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- Oct 4, 2018
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Can someone recommend alternatives to the ski schools at Heavenly and Northstar? My 11 year old has tried snowboarding last year but this season wants to learn skiing.
Just out of curiocity, why not Northstar? I ask because Spencer Abbott is great kids coach there. @Mendieta and been working with /name is slipping my mind/ at Mt. Rose. @jwaltz is a teams coach at Squaw, he might be able to help too.Can someone recommend alternatives to the ski schools at Heavenly and Northstar? My 11 year old has tried snowboarding last year but this season wants to learn skiing.
The lessons are pricey
Can someone recommend alternatives to the ski schools at Heavenly and Northstar? My 11 year old has tried snowboarding last year but this season wants to learn skiing.
I am biased - this coming season will be my 21st teaching adult beginners and intermediate skiers at Kirkwood Mountain Resort near South Lake Tahoe.
With apologies to our Vail brothers and sisters at Heavenly and NorthStar, and to the other fine local resorts, in my humble opinion, the Timber Creek area at Kirkwood simply has the some of the best if not the very best teaching terrain in the Tahoe Area.
Look at the trail map:
https://assets.vailresorts.com/-/me...he-mountain/trail-map/2017-18-trail-map1.ashx
Much of the Timber Creek "green runs" are not below groomed runs. So students can focus on what is downhill of them.
Kirkwood is a very wide mountain. As a result, most, if not all, of the lifts are ski lifts. Few if any of the lifts are transportation lifts.
Your 11 year old will love the Ditch of Doom, and then he or she will school you and your wife in it !
And when they and you are ready for it. Kirkwood has a Jets program where a small group of kids are assigned one coach for the entire season. They learn to ski the entire Mountain.
And by the end of the season, kids in the Kirkwood Jet's program often school me...
30% chance of snow tonight on Echo Summit.
20% chance of snow tomorrow.
Or better yet, come teach with us and your kid will get a discount on Jets and you and your wife (and I believe your minor children also) will get Kirkwood Season Passes which are good at all Vail Resorts Worldwide -- even that little resort in BC called Whistler Blackcomb.
Northstar off peak your kids will get plenty of attention. Also look at the U4 program, its a really good deal and caps at 4 kids per instructor. If you go during the holidays, it's gonna be a little different... Something you may consider is getting a few friends who also want to learn to ski and put them all in a private. With privates at N*, you dont pay per student you pay per instructor. So if you can get 4 kids, $650 or $850 becomes a lot more reasonable. Also full disclosure I work for Northstar ski teams.My boys took snowboarding lessons at Heavenly last season. I don't have experience with Northstar. The lessons are pricey and I'm not sure that the kids get enough 1:1 attention from the coaches.