Tahoe Ski World

skiing in Lake Tahoe

Main artery to South Lake Tahoe – Highway 50 – remains closed

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Although Sunday is a classic bluebird day at Lake Tahoe ski resorts, getting there and back is a major challenge.

Highway 50, the main artery into South Lake Tahoe, has been closed for several days. Caltrans announced on Twitter earlier Sunday that it expected Highway 50 to be closed for the remainder of the day due to multiple active mudslides.

Both Sierra-at-Tahoe, pictured here during a very busy recent weekend, and Heavenly Mountain have been impacted by the close of Highway 50 since Friday evening.

The highway will not reopen on the California side between Meyers and Placerville.

This isn’t good news for South Lake Tahoe ski resorts Heavenly Mountain and Sierra-at-Tahoe, which depend on Highway 50 to transport a lot of its skiers and snowboarders, especially people just coming to the Tahoe ski resorts for the day. Snow and rain in the Lake Tahoe region has resulted in the mudslides and issues along many roads in the region.

The first mudslide came on 5:27 p.m. on Friday, according to Caltrans. Highway 50 has been closed in both directions near Pollock Pines at Ice House Road ever since. The highway had been expected to reopen Sunday because crews worked tirelessly Saturday to clear debris from two major mudslides. However, Caltrans spokeswoman – Deanna Shoopman – said the second mudslide that happened near Kyburz at 12:48 p.m. Saturday was of equal size to the first slide.

Caltrans is advising motorists to use an alternative route. Note that local residents with proper identification will be allowed access from west Highway 50. There is no access from East Highway 50.

On the Nevada side, Highway 50 has been closed near Cave Rock since Wednesday. Five large boulders fell onto the eastbound lanes over the course of three days. Another large boulder remains atop the slope above the highway, according to the Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT). The boulder is resting on an unstable surface and the situation is not safe.

Getting to North Lake Tahoe was an issue Friday and remained that way early Saturday. Westbound Interstate 80 reopened about 12:30 p.m. Saturday, allowing traffic to flow in both directions for the first time since a mudslide shut down the freeway Friday morning.