I had been wanting to try backpacking for a while but was intimidated by all of the gear and... read more
I had been wanting to try backpacking for a while but was intimidated by all of the gear and... read more
I did the 2 day Point Reyes trip. Everything was so well organized, and the tour guides took... read more
I write very few reviews but given the experience - I'm happy to contribute. The rental process was smooth and efficient. The bus was even better, clean, comfortable and fast!
Staff was great, friendly and informative. The only thing I would change is pushing the departure time from 3:30 pm to 4pm. I can't want to go again next year..
This was led by a deeply experienced woman, Bobbie Foster. And, a very organized and well constructed two-day learning program. Love Sports Basement, thank you for all you do for the community!
Wide, open selection. Friendly staff. Great pricing. Went on a ski trip and got a 20% discount for purchasing items which effectively paid for the bus ride. We come here often.
This review is for Tahoe Squaw Valley ski bus from Sunnyvale.
The good:
- The bus. Sports Basement (SB) uses Bauer as their transportation partner. The bus is clean and somewhat comfortable. Looking at Yelp pictures, the bus used by SB is much better than the bus used by competitors.
- SB and SB crews. A+. They work hard to make sure your trip is enjoyable. Plus, a lot of snacks and drinks. They want to make sure nobody is hungry.
- Non stop service. Other company makes multiple stops along the way.
The bad:
- The bus. Restroom didn't quite work and smells bad. Probably they didn't clear the tank before this trip. The bus driver was really good at one job which is driving the bus and pretty much useless at everything else. He doesn't know how to install chain, he doesn't know how to fix stuff. He let the chain broke loose on the way back and damaged the mud flap. SB crews came to rescue and fixed the mud flap.
- The timing. The trip time for ski bus like this (not only SB) depends heavily on the weather. It can be as good as 4 hours or as bad as 6 hours. We left Sunnyvale at 5:50 am and arrived at Alpine at 11:30 am (roughly 6 hours) because we got hit by snowstorm on HWY 80.
- The departure time from the ski resort. A note to SB: Why can't you wait until the resort close before returning to bay area? Why cut our ski time shorter by one hour? You are taking us to Squaw, the most expensive resort in Tahoe, please make our money worth.
Overall, an A+ for SB crews, B for SB (for having a policy to leave early from the resort) and a C for Bauer bus company. I would do it again only if the weather is good and SB change the policy to return after the ski lift close, I don't want to spend 10+ hours in the bus and ski for only 3 hours.
This made for a perfect Saturday.
You hop on the bus at dawn, grab a snack coffee (or some shut-eye) en-route and hit the slopes by 9:30
Gather up around three with a snack and a juice / beer (or more shut-eye) on the ride home and you're back by 7:30
The fact that they carry all your gear (or your Sports basement rentals) and handle the driving more than makes up for the slightly shorter ski day.
I highly recommend this to anyone looking for a day on the slopes. It was perfect for me and my ten-year-old.
Plus the staff is super friendly and attentive. Zero complaints!
Sports Basement got this one right!
The bus, although arrived late and departed late, was comfortable and non-stop to Squaw/Alpine. The food served for breakfast was delicious and in some cases, organic. IMO breakfast was about 85% healthy (fresh fruit - banana, cutie and berries, organic hard boiled eggs, yogurt, coffee, granola, nutrigrain bar). Beer on the way back was plentiful.
The staff on the trip was helpful, organized and friendly. Great value overall!