The wind was howling, the temperature plunging and snow was coming down so fast that a four-minute ride on a high-speed chairlift at Lake Tahoe's resort left me and a friend looking like abominable snowmen.

As we neared the top of the lift, I asked, "Trees?"

"Yeah," he replied.

On a day like that, trees are the best place to go. Giant pines can shield the skier from the wind and snow.

With about two feet of fresh powder, it was hard to go fast, but if we did fall, we'd have a soft landing. Plus, the open trails were whiteout conditions with visibility extending maybe 15 feet.

I wouldn't suggest that a beginner try skiing amid the trees, but if you're an intermediate, Heavenly resort offers great tree runs plus plenty of other challenges — from moguls to steeps and manageable off-piste runs. It's the kind of place where you can have something to brag about at the end of the day, no matter what level your skill.

At its heart, Heavenly is the best resort I've ever seen for the intermediate skier. Many mountains offer a bunch of easy slopes and a few intermediate ones to bridge the gap to the hair-raising advanced and expert runs. But I've found that mountains with a lot of intermediate terrain often drop the ball on providing varied terrain that will challenge you without pushing too far.

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