SKIING: KING OF THE HILLS TAHOE RESORTS OFFER PLENTY FOR FAMILIES, VACATIONERS.

Byline: Bill Becher Special to the Daily News

LAKE TAHOE - With 16 resorts perched in the mountains around Lake Tahoe, the choices can be overwhelming for skiers and snowboarders. Add the record snowfalls in January and this is the year to explore the bountiful snow-sports opportunities at Tahoe.

There have been a lot of changes in the ski industry, and they can be seen at Lake Tahoe. Terrain parks and half pipes are everywhere and not just snowboarders are playing in the parks. Skiers are taking advantage of new skis that are designed with rails, kickers and pipes in mind.

Responding to a growing interest in backcountry skiing, resorts are opening once-taboo areas and working to provide a safer backcountry experience through educational programs. For those who dream in Warren Miller highlights, there are more super-steep, lift-served, double-diamond runs like the Chutes at Mt. Rose that opened this year.

Tahoe has long functioned as a weekend playground for Bay Area and Sacramento residents. Now several resorts are going ski-to-ski with the major areas in Colorado and Utah, trying to attract families who spend a week or more on a winter vacation.

It's the invasion of the villages - resorts are creating walk-around mini-hamlets at the base of their mountains where guests can find a room, a fine restaurant, shops and activities geared to keep nonskiers entertained. And, of course, you can walk to lifts.

Getting to a Tahoe ski area can be quick and easy. Alaska Airlines and American offer direct flights from Los Angeles International Airport and United Express offers connections via Bob Hope Airport in Burbank. Most of the Tahoe resorts are less than an hour's drive from Reno, Nev.

For those more interested in pulling a slot machine handle than big air, the casinos at North and South Shore offer dining, gambling and entertainment.

Each resort has it's own personality and attractions. Here's a look at what's going on:

NORTH SHORE LAKE TAHOE

--Squaw Valley USA: Squaw Valley USA hosted the 1960 Winter Olympics and one can see reminders, such as the eternal flame at the entrance to the mountain.

A true destination resort, Squaw offers everything from a ``Snow Cubs'' ski-lesson program for 3- to 4-year-olds to classic expert runs like those off the KT-22 lift (rated the best chairlift in North America by Skiing magazine).

Squaw is a big facility, with six peaks, 4,000 acres of terrain and 34 lifts that serve 177 runs and many wide-open bowls. The runs are graded 25 percent beginner, 45 percent intermediate and 30 percent advanced. Squaw has invested $30 million in on-mountain improvements such as high-speed lifts over the past decade.

There's also night skiing for those who don't get enough turns in during the day.

The big change at Squaw is the addition of the village at the base of the mountain, developed by Whistler's Intrawest Corp., which also is changing Mammoth Mountain. The Village At Squaw is built to resemble a European town (or Rodeo Drive) with winding cobble streets and lots of shops and restaurants.

Condominiums at the Village are up-scale, with a 24-hour front desk, grocery store, exercise room, billiards lounge, movie/media room, laundry facilities and underground parking. A cable car and 28-passenger ``funitel'' get you on the mountain fast.

Lift tickets are $62 for adults, with deals for kids and seniors. For those older than 76, skiing is free every day. Active duty military personnel can ski or ride free Sunday through Friday.

For information about Squaw Valley USA call [phone] or visit www.squaw.com. For information about the Village at Squaw Valley USA call [phone] or visit www.thevillageatsquaw.com.

--Alpine Meadows: This North Shore resort was one of the last to open to snowboarding, but they've come a long way, dudes.

Only a short walk from the parking lot is a terrain park engineered by famed snowpark designer Eric Rosenwald, who designed a highly rated park at June Mountain. There are two parks, one for experts that includes a 360-foot superpipe with 16-foot walls, and a beginner/intermediate park.

Alpine Meadows has a young demographic and it's about 40 percent snowboarders and 60 percent skiers. You'll also find telemark skiers here, some who even ski the terrain park. The gently sloping tree lined Eco Trail, on Subway Lift, is great for kids and features plant and wildlife educational panels.

The lodge offers parents a slope-side seat to watch their kids in the park. New this season is a remodeled lodge building and new food service, including a sushi bar. The resort has 16 lifts on 2,400 acres with trails rated 25 percent easier, 40 percent more difficult and 35 percent most difficult. Powder skiers should check out the trees on the ridgeline separating Beaver Bowl from Estelle Bowl.

Alpine Meadows has a daily adult ski pass for $39 ($49 on holidays). For information call [phone] or visit www.skialpine.com.

--Northstar-At-Tahoe: Northstar consistently rates in the top five family ski resorts. An example of their focus is the ``Parent Predicament Ticket.'' For parents with children too young for ski school, this interchangeable lift ticket allows mom and dad to take turns hitting the slopes and watching the kids for the same price as one regular adult lift ticket.

Served by 17 lifts, Northstar has 2,420 acres of terrain, with the 70 runs rated 25 percent advanced, 50 percent intermediate and 25 percent beginner. There are six terrain parks with new rails and jibs, a 400-foot superpipe and six Star Parks (just for kids). When conditions permit, 240 acres of backcountry terrain is open for experts.

Northstar also has a Nordic ski and snowshoe center with more than 30 miles of trails and group and private lessons for children and adults. Skate and classic-style cross-country skis can be rented, as well as telemark and snowshoe equipment.

Northstar also is going the village route, with a new facility at the mountain base under construction. The first phase, with 100 condos and a year-round outdoor skating rink, is due to be completed by Christmas. New restaurant and retail space will supplement existing shops. A second phase will add 92 condos.

Regular adult lift tickets at Northstar are $61. For information call (800) GO-NORTH or visit www.NorthstarAtTahoe.com. For information about the Village at Northstar, call [phone] or visit www.villageatnorthstar.com.

--Mt. Rose: With the highest base elevation in the Tahoe area, Mt. Rose gets great snow, though it's known more as a local's mountain. Out-of- towners are missing a lot.

If you really need a ski fix when you get off the plane in Reno, Mt. Rose is only about 25 minutes from the airport.

The big news at Mt. Rose this season is that the ``Chutes,'' an area of steep terrain in the middle of the resort long off limits but poached by adventurous non-law abiding skiers, is now legal. The Chutes adds 16 steep single- and double-diamond ungroomed runs with names such as ``Cardiac Ridge'' and ``Nightmare'' accessed through eight gates. The 1,500 vertical feet of adrenalin skiing is served by the new ``Chuter'' chair.

For the less adventurous, Mt. Rose has an excellent grooming program - this is the place for advanced intermediates to try black-diamond groomers. Six lifts, including two high-speed six seaters, get you to the top fast. No lodging is available at Mt. Rose, but Lake Tahoe is about a 15-minute drive and shuttle service is available from many Reno hotels.

Adult lift tickets are $52. Deals such as half-price Thursday for women, and a three-day ticket sold Fridays and Saturdays for $99 are available on nonholidays.

For information call (800) SKI-ROSE or visit www.skirose.com. For Reno shuttle service and lift ticket packages call [phone].

SOUTH SHORE LAKE TAHOE

Talk about choices. If you stay at the Embassy Suites in South Shore, a right turn out the door will take you to the casinos a block away. Go left out the door and a block later you'll be at the gondola that will take you to one of Tahoe's biggest ski resorts.

Lake Tahoe's South Shore is more bright lights and big casinos than the rustic North Shore and it's going up-market. Heavenly ski resort, Marriott International, Inc. and the city of South Lake Tahoe have worked to redevelop the area, replacing tattoo and T-shirt shops along Highway 50 with other shops and boutiques, time-shares, an outdoor skating rink and fine restaurants.

--Heavenly: This resort was acquired by Vail Resorts, Inc. in 2002 and it's going full-bore on the Colorado-style resort model. The new village at the mountain base features fine restaurants, a skating rink, an eightplex cinema and shops. The centerpiece of Heavenly Village is a gondola that takes skiers 2.4 miles up the mountain in 12 minutes, depositing them at Adventure Peak, where they can jump on new high-speed lifts and access the entire mountain.

Kalani's restaurant, (``Kalani'' means heavenly in Hawaiian) opened this season at the Heavenly Village and features Hawaiian-influenced food and a sushi bar. The owners, from Hawaii, brought in a designer and artisans from the Islands and their handiwork shows in the elegant but friendly ambience. The food is terrific, too. For reservations call [phone].

Heavenly has 30 lifts and the largest area of any of Tahoe's resorts (4,800 acres) spread over California and Nevada. The 86 runs are rated 20 percent easier, 45 percent more difficult and 35 percent most difficult.

If your legs can handle it, Heavenly also has the longest run in Tahoe, a 5.5-mile-long top-to-bottom descent.

There are five terrain parks, a superpipe and lots of food facilities on the mountain. You can also access lifts on the mountain from three drive-to lodges. The Stagecoach Lodge serves the more-difficult terrain, including Mott and Killebrew canyons that offer double-black-diamond chutes and runs for experts.

Adult lift tickets are $65, with teen, child, senior and multiday discounts available. A scenic gondola ride is $22.

Fr information about Heavenly call (800) HEAVENLY or visit. www.skiheavenly.com.. For information about the Embassy Suites, call [phone] direct or [phone] for nationwide reservations or visit www.embassytahoe.com.

--Sierra-At-Tahoe: This smaller resort south of Lake Tahoe is great for less skillful skiers and board riders, with 75 percent of the terrain rated beginner or intermediate. Sierra-at-Tahoe has 10 lifts, including a kid's ``magic carpet'' and five terrain parks scattered over the 2,000-acre facility. More advanced skiers won't be bored because there are five backcountry gates offering access to the steeps.

You can get a backcountry tour for $25 that includes 3 1/2 hours of training in snow safety. Sierra-at-Tahoe also has great wind-protected tree skiing for powder hounds.

A sister resort to Northstar, Sierra also offers a shared ticket for parents to take turns watching the kids. All of the beginner and 96 percent of intermediate runs are groomed.

Adult lift tickets are $57 on nonholidays and there are lots of multiday and group deals available. A ``Three-Pack'' deal costs $117 ($39 a day) and allows skiers to ski any three days during the season at Sierra. For information call [phone] or visit www.sierraattahoe.com.

--Kirkwood: Getting there is one of the attractions of Kirkwood, located at Carson Pass on scenic Highway 88, 35 miles from South Lake Tahoe. Annual snowfalls average 40 feet, and that's just about what the resort has already experienced this year.

At the top of the mountain are chutes, gullies, and wide-open bowls. Lower down are packed powder and groomed cruising runs. Kirkwood is promoting safer adventures with it's new ``Expedition: Kirkwood'' program that offers backcountry awareness, an avalanche transceiver training area and guided hikes, ski tours and cat skiing (like hele-sking but with a Snow-Cat).

Lodging is at the mountain base or a shuttle can be taken from South Shore.

Kirkwood has 2,300 skiable acres (not counting the backcountry) served by 12 lifts. There are seven bowls, 65 runs, three terrain parks and a superpipe.

Adult lift tickets are $59, with deals including kids ski free Sundays on nonholidays and child, teen and senior rates. For more information call [phone] or visit www.kirkwood.com.

CAPTION(S):

2 photos

Photo:

(1 -- color) A skier cruises down an intermediate run at the Mt. Rose ski area, with Lake Tahoe in the distance.

(2 -- color) A snowboarder gets big air at the Super Pipe at the Northstar- At-Tahoe ski area. Northstar consistently rates in the top 5 family ski resorts.

Bill Becher/Special to the Daily News