Dodge Ridge Mountain Resort - Pinecrest

The rating is for adult Level 1 ski lesson. We signed up for the lesson online. They charge a change fee of $20-60 if you don't change the lesson date three days in advance. We arrived 45 mins before the lesson. The check-in was at the lodge. The rental shop gave us shoes without any instructions to wear them even though we told them it was our first time skiing. We struggled with the boots and didn't wear them properly. The ski poles were not measured for our height. They didn't recommend we get the helmet for safety even though the helmet is included in the lesson package. The instructor, Mark, was condescending, from the start to the end of the class. He didn't give clear instructions. He paid more attention to the students who had skied before. He didn't teach the basics of how to get up after falling. A lesson with Mark will shatter your confidence. After two hours I didn't learn anything because Mark left me and another student alone. We heard other instructors yell at kids who were taking lessons in the same area. Dodge Ridge DOES NOT care about guest experience after they take your money. The lesson is very expensive for beginners as it includes a chairlift ticket which was never used after the lesson ended at 3 pm. The resort closes at 4 pm. There are many good YouTube ski lesson videos for beginners. Save your money and time and learn from the videos instead of the uncertified and unkind instructors at this resort.

Dodge Ridge is the resort where I learned to ski as a kid, so it has a special place in my heart. It is still the resort where I bring beginners to learn, their lesson+rental+lift ticket package for beginners is a great value, and their mountain is beginner friendly.Nowadays I'm more of an Advanced/Expert level skiier, searching out steeps, slackcountry/off piste, pow, etc, and Dodge Ridge is really not the place for that. There's some decent terrain in spots, but it's a small mountain with slow lifts, I spend far more time waiting than I do sending it down the mountain. Still, not a bad place to go though by any means, far better than the cheaper resorts in Tahoe.Nice little disc golf courses they recently added, too. Can't wait to come back and play more this summer!

Classic Sierra ski hill. Small mountain resort feel especially compared to the mega-corporate resorts in the Lake Tahoe area. Fewer pretentious Bay Area elites than North Star. Less Teslas in the parking lot. Less drunk tourists than Heavenly. Less table hoarding Tiger moms than Diamond Peak. Now the drawbacks. Less dining options. Not a lot of runs. Limited expert terrain. Slow chairs. At least the grooming has improved over the years.

Super fun day easy process for tickets, rentals, etc. Not very crowded and good mix of slopes for the beginners in our family. The cost was good too for a full day. We'll be back!

Cool little resort close to home. Lift ticket prices are insane now days. Dodge still has pretty good bang for your buck. Especially with Military Diacount