Visitors storm Tahoe-area slopes for holiday

Many South Lake Tahoe businesses came off slow-and-stormy Christmas and New Year's holidays only to see a spike in visitors over the three-day weekend capping Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday.

While more workers get the end-of-year holidays off, those who managed to get time off this weekend to commemorate the slain civil-rights leader thought of Lake Tahoe, according to several merchants, lodge owners and ski areas.

Kirkwood Mountain Resort, touting the "deepest snow on the planet," finally got a weekend to show off its conditions. Severe weather had closed off the resort from its customer base during critical days in the past few weeks.

Spokeswoman Tracy Miller reported Monday the resort had near-record numbers Saturday and Sunday, averaging about 7,500 skiers and snowboarders.

"Had they not come back, we would have wondered. So it really was just the weather," Miller said. "It feels like home again."

The ski area even got creative with its parking, turning Kirkwood Meadows Drive into a single-lane road because motorists were parked on both sides of the loop road.

Sierra-at-Tahoe had record attendance Saturday of 7,789.

Heavenly Mountain Resort management declined to provide numbers for the public company over the weekend - but vice president of marketing John Wagnon said he's pleased with the outcome.

"We were really happy the way the weekend went," he said.

Vehicles were lined up all along Pioneer Trail and Ski Run Boulevard to get up to the California Base Lodge.

"We feel confident with the amount of snow we have; now we should be in good shape business-wise. But you never know for sure," he said. "And we have the momentum of the marketplace."

And many ski-area visitors headed up Ski Run rented or bought equipment, judging from Rainbow Mountain's numbers.

"It was a good weekend, compared to the last three. It helped us get back in the game," manager Paul Nanzig said, adding the strong weekend helped to make up for losses over Christmas and New Year's. "And still, we have another three-day weekend coming up next month."

Merchants at Heavenly Village had been itching for visitors.

Alicia Miles-Kossman, who runs an optician's shop, said last weekend made up for slower times a few weeks ago, demonstrating just how tied South Lake Tahoe is to the weather.

"It was better, there was more traffic," she said.

Jim Foff of Fantasy Inn said Monday he's also excited about future weekend business. He predicts next weekend may be slower, but he expects a good showing from the weekend of the Super Bowl.

For last weekend, he viewed the "no-vacancy" signs as a good sign people were in town to enjoy the snow without blizzard conditions.

"What really hurt was the first weekend of January," he said. "But this week brought us back to normal."

He was full Saturday and Sunday night.

Visitors appeared to come and go in staggered shifts - with some leaving Sunday and others on Monday.

Station House Inn was completely booked Saturday and at least 70 percent full on Friday and Sunday.

The Holiday Inn Express was full Friday and Saturday and close to declaring no vacancy Sunday.

Contact reporter Susan Wood at swood@tahoedailytribune.com or (530) 542-8009.