Lake Tahoe's biggest and most extravagant ski resorts have their foil in the cozy little mountain of Homewood.
While some nearby resorts seem given over to an endless process of development and modernization, Homewood Mountain Resort has retained its modest charm. There are no hotels or high-end restaurants on the mountain, but there are spacious slopes, varied terrains and spectacular views.
The mountain is a mere 15 minutes from the commercial hub of Truckee, yet is inconspicuously tucked away behind Lake Tahoe's westernmost edge, accessible only by a long residential road that hugs the lake on one side and branches into steep driveways on the other.
The resort encompasses two distinct parts: north mountain and south mountain, although both are actually faces of the same mountain -- just bisected by a vertical ribbon of trees and houses.
The resort has 60 total runs and seven chairlifts; it is 1,650 feet from top to bottom, with a summit altitude of 7,800 feet.
Employees and regular visitors say Homewood gets crowded during the holidays but almost never sees the leviathan lift lines that skiers dread.
"It's just a community here of an eclectic group of really friendly, cool people," said ski patrolman Jens Schneyder. "Although I have been hit with more than my fair share of snowballs."
The mountain has only one high-speed chairlift, but riders who creep up the mountain on one of the slower lifts can pass the time by taking in the sweeping panorama of a gleaming Lake Tahoe and the surrounding landscape.
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The mountain has a healthy mix of easy and challenging runs, although advanced riders seeking high thrills might be tempted to explore certain unmarked territories. In fact, getting to the mountain's steepest inclines requires a short hike away from where its highest chairlift drops you off. After a good snowfall, the hike is well worthwhile, as adventurers can enjoy a steep drop into their coveted powder bowl.
Homewood is itself a kind of out-of-the-way place, although it's not really that out of the way. It's just that many riders who reflexively flock to the more populous ski meccas of Tahoe may not even think to go there.
Those who do are unlikely to be disappointed. Some other mountains may offer a bit more in the way of the quick adrenaline rush, but the warm feeling that pervades the homey mountain of Homewood is a scarce and satisfying commodity.