Stagecoach detachable quad swings into operation today

Recent storms have greatly improved skiing conditions around the Tahoe area with as much as nine inches fresh at many areas. Both Diamond Peak in Incline Village and Tahoe Donner on I-80 open today.

Best news for Carson Country skiers and snowboarders is that the Stagecoach detachable quad swings into operation today. That means that instead of taking Highway 50 to South Lake Tahoe and the California base, skiers and boarders from the valley can take the Kingsbury Grade and board the lift at the top of the grade.

Squaw Valley is bout 50 percent open, which means Siberia Express and Shirley Lake lifts will be operating. No chance of K-22 and other black diamonds ready.

Diamond Peak finally opened with the news snow helping and reports about 20 percent of the runs and three of six lifts open.

Mt. Rose is basking in the glory of its new six-seat detachable high-speed lift and grooming the Slide Mountain side for an early opening. All lifts running except for the back bowl four-seater.

Meanwhile, Heavenly gave media people a peek at its new eight-seat gondola over the weekend. And it was an awesome look.

All of the gondola cars have been hung and are undergoing weight and stress tests with a Dec. 21 grand opening planned. It's eerie to drive the back road around Casino Row and see those gondolas hanging perhaps 30 feet above the highway!

Heavenly gave the media visitors a snowmobile ride to the m

id-station deck of the new gondola (it's actually two-third of the way up the 2.4-mile long ride). The deck is finished except for a few minor tasks and the view from there will make Heavenly clearly the jewel of Tahoe.

The views are about 240 degrees of Lake Tahoe and the setting is idyllic. Except for the steel grating floors, it's all in natural wood. It clearly will become the "must-see" attraction around the lake for summer visitors.

The gondola ends close to the base of the Tamarack six-seater, which means it's one ride up to Nevada-side skiing, a great advance over the old California base or the Boulder and Stagecoach lift. One ride and you're on the hill.

Heavenly has already put in a surface tow in the area between the gondola and the Tamarack chair so that means great skiing for beginners in beautiful country.

Two new lifts will be added on the Nevada side to open up country there.

Big problem is going to be keeping the iron man skiers and boarded from debarking at the mid-point and skiing down that wonderful wooded section below the deck.

Riders can get off the gondola at the mid-point, of course.

This is shaping up as one of the better winter sport seasons with the early openings. Contrast this year with last when it was rocks and dirt well into the Christmas season.

And if you're in the market there are some excellent buys of gear from last season around the sport shops. Not a whole lot of truly new gear on the market so this year's season ski gear often little changed except in the cosmetics. House of Ski on Kingsbury and The Cutting Edge on Highway 50 in South Lake Tahoe have some excellent buys. Even Heavenly is moving last year's gear at great prices.