Soda Springs

Nevada County, California, has many geographical and historical places of interest, with the Soda Springs ski resort satisfying the needs of ski bums since 1931. That opening date makes it the oldest ski area in the state and one of the oldest in the nation. Anyone making the trip here will find that the facilities have kept up with the times, however.

Getting to the winter venue by driving is easy. Interstate 80 provides access to the town that sits west of Lake Tahoe and the Nevada state line. Guests flying into the Tahoe area can use the Reno - Tahoe International Airport, approximately 50 miles east in Reno, Nevada.

Chew on the Terrain Instead

The Donner party might have found the snow in the area too much to handle in 1846, but today's guests come here for as much snow as Mother Nature can dump on them. Winter resorts in and around the Lake Tahoe area are known for high average annual snowfall amounts, and the Soda Springs ski area does not disappoint with 400 inches. Road crews keep I-80 clear all winter since it is a major highway, making the mountain easy to reach during the ski season.

Like other California resorts, the Soda Springs ski area gets plenty of sunshine during the year, though. The venue averages 240 days of sun each year, meaning that visitors will ski or ride on a bright day more often than they will during a dump. Nighttime temperatures drop down into the upper teens in January and February, but daytime highs are usually above freezing.

The daytime guest services usually close by four in the afternoon, but two lodges help reduce crowding during hours of operation. Guests rent boots, poles, skis, snowboards, and brain buckets from the shop on the first floor of the main lodge. Visitors will find other bare essentials at the base of the slopes, but extensive dining and lodging will be found off-site in town.

Family-Focused Fun

The Soda Springs winter experience starts with Mountain Adventure. That provides access to the snow in Planet Kids (a winter playground for seven and under), Tube Town (20 lanes of snow tubing), Woodward Start Park (a specialized alpine learning area at Soda Springs), and "Sleigh Rides" on the snow jeep. These offer winter fun for kids of all ages and families new to snow.

Soda Springs has a base elevation of 6,750 feet and a top elevation of 7,300 feet. Its 550-foot vertical rise might not sound like much compared to other venues in the region, but it is plenty for family recreation and casual skiers/snowboarders. Thirteen named runs rank as "easiest" (four), "more difficult" (three), and "most difficult" (six). That translates to Soda Springs having terrain ratings of green/beginner (30-percent), blue/intermediate (40-percent), and black diamond/advanced (30-percent).

The Soda Springs ski area keeps guests moving using a double chair, a triple chair, and two moving carpets. Another moving carpet lift is available in the tubing areas.