Despite the latest Covd-19 restrictions, Tahoe ski resorts will remain open throughout December.
Under orders from Gov. Gavin Newsom, the Lake Tahoe region that lies in California is facing the same COVID-19 shutdown restrictions as much of the rest of the state. Newsom put in place a regional stay-at-home order Thursday as an “emergency brake” to curb the rampant spread of COVID-19 in California.
The rules are set to take effect just before midnight Thursday (Dec. 10) and were expected to last at least through Dec. 31.
While natural snowfall has been scarce thus far, due to cold evening temperatures, Tahoe ski resorts have been using their snowmaking equipment since mid-October to add and maintain their snow base. There are currently 11 Tahoe ski resorts open and that number rises to 13 when Tahoe Donner and Homewood Mountain open Friday.
CHECK OUT TAHOE SKI RESORT OPENINGS BELOW
California has permitted ski resorts to continue to operate under state-approved winter operating plans as outdoor recreation has been identified as an important outlet for personal health and wellness.
“We encourage our guests to follow all state and local guidelines on essential travel and to stay home if they are sick or experiencing any symptoms of COVID-19,” a Vail Resorts press release stated Thursday. “We understand the benefits and importance of recreating outside during challenging times like these. Our reservation system allows us to provide our guests access to the mountain while we have the flexibility to quickly adjust based on changing guidelines.
Vail Resorts in Tahoe – Heavenly Mountain, Northstar California, Kirkwood Mountain – require face coverings to access the mountain and in all parts of their operations and are also managing access to resorts through a reservation system to allow for physical distancing.
Face coverings should follow CDC guidelines with two or more layers of fabric that completely cover the nose and mouth, and should not have vents, valves or holes.
BUSINESS CLOSURES: For people thinking of visiting Tahoe for the Christmas holidays, plenty of businesses will be shut down. Although ski resorts are open, they’re operating at reduced capacity to allow for social distancing. Restaurants on the California side of the lake are available for takeout and delivery only, while hotels and motels are closed to non-essential travelers.
But that doesn’t mean Tahoe will be a ghost town during the holidays. People who own vacation homes are allowed to visit them. Tahoe tourism officials say they expect day-trippers from Sacramento, the Bay Area and nearby locations will come.
LESS HOLIDAY SKIERS: Tahoe ski resorts will definitely be less crowded. They are likely to see a significant decrease in typical holiday business; it’s normally one of the busiest times of the year.
Most resorts are requiring advance reservations. For instance, Boreal Mountain offers directives for skiers and snowboarders. It has reduced the daily capacity to allow for social distancing and has designed a new phased arrival ticket model – Got Time Tickets – that allows for a percentage of daily guests to arrive at the resort each hour.”
California has permitted on-mountain takeout food options. There will be no indoor seating, and restrooms will be open with limited capacity. Guests are encouraged to bring their own water, food and snacks. There will be very limited outdoor seating for guests to rest and replenish and will be setup to accommodate physical distancing.
NEVADA LESS RESTRICTIVE: Lake Tahoe visitors will find plenty of restrictions in California. However, nearby Nevada casinos and restaurants are open, with some guidelines. State officials reduced casino capacity from 50% to 25% last month. Surprisingly, gambling revenue has held up fairly well so far: South Lake Tahoe revenue dropped only 7% from July to October, compared to a year earlier.
TAHOE SKI RESORT OPENINGS
- Heavenly: opened November 20
- Northstar: opened November 20
- Mt. Rose: opened November 20
- Boreal: opened November 23
- Squaw Valley: opened November 24
- Alpine Meadows: opened November 24
- Sierra-at-Tahoe: opened November 25
- Sugar Bowl: opened November 27
- Soda Springs: opened November 27
- Kirkwood: opened December 4
- Diamond Peak: opened December 4
- Homewood: December 11
- Tahoe Donner: December 11
- Granlibakken: December 18
