Every weekend in Tahoe this winter has felt like Disneyland on powder. By that I mean, it’s been snowing a ton (great news!) and as a result, everyone and their toddler has decided it’s a stellar time to slide down the mountain en masse. It’s wonderful that people are getting out there, don’t get me wrong. But a widespread excitement for skiing has made getting to and around the resort, um, how do I say this delicately? A giant f-ing cluster.
To add insult to injury, March is spring break season, so the Tahoe slopes are about to get even more crowded. Already, on a non-holiday Saturday morning, it’s taking Tahoe skiers two hours to drive the 13 miles from Truckee to Palisades Tahoe, and by the time they get there, the parking lot is full. Even if they manage to squeeze into a parking spot, lift lines fill the maze well past 3 p.m. and even the queue for the bathroom can run 10 minutes deep.
Tahoe isn’t the only place where the spring break crowds are expected to be record-breaking. Those planning to brave Utah’s Little Cottonwood Canyon to Snowbird or Alta should expect to sit in the “red snake,” the long line of cars going up and down the canyon. It will be equally congested on the roadways to Whistler, Vail, and Jackson Hole. I’ve seen lift-line gridlock on a powder day at Big Sky, frazzled parents at Northstar getting kids to ski lessons an hour late due to traffic delays, and hungry Stowe skiers standing in mile-long lines for $20 burgers.