It seems that every year about this time I begin to dream about the snow falling and all the great lines I intend to carve when Heavenly Ski Resort opens in the Fall. This season, I am interested in all the new ski and snowboard rentals that will be available to experience on the hill. Most people are beach-side burning themselves to a crisp this time of year, but my brain is thinking of cloudy skies, pounding snow, and thundering avalanche cannons. In South Lake Tahoe, the Heavenly Ski Basin receives some of the heaviest snow fall that I have witnessed in North America. This is just one of the many reasons we are blessed to ski in the Sierra-Nevada Mountains. With so many major cities around the area, Heavenly Ski Resort is very accessible for families to make a quick trip up and enjoy all of the winter festivities. Families can be assured that they will have an amazing trip and make memories that will last a lifetime. There really is nothing like experiencing the snow and all its glory with your loved ones. One of these days, I might be content with sunny afternoons and bathing suits, but, at this time in my life, all I want is to be on the Heavenly Gondola with some brand new ski rentals, fresh wax, and feet of snow. So for now, I'll just have to deal with my Fall Fever and keep dreaming of snow falling and pray for an early winter season in Lake Tahoe.
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Every year about this time in the Sierras, fire becomes a major concern for the community. This summer we have been experiencing an awful lot of moisture for our area. In my five years of living in South Lake Tahoe, I have never witnessed so much precipitation in the month of July. Unfortunately, this has created a false sense of safety among the great folks here in Tahoe. These storms can actually be more of a nightmare than a dream for the people living up here in the Sierra-Nevada Mountains. One would think that we are receiving ample moisture, therefore fire danger should be relatively low. Resultantly, it allows for multiple lightning strikes to rock the Tahoe Basin and leave us vulnerable for environmental hardships. We also have a lot of dry sage and brush which is indigenous to the region and is extremely flammable. For example, just last week, a lightning strike sparked a small fire right outside the Lake Tahoe Community College and a second strike hit Heavenly Mountain Ski Resort. Luckily, our local South Lake Tahoe Fire Department, Lake Valley Fire Protection District and the U.S. Forest Service were extremely alert and quick to respond to the emergency. They were able to quench the flames and save us from dealing with a huge disaster. Sometimes we don't realize how close we come to devastation, and that there are people out there behind the scenes who are constantly saving the day. These folks don't ask for a pat on the back or any celebration, they just go to work everyday, serve the people of Tahoe, and are the true heroes of our community. On the other hand, a lot of us winter enthusiasts only view the crazy weather as a sign for great things to come this upcoming ski and snowboarding season in Tahoe. We have all heard that this is a "La Nina" year and the precipitation we are experiencing this summer only supports that notion. Hopefully, this will allow us an early opening for Heavenly Mountain and brings us an unlimited amount of snow-pack this season. Still the threat of fire looms while we wait for our ski and snowboard rentals to come out of the garage and onto the hill. Just remember, the next time you bump into your local firefighters, don't forget to tell them, "Thanks for protecting our community and keeping us safe at home."
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Hassle of flying, remedied by using Ski Butlers
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To Damage Waiver or not to Damage Waiver? The age old question. Off all the poeple that use ski rentals, only a handful of select novices should never have it. These skiers are traveling at such slow speeds on green slopes that it is near impossible to damage a piece of ski equipment. However, there is great debate amongst all others about the value of the Damage Waiver.
First, there are varying conditions that warrant the necessity for a damage waiver. Early season as well as spring skiing pose risks for those who opt out of extra equipment protection. There are many obstacles that are hidden during early season when rocks can be covered with just an inch of fresh snow. Also, in the spring, rocks will expose themselves at a moments notice. These are all reasons to have extra equipment protection for your ski and snowboard rentals.
Second, many ski equipment shops have rentals that are valued well above $1000. If you happen to rent this ski equipment package or something similar, you will want to consider the additional cost to repair high-end ski rentals as opposed to basic rentals. Some rental shops even have a more expensive damage waiver for high-end ski and snowboard rentals. By paying $5 per day, you can rest assured there are few circumstances that could warrant any additional cost. And these would be Loss or Theft.
Of course, there are always a couple of ski rentals that get returned damged beyond repair. And this is the scenario in which the Damage Waiver would offer no assistance. As a participant in the rental agreement, you agree to be responsible for the equipment while skiing and riding and thus, no compnesation will be given for people that trash equipment.
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I was looking on the internet for a good place to ski and for ski rentals for our trip to Heavenly in South Lake Tahoe this winter and all of the discovered the ski rentals I needed for Heavenly, Kirkwood, and Sierra at Tahoe. All three are located in the Lake Tahoe vicinity and snowboards are welcome at any resort in Lake Tahoe. I've decided I'm going to South Lake Tahoe for my ski and snowboard tri[p this winter.
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