<p>I’m a college sophomore and I’m trying to plan a trip to Tahoe over New Years with some friends. My dad has never gone skiing or snowboarding. I’ve explained the plan to him and he says his only remaining problem with letting me go is the weather at this time; he’d be fine with letting me go in November or February. He keeps trying to scare me with horror stories about getting stuck in 10 feet of snow in a blizzard or stranded in a car for 15 hours. He thinks I’m too inexperienced with skiing to be going at this time and that only experts dare to go to Tahoe at the end of December.</p>
<p>So is there really that much of a difference between going now and at any other time of the year? Does anyone have any experience with this? Or any statistics about snow/safety that might help? Thanks =/</p>
<p>Here a fact. You are an adult. Are you asking him to pay for the trip? That could take some selling if he is not wanting you to go. Tell him you will wear a helmet (and mean it)…a good number of people do, and tell him you will check in on a timetable that is comfortable with him. You can yell safety numbers all day, but you are his kid and numbers don’t matter.</p>
<p>From a parent’s point of view, yes, it matters whether you go over New Years or at another time. New Years is a time when everyone expects that alcohol (and other recreational drugs) will flow freely. There is also a larger contingency of college students at these types of resorts over New Years, which increases the likelihood of you engaging in risky behavior or others doing it and injuring you as a bystander. </p>
<p>Add alcohol to the mixture of (possibly) bad driving conditions, group expectations (will you really stay on the bunny slope if all your friends are skiing black diamonds? would you really be the only one wearing a helmet if your friends refuse?), and inexperience in what could be a dangerous sport for a novice, and a parent has every right to be concerned.</p>
<p>Even if you don’t drink, you can still get hit by a drunk driver, drunk snowboarder or drunk skiier and get seriously injured. I don’t drink on New Years, but I won’t be on the road because I know that most people will.</p>
<p>How are you getting there (where is “there”? Where would you stay? Hotel? condo? CA side? Nevada side?) and from where? Long drive? Fly and drive? </p>
<p>Personally, I don’t drive anywhere on New Years Eve. I have been partying near home for the past 10 years. A winter storm can close the highways around Lake Tahoe, but that can happen any time.</p>
<p>Tahoe is a wonderful place any time of the year. Much better place to go then say… Cancun.</p>
<p>It also depends on the group you are going with, do you think there is any reason he mighe be somewhat concerned about the company you will be keeping.</p>
<p>DD went on a winter cabin visit with a group of kids in her dorm (this was years ago when she was a freshman) There were two carloads of kids and one of them slid off the road into a tree killing the kid in the passenger seat; that next spring the driver was moved out of the dorm and on trial for impaired driving & the death of the kid. People that seemed "great’ fall of freshman year turned out to have lots of issues by winter of sophomore year; could your Dad be concerned you don’t know the kids well enough or that they are partiers?</p>
<p>You are an adult. Why do you need his permission to go?</p>
<p>I hope you won’t do risky things like drive after drinking or drive recklessly on icy roads. However, truth is that you could be injured or killed anywhere.</p>
<p>February will still have great snow and the lift lines will probably be shorter. Holiday season will probably be “crazy” but some people like that. I’ve heard horror stories, and I’ve gotten stuck on the road during a blizzard. I think it’s a little bit luck but a lot of it is about mature, sober decision making.</p>
<p>Where are you traveling from? Are any of your friends experienced (2 or 3 winter trips in the snow; putting on chains, etc.) with regard to Tahoe? My family lives less then two hours away. We have gone once or twice a winter since my sophomore D was a baby, and she’s never made the trip alone. OTOH, my just turned 17 y.o. son goes several times a year without us, but only with adult supervision.I dread the day he “asks” to go up alone with friends.</p>
<p>If weather is the real reason, tell him you’re willing to not go or delay your return if a winter storm is approaching. I’m guessing the real reason is impaired driving. He may not be concerned about you, but he’s likely concerned about the person driving or the person who is approaching your car at a high rate of speed.</p>
<p>What kind of car is involved? I have an all-wheel drive car and I still hesitate to let my kids (now 23 and 24 and extremely experienced skiers, having skied since age 5) take it to go skiing. Here are the questions asked: what’s the weather forecast? what are your contingency plans if you can’t get back? what route are you taking? do you have extra food and blankets in the car? money? cell phones charged? when are you leaving? coming back? who else is going? are they forecasting conditions requiring chains?</p>
<p>Winter driving is dangerous in and of itself. I’m far less worried about the skiing and the evenings.</p>
<p>We returned yesterday from South Lake Tahoe. There was a storm Monday night that I tried to drive through. It took 30 minutes to go from the state line on Rt 50 west through the city, about 3 miles. I literally couldn’t make it to the intersection of 50 and 89. The snow was blinding, the roads were icy and the pavement was difficult to see. I had to turn around and go back to the condo. The same trip the next morning, in clear weather, was still a 20 mph nail-biter due to the ice on the road. </p>
<p>I don’t know if you’ll be going to the north or south part of the lake, but any time DOT has chain controls on I-80 or Rte 50 means seriously bad weather.</p>
<p>Do you know how to put chains on your car and take them off? Do you have a 4WD vehicle that you know how to use in snow?</p>
<p>I would suggest that you monitor the weather and the highways. If there’s a winter storm brewing, be ready to cancel your trip. </p>
<p>It’s winter, Tahoe is in the mountains, and there are lots of ski areas there (good ones!) so of course there’ll be times when it’ll be snowing but this is unpredictable whether it’s in Dec/Jan or in Feb/Mar. Feb is no more predictable than now so that point doesn’t really make any sense. It’s a roll of the dice (to put it in Nevada parlance) as to what the weather will be like in that area any time during the winter but it’s the weather that makes it what it is with all the ski resorts.</p>
<p>It’s not true at all about ‘only the experts going skiing at Tahoe at the end of December’. You’ll find this out as you wait in the lift lines and try to avoid all the beginners on the slopes. </p>
<p>I think you should convince your dad that you’ll behave safely by - </p>
<ul>
<li><p>Tell him you’ll carry chains for the car and you know how to put them on (or someone in your party does). This is usually required to drive there anyway.</p></li>
<li><p>Tell him that if there’s a big storm coming through you’ll not attempt to drive through it but instead will delay your trip there or return until the storm has passed and the roads cleared. Make sure you have enough money to stay an extra night in a hotel if need be. They clear the roads pretty quickly after a storm. </p></li>
<li><p>Will you be going to south shore, i.e. Heavenly or one of the other areas along the well-traveled main roads into and out of Tahoe? If so, let him know that they’ll be the ones cleared first as opposed to some of the less traveled roads that some ski areas are on. Tahoe has a lot of money riding (Nevada parlance again) on getting the roads cleared to allow the skiers and gamblers to get to the area to deposit their money.</p></li>
<li><p>In the very rare chance that you might get stranded in the car (which you can avoid entirely if you’re smart enough to pay attention to the weather forecast and not push it), make sure you have plenty of water, blankets, and some food in the car, and make sure you have a reasonable reserve of gas in the car. Make sure you stay with the car and don’t wander off. Make sure your cell phones are charged up. As long as you’re on the main highway you’ll get taken care of eventually and will do okay.</p></li>
</ul>
<p>If he’s truly actually concerned about drinking then it doesn’t really matter whether it’s New Year’s Eve or not - in the casino areas there’s always plenty of alcohol flowing for those of legal age. Actually, it seems to me that they’re more vigilant of making sure people are of age than a lot of places because they don’t want to be shut down since they’d lose too much gambling income. Your dad needs to realize that it’s NY eve whether you’re in Tahoe or anywhere else and that if you were inclined to drink, which you shouldn’t, you would regardless. By now hopefully he has a good idea of whether you’re a drinker or not.</p>
<p>I’ve done the trip to Tahoe lots of times and have never gotten stuck in a blizzard, never got drunk, never got in an accident, never got hurt skiing, and managed to have some great times. As long as you’re careful, pay attention to the weather forecasts, remain flexible, and don’t get unduly negatively influenced by the crowd you’re with, it should all be well.</p>
<p>I hope you end up going and have a great time!</p>
<p>^I don’t disagree.It’s the beginners you have to worry about. And putting chains on, in a blizzard, on a slope, on the side of a highway, is quite an experience. Bring money for a “chain monkey” if there isn’t someone with experience. And again, I have gotten stuck on road closed a few miles in front of me, with one of my kids friends having a broken wrist following her first attempt at boarding. My son has also ended up in an ER. If you go, take your insurance card.</p>
<p>When DS was a junior, he went on a ski trip during spring break. To be honest, I would NEVER have known about it if he hadn’t told me. He was old enough to make hotel reservations and the like. And his school had an arrangement with a rental car company for students. They went and had a great time. Our kids are skiers anyway. Are you? If not, maybe THAT is the concern. </p>
<p>You need to be sure you can get accommodations. Some places are not all that thrilled about giving rooms to students especially under 21. If you’re a sophomore, you are probably under 21. Also, keep in mind that the hotels will likely “count” the number of folks in a room so be honest when you register. DS had to pay extra for a room on one of his trips…they “thought” they could just squeeze a fifth person in the room. Hotel caught them and made them book an additional room.</p>
<p>Agree with others…explain what safety precautions you ARE going to take for this trip. If it all works out, I hope you have fun.</p>
<p>Wow thank you for all the advice! I think I have a much better idea of the risks now and will definitely be extremely careful about the driving as well as the drinking on New Years. </p>
<p>We’re not going to drive on New Years Eve. We’re planning on getting there on the 30th and leaving on the 3rd or 4th. I live in South Bay, but some of my friends are driving up form socal and picking me up. Someone’s high school friend lives in Tahoe now and has a 5 bedroom house with enough guest rooms for us. His mom is going to be there and doesn’t mind us staying (for free). The house is in Incline Village on the north side of the lake, and they normally ski at Alpine Meadows. I talked to my dad and explained that we have snow chains, are going to time the driving so we’re at the mountain in daylight, and will be flexible in case there’s bad weather forecasts.</p>
<p>I would trust at least 2 of the people going with my life and I cannot imagine us doing anything reckless. We’ve discussed safety and drinking and agreed to just stay in the house and have our own party on New Years. I think my dad needs a little more convincing about safety, but hopefully it’ll work out. Thanks again for all the help! :)</p>
People that seemed "great’ fall of freshman year turned out to have lots of issues by winter of sophomore year; could your Dad be concerned you don’t know the kids well enough or that they are partiers?</p>