4. Sierra-at-tahoe
Huckleberry Canyon. Photograph by Brian Walker.
When Ray and Floyd Barrett created Sierra Ski Ranch in 1946 the model was obviously one of origination and discovery. During the Sprock era, from 1953 to 1993, the focus was on growth and expansion. The current focus is more about refinement and tuning. As the winter sports world has evolved, so has Sierra. During the rough and tumble early days of ski resorts in the United States there was a lot to figure out. Families like the Sprocks invented and implemented most of what defined what a winter resort should be and how they should operate. But at the end of the Sprock era, a new focus was emerging for winter sports resorts, one that Vern Sprock understood, but was not able to execute because of outside forces. This was the all-inclusive year-round venue with single source services. You came, you stayed, you played and you paid, all under one venue.
Photograph by Matt Bombino
Sierra is now owned and managed by large corporations, but at its heart it is still operated as a family run business, under the leadership of John Rice, Sierra’s general manager. John has been able to satisfy the corporate needs to show a profit while also demonstrating extreme value to his customers, more so than about any area in the west. Before being named general manager at Sierra-at-Tahoe John had extensive experience in winter resorts in both southern California and locally too. He also had experience in customer facing venues like Disneyland so he fully understood how customers saw value and what experiences they expected from an “entertainment and sporting” experience. John had the formula to carry on with what the Sprocks built, but bring it into a highly competitive industry where customers were treated more like commodities versus guests. John favors the later approach and does everything he can to ensure ‘that' is the environment Sierra carries forward.
So, John’s mantra after taking over Sierra has been “Great Mountain, Great Service, Great People.” This model serves both customers and employees in John’s view. He has taken what the Sprocks created and refined and improved it in both dramatic and subtle ways. Expanding the food service options, enlarging the lodges and seating areas, making the resort more accessible to all, enhancing customer experiences and supporting his staff in career opportunities. Many of these items might not show to the average customer, but when you understand their impacts and see the smiles on faces after you implement these changes, its becomes clear rather quickly.
Photograph by Jason Peters
All of this is icing on the cake. Most of Sierra’s guests prefer one or more of four distinct on hill experiences:
John created one of the best grooming fleets and operators in the nation that ensures Sierra’s groomer slopes are as perfect as they can be day to day, even in times of limited snowfall. And when it does snow, Sierra has some great open and treed slopes with soft, deep powder such as the Huckleberry Bowl. And for those who like the challenge of a steep bumpy descent, Sierra has a number of runs set aside for the development of cars sized moguls to challenge expert boarders and skiers. And let us not forget all the parks, pipes, and feature areas that Sierra is known for, that John made sure were available to all to enjoy; from beginners to world class racers.
Photograph by Zach Doleac.
And we cannot forget the other reason people come to Sierra. It’s the food. There are all sorts of venues scattered around the area from Pub Food to standard hamburgers and chicken strips to vegan, BBQ, Fresh Mex, comfort food, specialty meals, you name it. You can bring a large family to Sierra for a week and never have to repeat a food area twice if you don’t want to, although many have their favorites.
And speaking of families: This is one reason Sierra is so popular. They treat everyone like they are part of their family, and when you come with a family, the experience is enhanced. For example, they have a pass that allows a parent and child to swap places, so one parent can take spins with the child while the other sits out, and then they can swap at any time (the Parent Predicament Pass). They also have lots of programs for all members of a family, to ensure everyone is having the best experience they can have. And even non skiers and boarders have options, such as snowshoe trails and snow play parks or just a nice place to observe the goings on and the safety of the brood from the Solstice Plaza for example.
Browadway Park
And outside of the immediate customer experience, Sierra has been supportive of the community and the industry too. They have groomed and provided an ecosystem for some of the greatest ski racers and boarders including Olympic champions. They also support local racing organizations and school programs for all levels on the hill from young toddlers through high school. And they support many community, environmental and educational organizations and programs. And let’s not forget the ever-popular Sierra Clean Up Day, held annually to ensure that forgotten items are not forgotten for long. Sometimes resulting in over a ton of garbage picked up in the one-day event.
In short Sierra-at-Tahoe is the area that is most loved by their customers day in and day out, season to season. It’s the reason we all flock to the mountains as much as we can and long impatiently all summer long and throughout the fall; waiting for the first signs of snow.
So, enjoy your experiences at Sierra-at-Tahoe and we hope that you will be able to appreciate the resort even more when you have read about its history and what takes place today to make this resort so special and accessible, season after season.
Avi Bowl by Brian Walker. Photographs courtesy Sierra-at-Tahoe.