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Here's a look at current conditions, web cams and upcoming events at your favorite California snow destinations.  CALIFORNIA DREAMING
HEAVENLY
 Absolutely Heavenly: The zipline at Heavenly takes thrill-seekers to such great heights. PHOTO: COURTESY * Lifts: 29 * Top: 10,067 feet * Vertical Drop: 3,500 feet * Bottom: 7,200 feet (Nevada) 6,540 feet (California) * Longest Run: 3.2 miles * Skiable Terrain: 4,800 acres * Snow Making: 73 percent * 20% beginner, 45% intermediate, 35% advanced * One-day adult lift ticket: $83 **New or notable** • Highest vertical drop on the West Coast • California’s largest ski resort   KIRKWOOD Fast facts: * Lifts: 14 * Top: 9,800 feet * Vertical Drop: 2,000 feet * Bottom: 7,800 feet * Longest Run: 2.5 miles * Skiable Terrain: 2,300 acres * Snow Making: 4 lifts, top to bottom * 15% beginner, 50% intermediate, 20% advanced, 15% expert * One-day adult lift ticket: $74 **New or notable** • High elevation offers some of the lightest, driest snow in Tahoe and advanced runs are known for being steep and deep • Dog sled rides (moonlight tours available) • Dog-friendly! MAMMOTH
Fast facts: * Lifts: 29 * Top: 11,053 feet * Vertical Drop: 3,100 feet * Bottom: 7,953 feet * Longest Run: 3 miles * Skiable Terrain: 3,500 acres * Snow Making: 33 percent * 25% beginner, 40% intermediate, 20% advanced, 15% expert * One-day adult lift ticket: $87 **New or notable** • More than 300 days of sunshine a year • Long season: November to June Fast facts: * Lifts: 12 * Top: 8,852 feet * Vertical Drop: 2,212 feet * Bottom: 7,300 feet * Longest Run: 2.5 miles * Skiable Terrain: 2,000 acres * Snow Making: 200 acres * 25% beginner, 50% intermediate, 15% advanced, 10% expert * One-day adult lift ticket: $69  Cliff drop at Huckleberry Canyon
Photo: Courtesy **New or notable** • Snowboarders’ playground: Six terrain parks, a 17-foot Superpipe (the only Superpipe in South Tahoe) • Deals on lift tickets: Three-day pass is $135 and a season pass is $199 Super value: Learn-to-ski/snowboard packages are only $35, including limited access lift ticket, rental equipment, and a 2.5-hour lesson. Offer good Sunday through Friday beginning Jan. 3, 2010. Excludes Jan. 17- 18 and Feb. 14-19. After a week of snow on top of more snow (for a total of eight-plus *feet* of soft, white, powdery goodness), we concluded our trip at Sierra-at-Tahoe, and everyone agreed it was the icing on the cake. With ample parking close to the base lodge and high-speed quads that take you to the top straightaway, you can be out of your car and up to the summit in a matter of minutes, literally. Beginners can cruise all the way down on the super-long (2.5-mile) Sugar & Spice run. There are tons of intermediate runs to explore, bordered by berms of trees that offer easy in-and-out access from the groomers. Our resident expert Kyle was all about the terrain parks and the trees. He was impressed by the new border-cross, too. His favorite was flying weightless through untracked powder, launching off a 10-foot jump, and relishing the pillow-soft landing. It was so good, he just wanted to do it again and again. ("That's what she said.") Fast facts: * Lifts: 33 * Top: 9,050 feet * Vertical Drop: 2,850 feet * Bottom: 6,200 feet * Longest Run: 3.2 miles * Skiable Terrain: 4,000 acres * Snow Making: 600 acres * 25% beginner, 45% intermediate, 20% advanced, 10% expert * One-day adult lift ticket: $83 **New or notable** • The largest mountain in North Tahoe • Hosted 1960 Winter Olympics (50th anniversary celebration in 2010) • 3.2-mile Mountain Run night skiing is free with all-day ticket • Ice skating rink WHAT WE LOVED: Truckee locals have the kind of familiarity with Squaw that Kauai surfers have with their lesser known breaks. And when it's a good day, the parade of cars that snakes to the resort's entrance suggests that nobody wants to miss it, so you know it *must* be good. We were pleasantly surprised that even on what was arguably the best day of the decade we never encountered a long lift line and we were still able to find a patch of fresh powder to call our own. If you're into the scene as much as the skiing, you'll appreciate the village at the base. There are numerous options for a jolt of caffeine in the morning, a warm hot chocolate midday, and a frosty beer apres-ski. A host of restaurants and boutiques lends reasons to linger, and for parents looking for something else to do with their kids, there's even a pottery painting shop. It's a big mountain, so if you don't have time to explore, go with someone who knows where to go.             -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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Rock drop at Sierra-at-Tahoe
Photo: Jeff Hehlen
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