Posts Tagged ‘Half Pipe’

Sierra has to be one of my favourite resorts around Lake Tahoe in California. After speaking to a few local snowboarders, it was obvious that this was the snowboard resort that most riders that lived in and around Lake Tahoe loved to shred with their mates.

Why is Sierra so popular amongst snowboarders in Lake Tahoe? Yes, Sierra at Lake Tahoe gets a very decent snow fall with around 480 inches of fresh snow a year it also offers state-of-the-art terrain parks and wind protected slopes, but it isn’t these factors which make snowboarding in Sierra so brilliant. There is something about the authenticity of snowboarding in this resort, it is very calm and laid back which is how a snowboard resort is supposed to be. Sierra offers true Californian snowboarding at it’s best.

Another reason that I love snowboarding in Sierra so much is the fact that the resort can be very quiet, especially during weekdays. Most holiday companies that offer holidays in the Lake Tahoe area, will provide hotels in the more commercial areas like Heavenly Snowboard Resort although they will offer trips to resorts like Sierra. The fact that the resorts is reasonable quiet compared to others is probably another reason why local snowboarders favour this snowboard resort.

As a whole I would say that Sierra snowboard resort is best suited to intermediate and advanced snowboarders. The main beginner run can get very busy during the weekends and if you want to learn to snowboard then this resort is not one of the best. The other runs around the Sierra resort are relatively steep and are not ideal for amateur snowboarders but perfect for the more experienced snowboarders.

The terrain parks are very well groomed and very quiet, we spent a day snowboarding in the half pipe at Sierra and I think at one point in the day there were 4 other people riding the pipe with me, the rest of the time there were fewer snowboarders than this. One of the great things about the half pipe at Sierra is the Chair lift which runs directly above the pipe making it easy to access and rid for a whole day.

So if you are planning to visit Lake Tahoe and are reasonably experienced on your snowboard, then Sierra is a snowboard resort you just have to visit, talk to your rep about the day trips to Sierra or even rent your own car, you won’t be disappointed.