As the ski season starts to wind down on the East Coast, I often find myself daydreaming about how or where I might scheme in just one more snow day. When I learned last month that the Heavenly Resort in South Lake Tahoe extended its season until May 4th due to record snowfall in January, I planned a trip out west immediately. The gigantic mountain resort, which typically shuts down in late April, is extending its season with some enticing deals.

The thing is, I’d skied Heavenly two years ago, and couldn’t help but be curious about some of the other mountains surrounding Lake Tahoe, like Kirkwood or Northstar. I’d also had my heart set on checking out the peaks at...