Hitting the ski slopes easy from Santa Rosa

Planning a winter run up the mountain is both affordable and easy through ski shop's day trips, as long as you don't mind the early wake up.|
MEG MCCONAHEY
THE PRESS DEMOCRAT

Do you feel the ski slopes calling?

Hearing the siren call and heeding it are two different things.

You’ve got to really have the itch to feel that snow under your skis or snowboard, because it means forking over $100 for a lift ticket, paying for gas, then driving for hours each way through the frequently hideous start-and-stop traffic of Interstate 80. Admit it. The frosting on the journey is that dreaded “chains required” warning.

Yet for years, Santa Rosa Ski & Sports has taken the logistical headaches out of skiing with a series of one-day-turnaround Saturday bus trips to the Sierra slopes.

For one price, skiers get a comfy round-trip ride and a lift ticket. It’s $99 for youths under age 22 and $109 for adults. (There’s a $30 upcharge on Jan. 3 and a $20 added fee on Feb. 28 for the more expensive Northstar resort.)

If you somehow landed your lift ticket from another source, you can buy just a bus ticket for $59 round-trip.

Movies are played on the bus, and juice and snacks are served in the morning to fortify you for the snow.

The downside? You’ve got to be at the Veterans Memorial Building in Santa Rosa by 5 a.m. sharp. The bus waits for no one.

That early departure, however, means you arrive by 9 a.m., just as the slopes are opening.

The bus departs for home at 4 p.m. sharp, so you’re back in Santa Rosa by about 8:30 p.m. after a quick stop for dinner.

The trips are popular with families and teens who may not be able to drive or have access to their own wheels. Minors need to provide a permission slip.

The next trip is Dec. 13 to the Sierra Ski Resort at South Lake Tahoe.

Other upcoming destinations include Northstar on Jan. 3, Sugar Bowl on Jan. 17, Sierra on Feb. 14, Northstar on Feb. 28, Sugar Bowl on March 14 and Homewood on March 28.

The final trip of the year on April 12 - destination TBA - is Customer Appreciation Day, when employees close down the shop and join customers for one last winter blast on the bus.

For information, visit santarosaskiandsports.com or call 578-4754.

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