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Lake Tahoe Ski Resorts

Boreal Mountain Resort

Interstate 80 at Donner Summit, Truckee, California; Tel. 530.426.3666

Located on California's Interstate 80 just outside of Truckee sits one of Lake Tahoe's most accessible and affordable ski resorts, Boreal Mountain. This year, in response to ski enthusiasts who thought their skills have surpassed the terrain, Boreal has completely revamped the entire mountain. Boreal Mountain Ski Resort's new runs and restyled terrain have created a snowboarders' and skiers' paradise and their all-mountain terrain park is loaded with pipes, rails, jumps and boxes.

Boreal Mountain's 500-foot vertical drop hits 41 trails over 380 skiable acres, with a wide range of runs for every level, making it the perfect mountain for beginner skiers and snowboarders, or even for the more experienced ones. Plus, complementing their revamped terrain, Boreal boosted their amenities with a completely retooled base lodge and the AprËs bar that overlooks a huge portion of the terrain park. And, when riders are beat from a day on the slopes, the Boreal Inn is located within walking distance from the base of the mountain offering the most affordable rooms and package deals—like the "stay and ride" for $69—of any resort in the Lake Tahoe area.

For those trying out skiing or snowboarding for the first time or just in need of a refresher course in the finer points, Boreal Mountain Resort offers lessons for all skill levels with genuinely friendly, certified instructors. And the beginner hill is a stone's throw away from the lodge and rental buildings. For ski enthusiasts on family vacations, Boreal does have a kids' center in the main lodge. Boreal also offers a ski and snowboard school just for kids because it's never too early to start learning.

All of Boreal Mountain's improvements for the new season are excellent, but perhaps the best aspect of this Lake Tahoe ski resort is that it continually has one of the earliest opening dates—often their expected opening date is October 31—with their snowmakers working some seriously heavy overtime. If the affordability and proximity weren't enough, Boreal is also one of the few Lake Tahoe ski resorts to consistently feature night skiing and snowboarding with lifts running until 9pm to take full advantage of the lift ticket.

—Boreal Mountain Resort review by Ryan Osterbeck