Tahoe ski resorts and carpool routes, resort by resort

Interstate 80 crosses the Sierra at Donner Summit, about 7,240 feet, and is the way to Truckee and the north shore: Palisades, Northstar, Sugar Bowl, Boreal, Tahoe Donner and the small Donner Summit hills. It is a divided freeway the whole way, it gets plowed first, and it carries most of the weekend traffic, so it is both the easiest road and the one most likely to be a parking lot at Applegate on a Friday night.

US Highway 50 crosses at Echo Summit, about 7,380 feet, and is the way from Sacramento to the south shore: Heavenly, Sierra-at-Tahoe and the turnoff for Kirkwood. Long stretches east of Placerville are two lanes, so it closes more often in storms and backs up at the chain checks. From San Francisco the two routes take about the same time to the lake.

From Reno, I-80 west reaches Truckee in about 35 minutes. The Mt. Rose Highway, NV-431, climbs past Mt. Rose and drops into Incline Village. US-395 south then US-50 west gets you to South Lake in a little over an hour.

When it snows, Caltrans posts one of three requirement levels on the highway signs and on QuickMap. These are the official definitions, shortened:

• R1: chains required, except for passenger cars and light trucks with snow-rated tires on the drive wheels. Those cars must still carry chains.
• R2: chains required on everything except four-wheel or all-wheel drive with snow-rated tires on all four wheels. AWD cars must still carry chains. This is the common storm-day level, and the reason “AWD with good tires” is worth a lot in a ride post.
• R3: chains on every vehicle, no exceptions. Rare. The highway usually closes soon after.

Notice the pattern: at R1 and R2, even the exempt cars have to have chains in the trunk. Licensed chain installers work the pull-outs on I-80 and US-50 and charge about $40 to put a set on. Practice in your driveway once so the first time is not on the shoulder at Kingvale in the dark.

If you are the passenger: ask in the chat whether the driver has AWD or chains. It is a normal question and a quick answer is a good sign.

Four of the biggest resorts now price parking by how many people are in the car. Palisades requires a weekend reservation in every lot and gives Carpool 4+ cars their own reservation plus a $20 voucher. Northstar's Village View lots are free with four or more and $20 with three or fewer. Kirkwood's paid lots work the same way. Heavenly charges cars with three or fewer at the California Base lot before 11:30 am.

In other words, a driver who posts three open seats on this site is not just covering gas. On a Saturday at Northstar or Kirkwood the car parks free instead of paying $20, and at Palisades it gets a guaranteed spot and lunch money. Say so in your post.

Plenty of posts are not about a resort at all. Someone needs to get to a rental in Truckee, a friend's place in Kings Beach, a job in South Lake, or back to the Reno airport on Sunday night. Post the town and the time and let the right driver find you. In summer the same roads carry hikers to Desolation Wilderness, climbers to Donner Summit, and everyone to Sand Harbor and Emerald Bay.

Once you are at the lake, the Transit Guide covers the free TART and Lake Link buses, resort shuttles and airport shuttles for the last few miles when a carpool only gets you partway.