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Skiing in Northern California can be a great experience for every type of skier, and every skill level, not to mention every price range. There are dozens of ski resorts, with even more activities designed to suit everyone.

The Bear Valley Ski Resort in Bear Valley, California offers the chance to learn all about nordic skiing, including instruction and demonstrations. Bear Valley is also home to the BV Express. Participating locations that carry the BV Express logo are authorized to sell multiple tickets. You can avoid the hassle of standing in line at several places and buy lift tickets, rentals, lessons, and day care all in one place, and often at a discounted price. Or skip the lines all together and buy your tickets in advance online. If you need to rent equipment, you can also save time by buying your lift tickets at certain rental outlets.

One of the first stops in Bear Valley for families should be the Children's Center. This is the only place where kid's ski lessons can be purchased, and at the same time you can pay for rentals, buy lift tickets, and purchase group lessons there as well. Most group lessons are for children nine and older, so take that into consideration when making plans and booking lessons. The Children's Center encourages at least 72 hours advance reservations, and will not take reservations 24 hours before the date, but some walk in sports may become available.

Another great option for skiing in Northern California is in the High Sierra Mountains, known around the world for its gorgeous views and first rate skiing. The area has great snow in both the Spring and Winter seasons, and offers trails for all types of skiers from the expert to the beginner.

For others, the only place for skiing in Northern California is in Lake Tahoe. Lake Tahoe has some of the most famous ski resorts in the world, and is known as hosting the 1960 Winter Olympics. Try Squaw Valley USA where the Olympians stayed in 1960, and you'll notice that little has changed. The resort offers dozens of non-ski related activities, along with gondola rides up the mountain for the skiers. Every type of skill level is welcome at Squaw Valley, with nearly 200 trails on the mountain. The only downside to Squaw Valley is that during the peak times of the season the resort is overly crowded and can be expensive.

There are dozens of resorts, and hundreds of miles of trails in Lake Tahoe if you're looking for something different. Heavenly Ski Resort is often picked as one of the

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