Sierra-at-Tahoe Outlines 2008/2009 Season Improvements

Published October 6, 2008 10:19PM

is gearing up for what the Farmer’s Almanac is predicting will be an above average snow year. With an annual average of 480 inches of snow, an above average year means plenty of powder days to come. Here’s what else is coming at Sierra Resort this winter.

Three new features on the Sierra-at-Tahoe Resort web site will offer guests a cutting-edge online experience and once again raise the bar for web technology in the ski industry. An interactive radar application will allow guests to see weather patterns over precise locations at Sierra Resort, differentiating between summit and base for example, and will enable eager skiers and snowboarders to follow storms in real time as the storms approach the crest of the Sierra Nevada mountains.

Various avatars, or virtual characters, will guide online guests through daily conditions reports, frequently asked questions and general resort information in an audio format. Avatars add a human element to the web site and deliver information in a whimsical, interactive fashion, broadening the communication potential of the online experience.

will also debut a mobile web site catering to the growing niche of iPhone and other smartphone users. Features of the mobile web site will include a touch-screen design with live feeds reporting daily conditions, weather, news, events and more.

The Sierra-at-Tahoe Resort 3-Pak is one of the best deals in the ski world. You can use it any day of the season (even holidays!) and you don’t have to use it three days in a row. When you compare the price to a daily ticket, the third day is essentially free. Plus, if you purchase a 3-Pak before December 15, 2008, you can ski or ride at last year’s price – just $45 per day!

The Sierra-at-Tahoe Resort Pub Club is a special deal for loyal Sierra guests who like to sit back and enjoy a little après fun after a day skiing or riding. For $59 membership fee, guests get their own Sierra Resort beer mug for the season. Membership privileges include happy hour pricing all the time as well as a bigger beer – 24 oz. instead of the normal 21 oz. glass.

The 360° Smokehouse BBQ, inside the Grandview Lodge, will host small, private groups this season after 3:00 p.m. Known among South Shore locals as offering some of the best BBQ food in Tahoe, the 360° Smokehouse BBQ also boasts incredible views of Lake Tahoe and a large, southern-style dining room, perfect for groups of 30 to 40 people. After filling up on pulled pork, brisket, tri-tip and fried green beans (just a few of the tasty items on the menu), guests will be able to enjoy the last run of the day down the mountain.

Environmentally conscious skiers and snowboarders can join Project: Green Sierra to become Part of the Solution. By signing the Project: Green Sierra pledge, season pass holders promise to take tangible steps toward reducing their personal impact on the environment. If 1,000 pass holders sign the Project: Green Sierra pledge, Sierra Resort will donate $1,000 to the Sacramento Tree Foundation in support of its goal to plant 5 million new trees in the region by 2025.

Sierra-at-Tahoe Resort is working with three local groups of school children to collect plastic bottle tops in exchange for a free day of skiing and snowboarding. The collected plastic tops will be recycled into new bottle tops by Aveda£ through the first ever Caps Recycling Program, developed to help combat the devastating effects of plastic cap pollution—and to increase awareness around this critical issue. The program will create plastic bottle caps for their Limited Edition Vintage Clove Shampoo from 100% recycled caps. The South Lake Tahoe Boys Girls Club, the third grade classes at Tahoe Valley Elementary and the Tahoe Environmental Magnet School are all partnering with Sierra Resort to collect caps throughout the winter. Once their individual collection goals have been met, the children will receive a free day of skiing and snowboarding from Sierra Resort.

Building on the progress of last season’s initiatives, like the Green Lot, where hybrid vehicles can park up front in Preferred Parking for free, Sierra Resort will further reduce green house gas emissions at the resort by encouraging guests to participate in the resort’s no-idling policy. Sierra Resort will also offer carpooling resources at SierraAtTahoe.com to help guests connect with one another to share rides to the mountain.

Sierra Resort will begin purchasing only 100% eco-friendly disposable products for all restaurants this season, building on the effort started last season to eliminate as much waste as possible from the resort’s footprint. All plates, bowls, cups and flatware will be made from renewable sources such as sugar cane, potato starch and corn resin.

Also in keeping with a commitment to the environment and to the community, Sierra Resort will host “Green Day” in March – a day full of eco-focused guest activities. Similar to Customer Appreciation Day at the end of the season which benefits local sports organizations, “Green Day” will benefit local environmental organizations by donating one dollar from each lift ticket sold on this day.