“No Way, I Used That App”: Finding Ski Buddies Around Lake Tahoe in 2021
SkiBuds
In January 2021 SkiBuds was being built from Reno. On February 6 the account posted a photo of a laptop running the app beside its code: “Big things are happening at the SkiBuds headquarters in Reno. Coming out with a whole revamp of the main interface.” Between coding sessions, founder Stephen Phillips rode the mountains around Lake Tahoe. This story follows the SkiBuds Instagram posts from those weeks, with their publication dates. It includes the best accidental meetup in the whole archive.
Back in Tahoe with new gear and a car full of flags
The trip began with a plan posted on January 7: “Pretty sick to have the new skibuds gear in. Heavenly Saturday. Northstar Sunday.” Three days later came a post from Heavenly showing a blue Subaru with flags on the roof box and stickers on the windshield: “Beautiful day at heavenly!!!! If you want some flags for your car to put up when you ride shoot us a DM.”
Car flags were one of the ideas Stephen and Michael brainstormed that winter: something visible in a parking lot that lets other riders know you are up for company. A sticker, a hat or a flag can start a conversation in a way a phone in your pocket never will.
The Heavenly lift line
That winter Stephen had changed how he promoted the app. On January 31, 2021 the account explained: “most of you don't know how I ride this year that met me last, but it's still SkiBuds loud- stickers everywhere, shirt, hoodie, etc... But my vibe is different, I don't mention it often, I don't pass out stickers.”
Then came the story. “The line was very very long at heavenly 2 days ago. I met a guy from the Bay Area and was talking to him for probably 15-20 minutes before I mentioned how SkiBuds was a hobby project I've been working on. Immediately I turned around because” the rider behind him in line “said no way I used that app last year to meet someone in Whistler in March.”
A stranger in a California lift line had used the app to find a riding partner in British Columbia the season before. The post continues: “I am new to heavenly and I hoped in with him and hunter on some laps. We met up via the app today and got some more in. It's pretty cool to hear about more meetups!”
Long lift lines are the most underrated place to meet people. You have ten or twenty minutes with the same few strangers, and everyone is about to ride the same mountain. Ask where they like to ride, or what run they would recommend to someone new. If the conversation is going well, ask whether they want to take a lap together. Our guide to chairlift etiquette and how to talk on the lift has more openers.
At Heavenly, be specific about where you will meet. The resort spans the California–Nevada state line, with four arrival areas: California Lodge, the Heavenly Village gondola, Boulder and Stagecoach. Our Heavenly guide suggests putting the full lodge or gondola-base name in your invitation and finishing where everyone started.
Kirkwood: storm days and the first hike of the year
Kirkwood, south of the lake, became the favorite. On January 30, 2021, under a photo of a SkiBuds flag laid out in the snow above the valley, the account posted: “First hike of the year. So far kirkwood is easily my favorite resort on epic in Cali. Other than the crowds and no parking this place is a gem.”
The next week brought a run of storms, ridden with a friend, Paymon. On February 4: “Fun week riding with @paymonh22. Bluebird day at heavenly after 2 pow days at kirkwood.” A week later the account posted a photo of him in falling snow, arms spread wide: “getting some of his best laps of his life in @kirkwoodmtn last Thursday. It was steep, deep, and untracked.”
Kirkwood's steep reputation is deserved, but our Kirkwood guide points out that it also has beginner terrain at the separate Timber Creek learning area. If your group has mixed abilities, meet first near Timber Creek, agree on separate laps, and set a reunion at the base. Kirkwood is also a long drive on mountain roads, and that post's note about crowds and parking is a good reason to share a car. Our ski carpool planning guide covers how to arrange it.
Homewood: a hoodie and a whiteout
On the West Shore, Homewood shows up twice. On January 18, 2021 the account shared a photo of a rider “repping her new Ride Together hoodie at homewood,” and on February 2 it posted a clip from a day spent riding into thick cloud: “Ascending into the abyss. Couldn't see too far in front of you today. Pretty amazing day!!!”
Whiteout days are when riding with a partner matters most. Agree on a meeting point at each lift, ride close enough to see each other, and stay on terrain you know. If you are planning a Homewood day now, check the current status first. Our Homewood guide notes that a new gondola is under construction, that the operator gives winter 2026–27 as its opening goal rather than a confirmed date, and that mountain areas are closed until winter reopening.
What the Tahoe posts show
The Tahoe winter is a good picture of how ski friendships actually form. A few came from the app. Others came from a lift line, a parking lot or a friend's visit, and the app made it easy to meet up again the next day. The person behind you in line might be looking for someone to ride with too.
How to find ski buddies around Lake Tahoe
- Name the base, not just the mountain. Heavenly has four arrival areas, Northstar has a village and a mid-mountain hub, and Kirkwood has the Village and Timber Creek.
- Talk in the lift line. A specific question about the mountain is an easy opener.
- Swap contacts before you split up. That turns one lap into another day.
- Share the drive. Tahoe's mountain roads and limited parking reward a full car.
- Check parking rules. Northstar, for example, requires reservations at some lots during peak periods in 2026/27.
- Ride close in a whiteout. Agree on regrouping points and stay within sight.
Every resort in this story has a SkiBuds guide with terrain by ability, arrival advice and a snow forecast. Start with California ski resorts. The Whistler trip the stranger in line mentioned is in Chasing the end of the 2020 season, and the rest of that winter is in Park City powder days and the Utah backcountry.
Questions riders ask
Where should I meet friends at Heavenly?
Heavenly has four arrival areas: California Lodge, the Heavenly Village gondola, Boulder and Stagecoach. Use the full lodge or gondola-base name in your invitation, plan to finish where everyone started, and agree on a base-area fallback in case weather changes access.
Does Kirkwood have beginner terrain?
Yes. Kirkwood is known for steep terrain, but the separate Timber Creek area has beginner terrain and group lesson check-in. Mixed groups can meet near Timber Creek, then agree on separate laps and a base reunion.
How do I meet people to ski with at Lake Tahoe?
Talk to people in lift lines and at après, join a local club, and make specific plans with a base and a time. Tahoe's mountain roads and limited parking also make carpooling a natural way to meet riders heading to the same mountain.
Photos and quotations come from posts on the SkiBuds Instagram account between January and February 2021. Dates are the dates the posts were published.