Marnie McArthur
November 12, 2008

On a clear day you can see forever. Views of Washoe Valley, the Virginia Hills and Reno are spectacular from the top of Mt. Rose Ski Tahoe. However, when high winds kick up and low clouds cover the mountain, conditions are just the opposite. Access to all intermediate, advanced and expert skiing is from the top, so if you can’t see the top of the mountain from the lodge, equip yourself with goggles and very warm clothes and be prepared for a chilly chair ride. But when the sun shines, there is no a better place close to Reno to enjoy high Sierra skiing.

Mt. Rose is a family-friendly, old-fashioned resort that has yet to go high tech with fancy new villages, lodges and restaurants. But, everyone from beginners to experts will find all the basics for great skiing and no long lift lines on week days. The small, rustic Slide Lodge that dates from the 1950s serves the East Bowl and is accessed from a side road of Highway 431 below the main lodge entrance. There is ample parking but no ski shop or rentals and minimum food service at Slide Lodge. The Main Lodge has a large cafeteria with two levels, comfy booths and tables and great views of the mountain. A separate bar area provides a lively après ski scene.

On the hill:

• The skiing:
The high elevation – 8,260 at both base lodges to more than 9,000 feet at the top – gives Mt. Rose some of the best snow conditions in the Tahoe Reno area with 1,200 acres of the Sierra’s best powder. Many advanced and expert runs are left ungroomed and tree skiing is optimum on fresh powder days. Runs are well identified with 20% beginner, 40% intermediate, 40% advanced and 10% expert. The longest run, 2.5 miles, begins at the top as intermediate, transitioning to beginner and ending at the base of the Northwest chair lift with options to peel off on one or more advanced slopes. There are two terrain parks, both located on the East Bowl area of the mountain.

• The Lift Time:
There are not a lot of chair lift choices at Mt. Rose. Northstar, a six-pack high-speed chair from the main lodge, and Blazing Zepher, a six-pack on the east side, access all intermediate, advanced and expert runs from the top of the mountain. A slower 3-person chair from the main lodge serves intermediate and a few short advanced runs lower down. The large beginner area near the main lodge is served by one quad and a three person chairlift. Long lines at the two high-speed chairs are less on the East Bowl side and skiers can access both sides of the mountain from the top of either chairlift.

• Gotta try runs:
Beginner: There is lots of room to practice on wide gentle slopes to nearly flat terrain from both the Ponderosa and Galena chairlifts. Advanced beginners, who can negotiate some intermediate terrain, can ride the Northwest high-speed chair to the top of the mountain and follow one of the longest beginner trails of any ski resort that winds through trees and open slopes back to the main lodge.

Intermediate: Most intermediate skiing is on the East Bowl side of the mountain. Long open runs like Bruce’s and Big Bonanza are lots of fun and you can usually depend on at least one of them being groomed. Silver Dollar, which empties into the wide Silver Dollar Bowl, is a long run from the top of either six-pack chairlift and is usually groomed as well. Kit Carson is a wide bowl and the main intermediate run from the Northwest chairlift. Ramsey’s is narrower, and not as heavily skied as Kit Carson, and is a good option on busy weekends for advanced intermediate skiers.

Advanced/Expert: Advanced skiers will have fun dropping off from the start of the Kit Carson traverse to black runs Northwest and Waterfall on the right of the Northwest chairlift. These long runs are usually groomed and have options for cutting through the trees to join up with several moguled black runs. Bullwhip is a fun slope that cuts off to the right farther down the Northwest run. It is closed sometimes for a race course, but when open it’s a good option to some of the more heavily skied advanced runs.

When conditions are just right, expert skiers and boarders flock to the famous Chutes, the steepest and deepest terrain that Mt. Rose has to offer. Unless you like pain, El Cap should only be attempted on a powder day. And when the conditions are just right it is pure powder bliss. With near vertical drops and a tendency towards waste deep powder you are in for the ride of your life. But be aware, a few days after the snow falls it will return back to its usual state of an ice covered chute with moguls the size of Volkswagens.

First timers in the Chutes should head to Beehive, a single black diamond chute that gives a good feel for how the chutes behave. Afterwards the double black diamond Yellow Jacket is a favorite.

• Runs to steer clear of:
The lower flat section to the left of the Ponderosa chairlift serves as a run-out for advanced and intermediate runs that funnel into this area. There are many beginners on this slope, coming from the Ponderosa chairlift who would be well advised to stay to the left side where they are less likely to encounter faster skiers.

The short slope from the top of the Northwest chairlift is usually crowded and covered with cross traffic coming and going to the East Bowl and Kit Carson run. The slope also develops moguls quickly on a busy day. The narrow Kit Carson traverse can be a wind tunnel when winds are stiff and it is crowded as well. Unfortunately there is no way to avoid these areas if you’re headed to any of the black diamond or intermediate runs on this side of the mountain. These are areas in which to employ defensive skiing, staying to the side, traveling slowly and cautiously.

Off the hill:

• The food and drinks:
Kick-start your morning or warm up from the coffee bar in the lobby of the main lodge. The Lodgepole cafeteria on the first floor in the main lodge has standard items such as hamburgers, chili, soups, sandwiches and vegetarian options. Senior Barascas in Timbers Bar serves great, giant-size, made-to-order burritos and mighty tasty taco salads. The après ski scene in Timbers is jovial and casual with all ages from 21 to 81 mixing amicably. On sunny days when the crowds warrant, you’ll find a grill going on the large deck with chicken, ribs and bratwurst. On weekends, there is fresh pizza on the second level of the Main Lodge. At the Slide Lodge, Zepher Café serves breakfast, hot and cold drinks and other limited ski fare.

• The staff: Employees are casual, friendly, and seem to enjoy working at this laid back resort. No one is in a hurry here and the motto is generally, go with the flow.

• Retail shops: One small ski shop off the lobby in the main lodge is open from 8 a.m. (7:30 a.m. on weekends) to 6 p.m. They have a limited selection of clothing, gloves, hats and other items you may have forgotten. Skis and boards are not for sale at the mountain and there are no clothing rentals.

• Rentals:
The rental shop at the main lodge opens at 8 a.m. There are no rentals at the Slide Lodge. Equipment is good quality and service is helpful and professional. Rentals come in packages or you can rent skis, boards, boots, poles or helmets separately. Multi-day rates are available. The earlier you arrive on a busy day, the more likely you are to find the equipment and sizes you need. Basket check for other belongings is just $2 and overnight ski check is $5. A repair shop offers waxing, edge sharpening, binding check and mounting and complete tune ups. Non-skiers can rent snow shoes to trek through the woods in a special show shoeing area located above the upper parking area for the main lodge.

• Ski school:
The Mt. Rose Ski School provides group and private lessons. There are packages for first timers ages 11 and up that include rentals and lift tickets.

Rosebuds ski school offers skiing lessons for ages 4 to 10 and snowboard lessons for ages 7 to 10 with four levels – turtles, squirrels, foxes and bears – catering to different abilities.

Silver Ski Clinics for intermediate and advanced skiers age 50 and up meet on Monday, Wednesday and Friday for continental breakfast at 8:30 a.m. and two hour group lessons from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. The clinics are free and designed to improve skiing technique by teaching new movement patterns on shaped skies. Three day Silver Lining Ski Camps offer individual instruction in small groups, video analysis, and feedback. Reservations are required. Contact Rusty Crook, Senior Program Director at (775) 849-0704 for more information.

See it in our guide.

See today's snow conditions.

Mt. Rose fast facts:
Base Elevation: 7,900 feet (Tahoe’s highest)
Acres: 1,200-plus
Summit: 9,700 feet
Average snowfall: 400 inches
Vertical drop: 1,800 feet
Snowmaking: 28 percent coverage top to bottom

Lift Hours:
Zephyr Chair: 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Chuter Chair: 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Other lifts: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Terrain:
Beginner: 20 percent
Intermediate: 30 percent
Advanced: 40 percent
Expert: 10 percent
Longest run: 2.5 miles
Total trails: 60-plus

Chairlifts:
2 six-pack high speed detachable chairs
2 Quad chairs (fixed grip)
2 Triple Chairs (fixed grip)
2 Surface lifts

Mt. Rose at a glance
From Tahoe’s highest base skiers and boarders launch nearly 1,800 vertical feet in 3.5 minutes. The reward? Panoramic views of Lake Tahoe and Nevada. The real payoff begins as you descend into 1,200 acres of some of the Sierra’s best powder. The recent opening of the Chutes puts us in a whole new league. Find out for yourself about Tahoe’s best kept secret. Mt. Rose is the closest resort to the Reno/Tahoe Intl. Airport, and just 25 minutes from Reno’s 17,000 rooms. Mt. Rose is the perfect choice for the first and last day of your Lake Tahoe vacation.

What’s new
Terrain Park expansion and a progression park area planned for the right side of the upper section of the Ponderosa trail above the main lodge. Designed to introduce park style elements to interested skier and riders, low-level boxes and other user-friendly features are planned for this 2008/09 park.

Continued willow thinning and glade work will take place in both the Chutes and Wild Card Bowl. Selective glading in Wild Card includes the removal of snags, stumps and dead wood thus creating improved lines in this epic bowl, which does provide some of the grandest views of Lake Tahoe.