bloobyrd.com

I recently shared an article from Ski Magazine that discusses the state of highway traffic into and out of the mountains of the Lake Tahoe area and Summit County, Colorado. This is a major issue not only because of the extra hour or two (or more!) of driving time you can expect if you leave at the wrong time, but it also could have some far-reaching effects on the air quality levels in these pristine environments that we’d all like to keep safe. Luckily, whether you’re a fan of carpooling because you don’t have a ride (or the chains) that’ll get you up there, you want to save gas and do your part in getting cars off the road, or you simply want to hook up with new folks and share a day on the mountain, there are a few services that offer bus trips to and from Tahoe direct from the Bay Area, the newest addition of which is a local South Lake Tahoe outfit called Tahoe Snow and Sun Tours.

Tahoe Snow and Sun was founded by Jamie Giunta, Mike Comeau, Shawn Clapp, and Peter Brumis, a group of lifelong friends from the northeast who were lucky enough to move out west where the snow is much softer, and your knees last a whole lot longer. Jamie had actually co-founded Ride Lake Tahoe, another Bay Area to Tahoe bus service, but left to start this new venture with his long-time buddies, all of whom are experienced trip leaders and seasoned skiers and snowboarders. They offer weekly bus trips from San Jose, San Francisco and Berkeley direct to some of Tahoe’s best and biggest along with discounted lift tickets, lessons and rental packages (if you need ‘em).

Although TS&S is one of several bus services in the area, what makes them so appealing over other providers is their sweet, sweet price. Whereas most other bus trips cost about $100 and up, Tahoe Snow and Sun offers the same thing for 20 bucks less at $79. You just won’t get breakfast but c’mon…you’d probably rather pack your own banana and flask of Jack Daniels anyway.

And when it comes to the après ski…they do it up right. As co-founder Jamie Giunta tells me, “Yesterday we ended the day with a chili cookout complete with beer and other beverages. No extra charge. So $20 less and a great end of the day mixer at the bus to send people home on a full stomach. That is what really separates us from rest. We load up our grills and tailgating gear and meet the bus at the resort.” That, my friends, is what’s called the RIGHT way to do it.

As the name suggests, these guys also plan on continuing bus service beyond the winter months by offering warm weather trips for mountain biking, water sports activities, and EcoTours. In fact, co-founder Peter Brumis is a sustainability freak who teaches Eco-Tourism and Introduction to Green Business at Lake Tahoe Community College…so you can feel good about saving the planet, in addition to your wallet, and supporting a company that’s always pushing to go greener.

Their grand opening weekend went off without a hitch with plenty of sign-ups so make sure to visit their site now and book your own ride. They’ll be doing trips to Kirkwood every single Sunday and adding Saturday trips to Sierra and Northstar to the mix in late January.

TAHOE SNOW AND SUN website