Dave Smith wrote:
as wrote:

What are the good places where our 14 year old can go off safely with
the instructor for a lesson and learn comfortably?
Do we need to invest in semi-private / private lessons or are group
lessons fine?

We are planning to spend 2-3 days (weekdays, not weekends) on the
slopes and some of the places being considered are Sierra at Tahoe and
Heavenly (expensive?);

No one at our home knows how to ski and we will appreciate any
suggestions that you can pass on;

I have not been to that ski resort but have been to others. When it comes
to prices for ski vacations, the sky is the limit. I certainly don't
recommend outfitting the whole family with skis, boots and the works
before finding out if it is for you. Let's just say that if you are old
enough to have a 14 year old kid, you are going to be one of the oldest
people on the hill.

Absolutely untrue. There are plenty of grand parents on the slopes.
On skis mostly, not snowboards.


You are looking at some serious costs if you use daily rentals and lift
tickets. I have not skied for a couple years and prices vary, but I can
tell you that the ski resorts around here charge up to $45 per day for
lift tickets. There are morning only, morning and afternoon, afternoon,
afternoon and evening or evening only tickets. Night is usually the
cheapest, and personally, I always liked night skiing best. Afternoon
tends to be the busiest, and you spend a lot more time in line at the
lifts.
Then there is the cost of ski rental, usually about half as much as the
lift ticket, but that varies form place to place.

Your best bet is to look for some sort of combination package. The resorts
often have good deals on rentals and lift tickets. It is always much
cheaper to get a multi day pass, so long as you get out there and use it.
You may pay a premium for a room in the hotel at the base of the mountain,
but the savings on rental and lift tickets may make it worth while.

Be advised that skiing is exercise, and is especially demanding on the
legs. You will discover some muscles in the back of your legs you never
knew that you had before. You may only want to ski a few hours a day, and
after 4-5 hours of skiing you will be looking forward to the hot tub back
at the hotel.