The lift across the street was a cable-car tram that held about thirty people. It takes you about half way up the mountain to an area with restaurants where you can catch other lifts going in different directions.

Overall, it was a very nice mountain. They had great trails that were always freshly groomed, and it wasn’t crowded at all. (Maybe that was because we came toward the very end of the season, I don’t know.) The trails aren’t quite as nice as those at Keystone Mountain in Colorado (which we have been to many times), but are right below it. We tried riding the gondola to the other side of the mountain, but found that to be not as nice. Also, the gondola took much longer to progress up the mountain.

Perhaps the coolest thing about Heavenly is that you can actually ski across the state line. You’ll just be going along a trail and see a sign that says "Now entering California." The view is also spectacular! From the top of the mountain, you can see all of Lake Tahoe. It’s one of the most beautiful views you may ever see. All in all, a great ski resort.

The are awesome views of the lake and the Nevada Desert from the top of the mountain. But I think $62 is a bit overpriced for the views and snowboarding at Heavenly.

The resort has it all, from the most gentle and wide beginners slopes, tons of intermediate terrain of all levels of challenge, to the steep, narrow chutes Motts Canyon, where even the super experts hesitate to tread plus a huge half-pipe for snowboarders. There is an excellent ski school for all levels of skiers, I usually take a lesson to brush up and try to improve a little. They have separate classes for the kiddies, too (see Heavenly Rockets in Family Fun in Tahoe Snow).

The two towns at the base, South Lake Tahoe and Stateline have everything a family could ask for in the way of amenities to make it a memorable vacation, shopping, movies, gambling, live entertainment, restaurants, sight seeing, plus a myriad of non-skiing outdoor activities.

Once on the mountain, you can ski from Nevada to California and back again all day, without coming back down to endure the crowds at the base. You can ski for nearly 6 miles from the top to the base in California, with a mix of black diamond to pretty flat terrain.

There are five restaurants on the hill for lunch, so just stay there and avoid the base crowds.

The views are indescribable, the most spectacular I have seen at any ski resort. From the California side you get a birds eye view of the entire Lake Tahoe and peaks surrounding the lake. From the Nevada side there are the expansive ranch lands of the Carson Valley and a pilots view of the city of Carson. Be sure to take your camera.

Although I prefer Heavenly as my base, no trip to Tahoe would be complete without at least one day trip to another of the major resorts in the area, Alpine Meadows, Kirkwood, Northstar, or Squaw Valley. They are all less than 90 minutes away in decent weather.

No first time trip would be complete without a visit to Squaw Valley, the only rival in size to Heavenly and the site of the 1960 Winter Olympics. If smaller is better for you, there are over 20 smaller downhill and cross-country ski areas around the lake, all of them with some excellent skiing.

The only cautionary statement I would make about Heavenly Valley is that the early season snow is less dependable there than some of the other resorts, so December can be a little iffy. I have spent a few dry vacations there, but side trips to Carson City and Virginia City, a dinner cruise on the lake, the shows and gambling at Stateline still made the trip worthwhile.