Whether you seek postrun cocktails to help relax your muscles or backcountry expeditions to stay in shape, these mountain adventures ensure you start off the winter right.
Video Ski and Ride School at Heavenly
If you don’t take a video of your trip to Tahoe, did it even happen? Heavenly’s latest ski and snowboarding lessons take the selfie generation seriously by showing guests how to use a portable camera to snap powdery snow and stunning views while on the mountain. Afterward, grab a drink at TAP, the resort’s new happy hour with free craft beers samples from 3–4pm, while you peruse your memory card full of the day’s footage.
4080 Lake Tahoe Blvd, South Lake Tahoe (skiheavenly.com).
Grand Prix at Mammoth Mountain
Get a sneak peek at the 2018 U.S. Olympic snowboarding and freeski teams as hopeful athletes compete in January’s half-pipe and slopestyle competitions for a shot at the Games in PyeongChang, South Korea.
10001 Minaret Rd, Mammoth Lakes (mammothmountain.com). Through Jan 21.
Ladies-only expeditions at Kirkwood
For women who want to explore beyond Kirkwood’s groomed runs, the resort offers a series of ladies-only adventures. Groups of three to six skiers and snowboarders are led into the backcountry to tackle more challenging terrain and steeper slopes.
1501 Kirkwood Meadows Dr, Kirkwood (kirkwood.com). $200–$445.
Platinum terrain at Northstar
The five-star Tahoe resort expands its Platinum program to include Platinum terrain, an exclusive trail over untouched, fresh powder on snow days. Platinum Pass holders also get to skip the line with their own private gate at the front of each lift.
5001 Northstar Dr, Truckee (northstarcalifornia.com). $150–$2,500.
Throwback pricing at Donner Ski Ranch
Old-school resort Donner has offered quality runs at affordable prices for almost a century. Throwback pricing is in effect every week from Tuesday through Thursday (excluding Feb 20–22): An adult lift ticket will set you back just $40.
19320 Donner Pass Rd, Norden (donnerskiranch.com)