Mt. Rose Ski Resort - Lake Tahoe
By Staff |
Wed, 31 Dec 1969
Since
1930, long before the present Mt. Rose Highway
was built, or even chairlifts were constructed, Reno
and Washoe County locals have been skiing in the
area currently known as Mt. Rose - Ski Tahoe. Shortly
after World War II, a lodge called Sky Tavern was
built in the area where a few surface lifts had been
operating since the late 30's. Sky Tavern was, and
continues to be located on the Mt. Rose Highway (SR
431), 11 miles west of US 395, just south of Reno. Eventually this historic
ski lodge would be sold to the City of Reno where it still operates the
cityâs
Junior Ski Program.
From Sky Tavern, devoted skiers hiked up to the 9,700' peak of Slide
Mountain and skied in the location of the present
Mt. Rose - Ski Tahoe. By widening the existing logging
trails for better ski terrain, these former powder
hounds were cutting some of the first ski trails
in the Sierra Nevada. In 1950, the old Mt. Rose Hwy
was merely a summer road connecting Reno with beautiful
Lake Tahoe. As the years marched on, the old SR431
continued to be improved allowing winter travel to
higher elevations; therefore more ski terrain became
easily accessible. The original Reno Ski Bowl was
constructed on the east slope of Slide Mountain (currently
the East Bowl of Mt. Rose), and at one point was
connected to the Sky Tavern area by the old Ringer
Chair. This lift
spanned Bum's
Gulch, taking it to the base of the Reno Ski Bowl.
Remnants of this lift can still be seen on the highway
about 2 miles below the Mt. Rose main lodge where
a lone, rusty lift tower remains standing. When Squaw
Valley hosted the 1960 Winter Olympics, the Reno
Ski Bowl was actually chosen as an alternate site
for skiing events if Squaw did not have adequate
snow coverage.
