Kirkwood

Snow and terrain draw the praise: it falls drier and lighter than at neighbouring Tahoe areas, and powder lasts because so few people are around. Serious terrain starts off almost every lift - chutes, drop-ins, steep headwalls. Midweek the hill is empty, at weekends five base lifts absorb the traffic, and even the famous Chair 10 rarely has a line. Tickets cost less than at the big destination mountains nearby.

Lifts and wind take the blame. Most chairs are slow fixed-grip triples, only two are high-speed, and a long exposed ride in a gale is punishing. The upper lifts serving the best terrain are often shut outright in bad weather. Beginners and intermediates get little: green runs sit on two short, unconnected lifts. Navigation on the back side is confusing, signage has faded, on-mountain facilities are thin, food is expensive and slopeside lodging is scarce.