Mt. Rose Ski Tahoe and the Enchanted Forest

Since the carful of kids love the snow and we don't get much in Texas; we have to drive to it. This winter is shaping up to be a spectacular ski season out West. If you haven't loaded up the SUV and headed for the snow. Do it now.

The carful of kids will try any resort once but there are just a couple that become our family favorites. The ones that we return to year after year because we like the skiing, the facilities, the staff and the overall atmosphere. Mt. Rose Ski Tahoe is one of those.

Mt. Rose Ski Tahoe

Mt. Rose (22222 Mt. Rose Highway) is usually the first ski resort to open every year thanks to its 8,260 base elevation, the highest base in Lake Tahoe. The summit is 9,700 feet with a vertical drop of 1,800 feet. Mt. Rose opened in 1964 and has 1,200 acres with two separate lodges and eight lifts.

As Good as it Gets--under a big, blue sky brighter than Lake Tahoe.

The Main Lodge, where the ski lessons, rentals and all the family-friendly green runs are located, is their original lodge. It has a large deck out back facing most of the runs with a cafeteria, coffee shop, bar and retail shop inside.

The Winters Creek Lodge is the newer facility that is a couple of miles down Hwy. 431. For those looking for double-black diamond runs and the Slide Bowl, this is the lodge for you. The Chutes, an expert only area is accessible through the Blazing Zephyr-6  and the Chuter lifts that originate here.

The carful of kids love the proximity of Mt. Rose Ski Tahoe since it's minutes from the condo where we stay. From Downtown Reno, Mt. Rose is 25 miles. From the Reno/Tahoe International Airport, it's 22 miles. It's even quicker to get to Incline Village in north Lake Tahoe at 11 miles.

What's New at Mt. Rose 

My 13-year-old is loving the runs in the Enchanted Forest like the Warlock.

My only complain about the Lake Tahoe skiing is the limited amount of green runs for families. So many resorts forget about the family skiers and the carful of kids we bring to ski. I get it, we aren't glamorous with our endless needs. We are slow and clog up the lift lines; sometimes our kids are whiny.

There is one resort in Lake Tahoe that is catering to the family-skier in a big way--Mt. Rose Ski Tahoe. The carful of kids have skied here for years but this year we are blown away with what they have created.

The Carful of Kids on the Wizard lift on their way to the Enchanted Forest.

Mt. Rose moved their old Ponderosa Lift and renamed it the Wizard lift. They took a single run named the Enchanted Forest and expanded it into a whole new area especially for families.

The Enchanted Forest is a great area that offers green runs in a separate area that's not tacked on to the bottom of a blue or black run. The Wizard is not a pass-thorough lift taking you to the top of the mountain either. It's the gateway to magical Enchanted Forest that's perfect for kids and the parents that ski with them.

You have the option of skiing down runs like Magic Potion, Dragon's Tail or Spellbound. Even on the busiest of school holidays you feel alone in the world discovering an enchanted land that might be harboring a woodland sprite or dare we say, Harry?

Skiing with my 8-year-old in the Enchanted Forest keeps this Mom on her toes.

I love it. The carful of kids are crazy excited and don't leave the Enchanted Forest all day. Then they head there the next day. They would still be there if it wasn't for the ringing of the school bell.

Mt. Rose--Getting Kids on the Snow

Your kids not ready for independent skiing or snowboarding? Mt. Rose specializes in getting kids on the snow with their lesson packages.

This is a happy kid after a two-hour lesson at Mt. Rose.

The Mt. Rose Rosebuds are for skiers 4 to 10 and snowboarders 7 to 10 that includes a two-hour lesson, rental equipment plus a helmet and a beginner lift ticket. With the online discount, it's $94.

If your kids are a little older (11+), Mt. Rose has the first-timer package with a two-hour lesson, rental equipment with a helmet and a beginner lift ticket for $114 with the online discount. There is a next step package for skiers that have skied before that includes a lesson, rental equipment and a beginner lift ticket for $119 with the online discount.

Mt. Rose does a great job at keeping the littlest kids separated during lessons. 

For the littlest skiers, there is the Little Mule Magic Carpet Lift in the fenced off area just for ski school. For the older skiers and snow boarders, there is the Flying Jenny and the Snow Off area that is open to all.

I have had kids in the Rosebud program for years. The Flying Jenny (the Magic Carpet Lift) gets a Christmas card from me, I spend so much time on her with my kids.

What I like about Mt. Rose's Rosebud program:

• low kid-to-instructor ratio
• the indoor area to drop off your kids
• the instructors fit the kids with equipment for you

What's next for Mt. Rose Ski Tahoe

According the Mt. Rose Marketing Director, Mike Pierce, they aren't done expanding. They have plans for a new lift and a skier bridge over the Mt. Rose Highway (Nevada Highway 431) to be completed in the next three years.

This new area would expand the green skiing at Mt. Rose even more. I don't know about your kids but my kids would put on head-to-toe white snow gear just to blend in so they would never have to leave.

Besides the new lift and runs, Mt. Rose also plans to renovate the Main Lodge and expand the Rosebud children's center. I hope they include a fire pit since they are one of the few ski resorts not to have one.

Mt. Rose Ski Tahoe has been a favorite resort of the carful of kids for years for its value and I recommend it for your carful of kids for your next ski trip.

Know before you go:

• Arrive early for the best parking and fewer lines during school holidays and breaks.

• You can purchase tickets on consolidators, like Liftopia.com, for further discounts.

• Reservations are a must for ski school programs during the school breaks.

• You can get a discount by booking your lift tickets online through the ski resort’s website.

• I like to rent my equipment from ski shops and skip the line on the mountain. Most shops let you rent equipment the evening before and you can return it early in the morning after your trip.

• Don't forget the helmets, they are required for kids at lots of resorts.

• Mt. Rose does not offer daycare services or all-day ski lessons for kids.

You might be interested in:

What to Pack for a Family Ski Trip

How to Pick a Family-Friendly Ski Resort

Free Sledding in Lake Tahoe

FREE North Lake Tahoe Sledding--Tahoe Meadows

The carful of kids love to sled and I have a great FREE spot to share. 

Since the carful of kids live in Central Texas and love to play in the snow, we pack in all the snow play we can over their winter break. We divide our precious time by skiing, ice skating and the family favorite, sledding.

You can sled at a ski resort, where they will rent you a saucer or tube and possibly haul you up their hill with their magic carpet lift; that's fun. Though the carful of kids really love the nostalgic charm of finding a perfect hill in a national forest for the perfect ride.

It seems finding a perfect sledding hill is part of the allure. My boys look at the terrain and go for a feature that excites them. I look for facilities that families need, namely a safe place to park and year-round bathrooms.

That is a year-round bathroom and it's the best family feature in a FREE sledding hill.

My favorite place to look are in national forests. They usually have parking and sometimes you can find a year-round bathroom. I prefer areas that are near popular ski areas, like Santa Fe and Lake Tahoe.

Since Lake Tahoe has the best snow they have had in years, the carful of kids have to enjoy it. It would be great to ski every day, my body and wallet can't do it. So for the days when the carful of kids need to sleep a little later, I plan a snow play day.

Tahoe Meadows 

The carful of kids usually bring three types of sleds or toboggans.  

The carful of kids stay in a condo in Incline Village so we concentrate on sledding areas that are close by. Not far away is the Mt. Rose Highway (Nevada Highway 431) that winds through part of the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest, connecting Lake Tahoe with Reno. The Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest is the largest national forest in the lower 48 according to the National Forest Service and protects the majority of land around Lake Tahoe.

The Mt. Rose Highway is a Nevada scenic byway that should not be missed for the scenic overlooks. It's the highest year-round pass across the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range with a 8,911 foot summit. Along the Mt. Rose Highway is the Mt. Rose Ski Resort that is popular with skiers from the West Coast and Reno.

My oldest is making a burrow in the snow because she can.

About seven miles southwest of Mt. Rose Ski Resort is Tahoe Meadows, a year-round outdoor destination. It is just pass the Mt. Rose Summit on the way to Incline Village.

There are several areas to use in Tahoe Meadows and the adjacent Mt. Rose Summit; some have off-highway parking like the Mt. Rose Summit area and some don't. This area can get congested during the weekend and over school breaks but there's plenty of room to explore once you park your car.

A snow bunny in a burrow or just relaxing in a snow chair?

The Tahoe Rim Trail Head

The Tahoe Rim Trail Head area is the only area to offer off-highway parking and a year-round bathroom. The bathroom at Mt. Rose Summit is seasonal though it has a nice parking area.

This area gets passed up because you can't see the perfect sledding terrain or the bathroom from the highway. The hill starts near the parking area and slopes away from the highway, keeping the kids safe.

Every Mom needs a place to take the kids to have some FREE fun in the snow. 

Depending on what type of sled or toboggan you use and the condition of the snow, I have seen kids go forever. The carful of kids love the freedom to dig in the snow and make terrain features. In a good year, the snow is quite deep and I have sunk to my hip so you need to be a little careful with the younger kids.

The parking area is plowed fairly frequently and I prefer this area over the more popular sledding area father south. The carful of kids can spend several hours, racing each other and Mom down the hill without running into other kids.

Other Activities to do at the Tahoe Meadows

The Tahoe Meadows area is a very popular for hiking year-round. So when the snow starts to pile up, hikers grab their snowshoes to explore. The family dog is a frequent visitor as well.

If you own a snowmobile, there is designated snowmobile parking farther south along Hwy 431. Arrive early for the best parking in this area, it is limited.

Some skiers even use this area for back country skiing. Though it is more common to see cross-country skiers in Tahoe Meadows.

The snow is deep in the Tahoe Meadows.

To play for hours in the snow without the carful of kids complaining, the Mom is prepared. I pack hot hands for everyone in my snack bag and take a thermos with hot water. The temperature is 10F to 15F colder in Tahoe Meadows than at Lake Tahoe, so dress accordingly.

If you are looking for a FREE place for a snow play day with your kids, be sure to check out the Tahoe Meadows in the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest.

Know before you go:

• Bring something to sit on. I have a padded wooden toboggan that I sit on when the carful of kids are playing.
• The snow in this area can get deep, use care when walking to the bathroom.
• I use snow shoes to explore though they aren't required.
• If you didn't bring a sled with you, you can purchase sleds in Incline Village at the Raley's Grocery Store.
• The speed limit is 25 mph though motorists ignore this especially when coming off the Mt. Rose Summit driving into Incline Village.
• Be sure to check on road conditions before you head out at NVroads.com, especially the Mt. Rose Pass.

Up Next: Another family favorite Ski Resort