Inside Scoop on Spring Skiing at Alpine Meadows

Spring skiing at the iconic Spring Skiing Capital offers thrilling, one-of-a-kind adventures you won’t find anywhere else! We caught up with our Director of Mountain Operations, Jeff Goldstone, who shared his insider tips for making the most of Alpine in the spring. Dive into his recommendations and use our trail map to uncover the best spots on the mountain.

Morning: 9am-12pm

1. Early Morning Groomers On Summit

The key to spring skiing is following the sun. If you arrive at 9am, hit the groomers on Summit to warm up your legs and let the sun do its softening magic.

Pacific Crest North Bowl Zone

2. For a Challenge: Hike to High Beaver or Estelle Bowl

If you didn’t know, Alpine Meadows is known for its hike-to terrain. While it might be a bit more work, you’ll find 2 things when you hike out to the Pacific Crest North Bowl Zone, the home of Beaver & Estelle Bowls; STELLAR views of Lake Tahoe and equally stellar corn snow early in the morning.

Pro Tip: Ask a patroller at the top of Summit to see how the freeze cycle has been in Beaver and Estelle Bowls. They’ll tell you whether there is soft snow to be found in this zone mid-morning on any given day.

Take time to soak in the views from the Pacific Crest North Zone

Pacific Crest South Bowl Zone

3. Hike High-T

High-T is the premier hike at Alpine Meadows, offering a relatively quick ascent compared to Estelle and Beaver. This route rewards you with incredible wide-open bowl skiing that drops you into the backside of Alpine, also known as Sherwood. Sherwood is arguably the best spot for spring skiing on the entire mountain.

4. Sherwood Express

Sherwood is the top spring skiing zone at Alpine Meadows. With its south-facing slopes, it basks in the direct morning sun, transforming the snow into a smooth, buttery surface. This spring, we’ve been consistently grooming Sherwood Run, Maid Marion, and Robin Hood, offering skiers some of the best long, wide cruising trails on the mountain.

Wide open bowls greet you at the top of High T

5. Ice Bar

A trip back to Sherwood would not be complete without a pit stop at the famous Ice Bar. This outdoor snow lounge provides cold beverages, sun chairs for working on that goggle tan, incredible views of the mountains, and of course, good vibes.

Afternoon: 1-3pm

The Promised Land Zone

6. Scott Chute

By now, the sun has softened the snow perfectly for carving some smooth corn turns. Scott Chute, located directly beneath the chairlift, offers a steep and consistent pitch. As you ride up, observe if anyone is skiing the chute and listen to the sound of their turns. A scratchy noise indicates the snow might need more time to soften. No sound? It’s game on. Alternatively, consider Scott Ridge to the skier’s left, a great option and is typically groomed daily.

7. Promised Land

Promised Land has the same vertical as Scott Chute, but not quite as steep. Head here for post-lunch lap #2.

8. Gentian Gully and Lower 40

These trails are behind Promised Land and have a similar aspect to that zone, so the turns will be soft and the pitch will be consistent.

Pro Tip: Jeff’s favorite spring skiing run is Townsend’s (not on the map). It doesn’t get skied that much and it’s a nice wide-open chute. Get there by traversing to the left of Promised Land, but not quite to Subway Cirque. Your end destination is the top terminal of Meadow Chair.

Corn snow typically falls under skiers and snowboarders top 3 snow surfaces to shred

Apres: 3-4:30pm

9. Main Lodge Sun Deck

Your legs might feel like jelly, but you’ve likely saved enough energy to unwind and enjoy a cold one with friends and family on our expansive sun deck at the Main Lodge. On Saturdays and Sundays in April, don’t miss our Spring Music Series featuring free live music from 1 to 4 PM.

Soaking up the sun and live music vibes on the sun deck overlooking the frontside of Alpine Meadows