Weekend Getaways: Skiing in the Sierras...and driving with chains

Our California 'winters' make it easy to forget that a snowy weekend getaway is as close as a four hour drive, but make no mistake: the Sierra Nevadas are currently buried in snow. All that rain the past week has meant several feet of new snow in and around Tahoe, and we went to check it our for ourselves this past week. Most resorts have excellent learn to ski and advanced level lesson programs for both adults and kids, often complimentary or very low cost when you rent equipment. We chose a lodge close to the Donner Summit, which is the first ski area on your drive from the Bay Area, and it took about 4 hours to reach the parking lot. Going all the way to Tahoe you can add another hour, depending on the weather.

We were hit with about five feet of snow over our three night stay, and saw more than a few people who had left home clearly unprepared; picking their way through the snow in running shoes and in one case, shorts!

While our drive in was clear, coming home it was a bit snowy, and this meant tire chains, a new phenomena for us. It is mandatory to carry chains in your vehicle at this time of year (unless you happen to have a 4 wheel drive with snow tires), and signs on the highway indicate when chains must be put on. There are pull off areas along the side of the road for their installation. People also appear magically on the roadside when chains are required, and for about $30 they will be happy to install them for you. Not a bad idea unless you know what you are doing, and when it is dark and hailing out, $30 seemed like a great deal. When the chain requirement is lifted, the same routine begins all over again. Although taking them off is much faster and simpler, be prepared to get rather wet and dirty - the snow had turned to brown slush on the road by the time we had the OK to remove ours, and it was a bit of a messy job. (A bag to put your dirty chains in is a must). However, since we were now able to go faster than 25 mph - which is the speed limit for most cars with tire chains - we were happy to remove them. All this made the trip home take about 6 hours, so make sure you check the weather (www.onthesnow.com) and the road conditions (www.dot.ca.gov) before you set off.