Lake Tahoe resorts investing millions now in hopes of 2026 Winter Olympics bid

If you're traveling 2,360 miles from Pittsburgh to ski or snowboard in this area on the border of California and Nevada, you want to make sure there will be snow when you arrive. Not to worry. The seven resorts that make up Ski (and Snowboard) Lake Tahoe have plenty of snow -- more than 26 feet to date. Alpine Meadows, Heavenly Mountain Resort, Kirkwood Mountain Resort, Mt. Rose-Ski Tahoe, Northstar California, Sierra-at-Tahoe Resort and Squaw Valley have base depths that range from feet to yards. They plan to stay open until at least April 14. The resorts, less than an hour from Reno-Tahoe International Airport, have spent more than $100 million in capital improvements for this season, an investment they hope will boost their chances of hosting the 2026 Winter Olympic Games. (Nearby Salt Lake City also is vying for this.) "Lake Tahoe is in the unique position of benefiting from significant spending by both private companies and public entities who realize that the destination's time is now," Julie Maurer, president of Ski Lake Tahoe, said in a statement. There are new chairlifts, snow grooming equipment, mid-mountain lodges and base-area renovations that include restaurants and fun events, she said. The seven resorts offer more than 500 slopes and trails on 17,500 acres of terrain served by 125 chairlifts. They also have an average of 300 days of sunshine a year. Ski and stay packages start as low as $79 per night for lift ticket and lodging, said spokesman Eric Doyne. Among