiers in open trailers of previous years); and a Ritz-Carlton and additional slopeside condominiums are under construction and scheduled to open beginning December, 2008, proving the skiing is not the only attraction.
More than other Tahoe ski areas, Northstar is known for its excellent tree skiing and fall lines. The extensive trees also make for better sheltered runs with deep powder, compared to the windswept and icy slopes you get at Squaw or Mount Rose. On the other hand, Northstar doesn't have the steeps for which Squaw Valley Ski Resort is known, and some have claimed it is known to locals as "flatstar". New lifts are going in for the 2006-2007 and 2008-2009 season but on most weekends Northstar's lift lines are comparable to other Tahoe resorts.
[edit] Stats
Trails & Slopes
79 runs
2,480 acres of terrain
25% advanced| 50% intermediate | 25% beginner
Longest run is 2.9 miles (4.7 kilometers)
Eight, mile-long (1.6 km) advanced ( runs on the backside of Mt. Pluto
220 acres (89 hectares) of off-piste terrain on the backside of Mt. Pluto
Lookout Mountain, 200 acres (81 hectares) of advanced terrain
1 Superpipe, 1 halfpipe, 6 terrain parks with a fleet of rails and jibs, and 7 Adventure Parks
240 acres of backcountry terrain on Sawtooth Mountain open for experts when conditions permit
Elevation & Climate
Base of the mountain is at 6,330 feet (1929 meters)
Summit of Mt. Pluto is at 8,610 feet (2624 meters)
Vertical drop of 2,280 feet (695 meters)
Average annual snowfall is 350 inches (9 meters)
Average daytime high temperature from November through April is 43F (6C)
Average overnight low temperature from November through April is 21F (-6C)
Snowmaking
Largest snowmaking system of any resort in North Lake Tahoe
Snowmaking from top to bottom of Mt. Pluto, front side, backside, and Lookout Mountain with 50 percent of runs and 2,280 vertical feet covered by machine-made snow
251 acres of coverage
Eight chairlifts access the runs covered by snowmaking
Snowmaking on the superpipe, halfpipe and terrain parks
