There’s little doubt what the big news will be this ski season for Palisades Tahoe. The world-renown Tahoe ski resort will open the long-awaited Gondola that connects the two resorts that have been under the same name for years.
Palisades Tahoe received 8 inches of snow Monday (Nov. 7) and has a season-total of 30 inches. The ski resort is scheduled to open Nov. 22, two days prior to Thanksgiving. However, this week’s snow totals could prompt and earlier opening.
Called the Base-to-Base Gondola, it will connect the two valleys of the resort, which were once known as Squaw Valley and Alpine Meadows ski resorts. According to resort officials, the new Gondola makes Palisades Tahoe one of the largest ski resorts in North America. The Gondola debuts in late February during the World Cup event.
“The Base-to-Base Gondola offers newfound convenience and accessibility to the resort’s 6,000 acres and full spectrum of lifts, terrain, dining venues, and more.” a Palisades Tahoe press release stated.
The Gondola ride will offer scenic views of Lake Tahoe and the Sierra Nevada mountains, easy transit between the resort’s unique base areas, and lift access for expert skiers and snowboards to the top of KT-22. Traversing 2.4 miles and a total of 3,105 vertical feet, the ride will take approximately 16 minutes, transporting passengers travel from one base terminal to the other with a brief stop at the new KT-22 mid-station.
The Gondola features four terminals, 33 lift towers, and 96 cabins, each seating up to eight people. With the capacity to transport 1,400 passengers an hour, the new gondola can be operated as one continuous lift or as two separate lifts from each base area to the top of KT-22 in case of inclement weather.
PALISADES HOSTS WORLD CUP EVENT: One of just four U.S. stops on the international circuit this season, the Men’s Slalom and Giant Slalom World Cup event will take place Feb. 24-26, 2023.
The Palisades course, along Dog Leg and Red Dog Face, was featured in 2017 World Cup Women’s Alpine Event. It was described by Olympic champion Mikaela Shiffrin as “one of, if not the, toughest” venue on the World Cup circuit.
Throughout the World Cup weekend, fans can catch all the action live from the base area, cheer on the world’s top skiers, enjoy outdoor concerts, fireworks, sponsor activations, and more.
NEW PALISADES UPGRADES: After more than 30 years, the Red Dog Lift has been upgraded to a high-speed, six-seater with a new base terminal that offers direct access from the parking lot.
The 2022-2023 season will also introduce an expanded and redesigned Funitel Plaza for easier lift access from the Village, a massive renovation of the Alpine Lodge, and the installation of new automatic snowmaking systems at Alpine.FREE TRANSPORTATION: This season Palisades will introduce the Mountaineer, the service that offers free winter transportation in Olympic Valley and Alpine Meadows.
From Dec. 9 through April 9, Mountaineer will provide daily evening service between Olympic Valley and Alpine Meadows, four-day per week operations in Alpine Meadows, and service in Olympic Valley until 2 a.m. on New Year’s Eve and during WinterWonderGrass.
The dog-friendly, 9-passenger vans are equipped with ski and snowboard racks, and can be requested through the Mountaineer app. Mountaineer makes it easy to get around Olympic Valley and Alpine Meadows without a car by offering free, on-demand rides anywhere within the two valleys. It will provide door-to-door transportation with 7-minute average wait times.
