Sierra-at-Tahoe’s in full swing. What skiers and boarders will find on the mountain

Jason Bramlette has been snow skiing for 42 of his 55 years, and the Shingle Springs resident considers Sierra-at-Tahoe to be his home mountain. He lives about 45 minutes from the slopes, if chains aren’t required, and was there at 8 a.m. Dec. 27 as the venerable ski area off Highway 50 opened for its 79th season.

“My younger son and I went to the grand opening and we’ll look to support (Sierra-at-Tahoe) as much as possible,” Bramlette said. “I ski between 20 and 30 days a year, and I’ve been skiing at Sierra for more than 40 years, since it was Sierra Ski Ranch. I think I still have a hat somewhere.

“Sierra-at-Tahoe is our home mountain due to proximity and vibe.”

The December start to the ski season was one of the latest in years for the El Dorado County resort. There were a few January openings in the mid-1980s, said Sarah Sherman, Sierra-at-Tahoe’s director of sales and marketing.

If it’s not fickle snowfall from Mother Nature, then it’s her wrath, as Sierra-at-Tahoe is still recovering from a devestating wildfire that destroyed 80% of the trees and severely damaged chair lifts, equipment and outbuildings.

It’s been almost five years since the blaze ripped through Sierra-at-Tahoe and prevented the subsequent ski season, save for an anniversary weekend ski party in April 2022. The Caldor Fire ignited on Aug. 14, 2021, outside of Pollock Pines, about 35 miles west of Sierra-at-Tahoe. Sierra-at-Tahoe fully opened for the 2022-23 season with all trails and terrain parks open.

Five years on, Sierra-at-Tahoe has returned to full seasons and familiar rituals, even as the landscape — and the way people ski it — has been permanently altered.

“The resort is very different after Caldor,” Bramlette said. “I deferred my pass the season they were closed down for cleanup and re-cabling Grandview (Express lift). It took me two seasons to really understand the changes.”

Bramlette said he’s seen positives and negatives.

“A positive is the fire opened up sections of the mountain that were tight trees with obstacles,” he said. “The negative is that West Bowl always closes now for storms, as there’s no longer any tree protection. I love trees, so I miss the ability to tuck into the trees all over the mountain during storms. This is the biggest negative change, in my opinion. Luckily, Jack’s, the backside, and most of Huckleberry (Bowl) were spared.”

At full capacity, Sierra-at-Tahoe spans 2,000 acres, with 14 lifts accessing 50 trails and 2,212 vertical feet of skiable terrain, where beginners can take lessons and make their first runs on gentle slopes.

More advanced skiers and snowboarders can seek their thrills in Huckleberry Bowl near the resort’s summit, famous for deep powder in its ungroomed areas. The ski area also features as many as seven terrain parks for jumps and tricks.

“It’s incredible to see how resilient both the mountain and our team are, and we’re incredibly proud of the restoration efforts that have been made,” Sherman said. “The U.S. Forest Service and the El Dorado Resource Conservation District have been great partners to us, helping with restoration efforts. Together, we have replanted over 16,000 tree seedlings and we plan on an additional 40,000 this upcoming year.”

More than 14,000 fire-damaged trees were cut down and removed in Phase 1, amounting to an estimated 5 million board feet of timber removed from Sierra-at-Tahoe’s slopes.

Phase 2 focuses on replanting trees and reshaping the mountain for decades to come. A mix of Red Fir and Jeffrey Pine, with smaller numbers of White Fir, Western White Pine and Sugar Pine, are being planted and were selected for their hardiness, a Sierra-at-Tahoe release said.

In some areas, trees will be densely and evenly spaced to act as natural trail markers, provide shelter from wind, improve visibility on stormy days and help prevent cornices from forming, a leading cause of avalanches. The uniform planting strategy resembles a grid, similar to an orchard.

Other areas will use cluster planting, with trees grouped irregularly and open space between them, mimicking the look of a healthy forest. The approach is intended to restore the mountain to what skiers and snowboarders expect.

A cold storm moved through the region at Christmas and dumped 5 feet of snow, enough for Sierra-at-Tahoe to open at about 80% of its skiable terrain, Sherman said. The resort typically sees its heaviest snowfall from January through March.

During the 2017-18 season, Sherman said, just 7 inches of snow fell in December before more than 17 feet arrived in March. About 44 inches had fallen in December leading up to this season’s opening.

“That’s great,” Sherman said. “It’s just falling a couple of weeks later than we would have liked.”

Opening day saw Grandview Express, Easy Rider Express, Rock Garden and Nob Hill lifts running, and by Sunday the West Bowl Express was carrying skiers and snowboarders uphill.

The base measured about 60 inches at the summit, Sherman said, with dense snow that operators like to see. Snow-making machines also helped, Sherman said, though temperatures must be cold enough for them to work efficiently.

“The snow quality was great for an opener and Sierra-at-Tahoe always seemed like a great value, especially if you know the mountain well and understand traffic flows, both on and off the hill,” Bramlette said.

He and his family were in the first group on the Grandview Express lift, the resort’s main route uphill, providing access to runs such as Sugar and Spice, a long, meandering beginner trail that criss-crosses much of the mountain.

The lift also serves black diamond terrain for expert skiers, including Upper and Middle Castle and Huckleberry Bowl.

The Bramlettes and other early birds picked up small flags reading “The Mountain that Raises You.” A DJ was spinning music at the Base Lodge throughout the grand opening and all of the food and drink options were available.

Because of the late start, some of Sierra-at-Tahoe’s biggest annual events have yet to be placed on the calendar, Sherman said.

Sierra-at-Cabo will return in the spring, as will Methodology, a banked slalom snowboarding event. The annual Boarding for Breast Cancer event is also expected to return.

“Our community has been incredibly patient as we’ve waited for winter to arrive, and we’re beyond excited to finally welcome the Sierra-at-Tahoe family back to the mountain for the 2025-26 season,” General Manager and Vice President Dan Healy said in a statement. “This season brings two new trails, our new mobile ordering system for dining and the return of what matters most — our Sierra family making memories together on the mountain.”

This story was originally published January 9, 2026 at 5:00 AM.