This week has been a whirlwind! We went from bikini skiing weather to feeling like #DEEPcember all over again in the span of a couple days. We’ve got snow moving in Saturday and two more storms in the forecast after that. We’re so glad winter decided to come say hello this late in the season!
Fresh snow is always good, and if we get enough, we will be able to extend the life of several lifts and runs. That said, please understand that these spring storms are not the equivalent of the snowfall we saw in the early season. The rapid melt from January, February, and March really put our snow base through the wringer. So while there are definitely benefits to more snowfall, we want to be clear that we do not expect to be reopening chairlifts that have closed for the season.
Real quick: We know that a lot of resorts are closed or will be closing after this weekend, so we’re offering an Other Resort Pass Holder Lift Ticket for the rest of the season. We also have new discounted tickets available to Ski Shop Employees (any ski shop!) and First Responders.
Weather
- Scattered snow showers are possible on Friday, also with a possibility of up to 10 inches.
- We will probably see a break in snow on Saturday, but winds are not expected to subside.
- Sunday should be a clearer, calmer day. This is a much-needed break in weather. Don’t miss our events like the Kids Easter Egg Hunts, the Golden Egg Hunt, Cushing Crossing, and the FREE Spring Tracks concert!
- Winds are going to return on Monday. Expect lift impacts.
- The next storm could move in as early as Monday night or Tuesday morning.
Summit Chair at Alpine today.
Alpine’s Closing Weekend
After a season full of surprises, Alpine will close this weekend on Sunday, April 17th. From the avalanche that blocked the road in an epic snowfall to last weekend’s action-packed Snow Golf tournament, there were a lot of exciting moments! For closing weekend, our plan is to spin Summit, Roundhouse, Treeline Cirque, Alpine Bowl Chair, Meadow & Yellow through Sunday, weather & conditions permitting. Come get your final turns in, and be on the lookout for the Golden Egg on Sunday–clues will be shared on our Instagram stories and Twitter.
Lift & Terrain Updates
- Saturday is going to be windy. Expect weather impacts on upper mountain lifts. You can read more about wind hold & what goes into placing lifts on wind hold in last week’s blog.
- Granite Chief will likely close after this weekend. Similar to Red Dog last week, there’s a possibility that we could keep Granite Chief open for a few more days, but get your last turns over the next few days just to make sure you don’t miss it.
- Thanks to the new snow and the hard work of our ops teams, we think we will be able to extend Mountain Run until about Sunday, April 24th.
- Bailey’s Beach, Mountain Meadow, and Big Blue will all close by Sunday, May 1st.
- The Aerial Tram will also likely close on Sunday, May 1st for skiing & snowboarding, but we will re-open it on Friday, May 6th for sightseeing operations. The Aerial Tram will be open Friday-Sunday for sightseeing through the month of May.
- We will keep Gold Coast, Shirley, Siberia, and the Funitel open for as long as we can. We are keeping our closing date as May 1st for now, but if we get a lot of snow over the next ten days, we may be able to move it to May 8th. This is not a promise — this is a maybe! We will do it if we can.
The top of Granite Chief on Tuesday. Get your final Granite turns this weekend!
Weekend Events
There’s a lot going on this weekend on the mountains! Due to snow & wind in Saturday’s forecast, the Cushing Crossing and Spring Tracks concert got pushed to Sunday, April 17. Here’s the full weekend lineup:
- Friday, April 15 at 10am: Registration for the Cushing Crossing at Wildflour. Get there early with $20 cash to secure your spot for Sunday’s main event.
- Sunday, April 17 at 9am: Kids Easter egg hunt begins at both base areas. Plus, starting at 9am, clue #1 for the Golden Eggs will be released. There will be one hidden on each mountain containing a 2022/23 Palisades Tahoe season pass! There will be no Beacon & Eggs event this years.
- Sunday, April 17 at 1pm: The 30th Annual Cushing Crossing kicks off! Get a spot around Cushing Pond to cheer on the best crashes and crossings of the day.
- Sunday, April 17 at 3:30pm: Directly following the Cushing Crossing & awards, the FREE Spring Tracks concert kicks off outside on the KT Deck. Don’t miss performances by G.Love and DJ Logic.
