Okay turkeys, so you love snowboarding!
You are from the Bay Area or somewhere on the Lake Tahoe driving range, love to board at Alpine Meadows, Diamond Peak, Mt. Rose, Northstar at Tahoe, Squaw Valley, Sugar Bowl, Boreal, Donner Ski Ranch, Soda Springs, Tahoe Donner, Heavenly, Homewood, Kirkwood or Sierra at Tahoe, but you want to make sure you get the most out of every season because snowboarding IS NOT CHEAP!
Well, with you in mind and after eons of exhaustion, I have created your perfect snowboard guide.
Here’s how to plan your snowboarding trip.
1) The weather, check the weather! You’ll want to know if you need 4-wheel drive, chains, or if you’ll have to leave early to beat the storm and/or traffic!
2) Transportation, personally, I’d rather involve a few more people, rent a car and save yourself the headache of wear and tear on your car, especially if you don’t have 4 wheel drive. Splitting the cost of a rental car and gas with four people can bring your transportation cost down to as little as $25 per person. Also, if you can’t get a group together to cut costs or just don’t like driving in the snow, you might want to consider taking a bus. There are many bus companies where you will find great deals on a bus ride to and from Lake Tahoe or your favorite ski resort.
3) Tickets! Did you get a season pass? If you plan to go 5 or more times, this is your most profitable option. If you plan to go more than once, but no more than 5 times, you may want to consider a “multi-day pass” available on many of these mountains. Whether you just want to go for one day, or to multiple mountains, Craigslist often has great deals for people trying to unload their ticket. Our personal favorite is the “Double Whammy” season pass which is offered at $219 if purchased early in the season and you are a student. If you’re not a student, maybe you could consider taking a couple of classes at your local community college and save yourself a ton of money.
4) Overnight? Our favorite cheap hotel with a hot tub is called The Tahoe Inn. If you’re feeling adventurous, you can try searching the Couch Surfing organization for a free stay and maybe even a new friend. =) If you’re determined to find a different hotel, check out Kayak’s website for great discount deals.
5) Community? Do you want to find other like-minded snowboarders? Organization Google SnowPals to find group tours and other discounted organized events.
6) Equipment, boards, clothes? The Sierra Snowboard store is on the way to Lake Tahoe from the Bay Area and is HUGE with great deals and discounts. You can also try Burton or House Snowboarding Company. For great protective gear, look to XSportsProtective. And if you know your size, we recommend looking on eBay, Craigslist, or Amazon first.
We hope you have benefited from our information, we have many more linked on our website.