Kirkwood Ski Resort is “rare earth”. Kirkwood is an amazing picturesque retreat located in the vast Sierra Nevada mountain range. Their motto, “rare earth” is fitting for this small piece of heaven. Not only is Kirkwood full of beautiful sites, it is family oriented, has great ski conditions, and skier-friendly lift lines. Kirkwood is definitely a skier’s dream.
Kirkwood is well suited for families. Although Kirkwood offers free parking for all, they provide preferred parking to families with children under twelve, at no charge. This parking is only a few steps away from multiple lifts, as well as the rental off ice and ski school. Lift ticket prices for children range from a mere eight to twelve dollars for a whole day of skiing or boarding. Children actually ski free on Sundays. Not may resorts can brag about that. Kirkwood also offers a very wide range of beginner runs, to give children and families an opportunity to learn. Multiple lessons are offered each day for a variety of skill levels. Kirkwood was rated in the top ten places to learn to ski by USA Today magazine.
Kirkwood has some of the best possible ski conditions. The average snowfall is 638 inches with 374 inches so far this year, which is more than any other Sierra resort. Kirkwood has some of the driest and deepest snow around. It was ranked number eight for “snow” in all of North America by Ski magazine. Kirkwood’s base is at an elevation of 7,800 feet, which is the highest of any resort in the Tahoe area. The summit is 9,800 feet, which is a vertical rise of an amazing 2,000 feet. Kirkwood offers sixty-five trails on 2,300 skiable acres. Their season
normally begins in mid-November and extends into late April. An average of seventy percent of those days are clear and beautiful.
When it comes to lift lines, Kirkwood surpasses the rest. With two high-speed quads, one fixed quad, six triple chairs, one double chair, and two surface lifts, Kirkwood is capable of transporting 17,905 skiers up the mountain in one hour. Kirkwood is also planning to install several new lifts this summer to accommodate even more of the mountain. Even though Kirkwood is off the beaten path and takes a little extra time to get to, that time is regained by the incredibly short lift lines. Kirkwood has the smallest skier per acre ratio when compared to any neighboring resorts.
Kirkwood definitely is “rare earth.” There is no other resort like it. The way it is suited for families, the amazing ski conditions, and the incredibly short lift lines make Kirkwood one of a kind. No resort can match its standards.