What is the best resort in Lake Tahoe for snowboarding?

What is your favorite snowboarding resort around Lake Tahoe and why?

• We are intermediate level and have never been to this area. I have a room for 4 nights Valentines weekend at Harrahs Reno. I want to go snowboarding for 2 days. Should I try out 2 different resorts or one? Squaw Northstar Mt Rose Alpine Meadows Sugar Bowl

• Answer:

  Great question. If you've never been to Lake Tahoe, you should definately go to Squaw Valley. They're having their 50 year anniversary of hosting the winter olympics. Definately alot of history there and it's probably the biggest resort around the lake except for maybe Heavenly down south. Aside from Squaw, each resort has its pluses and minuses. My favorite is probably Northstar, but you wouldn't catch me dead there on a weekend. It's way tooo crowded. They've got some great terrain for snowboarders - lookout mountain, the backside, and off of rondezvous, but because of the recent development and new hotel, you could wait more than an hour to get up the mountain and parking is so freaking far away. Mt Rose is way too cold - it's got the highest base, but it's on the highest peak and it can get super windy there. Alpine is great - more relaxed and an older style mountain and Sugar Bowl is good too, but it's a little far from the Lake and smaller than other mountains. My absolute favorite on a powder day for snowboarding is Homewood - they've got great terrain and nice glades with a ton of powder. It's probably the most scenic mountain right on the lake but it doesn't get the crowds because it's more of a locals place. It's also one of the cheapest. If I were you, I'd go to Squaw and Homewood so you can get a good feel of the different types of mountains that Tahoe offers. Here's a couple of caveats, though. If it hasn't snowed in two weeks, I'd pass on Homewood. Go to Alpine instead. If it's super windy (more than 70mph over the ridges), Northstar is your best bet. Whatever mountain you go to on day one, if you fall in love with it, go there again.