Alta Sierra at Shirley Meadows is a very small ski area but fun, especially if you have a young family or if you are with beginner skiers/boarders. I drove up from LA (192 miles each way) on a Fri after the area had received some recent snow. I skied all day on a few powder runs, sharing the hill with only a handful of people. There are only two lifts. There are a few pretty difficult tree runs (very dense), but they are short. Lift tickets are cheap and and the atmosphere is very friendly. See photos I posted.