Guess what, there's plenty of snow

This week's snowstorm should put Tahoe in fine shape for the foreseeable future. Here's a quick look at conditions around Tahoe this weekend. The entire Sierra Nevada has enjoyed snow measured in feet. Expect powder everywhere. Too early for specifics but here's the latest intel:

• Squaw Valley received several feet of snow Wednesday night and is open top to bottom with 27 lifts scheduled to operate. Squaw offers night skiing until 9 p.m.

• Homewood Mountain Resort on the West Shore received new snow on a 66-inch base. Kids 10 years and under ski free at Homewood.

• Sugar Bowl celebrates its 65 anniversary with new snow, eight lifts and 72 runs open Thursday. Sugar Bowl New Year's Eve will have a pre-midnight parade of lights from Mt. Disney followed by fireworks. Fresh heavy snow.

• Alpine Meadows has 11 lifts, 43 runs with several feet of snow overnight.

• Mt. Rose Ski has opened The Chutes through gate access only. An official grand opening is scheduled for Jan. 8. Chutes are just what this resort needs for more black runs. Lots of new snow.

• Diamond Peak is open with five lifts and 21 runs. More good, fresh snow.

• Northstar-at-Tahoe has the backside now open. Free morning shuttles from Truckee and Kings Beach are also available.

• Squaw Valley's High Camp will party New Year's Eve with high-energy-ska band The Lifters from 9 p.m. until 1 a.m. Ticket price will include cable car rides and champagne toast. The slopes will be open until 9 p.m. Deep fresh snow.

• Northstar-at-Tahoe will have activities for kids and adults of all ages, including a fireworks show, torchlight and snow cat parade, and DJ and dancing New Year's Eve. Family festivities (with fireworks) go from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Lodge at Big Springs. Live music by Get Reel and dancing will fill the Base Camp Pavilion from 8:30 p.m. until just after midnight.

• Alpine Meadows Ski Resort has received three feet of new snow Thursday during the year end's snowstorm. With continued snowfall and several additional feet of snow expected in the coming days, this storm could prove to be the season's largest to date.

• As the first-ever indoor skateboard park available at a winter ski and snowboard resort, the Boreal Skate Bowl was built by Vertical Production Industries.

By offering a skateboarding facility (a sport that plays an integral role in the birth of snowboarding), Boreal has shown a new kind of winter resort outreach to its guests.

Helmets are required to access the Boreal Skate Bowl. Helmets, knee and elbow pads, and skateboards are all available to rent at the skate bowl.

The skate bowl will be open Monday through Thursday from 3 to 9 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 11a.m. to 9 p.m., and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

• Northstar-at-Tahoe and Sierra-at-Tahoe invite women 13 and older to hone their Alpine and Nordic skills in their series of upcoming clinics, taught for women by women.

Clinics include five hours of instruction each day, a three-day lift ticket, video analysis, daily lunch, introductory breakfast, one-day unlimited demo rental, a margarita and Mexican munchies après ski party and equipment and boot-fitting seminar. Clinics are taught with a 6-to-1 student-to-teacher ratio and personalized videos are available.

Dates of the Northstar clinics are Jan. 12-14, Feb. 9-11 and March 9-11, 2005 and the cost is $455 for non-passholders; $355 for passholders. Reservations are required and can be made by calling (530) 562-2470.

Sierra-at-Tahoe offers one-day women's ski or ride clinics for all ability levels. The clinics are taught by top-rated female instructors.

Clinics include all-day instruction, slope specific warm-ups, lunch, video analysis and a group photo. Cost is $75 for the clinic only, $115 for the clinic and lift ticket and $135 for clinic, lift ticket and rentals.

Sierra-at-Tahoe will host three one-day clinics on Jan. 30, Feb. 27 and March 20.

Starting Jan. 7, Northstar's Nordic Center will hold women's Telemark and skate skiing skill improvement clinics. The Telemark clinic will be held from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and intermediate and advanced free heelers are encouraged to attend. Cost is $65 for the clinic and $87 for the clinic and rental equipment.

Telemark clinics will be offered again Friday, Feb. 11 and Friday, March 11.

To sign up for a clinic at Sierra-at-Tahoe, contact Lynne Anderson at (530) 659-7453, extension 295 and for Northstar, call (530) 562-2470. Reservations are recommended. Call 1-800-GO-NORTH or (530) 659-7453.

• Volcom's Peanut Butter and Rail Jam will spend the third stop of its 12-stop tour at Sierra-at-Tahoe Snowsport Resort on Saturday, Jan. 8, allowing Lake Tahoe's pro and amateur athletes to showcase their jibbin' skills on Sierra's most challenging rails and funboxes.

The competition is open to snowboarders of all ages and it is free to enter. A lift ticket or season pass is required, however. The competition will be divided into three categories: 15 and under, 16 and over and open class.

Registration will be held in the Aspen Café from 8-9 a.m., followed by a practice session from 9:20-9:50 a.m. The competition will be held from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Broadway terrain park. Awards will be held immediately following the contest in the Broadway terrain park. Prizes include trophies, snowboards, snowskates, skateboards, shoes, clothing and cash prizes for the open class. The top five in each division qualify for the finals which will be held at Mammoth Mountain May 14.

To keep athletes' energy levels high, Sierra will provide complimentary peanut butter and jam sandwiches, hot dogs and sodas to all of the competitors. Call (530) 659-7453 or log onto www.SierraAtTahoe.com.

• Cross country beginning skiers can try the sport Jan. 9 at the North Tahoe Regional Park. Get a taste of the great outdoors with this learn to XC ski. Bring rented skies or your own. Lunch place will be at a nice woody spot. Bring lunch, warm layered cloths and something to sit on. Leader is Glenn Polochko (530) 587-5906, gpolochko@yahoo.com.

Sam Bauman is a Nevada Appeal Staff Writer. Contact him at sbauman@nevadaappeal.com or 881-1236.