Grooming machinery is out in full force right now at Diamond Peak ski resort, which has announced a planned season-opener for Dec. 14.
Diamond Peak plans to offer top-to-bottom skiing and snowboarding opening day on Crystal Ridge, Sunnyside, Lodgepole, School House and in the Child Ski Center’s designated learning area, with the potential for Ridge Run and Popular to also be open if conditions permit.
Snowmaking operations have been running non-stop for a week, thanks to the temperatures dropping enough to make snow.
Nine of Lake Tahoe’s 14 ski resorts are now open. Along with Diamond Peak, still not operating are Homewood Mountain, Soda Springs, Donner Ski Ranch and Granlibakken.
Diamond Peak is a family-friendly ski resort in Incline Village (Nevada) that offers 655 acres and 1,840 vertical feet of skiing and riding, with gorgeous views of nearby Lake Tahoe.
Operating since 1966, Diamond Peak is among North Lake Tahoe’s hidden gems. It has terrain for all levels, and some of the best tree skiing in the Tahoe Basin.
As an upgrade for the 2017-18 ski season, Diamond Peak has added a new PistenBully 400 ParkPro 4F grooming machine, the second ParkPro groomer in its fleet of five snow cats.
The newest groomer allows the resort’s snow surfaces team to more accurately monitor snow depths on the developed terrain and see where additional snowmaking might be needed throughout the season. It also allows cat operators to know where more snow might be needed on a run in real time.
“The ParkPro is a machine that was designed around the needs of terrain parks, but its enhanced features and ergonomics make every task on the mountain easier,” said Diamond Peak Mountain Operations Manager Jay Rydd, “Diamond Peak already had one ParkPro, so adding a second one just multiplies what we are able to do every night.”
While Diamond Peak’s ParkPro groomers will be heavily utilized in building the resort’s two main terrain parks – the Spillway Park and the new Lakeview Park. The machines will also be used in grooming the newly-reoriented Child Ski Center learning area.
The new reorientation of the Child Ski Center lift will allow for increased capacity in the dedicated children’s learning area. The private learning area is only accessible to kids in the program.
This offseason, Diamond Peak’s lift maintenance staff realigned the magic carpet lift so that kids utilizing it will have an easier time getting on and off the lift, and more space on either side for practicing their first turns.
“I’m very excited for the new location of the Child Ski Center’s magic carpet lift,” said James Pedersen, Child Ski Center Manager. “The new layout will give us more room on each side to accommodate more beginner-level lessons, and will also give our students a better view of what they are going to learn and play on before they walk out onto the snow.”
Following its Dec. 14 opener, one day later guests are invited to celebrate the beginning of the ski season at the resort’s Kickoff Party & Passholder Appreciation event, starting at 4:30 p.m. in the Base Lodge.
This kickoff party is part of the month-long Tahoe Northern Lights Celebration. There will be live music by The Sextones, with appetizers and beverages available for purchase.
For more information or to check the snow report, visit www.diamondpeak.com or call (775) 832–1177.
Projected Lake Tahoe ski resort openings
- Mt Rose: Open
- Boreal Mountain: Open
- Heavenly Mountain: Open
- Squaw Alpine: Open
- Kirkwood Mountain: Open
- Northstar California: Open
- Sugar Bowl: Open
- Sierra-at-Tahoe: Open
- Tahoe Donner downhill: Open
- Diamond Peak: Dec. 14
- Homewood Mountain: Dec. 15
- Donner Ski Ranch: Dec. 15
- Granlibakken: Dec. 15
- Soda Springs: TBA
