Amid vaccine rules and labor woes, 2021-22 ski season underway

by Kayla Anderson | Special to the NNBW

The view above Lake Tahoe from Crystal Ridge at Diamond Peak Ski resort in Incline Village on Dec. 17. Photo: Diamond Peak Ski Resort

The Reno-Tahoe ski season got off to a rocky start this fall, largely due to warm November weather not allowing for much snowmaking — and thus resorts not being able to open early for the Thanksgiving holiday.

And when it did start snowing, resorts were still challenged with housing issues, a subsequent worker shortage and ever-changing vaccine policies layered on top.

The week of Dec. 13, Mother Nature dumped nine feet of snow within five days at higher elevations across the Sierra Nevada, sending ski resorts scrambling to get as much terrain open as possible to support the inevitable Christmas-New Year’s holiday crowds.

Photos of thousands of people waiting to board the Funitel at Palisades Tahoe surfaced, and locals have been complaining of gridlock traffic impeding their ability to get in and out of the Tahoe basin — a sign like any other winter that ski season is well underway.

In Incline Village, Diamond Peak Ski Resort, one of two ski areas based in the Silver State, started spinning its lifts on Dec. 16, reporting a 24- to 36-inch base depth with most of its terrain available top to bottom.

Meanwhile, Nevada’s other ski resort, Mt. Rose-Ski Tahoe in Reno, opened the same weekend, reporting 4-7 feet of snow on its 1,200-acre mountain.

Mike Pierce, marketing director at Mt. Rose, which boasts the basin’s highest base at 8,260 feet, says while opening after Thanksgiving will likely impact season revenue totals, the mid-December winter storm was a big boost.

Read the entire article in the NNBW: https://www.nnbw.com/news/2021/dec/27/amid-vaccine-mandates-and-labor-uncertainty-2021-2/