dodge ridge

If you want to learn skiing Dodge Ridge is the best place. After trying twice in Heavenly (Tahoe), I almost gave up on my skiing aspiration. However this year we bought the progression pass and it really worked for us. As some folks said the resort might not be as modern as some of the Tahoe ones; however it is absolute value for money.Plus we stayed in Sonora for couple of nights and its a very nice small city..Pros: The SKi Instructors (we went Dynamite Danny and Rod for 2 days). Danny was awesome. Forgiving slopesNot overly crowdedGreat learning equipment and small slopesGreat staff and feels like familyAble to enjoy with familyNice surrounding. Dont miss Pinecrest Lake. Its around 2 miles from the resort Cons:Facilities not that greatDo carry snowchains as the roads leading to the resort are not very well maintainedOverall I learnt skiing beacuse of Dodge Ridge

I liked the crew, a mature group of instructors and patrols. They definitely have better manners, and experience and you feel goos about leaving your children in their hands!I did not like the chair lifts: uncomfortable and without the bar to feel safe and rest your tired legs!!

It's good if you want to keep away from the crowds. The prices are cheaper than the commercial ski resorts. The mountain and the landscape is beautiful.

Great family resort with varied terrain. Its exactly 3 hours from San Jose to the parking lot at Dodge, making it the closest ski area to the south bay. Ski the upper mountain and backside to avoid the crowds. Great Ski School for the kids!

Spent the day on a picnic with my husband up at Pinecrest CA. We don't live far from Pinecrest but we don't visit it too often, we arrived at 11:00 am and had no problem getting a picnic table any where. It was during that heat wave on the west coast the week of the 4th of July. but you couldn't have asked for better weather, the lake was so calm the large pine trees and the nearby mountains were mirrored on it. There are many clean restrooms and easy access to them.We only used the picnic area and noticed that area was very clean. A few weeks earlier a friend and myself hiked around he lake which is called Strawberry Lake. It took us 4 hours and that was stopping for a light lunch which we brought in. The trail is marked but in some areas you do have to look around for the markers. It is a good hike, I just wouldn't want to do it on a very hot day, but highly recommend it!

My friend and I spent several days at Dodge Ridge, enjoying the well groomed slopes, the beautiful weather and the pleasant atmosphere of your cafeteria. Originally from Austria, I have skied in resorts there, as well as in resorts in France, Italy and Switzerland. Here in the States I can only compare Dodge Ridge with the Sun Valley resort, and the Idaho place comes out short in every aspect, except for lodging and the Jacuzzi pool. On Sunday, February 17, due to the three-day weekend, the resort was extremely busy. A helpful parking lot attendant showed us where to unload and where to park. When we proceeded to purchase our day-passes, we were greeted in a friendly manner. Contrary to our expectations, there were no lines at the ticket counter, since several cashiers were operating. We did not have to wait for the boots, but were immediately taken care of. The expected bottle-neck did not happen at the ski rental either. The whole operation was run very professionally with smiling employees everywhere!We had a great day of skiing and ended the day with pizza and beer on the sunny patio. Although all the tables outside as well as indoors were occupied, we shared a table with some other guests, observing the busboys cleaning up after some customers who didn’t. Again we experienced friendly, helpful staff in the kitchen, check-out, and bar.On our way back to the parking lot, the attendant was again helpful and smiling.We were extremely impressed by this resort!

We had a good time at dodge resort. we had our 4.5 yr old take a 3 hrs Ski class and we took an hour ski lessons and had fun.

We have been going to Dodge Ridge for the last 5 years or so. My daughter, who is now 13 learned to ski there and she is now comfortable skiing the black diamond runs. This is a perfect place to bring your kids for lessons! There are a lot more runs than first meets the eye. Lots of trails to choose from. We have been up twice this season and it has been a little crowded (last season, they practically had the whole mountain to themselves) but the kids did get to ski several runs a day and the didn't have to wait too long in the lift lines. The lift chairs don't have safety bars but this isn't a problem for the kids in our group, however, it may a concern to some. Lift tickets are Adult $64 and teen $52. You can also save around $10 each by purchasing tickets in advance at Lucky stores (advance tickets have some blackout dates). The drive from the East Bay Tri-Valley area is so much easier than going to Tahoe and takes around 3 hours. However, be aware that the road (108) is narrow and curvy between Twain Harte and Dodge Ridge. Take it slow on snow days. If you go up at night, the snow plows don't run as often and you can find yourself being the only person on the road. As the Mom and keeper of all the "stuff", I usually hang out in the family lodge North Fork Bistro. It has a cozy fireplace and a they serve panini's and Starbucks coffee. Most of the time you can get wifi access as well. If you use AT&T there is NO phone service. There is one spot going up the hill where you get a little cell service. Take walkie talkie's to communicate with your kids on the hill. The Creekside Cafe has good breakfast and a large dining area that can get crowded. It has a large sport bar also. We have found all the employees from customer service to ski instructors to lift attendants to be very pleasant and helpful! We are looking forward to going back again this season!

We went to Dodge ridge on December 30, 2012. It was so crowded. Lines were long everywhere. It was difficult to find a place to sit down and have lunch. We ended up sharing a table with another group that was camped out at a table while their family members were skiing. Adult lift tickets were $65. Overall, the kids still had a great time. I don't think I'd go back during Christmas break though.

So much closer to Silicon Valley than Tahoe! Only a few places to stay overnight (but there are a few). The ski resort reminds me of how skiing used to be years ago. And the added areas because of a few new(er) lifts make the hill a lot bigger than people realize. It's a real family gem. And even the drive up from Sonora is wonderful. So much easier than driving to Tahoe. We go at least 3 or 4 times a year. Oh, last thing: the amount of snow here can be amazing. It can be impressive.

We are locals and love to visit Pincrest. The lake is beautiful and picture perfect for the moments that you just want to 'escape'. Whatever your style is, they offer cabins, camping and other vacation rentals up there. All year around it's wonderful. For those of us who need fresh air from time to time, Pincrest is ideal.

We purchased 2011-2012 season passes for our family of four and thoroughly enjoyed our very first season passes ever. Dodge is small enough that we can not only find each other but also get a lunch table at noon on a holiday weekend! The terrain is varied and our 8 & 11 year old boys enjoyed the margins of the terrain parks on their skis. The staff is courteous and polite and there always seem to be dozens of ski patrol on the slopes. Especially nice is the easy drive from the Bay Area and the affordable prices for lodging.

I went to Dodge Ridge for a day in March 2012 on a weekday. I got there when the lifts started. The slopes were generally empty (although I suspect that this was due to the fact that it was the end of the season and a weekday).Being the end of the season, the only place that was open for food was the cafe at the main lodge. The food was decent and the staff were fairly nice and pleasant to deal with.I did not stay overnight at Dodge Ridge. That said, unlike Squaw Valley, Dodge Ridge did not have a village complex with shops, bars and restaurants . The set up at Dodge Ridge is much smaller and simpler.Overall, Dodge Ridge is a decent (if average) resort. From what I could see, it is a place for families rather than singles looking to party. It would be a good place if you are looking for decent slopes close to the Bay area at a low price.ProsIt is an easy drive (about 2.5-3 hours) from San Jose. Budget about US$40 for gas for a round trip. Also take note that the drive back to San Jose in the afternoon/evening is likely to take a little more time due to traffic.There was loads of free parking.Ticket prices were reasonable. The listed price was something like $59. I got my ticket at $30 from a guy who had extras (his family decided not to go after he bought the tickets). If you want to save a bit, you can pick up your tickets from a few supermarkets before you go up the mountain. That will save you a few dollars.Slopes were decent (Note : 20111-2012 is generally a bad year for snow in California. That said, the coverage at Dodge Ridge was decent and exceeded expectations). They are generally long, fairly wide and easy. There is also lots of areas where you can get off the groomed runs and into the trees (if that's what you like). That said, the place seemed like it was set up for skiers more than snowboarders. There was a very small park. Only a handful of features were set up. ConsThe chair lifts are a little slow. No ones fault but the lifts are not the newest or the quickest. That said, the ride does give you time to catch your breath and enjoy the views.The lack of a full terrain park.

I love to ski with my dad and sister.There are classes for 3-adult age.

Went there yesterday and it wasn't crowded - maybe warm weather and football Sunday made people think twice about skiing. This is not a ski area with bells and whistles - don't go here if you're looking for a spa, piped alternative rock, full service bar, or snowboarder park. But the price $59 for a lift ticket ($49 for Lucky's voucher at Sonora) is right. The lifts are old (no safety bar) but there is nice collection of intermediate runs, a rope tow, etc. I think this is the closest resort to the Bay Area - only 1 hour to Sonora and 3 hours to Pleasanton are.a