COVID changes at Tahoe ski resorts will be mostly indoors
Skiing and snowboarding won’t be much different than usual on the slopes when Lake Tahoe ski resorts begin reopening next month. But a variety of changes are planned indoors because of COVID-19.
Capacity limits will be in place, and some resorts are adopting reservation systems. But masks and social- distancing requirements won’t fazemost outdoor enthusiasts.
“The beauty of the ski industry is social distancing is already there. The chair lift is moving, you have airflow,” Mt. Rose Ski Tahoe Marketing Specialist Travis Bennett told the Reno Gazette Journal.
“Once you’re on the hill, you can spread out. And you’re already wearing goggles, masks, face coverings and gloves as part of normal attire. In that regard, it is business as usual,” he said.
Caroline Guenther is among those who can’t wait.
The San Francisco resident who skis at Tahoe resorts remembers winter storms finally starting dropping snow in the Tahoe basin in earlyMarch after an extremely dry February. Then the pandemic hit, and the resorts suddenly closed.
“We were all shocked. It happened so quickly. We were just kind of starting to hear about corona. I think the week before, they had stopped flights from Europe, but it didn’t really seem like it was here yet,” Guenther said.
“In hindsight, caring about the skiing seems not that important to saving people lives. But in themoment, it was very shocking in themiddle of a big powder weekend,” she said.
All of the Tahoe- area resorts plan to reopen on both sides of the California-Nevada line in the next two months. Several, including Mount Rose on the edge of Reno, haven’t announced an opening date yet.
The first scheduled to open are Heavenly and Northstar on Nov. 20, followed by Boreal, Nov. 23; Squaw Valley/Alpine Meadows, Nov. 25; and Sugar Bowl Nov. 27. Others include: Kirkwood, Dec. 4; Diamond Peak, Dec. 10; and Homewood, Dec. 11.
“People should expect things to be different,” Diamond Peak Marketing Manager Paul Raymore said. “The indoor experience at the resort will probably look very different based on capacity restrictions.”
Diamond Peak will implement a reservation systemfor tables in the lodge. The number of peoplewho enter restaurants and lodges at Heavenly, Kirkwood and Northstar will be monitored. At Sugar Bowl and Boreal, indoor use will be limited to restrooms or using a warming zone for 15 to 20 minutes.
Some resorts won’t allow non-skiing friends and family members to lounge in their lodges.
“But all that being said, wehope the skiing andriding experience are what people expect,” Raymore said. “Once they’re on the slopes, there’s more than enough room to spread out and have your traditional ski and snowboard experience. We hope that will be a nice break from real life andwhat this pandemic has done.”
To limit the number of users on the mountain, some resorts, such as Heavenly, Northstar and Kirkwood — all owned by Vail Resorts— have implemented a reservation systemtomanage thenumber of visitors skiing and riding each day.