As we head into the holiday weekend, use these tips to help prepare. This will be a busy time, but with a little patience, you are sure to enjoy yourself. We have fun, family-friendly events and activities going on, and the skies will be clear and sunny! If you are wondering what terrain might be open while you are here, check out our operations blog to see what we’re planning.
New Year’s Eve at Palisades
On New Year’s Eve, we will be hosting a few events in The Village at Palisades Tahoe. These family-friendly activities are sure to be a good time. Bundle up as it will be chilly. We hope to see you there!
- LED Torchlight Parade: Registration required. First group loads Exhibition at 5pm.
- Live Music featuring the Nomads: Live music will take place on the KT Deck from 5-7pm.
- Fireworks: Fireworks will start at 7pm. The KT Deck will be the best viewing spot.
THIS WEEKEND: BE PREPARED
The clear skies this weekend are likely to draw a crowd, especially with the new terrain we have opened this week. You should expect busy roads and some lines in our lift and base areas, so please bring your patience with you. As we mentioned at the beginning of this blog, wind impacts are also a possibility.
By Sunday night /Monday roll in, the weather is likely to turn to snow again. Monday and Tuesday are going to be bad travel days. Please, please be cognizant of conditions before you attempt to travel. This past week saw the Tahoe region in a state of emergency with road closures due to spinouts, accidents, and whiteout conditions. If you have to travel in winter weather, you must be prepared. Please use our list of resources for checking conditions and winter driving.
IF YOU ARE COMING FROM OUTSIDE OF THE LAKE TAHOE REGION
Please understand that a large number of road closures and heavy snowfall had widespread impacts on our infrastructure this week. We ask that you be mindful of the limited resources in our mountain town at this time. Consider topping off your gas tank before coming up the mountain. Many of our gas stations have no fuel whatsoever. Additionally, many of our grocery stores have not been able to get shipments in. Get groceries before coming up to the mountains as well. We would love for you to support our local restaurants, bearing in mind that they may be short on supplies after this week, too.
BEFORE YOU LEAVE FOR THE RESORT
- Check road conditions. We recommend staying informed with the CalTrans Quick Map mobile app.
- Leave early. Our parking lots will likely fill by 9am. If our lots fill, do not keep trying to drive to the resort. Please use one of our free, convenient regional transportation options instead (listed below). At Palisades, you can get breakfast at Starbucks, Coffeebar, or Wildflour. At Alpine, you can get breakfast at Mogrog or Treats.
- Check parking status using the Palisades Tahoe mobile app. You can now get real-time updates on how much parking is available in all of our lots to help you make informed decisions about where to park.
- If you want to guarantee a spot, a small amount of prepaid parking is available at Alpine only.
- Consider carpooling in a Covid-safe pod. Carpools of 3+ get to park in our premium lots while space is available.
- We recommend booking tickets, lessons, rentals, and activities online rather than waiting to buy in person. You’ll save money and it will take less time.
WHEN YOU ARRIVE
- Wear a mask in public spaces, regardless of vaccination status, including on the Tram and Funitel.
- Try to maintain 6 feet of distance where possible.
- If you booked a lesson + rental and/or tickets, all of those things can be picked up at once. At Palisades, visit the Ski School Rental Shop, located across from Le Chamois behind the Aerial Tram building. At Alpine, Ski School is on the lower level of the Alpine Lodge. You do not need to wait in separate ticket and rental lines.
- If you booked a rental and a ticket, the rental shop can print your tickets for you. You do not need to wait in a ticket line as well. At Palisades, the Rental Shop is between the Ticket Office and Parallel Mountain Sports. At Alpine, the Rental Shop is on the lower level of the Alpine Lodge.
- If you are picking up a lift ticket only, you can use the self-serve kiosks in the Funitel plaza to print your ticket.
TIPS FOR A SMOOTH DAY
- If you think you’ll only ski a few hours, wait to come to the resort until after 11am. Half-Day Afternoon Tickets are valid from 12-4pm and are significantly cheaper than full-day tickets. You’ll skip most of the traffic and still have plenty of time to ski! Buy online in advance for the best savings.
- Carry your credit card in a pocket (but not next to your pass or lift ticket!) This will make it easy to grab lunch or a drink on-mountain without having to go back to your car.
- Not all locations accept Apple pay or cash. If you don’t want to bring a credit card, you can link your credit card to your pass and scan your pass to pay when you sign up for Resort Charge. You can call to set it up or visit us in person. We recommend doing this ahead of time, not the day of your arrival.
- Consider ordering food online for pick up. You can order at the top of the mountain and pick up your food after skiing down.
- Store your stuff in a rental locker, not in public spaces. Lockers are available in the Tram building, at the top of the Funitel and in the Alpine Lodge.
- Use the Palisades Tahoe mobile app to check lift wait times, lift status, and more.
- Consider staying at the resort later than 4-5pm to avoid waiting in traffic.
- Grab dinner or après from The Village at Palisades Tahoe or from the Alpine Lodge area.
FREE PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION OPTIONS
We have so many options for public transportation. Please use them as an alternative to adding another vehicle on our Tahoe roadways.
- Take the TART Bus any day to get to and from the resort: The free regional TART bus travels from Truckee and from Tahoe City on a regular schedule. Schedule here.
- Use the TART Connect to get dinner or explore in Tahoe City: The free TART Connect will be operating on Friday & Saturday night, connecting the Olympic Valley and Tahoe City communities between the hours of 5:30pm and 10:30pm. Download the app or call 530-214-5811 to arrange a pickup.
- Take the Mountaineer shuttle from your in-valley hotel or cabin to the resort: Use the free Mountaineer shuttle to be dropped off anywhere in the community of Alpine Meadows or anywhere in the community of Olympic Valley. Summon this shuttle like an Uber using their app.
- Use the Palisades Tahoe Express Shuttle to go between the two mountains: Track the location of this free shuttle by using the Palisades Tahoe mobile app and looking under “Lift Status.” The Palisades shuttle stop is across from Coffeebar and the Alpine shuttle stop is directly in front of the breezeway.
