Practice area at the upper terminal of the “Village Gondola”
Right smack in the middle of South Lake Tahoe you’ll find the base terminal of the gondola, which will bring you into Heavenly. Gondola guests are treated to a breathtaking panoramic view of Lake Tahoe itself during the approximately 4 kilometer-long ride into the ski area. And beginners won’t have to look very far to find the bunny slopes; right at the top of the gondola are the Big Easy lift and its beginners’ practice area. Unfortunately, besides the Big Easy slope you won’t find any other easy (marked green in the US) trails in that area. With a little bit of caution beginners may be capable of tackling some of the blues, but for more greens you’ll have to make your way over to the Boulder lift or Patsy’s lift and the Powderbowl Express all the way over at the other end of the ski area. Conclusion: Beginners who don’t mind skiing the same slope many times over will be more than content at Heavenly. However, California has plenty of other ski resorts that offer a better variety of easy slopes.