Homewood

Publication: Skiing Magazine

It's not an outlaw. It's not a rebel. And it's definitely not the bad boy. It's just Homewood.

Accustomed to operating below the national media radar, little 'Homie' has the inconspicuous feel of a forgotten prom date wedged between the King and Queen of the class. But while Tahoe's 'finer' resorts try to serve eggs benedict every morning, Homewood's got its shirt sleeves rolled up to dish out mama's tasty home fries.

The first thing you notice about skiing Homewood is that it's either a storm day or a weekend. The self-proclaimed intermediate ski area is not the one you'd necessarily go to Tahoe for, but it could very well provide your most memorable day. And that's the beauty of Homie. When the other resorts are at their worst, this place is rocking.

Because Homewood faces east it is sheltered from the high winds that come with Sierra storms. Heavy clouds get hung up on the higher surrounding ridges and unthinkable piles of snow bury this 1260-acre ski area. Also, it is entirely below the tree line and has almost 600 acres of glades so visibility (and conditions) during near-whiteout conditions is actually good. An added bonus - lift tickets are cheaper than all of the nearby ski areas (1999/2000: $38 full day, $28 half day).

So savvy locals who ski Squaw, Alpine, Sugar Bowl, etc. know exactly which days to go to Homewood - when their resort is closed due to weather. And tourists are occasionally on the positive end of Tahoe-style insider trading. Other resorts' parking lot attendants have been known to point away from their own unmoving chairlifts and utter, "Godahomewood." Chris Leaf, eight-year Tahoe resident and Squaw Valley instructor, describes Homewood as "a storm-day fantasy world; the only place that can handle the monstrous loads of (falling) snow."

The great Homewood irony, though, is this. The western shoreline of Tahoe lies about 200 yards from its lowest ski runs making for the region's best lake views. But like a blindfolded sultan at a bellydancing championship, the views for skiers are lost on these epic storm days.

Original host of EXP Productions' popular Lord of the Boards competition (skiercross, boardercross, telecross), Homie has been right on pace with the new contest circuit. Pro Tour expatriates, freestylers, and Tahoe locals have convened at Homewood over the last five years, biting and scratching their way to the finish corral. But the overall venue environment is more pageantry than hard-core racing. And promoter, Uncle E, certainly doesn't lend an air of stress to the P.A., awarding such coveted trophies as the Lords' Sword, the Cam(era) of Bud(weiser) and the Donkey Punch.

The original Homewood trail map, hand painted by the first owner's assistant, has remained the same except for a few new arrows pointing to a half-pipe (serviced by a Pipe Dragon) and two terrain parks, one called Shredwood Forest. The lodges have changed as little, too. But they have that coziness that doesn't happen when building plans are created from flow charts and tiring marketing surveys. This place is real.

From its inception as two private ski areas back in the Sixties, Homewood has expected each guest and employee to bring their own personality to the hill (people also bring their pets' personalities to the hill so expect the lab to chase the husky and the Burmese around the ski racks and through your legs). Incidentally, Homewood altered its own identity in 1998 by changing its name to "HMR" or Homewood Mountain Resort.

So what other exciting changes are in the air for a little resort whose big boast is a tripling in its Senior Season Pass sales over the last three years? A lot, supposedly. Homewood will grow and maybe even become slightly fancy itself one day but now it is still in the planning stages. On Homewood's mysterious '20 Year Plan,' the marketing office only mentions that it's about "expanding our terrain and services."

Rest assured, you won't drive by next summer to see below-ground parking structures or new 8-Pak chairs going in. You might catch a glimpse of the lawnmower they use to trim undergrowth on ski trails, though. Or you may swing by the maintenance shack to find the fellas wrenching on four new Bombardier groomers.

And that's exactly what you are supposed to see. They say that unless you're the lead dog the view never changes and, for now, the view’s just fine with Homewood.

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© 2001 alex west writing and photography