Kirkwood

Of the 15 or so ski areas which ring Lake Tahoe, the relatively unknown resort of Kirkwood ranks with the very best – including the celebrated resorts of Squaw Valley and Heavenly. Kirkwood, 160km from Sacramento and somewhat off the beaten track, sits to the south west of the breathtakingly beautiful lake. It has the kind of steep and craggy mountains that could have leapt out of the most scenic of Westerns. As a result, the open-bowl skiing and boarding on many of the 65 trails is steep and craggy too. Not surprisingly, 85% of the trails are graded intermediate or advanced. A new ski village is taking shape at the resort base.