Kirkwood

Pros: beautiful, off the beaten path, steep and deep!
Cons: a little out of the way for some

OVERALL

Kirkwood is one of my favorites in the Tahoe area. Over the past 20 years, I've skied and snowboarded at almost every resort in the area, including Squaw, Alpine, Sugar Bowl, Northstar, Kirkwood, Homewood, Mt. Rose, Boreal, Soda...

Pros: Fun runs, slightly closer than Northstar from the East Bay
Cons: Not-so-bright, not-so-friendly staff. Hwy 88 can be slow and congested.

Okay, so the conditions in Tahoe aren't the greatest right now. It's been hot and there's no new snow. But that doesn't mean the season's over, right?

Yesterday I went to Kirkwood for the first time. We had a coupon from Coca-Cola for $10...

Pros: Everything
Cons: Its an hour away from everything, which means less people, but still......

In these days of limited ski resorts and artificial snow, there is a happy, horse-shoe shaped valley in which to seek refuge from these artificial storms. Its name is Kirkwood, and its is by far the greatest ski resort in the Tahoe area.

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Pros: Great terrain, uncrowded, chutes and cornices
Cons: Not much total vertical leads to a flat run-out to the lifts

I've skied Kirkwood two times, a powder day and an icy hard pack day and had great experiences, with the powder day being the best showcase of Kirkwood's natural charms. Kirkwood has such an abundance of extreme terrain that even the most jaded/hardcore...

Pros: High elevation, better snow and a good change from the Lake resorts.
Cons: Overrated for in-bounds steeps. Remote location, flat runouts and short runs.

I suppose steep is a relative term, but I used to love Kirkwood when I was a young lad. Back in the day (mid-late 80s), Kirkwood was cheap, steep and deep. But having grown up a little and done some traveling, Kirkwood is over-rated pretty darn...

Pros: Snow, some nice extreme terrain, views
Cons: Outdated facilities; slow, unreliable, and diesel-powered lifts; crowds; remoteness; unsatisfying, short runs; unfriendly staff

The problem is this: Kirkwood got more popular but the infrastructure remained the same or, worse, is aging. Closure of sunrise lift and general slowness of the lifts meant very long lines on every lift, even on chair 6 and 10. In fact, I saw some of the ...

Pros: Awesome terrain, great snow, no crowds
Cons: " Can you say B.F.E."

How far will you go for a phenomenal ski resort?

Kirkwood's downside and upside is it's location.

Yes, it's a pain to get to.

But...it's that "pain" which keeps all but the truely devoted away from this...

Pros: beautiful area, uncrowded, great variety
Cons: none

Kirkwood has been my favorite Lake Tahoe-area ski resort for many years. I have a thing about crowds, and would much rather ski on a relatively uncrowded mountain, which this is! There are tons of great cruisers, plus some amazing chutes and steep...

Pros: great mountain- awesome terrain, not in the main tahoe area
Cons: not in the main tahoe area

I have lived in Northern California no w for over 15 years now, and all those years I have been skiing in Tahoe. I have skied at SQUAW Valley, Alpine Meadows, Donner Ski Ranch, Sugar Bowl, Incline Village, Mt. Rose, Heavenly, and North Star, as well as...

Pros: Fantastic terrain and snow
Cons: Isolated

I discovered Kirkwood about 20 years ago, and even after skiing Squaw, Alpine, Northstar, Donner Ski Ranch, Incline, and Heavenly, I keep going back.

Maybe it's the amazing terrain, the 8,200 foot base, the combination of wide groomed runs on...

Pros: Amount and variety of runs
Cons: Price (both ticket and refreshments), lack of tidiness, attitude of staff

The first impression of Kirkwood for me was: Oh my! This place is dirty! Restrooms were a disgrace, and the other service areas were in similar condition. After looking around me I decided that it has to do with the age structure and attitude of the...

Pros: Trails, location, lodging
Cons: None

Having grown up in the Tahoe area I spent a fair amount of time rambling around the local ski resorts, summer and winter, for hiking and skiing. As an avid fan of cross country skiing I can honestly say that Kirkwood is one of the finest resorts around....

Pros: Great Powder, Cheap, No lift lines
Cons: Lack of Vertical, Remote

I visited kirkwood ski resort while on vacation in South Lake Tahoe. This is truely one of the best small resorts I have ever been to. It boasts 2000 vertical feet and over 500 inches of snow per year. The best part about kirkwood was its powder. I...

Pros: snow, terrain, setting
Cons: small vertical drop, slow lifts

As a "new" Northern Californian, and a lifelong skier, I skied most of the Tahoe resorts for the first time last winter. Kirkwood came out on top, for the location, the quality of the snow, and the terrain.

Unlike some of the...

Pros: Great Terrain, Great Snow
Cons: Difficult to Get There

Kirkwood : Beam Me Up, Scotty!

Kirkwood would be the premier resort in Tahoe if it had better access. If I could teleport, I’d get more than my one trip a year up there. As it is, the road to Kirkwood is slow going, and often closed. On clear...