Holiday present wrapped in white for skiers, snowboarders

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Ski resorts from Tuolumne County to Lake Tahoe welcomed a foot or more of new snow that will allow them to open more slopes and lifts in time to help ensure a busy holiday season.

About 6 inches of new snow fell overnight Wednesday on the Dodge Ridge Ski Area at Pinecrest, which brought snowfall for the week to more than 30 inches, according to the Dodge Ridge Web site.

All ski lifts were operating and about 90 percent of the mountain was open Thursday, the ski resort's opening day, said Dodge Ridge spokesman Andy Wyllie.

"Snow continued to fall throughout the day, which produced new stuff for people to go out and play in," Wyllie said Thursday evening.

Even though only scattered snow showers are expected Thursday night, he said, skiers and snowboarders should see the same snow conditions with a sunny sky this weekend.

"We're expecting big crowds after Christmas and maybe this weekend," Wyllie said.

Bear Valley Mountain Resort, off Highway 4 east of Murphys, received about 8 inches of snow Thursday and 38 inches in the past week, according to the Bear Valley Web site. Bear Valley is open seven days a week.

The same is true for Tahoe-area resorts.

"It's a great holiday present for all the skiers and snowboarders in Northern California and northern Nevada," said Greg Murtha, director of marketing for Sugar Bowl, along Interstate 80, west of Lake Tahoe.

"Everyone was waiting anxiously for these storms to arrive and they got here just in the nick of time," Murtha said.

Alpine Meadows reported an additional foot of snow by Thursday morning, making more than 3 feet of new snow for the week.

"The snowstorms have been intense. Conditions are fabulous," resort spokeswoman Rachael Woods said. "The timing couldn't be better. This is a great storm in terms of opening trails that don't have snowmaking on them."

Diamond Peak on Lake Tahoe's north shore had about 2 feet of fresh powder on top of the mountain and a foot at its base when it opened Thursday, said Milena Regos, marketing director.

"I'm going to go check it out myself," Regos said. "We're excited. I think everybody is excited. It's going to be a great holiday."

Lauren Iida, 18, of Incline Village, made four runs at Diamond Peak within an hour of the resort's opening.

"It's light and powdery," Iida said. "It's really good, finally."

Truckee snowboarder Chris Cwikla agreed. "It's a lovely storm," Cwikla said. "It was definitely a long time coming."

Mike Pierce, marketing director at Mount Rose Ski Area, just southwest of Reno, said conditions were beautiful after a foot to 14 inches fell overnight. "Most of the runs on the main side of the resort are open," he said.

The Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe Resort Spa and Casino had solid bookings after Christmas before the snow fell, but this week's weather helped sell rooms, said Brad Mettler, director of sales and marketing.

"The snow has been great news," he said. "Not only is it beautiful, but it's good for business."