Squirrel_MurphyWell put it this way, Heavenly is a world renowned resort that's also part of the Vail group and just a few hours away is Silicon Valley. It get's pretty damn crowded on an average year and the side country is piss poor. Kirkwood isn't exactly right down the street from south Lake Tahoe either and that's where the better terrain and side country is and less crowds. Nobody will bother you about your guns as long as you aren't a douche about them and showing them off and what not, but if you're worried about it and have to be in Nevada and want to ride Heavenly, or even Rose, then yeah South Lake Tahoe, Reno, Carson City, or even Incline Village. A lot of seasonal hiring has already been done but your experience might help. Start making calls.
All of the tourists and families that ski Heavenly is what I like about it. The reputation as a gaper mountain keeps real skiers away and preserves all the stashes. It has a lot of awkward areas that are hard to get too. Most people think that sucks but it keeps people out of those areas.
I disagree about the side county. When there is good snow to the bottom Heavenly has the best side county in Tahoe. We just haven't been able to take advantage of it for a few years. When there is only snow up high its shit. Obviously Kirkwood has better terrain overall but it just gets skied out so much quicker. There are plenty of spots at Heavenly that are still fresh 3 or 4 days after a storm with just a bit of hiking.
