Nevada: Winter Preview
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Nevada is the most mountainous state in the contiguous United States which means winter rings plenty of snowcapped peaks, seemingly endless backcountry powder and cozy après ski experiences. The 2016-17 season brings a new alpine boutique lodge, expanded snowmaking equipment, trail improvements, special offers and signature events.
See below for a complete look at what new offerings Nevada has this winter:
Lodging and Venues
Ruby 360 Lodge
In January 2017, Ruby Mountain Heli Experience celebrates its 40th anniversary. To celebrate, the business is constructing the new 10,000 square-foot Ruby 360 Lodge. The lodge will be complete with two stories, full bar, 10 bedrooms, 12 bathrooms, in-room massage services, all located at 7,000 feet in the Ruby Mountains.
The facility will be open in early 2017 and serve as the base for all helicopter skiing operations from January to April each year. In the off-season, Ruby 360 Lodge will host weddings, parties and other events, all looking over the lush Lamoille Canyon from atop the Ruby Mountain Range.
The Ridge Tahoe
The Ridge Tahoe in Stateline, Nevada said “I do” to investing $2 million to expand wedding and conference capabilities for the newly renovated 3,700-square-foot Castle Rock Event Space. The rustic Tahoe mountain venue has expanded its clubhouse by 2,300 square feet, added two state-of-the-art meeting rooms highlighted by architectural details including complementary natural wood decor, 16-foot-high ceilings, and large windows allowing for natural ambient light. Noted interior designer Lori Amis of Atlanta, Ga., executed the vision and created a clean, natural modern rustic look consistent throughout the new meeting/wedding event space.
Ski Resort Mountain Improvements
Mt. Rose Ski Tahoe: Trail Improvements & Snowmaking Upgrades
The Main Lodge return trail from the Blazing Zephyr 6 chairlift has been graded and contoured into a more productive, functional ski trail. As a result of these improvements and requiring only minimal snowmaking, the Slide Bowl side of the resort is now expected to be accessible much earlier in the season than ever before.
Building on last season’s addition of nine new Polecat tower-mounted snow machines, this year’s snowmaking system upgrades include improved pumping capacity. System improvements will more than double the amount of snow that can be produced, allowing the resort to more efficiently make snow and quickly open more terrain. Mt. Rose’s projected opening date for the 2016-17 winter season is Oct. 31, 2016, weather and conditions permitting.
Ski and Snowboard Deals and Lessons
Diamond Peak: Flex Pass
Flex Pass: With 50 years of affordable, family-friendly fun under its belt, Diamond Peak knows a thing or two about how to save skiers and snowboarders money. And the special 2016-17 ‘golden’ Flex Pass multi-day ticket is the perfect way to ski more and save more this season, with prices as low as $45/day for adults. Available in two- to seven-day day increments, the direct-to-lift Flex Pass is fully transferable, can be used any day and is valid all season long.
Customized Private and On-Demand Ski-and-Ride School Lessons
Guests at Heavenly Mountain Resort looking to create a customized private lesson can easily do so online by filling out a Design Your Own Experience private lesson form, where guests can indicate their personal preferences on terrain, style, development and more. In addition, if guests wish to request a ski-and-ride coach on the fly, they can now find ski-and-ride school kiosks conveniently located on the mountain in addition to the base locations.
Ski Resort Events and Activities
Diamond Peak: 50th Anniversary, Clinics and Snowshoe Tours
Fiftieth Anniversary Celebrations: Founded in 1966 as Ski Incline, Diamond Peak will celebrate its golden anniversary this season with a series of events focused on the interesting history of the resort. Expect a pre-season historic ski/snowboard film and speaker series featuring stories and multimedia from the resort’s past, plus decade-specific costume contests and other ways for the public to join in the fun. Diamond Peak’s lodge will display new posters and memorabilia from the resort’s history, and there will be a series of $50 Days offered throughout the season to celebrate 50 years of fun.
Wednesday 55+ Ski Clinic Series: Diamond Peak will offer a special ski clinic series for adults 55 and older as part of the Incline Village Recreation Center Senior Programs. This 10-week program will now be available as a full series, daily lesson, or 5-pack. The 5-pack allows skiers to choose any five lessons to attend in the series. Diamond Peak’s Professional Ski Instructors of America-certified instructors will provide beginner, intermediate, and advanced instruction. Instruction is designed to help skiers improve, adjust, or modify techniques and encourage lifelong skiing. Re-entry skiers are welcome. Register at the Incline Village Recreation Center (980 Incline Way), or call (775) 832-1310.
Guided After-Hours Snowshoe Hikes: Join guides from the Incline Village Parks & Recreation Department for Community Snowshoe Hikes to Diamond Peak’s Snowflake Lodge. The snowshoe hikes offer non-skiers the chance to enjoy the slopes of Diamond Peak in wintertime and encourage exercising in a social setting. The 3-mile round-trip hikes include guides, exclusive after-hours access to Diamond Peak and Snowflake Lodge, s’mores and hot cocoa. There will be light fare available for those who would like to purchase dinner at Snowflake Lodge.
Dining
Diamond Peak: Wild Bill’s BBQ
After a successful introductory season at Snowflake Lodge, Chef Bill Vandenburg is excited to expand the Wild Bill’s BBQ offerings at the mid-mountain Snowflake Lodge this winter. Hungry skiers and riders can expect to find authentic barbecue fare, slow cooked and smoked on site, with house-made barbecue sauces and tasty sides. Offerings include smoked tri-tip, chicken, pulled pork, pork ribs, burgers and sausages. Wild Bill’s BBQ at Snowflake Lodge will be open daily, with a Wild Bills BBQ satellite location open at the Base Lodge on weekends and holiday periods this ski season.
Alpine Property
Tahoe Beach Club
The Tahoe Beach Club, a 143-room luxury condominium residence on the south shore of Lake Tahoe in Nevada, the first full-ownership lakefront property in 30 years at Tahoe, will break ground Aug. 15. Once completed, the Tahoe Beach Club will feature 143 condominium residences and a private beach club with all the amenities of a luxury resort. The 45,000-square-foot building, situated just steps from the private sand beach, will house restaurant Beach Bar & Grill, a yoga and Pilates pavilion, a premier fitness facility, business center, concierge services and a full-service spa. On the surrounding grounds, members, owners and their guests will enjoy a private sand beach with cabanas and fire pits, a 160-foot floating pier, boat valet service and an indoor/outdoor infinity-edge pool overlooking Lake Tahoe.
The first phase of the project, envisioned 14 years ago, will include 48 two-to five-bedroom residences scheduled for completion in fall 2017. The 20-acre Tahoe Beach Club site is surrounded by 200 acres of private meadows to the north, Lake Tahoe beach on the west, and Edgewood Tahoe Golf Course.
Tahoe Beach Club will be LEED-certified to improve and restore its natural surroundings. Streams spanning over two acres will be restored and native vegetation will be utilized throughout the property. Once finalized, the project will reduce the number of sediment run-off from approximately 11,000 to 600 pounds a year. Greenhouse gas emissions anticipate to be reduced by more than 60 percent.
On-Mountain Shared Workspace
Heavenly is reimagining the definition of “work hard, play hard” by creating an on-mountain shared workspace for professionals working remotely who dream of taking a few turns before hopping onto a conference call in their ski or snowboard boots.