Tahoe Donner: New Snowbird Triple Chairlift

As the summer comes to a close, Tahoe Donner is preparing for the upcoming winter season with its Cross Country Ski Center ready to open as soon as snow conditions allow, and a scheduled opening date of December 7 at Tahoe Donner Downhill Ski Resort, conditions permitting. Voted 2018’s “Best Family Fun Place” and “Best Nordic/XC Center” in North Lake Tahoe and Truckee by readers of the Sierra Sun, Tahoe Donner is pleased to announce the following on-mountain enhancements at its Downhill Ski Resort and Cross Country Ski Center for the 2018/19 winter season.

The new Snowbird Chairlift is on schedule to debut opening day, conditions permitting. The fixed-grip triple chair replaces the original double chair installed in 1971. The new Snowbird Chairlift will provide improved access to beginner terrain, modern and reliable chairlift technology and an overall enhanced experience for skiers and riders. Its new location to the east edge of Snowbird Run will make more beginner skier terrain available and expand the size of the Learning Center area.

The Downhill Ski Resort continues its focus on the beginner experience. Its Caterpillar Conveyor (C2) was relocated near the Ski School Yurt, providing better terrain for beginners to learn how to turn and stop before advancing to the Snowbird Lift. New this year, beginner Snowflakes classes will be split into two age groups: ages 3-4 and 5-6. Classes for ages 3-4 will be shortened to 1 hour and 15 minutes long offered four times daily to help students better focus on learning and improve their overall experience.

A new PistenBully 400 ParkPro grooming machine was purchased this summer equipped with Tier 4 engine technology that provides lower emissions and better fuel efficiency. The 400 ParkPro’s power and agility will increase the grooming consistency and quality throughout the resort, including its terrain park and park features.

Tahoe Donner Cross Country Ski Center is committed to providing the best XC ski conditions in Tahoe, and a new PistenBully 100 snowcat further enhances its grooming abilities. The smaller and lighter grooming machine offers the most powerful engine in its class with Tier 4 technology and a diesel particle filter that significantly reduces pollutant emissions by as much as 90%. Its power and agility, combined with a new compaction roller and rubber tracks, will allow for more precise grooming in challenging conditions, as well as help open trails more efficiently after snow storms. This investment will help provide Nordic skiers with pristine trail conditions throughout the winter season.

The Cross Country Ski Center continues to offer the latest in top performance ski equipment. Classic and skate skiers of all abilities can demo and compare top-of-the-line skis, boots and accessories by Fischer, Salomon and Leki.

Cross country skiers, fat bikers and snowshoers this winter will notice new wayfinding signage throughout the ski center’s 100+ kilometers of skiable trails. Scheduled to start this fall, the project includes improving directional signs and updating certain trail names to better assist skiing passholders and visitors in exploring the ski center’s vast and diverse trail system.

Tahoe Donner is one of America’s largest homeowner associations, with nearly 6,500 properties and 25,000 members enjoying over 7,300 acres in the Sierra Nevada. Located 18 miles from Lake Tahoe in Truckee, California, Tahoe Donner operates a wide variety of recreational facilities, including an award-winning championship golf course, a family-friendly downhill ski resort, and a renowned cross country ski area with a newly constructed, state-of-the-art base lodge, and equestrian center—all of which are open to the public. In addition, Tahoe Donner operates several member-only facilities, such as a beach club marina, recreation center and pools.