Sierra-at-Tahoe

Reviewers praise the snow first: roughly 480 inches a season, above average for the big Tahoe resorts. Tree skiing and beginner terrain both score well. Almost everything sits below treeline, so people ski comfortably in flat light and wind and lifts rarely shut. The redundant lift layout also earns credit - queues on Grandview and West Bowl Express are relieved by parallel fixed-grip chairs, spreading weekend crowds out. Tickets undercut the higher-profile Tahoe names.

The shortage of hard terrain draws criticism, especially when the canyon is closed, and the low base means late openings. Huckleberry needs deep cover: in an ordinary year some gates stay shut for much of the winter and in a poor one never open. Only a single slow old double serves the Backside, where the best tree runs are, and Caldor fire recovery is still phased, with gladed areas off limits in some seasons.