Best Ski Vacations From San Francisco

<b class="credit">Courtesy of Squaw Valley</b> — **Courtesy of Squaw Valley**

Only 3 hours from mountainous Lake Tahoe -- in a state that really, really likes to drive -- San Franciscans grow up making "burrito runs": grabbing a breakfast burrito at one's favorite Mexican joint, filling up an SUV with pals and the nation's priciest gas, bolting to California ski resorts, shredding all day and driving home. Some NorCal hills slide right down into Lake Tahoe itself; others arrive at wonderfully empty spaces we thought no longer existed in the Golden State.