Cheap tickets are to be found at Diamond Peak today with the Incline resort spinning chairs for the first time today. Here is the ski report for the day, brought to you by Curtis Fong, the Guy from Tahoe.

By Elliott Beckstrom, Paly Voice of Campanile

At 4:15 a.m. on a chilly morning, a group of snow-goers congregates in the Sports Basement Ski Shop’s parking lot anticipating the arrival of the Bay Area Ski Bus. The cold morning air foreshadows the crisp, dry and frigid atmosphere of the mountains that the passengers would soon experience.

The gargantuan, cozy bus rolls out of the darkness over to the curb and parks by the waiting crowd of skiers and snowboarders.

The bottom of the bus, where the bags are stored, opens up and a rush of people gather around it to put their ski or snowboard bags inside.

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By Kathryn Reed

OLYMPIC VILLAGE — “You have to look ugly to get better,” Fran Tone told the group of women huddled in Squaw’s Funitel.

The nearly 20 women – all at least advanced intermediate — had gathered for a two-hour session of schussing under the guidance of several instructors. It’s not about standing around watching an instructor ski and having her critique you. It’s about being taught the nuances of the sport and getting down terrain that might have seemed inaccessible at the start of the day.

Jonny Moseley offers advice Dec. 16 during Squaw's WOW session. Photo/Kathryn Reed

Wednesday marked the first WOW (Women of Winter on Wednesdays). It’s neither a clinic nor a lesson. Skiing is the emphasis; not talking.

Tone stressed the importance of making good tactical choices.

On this particular day the visibility is horrible, the moisture coming down would make it nice to have wipers on the goggles, depth perception is gone.

Tone imparts some wisdom – use your poles more to feel the terrain and keep one on the ground at all times when it’s hard to see.

“It helps your brain process whatever pitch you are on,” Tone said.

Other instructors – some on skis, some on snowboards – talked about balance being important, especially when it’s hard to see. Having a strong core, and relying less on quad and hamstring muscles is important.

Squaw plans to offer six more WOW days. Some of them will include a special guest. The first Wednesday featured Olympian Jonny Moseley.

His advice on the ride up the Funitel, “Stretch your neck.” Just in case you fall it will be a little looser.

Moseley is Squaw’s ambassador of sorts.

This wasn’t the only chance people had to hang out with Moseley. He will ski with people at 1pm Dec. 26-Jan 2 – for free. He’ll start off easy and move to more difficult terrain, like the run off KT-22 that bears his name. It will be up to the riders to decide if they can keep up with this skier who turned the dinner roll from something one eats into something one does on the slopes.

WOW dates: Jan. 6, Jan. 20, Feb. 3, March 13 and March 17. Each starts at 10am and is two hours. Cost is $49, plus lift ticket. A package of five is $159. Call (530) 452.7263 for information or to book a session.

Ads for Lake Tahoe will be allowed to be aired during NFL postseason games.

The league changed the rules this week, saying tourist destinations  like Tahoe, Reno and Las Vegas that have gaming can televise ads during games Jan. 4-Feb. 28.

The league will decide at a later date if it will continue the policy when the season is over.

Diamond Peak in Incline Village will open Dec. 17.

Thursday will be a Community Appreciation Day, meaning anyone who shows an ID proving they live within 50 miles of the resort pays $20 for a lift ticket that day. Show your season pass from another resort and it’s $25 at Diamond Peak.

For more info, go to www.diamondpeak.com.

Finish reading all of the stories on Lake Tahoe News, then grab your gear and head for the slopes. This is one of the best weeks to ski — kids are still in school. Here is the ski report brought to you by Curtis Fong, the Guy from Tahoe.

U.S. Forest Service fuels management crews will be conducting prescribed fire operations on an urban lot in the McKinney area located on the West Shore of Lake Tahoe beginning Dec. 16 and continuing throughout the week as weather and staffing allow.

Residents and travelers can expect to see smoke from prescribed fire project areas.

Other fire protection agencies, state and local, may also be conducting prescribed fire operations during this period.

Conditions may be better this morning than the afternoon on the slopes around Lake Tahoe because another storm is headed for the region. Here is the ski report brought to Lake Tahoe News readers by Curtis Fong, the Guy from Tahoe.

By Kathryn Reed

One day the roads are nasty and it’s slow going. Lake Tahoe looks uninviting, cold and potentially treacherous.

A day later and it’s like a different world. The lake is calm, the sky blue, the roads wet, but no big deal to drive.

Lake Tahoe -- worth the drive. Photo/Kathryn Reed

The views from Squaw Valley to South Lake Tahoe on Dec. 14 was Mother Nature at her best. Tree boughs are laden with mounds of snow. Piers seem useless this time of year. The lake is like glass.

Highway 89 at Emerald Bay remains closed, necessitating the long way around the lake between the South and North shores.

More snow is expected to come down today and Wednesday. Ski resorts are opening more terrain each day. Plenty of snow has fallen so obstacles are not an issue.

Some resorts don’t have all their amenities open and or terrain. But day passes are expected to be discounted for a few more days until the holidays are truly here.

Highs will be in the 30s-40s, with lows in the 20s — which means icy roads.

And to think winter isn’t even really here, at least according to the calendar.

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Cloudy is the word for the day from Curtis Fong, the Guy from Tahoe. The ski report will tell you about all the snow on the slopes and the conditions.