Palisades Tahoe Construction Updates

By admin

Operations
Jan 4, 2023

Update: January 4th, 2023

We are making solid progress on Red Dog completion despite the weather challenges.

Chairs are now on the line
Towers have been aligned
All wiring at the top terminal is completed
Teams are hiking to each tower and climbing the tower to hook up all circuitry; there are 16 towers to complete
Power has been established to the base terminal which will allow teams to hook up the drive (essentially the brains of the lift)
All wiring and sensors in the bottom terminal are being finalized
We remain on track for opening Red Dog some time near mid-January

Update: December 28th, 2022

Gondola

Effective today (12/29) the gondola is finalized and permitted to run as one continuous interconnected lift.

Red Dog

Comm Lines are being tensioned on all Towers today and the wire connections to each Tower will occur shortly thereafter.
Terminals are being wired at both Top and Bottom
Chair assembly is starting
Our timeline for opening this lift remains early January, however, harsh weather is anticipated which will make this work all the more challenging.

Update: December 23rd, 2022

Base to Base Gondola
We are finalizing the work needed to allow the interconnect at KT Mid-Station so it can run as one complete lift. We plan to re-open the gondola early next week.

Red Dog
The recent, significant snowfall did impact our construction schedule resulting in delays, but we completed the haul rope splice on Tuesday and the next steps are tower alignment and then the comm line installation. Chairs and grips are being assembled and their installation on the haul rope will be the next step. We are tentatively planning for this lift to open in early January. As always, operations are subject to change due to weather or other circumstances so please stay tuned for updates.

Update: December 21st, 2022

Base to Base Gondola
We are finalizing the work needed to allow the interconnect at KT Mid Station so it can run as one complete lift. If everything goes according to plan, then the gondola will re-open and will be able to operate as one complete loop. If there are issues related to operating as one continuous route, we will operate Base to Base as we did for it’s opening, as two separate lifts; this just requires an offload/re-load at KT. We are aiming for a Saturday, December 24th re-opening.

Red Dog
The recent, significant snowfall did impact our construction schedule resulting in delays, but we completed the haul rope splice on Tuesday and next steps are tower alignment and then the comm line installation. Chairs and grips are being assembled and their installation on the haul rope will be the next step. We are tentatively planning for this lift to open in early January. As always, operations are subject to change due to weather or other circumstances so please stay tuned for updates.

Update: December 15, 2022

The Base to Base Gondola Launch celebration is just a few days away when the long-awaited dream of uniting the two mountains will finally be realized. The celebration will include an official ribbon cutting, free mountain tours, and music at both base areas on Saturday, December 17!

A unique lift that can operate as one continuous lift connecting Palisades and Alpine, it can also operate as two independent lifts taking guests from either base area to the top of KT-22. There are only five other lifts in North America with this feature.

This Saturday, the Base to Base Gondola will operate as two separate lifts. Guests planning to ride the entire length will be required to disembark at the KT mid-station and re-load to continue on. Otherwise, they can exit at KT and ski/ride that (black diamond and double black diamond) terrain. Team members will be there to assist with information and re-loading.

Following Saturday’s grand opening, the gondola will close while crews and the lift manufacturer (Leitner Poma) finalize the “interconnect” piece that will allow the lift to operate as one continuous lift. The plan is to have the gondola open by the holiday period. We’re excited to celebrate the realization of a lift more than 70 years in the making this Saturday at our Launch celebration!

As for Red Dog Lift; we are currently pulling the haul rope around the lift with the splice to occur this Saturday. Communication lines are next as well as installing the chairs on the haul rope in the coming weeks. As we all know, weather has impacted our construction effort and our opening is based on how well the teams can continue to access the Towers and Terminals through completion.

The Chalet

With inspections underway, plans are to open The Chalet as soon as the building permit is issued.

Alpine Base

At the Alpine base, the plaza work has been completed and efforts to finish the building are wrapping up, with roll-up doors being installed this week.

White Wolf Angle Station

At the angle station, glass is being installed today on the eastern side of the building, and weather stripping will go in on Friday, with plans to wrap up construction for the season at the end of this week.

Palisades Base

One final railing is yet to be installed and this season’s work will be wrapped up!

Update: December 8, 2022

General Updates

Base to Base Gondola ribbon cutting and grand opening celebration scheduled for Saturday, December 17
Red Dog construction is being impacted by weather; the lift is expected to open mid to late December

UPDATE: November 23rd, 2022

Alpine Base

At the Alpine Base, work continues including the installation of catch-netting and programming of the drive system. Awnings have been installed and generator commissioning occurs on Tuesday, Nov. 29. Sheeting is happening ahead of siding, as well as on the roof-to-roof wall on the gable end, and should be completed by Dec. 2. The fire alarm test is scheduled for Monday, Nov. 28, and the Building Control Systems work on the hydronics should be completed by end of day Nov. 23.

White Wolf angle station

At the angle station, work on the platform, stairs, guidage and catch nets is underway, and the roof decking has been completed for the winter. Framing of the rooftop structure and hanging of the curtain wall is underway, as well as completing structural work on the east side.

KT Mid

Work on the platform at the KT mid-station and the ramp on the west side has been completed, and efforts to complete the cabin guidage and awning on the west side are underway.

Palisades Base

At the Palisades Base, efforts to get the hydronics boiler online (heated pavers) is underway, as is clean up around the terminal and general removal of construction materials. The installation of railings is ongoing, and the completion of awnings and trim work is still to come.

Red Dog

All of the drive terminal sections are on-site, the top terminal enclosure was finished this week, and efforts to torque all towers and assemblies is underway. A helicopter will fly spools to the top of Friday morning (Nov. 25), and installation of the haul rope is next!

UPDATE: November 10, 2022

Alpine Base

At the Alpine Base, snow removal work is underway and efforts to finish the pavers on the snow beach will wrap up by Nov. 22. Work inside the lodge will continue when the resort opens, and Leitner Poma is working on spinning both sides of the lift. The focus is on getting the Palisades side running at full speed, then the Alpine side. Load testing is scheduled to begin on Nov. 28 on the Palisades side, and is anticipated to conclude by Dec. 8.

White Wolf Angle Station

At the White Wolf angle station, Leitner Poma has a little work left to do, but is wrapping things up.

KT Mid

At the KT mid-station, Leitner Poma is working to sync the two segments of the lift.

Palisades Base

At the Palisades Base, railings and pavers are going in on the deck and that project is wrapping up for the resort’s planned November 18 opening. Work is being completed in the boiler room to get the hydronic snow melt system going. Water and heat are back online in the Members Locker Room and it will be opened soon.

Red Dog

Work to assemble the towers is ongoing, and the date to fly the towers into place will potentially be pushed from Nov. 15 to Nov. 21. Work on the top terminal continues, and the bottom terminal is scheduled to arrive on Nov. 12. Efforts to plow out the summer access road to get a crane set up by mid-next week are underway, and the base terminal will be assembled next week.

Employee Spaces

Work on the employee spaces is nearly complete as the final locker and boot dryer installations go in. All locations with the exception of ski school are moving in, with ski school expected to be about five days behind the rest.

UPDATE: November 3, 2022

General Updates

Red Dog and Base to Base are on track/scheduled to open early to mid-December, weather and conditions permitting
Please continue to respect all closures and signage

The Chalet

At The Chalet, the container kitchen is scheduled to be moved into place on November 8 and will then be plumbed and wired. The propane tanks have been filled and are ready to go!

Alpine Base

Teams are pressing to get as much done as possible at the Alpine Base. Work is underway to lay the foam, wire mesh, hydronic tubing, sand, and pavers on the deck of the lodge, with that work expected to be completed over the weekend. In the maintenance building, insulation and plywood are being installed. Work on the roof fences that keep the snow from sliding off is underway. In the lodge, tile work is wrapping up in the bathrooms, and partitions and plumbing will be installed next week, moving that project closer to the finish line.

In the slot, doors are being installed and the boilers are being brought in next week. The remainder of the footings for the outside stairs on the east and west ends of the slot have also been dug and those are going in next week. All of the construction projects are out of the ground and have been winterized.

White Wolf Angle Station

At the White Wolf angle station, platforms are being built on the inside of the terminal/operator houses. Framing to install the glass on the curtain wall is also underway.

KT Mid

At the KT mid-station, the employee platforms on the north and south ends have been completed, as have winterization efforts. Leitner Poma is installing maintenance spurs, the cabin guidance and awnings on both sides, and the electrical work is 99% complete.

Palisades Base

At the Palisades Base, paver installation will follow the hydronic lines that are being laid out. The last pour for the terminal cap will happen on Nov. 4, and railings will be installed as weather allows.

Red Dog

Work at the Red Dog bottom terminal is complete and we are just waiting for the terminal to arrive. The lift towers have started to arrive and will be installed by helicopter on Nov. 15 (weather and conditions permitting). All materials for the top terminal are at the top, and Leitner Poma set the bigger structural pieces ahead of the most recent snow.

UPDATE: October 27, 2022

General Updates
Red Dog and Base to Base are on track/scheduled to open early to mid-December, weather and conditions permitting. Construction-related trail closures:

Trails under Red Dog have been reopened with the exception of Western States because of all of the activity and snowmaking work underway.
Signage is posted, and updates will continue to be reflected on the Palisades Tahoe hiking map and trail status along with Western States detour options.
Please continue to respect all closures and signage.

The Chalet
With the railing redone and the pavers in, the renovation of the Chalet is nearing completion with the final piece being the arrival of the Food Outlet, on November 8th.

Alpine Base
At the Alpine Base, the concrete stairs that surround the Snow Beach to the maintenance facility, the stairs near Alpine Kids, and the exit stairs on the west end are being poured this week and next. On the Plaza side, the foam, mesh, piping for hydronics, sand, and pavers are being installed, and in the lodge, the tile in the men’s restroom is being completed and fixtures will be installed. Roofing over the stair enclosure is underway, as are the framing and plywood on the maintenance building. Mesh and rock are being used to complete the generator screen wall outside of the maintenance building, and all winterization efforts at the site are now complete.

White Wolf Angle Station
The welding work on the interior and the steel work on the outside of the structure is in its final days and the roof is now being installed. The Gondola platform inside the building is being built, and the final electrical from the transformer to the building is being prepped for inspection.

KT Mid
At the KT mid-station, the exterior is complete, including the platform for snow removal. Leitner Poma is installing the bumpers that guide the cabins through the terminal, as well as the terminal awnings and platform walking surface in the next two weeks.

Palisades Base
At the Palisades Base, the east side stairs between the gondola and Palisades Kids and the west side stairs between the Funitel and the gondola have been completed. Awning footings for the terminal have been set, and work to complete the installation of hydronics and pavers continues. The majority of the Base to Base gondola cabins are now on the line with the remainder scheduled to be installed by Saturday. Lastly, all winterization efforts of the project areas at the Palisades Base have been completed.

UPDATE: October 20, 2022

General Updates

Construction-related trail closures:
- Trails under Red Dog have been reopened with the exception of Western States because of all of the activity and snowmaking work underway.
- Signage is posted, and updates will continue to be reflected on the Palisades Tahoe hiking map and trail status along with Western States detour options.
- Please continue to respect all closures and signage.

The Chalet

The Rock box container is expected in 2-3 weeks. In the meantime, pavers are being installed, the propane tanks and stair railings were installed yesterday, and the project is wrapping up quickly.

Alpine Base

At Alpine Base, the steel walls of the maintenance building are going up and insulation will be installed over the next several days. The floor of the mezzanine level will be poured on Friday, 10/21, and work on the rock wall veneer on the outside of the building is underway. Pavers are going in between the lodge and the new retaining wall, and sheetrock on the walls below.

In the lodge, the bathrooms are being tiled, paint is complete, and partitions are being installed to meet ADA requirements. On the plaza, foam, wire and then hydronic tubing, sand and pavers are being installed. Permanent stairs are going in on the east side of the lodge by Alpine Kids, and efforts to winterize the entire project site are nearing completion.

Alpine Mid

At the Alpine mid-station, backfilling is happening against the avalanche wall on the west side of the structure, and the concrete slab on the interior of the building that supports the columns for the platform have been expanded. Piers for the stairs that will come out of the building on the East side are also being poured, and the site is being winterized.

KT Mid

The first gondola cabin made its way from the base to the KT mid-station and is being used to set the “guideage” that allows the cabins to move through the mid-station smoothly. The North and South employee ends install is underway, and all materials are being moved where they need to be to finish the project. Efforts to winterize the site are nearing completion.

Palisades Base

At the Palisades base, the grade of the plaza is being brought up, and work is underway to prep for the final concrete pours which will include the stairs outside Members Locker and ramps on Oct. 25. This will be followed by the installation of hydronics, followed by sand and pavers.

Leitner Poma has been hanging gondola cabins on the line, which is expected to take a few weeks.

Red Dog

Site work for Red Dog is nearly complete, and material for the top terminal arrived and is being trucked up. Work to backfill the top terminal, crown towers and operator house to bring it up to grade is underway, and Carson is starting on winterization efforts. The plan is to get the Earth moving completed and cleaned up, then set steel and the top terminal. Work to erect it will begin Oct. 21.

UPDATE: October 14, 2022

General Updates

Early to mid-December opening dates are planned for the Base to Base Gondola and Red Dog. An official grand opening celebration is scheduled for the Base to Base on 12/17!
Construction-related trail closures:
- 5 Lakes Trail will be open on 10/15 with no additional closures planned the remainder of the season.
- Trails under Red Dog have been reopened with the exception of Western States because of all of the activity and snowmaking work underway.
- Signage is posted, and updates will continue to be reflected on the Palisades Tahoe hiking map and trail status along with Western States detour options.
- Please continue to respect all closures and signage.

Alpine Base

Railings have been completed at The Chalet, and the paver patio has been backfilled.

Alpine Base

The road is closed to the Alpine Base area thru this weekend for the haul rope splice from Alpine to the KT mid-station. Meanwhile, the roof is being installed on the maintenance building, painting is underway in the lodge, and pavers are going in. The interior stairs and related paver work has been completed. The plaza steps along the radius have been dug, rebar has been installed and the first concrete pour is scheduled October 18th. The winterization is in-process and the temporary paving is set to occur on Saturday.

Alpine Mid

At Alpine Mid, all exterior walls are completed, the scaffolding is coming down and the concrete floor is being installed. Sonotube for the exterior stair foundations are going in and paving around the site is happening this Friday.

KT Mid

Over the next several days, platform grating will be underway and winterization will be completed at the KT mid-station.

Palisades Base

At the Palisades Base, the first gondola cabin is on the line, which allows us to set the Cabin Guidage through the Terminal. Liberty Energy has powered both the Palisades and Alpine base terminals and the cabin hanging process starts on 10/17. The main ramp was poured this week and additional pours are scheduled over the next week for other ramps. In addition, paver work is underway and hydronics are being installed in front of the Funitel.

Red Dog

The top terminal concrete has been set and backfilling the area is in full-swing. The Liberty Energy crew will heat the switchgear this weekend and all tower revegetation has been completed.

UPDATE: September 29, 2022

General Updates

Mountain access is closed from the Palisades Base due to the Base to Base Gondola splice; updates will be shared daily via text and email between Sept. 26-Oct. 3 with operations staff as to the status of mountain access.
Construction related trail closures:
- KT all the way to Alpine Base 10/5-10/21 with alternate access routes (5 Lakes Trail will be closed during that period).
- Trails under Red Dog are anticipated to reopen after 10/5 (most likely) with the exception of Western States because of all of the activity and snowmaking work underway.
- Signage is posted, and updates will continue to be reflected on the Palisades Tahoe hiking map and trail status along with Western States detour options.
- Please continue to respect all closures and signage.

The Chalet

Efforts to expand and refurbish The Chalet are underway, with plans to pour the remainder of the stem wall tomorrow. The deck has been improved and now includes wire mesh railings to give it an updated look.

Alpine Base

At the Alpine Base, concrete will be poured to form the terminal pit on Friday. Welding on all of the steel beams and roof elements in the maintenance building continues, as well as efforts to complete water and sewer line connections. Work on the Gabian basket veneer has started, as has backfill on the eastern side of the building where the crane was formerly placed. Outside of the gondola terminal area, backfill and survey are happening Friday to lay out where the stairs will be from the snow beach to the terminal. The concrete pour to form the stairs is scheduled for Oct. 6, and once poured, will allow for the completion of infill, hydronics installation and the paver surface.

Alpine Mid

Significant progress has been made at the Alpine mid-station, with the concrete structure that surrounds the mid-station terminal now to the required height on the East, North and South walls. Panels are moving up another 10 feet on the West wall, and the final concrete pour will happen on Oct. 7 to complete that final exterior wall. The pilasters inside the structure are being poured today, and will be followed by internal work to pour the pad that the platform will be constructed on.

KT Mid

At KT-mid, Leitner Poma has a contractor working on the framework of the platforms that people will use to load and unload the gondola. The haul rope from the Palisades Base to KT-mid was pulled this week, and the splice is scheduled to take place on Oct. 3.

Palisades Base

Work at the Palisades Base continues with plans to pour concrete for ramps Sept. 29 and Sept. 30. The last concrete pours are scheduled for Oct. 6 and Oct. 7, and work on the northern part of the plaza is underway to get it graded for final paver work and landscaping.

Red Dog

Concrete for the RFID access gates was poured this week, and the transformer will be set on Oct. 1. Underground communication lines are still to be pulled, with wiring to be pulled into the transformer, then to the switch gear in the operator house over the next several days. At the top of the lift, work to finish grading the hillside was completed this week, and concrete forms for the top terminal and crown towers just below it are being placed, with the concrete pour scheduled to occur by helicopter on Oct. 11.

UPDATE: September 23, 2022

EXTERNAL/PUBLIC UPDATE

Update: September 22, 2022

General Updates

Construction related trail closures remain in place for the World Cup Trail, Trollstigen Trail, and sections of the Western States Trail. Signage is posted, and updates will continue to be reflected on the Palisades Tahoe hiking map and trail status along with Western States detour options.

Please continue to respect all closures and signage.

The Spartan race scheduled for this weekend has been cancelled.

The Chalet

The foundation pour is in process, footings were poured yesterday, and the rest of the walls will be poured Sept. 29. Site improvements are on track to be completed before Oct. 15.

Alpine Base

At Alpine Base, the main part of the structure is in place and welding work is underway to make the necessary connections. Electrical work has started in the gondola cabin parking area in the basement of the building, as well as work to insulate the walls. Plumbing work has been completed, and sewer and water lines to connect to the main lines have been dug. Excavation work to connect the hydronics to the plaza terminal area where the gondola cabins turn around began this week, and the connection to secondary power will be completed on Sept. 24.

Alpine Mid

At Alpine Mid, construction of the structure that surrounds the mid-station terminal continues. Concrete was poured around the perimeter of the building last week, and the forms have been moved up, rebar is being tied, and the next pour is scheduled to begin Sept. 26.

Liberty Utilities will set the power pole and pull in the conductor that will connect to secondary power at the mid-station on Sept. 23. Following that, Leitner Poma plans to be back at the mid-station Oct. 1 to start setting the platform and operator shack. The cable splice is on target to start early October (likely the 6th), and it is likely that for a week, the Five Lakes Trail will be closed for safety while the line is being pulled and tensioned.

KT Mid

Leitner Poma is continuing to bolt terminal connections at the mid-station.

Palisades Base

Concrete is being poured on the wall outside of Members Lockers this week, and for footings in the area east of Members Lockers. Hydronics are also being installed and shooting of the main ramp walls will occur on Sept. 23.

Red Dog

At Red Dog, the Leitner Poma team is placing forms and getting ready to form the top terminal and tower crown. Backfill work has been completed on all tower locations, and winterization and reveg work has been done at all but tower 12. At the bottom of the lift, rock was hauled in ahead of the Liberty inspection that occurred today. The gantry footing is the next to be laid out, with all earth work anticipated to be complete at the bottom of the lift by Sept. 30. The next concrete pour date for the top terminal complex of towers is scheduled for Oct. 11 and will be completed by helicopter.

UPDATE: September 18, 2022

General Updates

At Alpine, traffic will be re-routed this weekend as Leitner Poma works to pull the comm line from the Alpine mid-station to the Alpine Base Area. Please continue to respect all closures and signage.

Chalet

At the Chalet, foundations are being dug and rebar is going in to expand the footprint and improve the facility.

Alpine Base

At the Alpine Base, the process of constructing the maintenance building beams and support is moving ahead quickly, and the “bones” of the structure are anticipated to be completed tomorrow. The undergrounding of utilities including sewer, water and fire suppression lines is in progress, as is work in the plaza area, with a survey planned for next week.

Forms will be set next week for the perimeter stairs that will connect the plaza to the snow during early season conditions. And in the maintenance corridor area, firewall walls are in the process of going up, and the roof pan that connects the main lodge to the snow will be poured Friday.

Inside the lodge, rough electrical work is ongoing and rough plumbing is complete for the men’s and women’s restroom remodels, and the ADA ramp is being formed with steel.

Alpine Mid

At the Alpine mid-station, work on the concrete structure that will surround the terminal is ongoing, with the lower section nearly complete. Work to start moving panels to form the next section above will happen next, with the second section of the concrete pour scheduled for Sept. 26.

Leitner Poma is working to pull the comm line from the Alpine mid-station to the KT mid-station, and plans are to continue the effort from the Alpine mid-station to the Alpine base terminal over the weekend. To accomplish this, traffic will be re-routed over the weekend to provide an alternate way around this work.

KT Mid

The erecting of the KT mid-station structure is nearly complete, and work inside the structure related to electrical, generator hookups, etc. is now underway, and materials to create the platform that people will stand on when getting on and off the lift will be brought up to the site later in the week.

Palisades Base

At the Palisades base, we completed a small section of the hydronics and pavers to allow better access through the Village. Ramp work is in progress, and Q&D Construction will be onsite on Monday, Sept. 19 working on the concrete walls.

Red Dog

Work on the undergrounding of utilities at the Red Dog base is getting fairly close to being complete. Next week, BMPs and the process of winterizing will begin, with the Palisades Tahoe team working on revegetation work. Concrete work at the top is still to come, with October 7 calendared as the tentative fly date for that work. Leitner Poma will be delivering the towers and top terminal in the coming weeks/month, with the lift anticipated to be operational by Thanksgiving.

Image of the KT Mid-Station courtesy off Casey Blann

UPDATE: September 8, 2022

General Updates

Alpine Base

Work at the Alpine Base continues ahead, with concrete being poured for the gondola terminal plaza foundation and the 6900 sq ft floor of the maintenance building. On the north end of the building, the footing for the generator screen is being dug, utility work is underway, and crews are setting steel beams and columns on the upper two levels. Doors are being installed on the stair enclosure at the lodge and the connection between the Main Lodge and the Mountain Retaining Wall (to create the massive—Snow Beach) is underway. This connection will include areas for fire pits that will have permanent locations here. Renovations to the men’s and women’s restrooms are also underway, with the men’s room to be doubled in size once complete.

Alpine Mid

At Alpine Mid, rebar is being installed around the building and concrete work will begin on Sept. 12 and be in progress for 3-4 consecutive days.

KT Mid

At KT Mid, a crane is being used to erect the terminal. The mechanical sections and one of the operators houses are in-place and wall and roof sections will be hauled up over the next few days. The public access platform structure will be brought up and placed next week.

Palisades Base

At Palisades Base, the gondola platform footings are going in and a big push is underway to get the concrete work for the walls and ramps done. Conduit is being run for the lift on Sept. 8, and paver and hydronic sections near the ticketing office are a focus in order to provide more space for the upcoming Spartan Race.

Red Dog

Utilities work at the base of Red Dog continues, with plans to complete the undergrounding of power and internet by the end of the week. At the top, the back wall is scheduled to be completed next week, and concrete for towers 10, 12 will be flown up with the helicopter on Sept. 13.

UPDATE: September 1, 2022

General Updates

Work will be paused on Monday, Sept. 5 for the Labor Day holiday, however construction related trail closures remain in place for the World Cup Trail, Trollstigen Trail, and sections of the Western States Trail. Signage is posted, and updates will continue to be reflected on the Palisades Tahoe hiking map and trail status along with Western States detour options. Please continue to respect all closures and signage.

Alpine Base

At the Alpine Base, a significant amount of work remains underway. The concrete pad for the stair enclosure from the breezeway has been poured and automatic doors are being installed, and the maintenance corridor has steel going into the floor and concrete will be poured over the next several days.

Framing for the Base to Base Gondola terminal and operator house is in progress, and upper level forms are being set in. Steel posts from the main floor of the maintenance building to the mezzanine level are being installed, and the concrete will be poured for the operator house and terminal on Sept. 7 and on the floor where the cabins will be stored on Sept. 9.

Drain piping and other ancillary service drain piping is going in around the south and north sides over the next few days, then the area will be completely backfilled. Excavation work to run power from Roundhouse to the operator house will begin at the end of the week, providing the main power source for the gondola.

Alpine Mid

At Alpine Mid, walls have been formed up to 24’ high, and efforts to hang rebar are underway in the structure that surrounds the gondola’s mid-station terminal. Concrete will be poured in the lower section and teams will work their way around the building starting on Sept. 12. As they finish sections, they will continue to elevate forms up to the next level. This process will occur Sept. 12-15.

KT Mid

Leitner Poma continues to bring structural and other equipment for the KT mid-station to the site including terminals, walls, roof panels and infrastructure including generators. A crane will be moved to the site on Friday to begin erecting the mid-station, which is expected to last approximately a week.

Palisades Base

Concrete work to form the walls for the bottom gondola terminal cabin turnaround is underway, and Leitner Poma is setting a generator and the operator house on the foundation at the bottom of Palisades this week.

Red Dog

At Red Dog, excavating work will occur at tower 12 this week, with work to backfill the towers that were previously poured. At the base, underground utilities are being installed, including gas, fiber, internet, and main power for the lift. Trail closures remain in place in the area, and the next fly date for the helicopter will be Sept. 13 when concrete is flown to towers 10 and 12, the top terminal column, and the KT ski patrol building.

UPDATE: August 31, 2022

General Updates

Please continue to respect all closures and signage.

Alpine Base

At the Alpine Base, footings were poured this week for the Gondola terminal turnaround and operator’s house. The upper walls are also being formed and will be poured on 9/7. The footing for the ADA ramp around the maintenance building has been dug, and rebar and concrete will be installed soon. The second of three steel deliveries for the maintenance building has also arrived, and will be going in soon at the maintenance corridor.

Alpine Mid

At Alpine Mid, the last four forms are going in, and rebar installation is also underway.

KT Mid

At KT Mid, the terminal support structure and Gabion Baskets are in, and the area has been turned over to Leitner Poma. Pylons are up and Comm Line pulls to both Alpine Mid (with intermittent closures of the Five Lakes Trail) and the Palisades Base are underway. Leitner Poma is also hauling terminal components up to the KT mid-station to prepare for the crane’s arrival Labor Day weekend to begin putting the pieces together.

The Five Lakes Trail will be staffed during the temporary closures and hikers may be held in specific trail sections for short periods of time until it is safe to cross with this work underway.

Palisades Base

At the Palisades Base, foundation walls for the operator shack and electrical room for the Palisades Base terminal are being poured, as well as the final foundations (Base to Base Gondola). Rebar and wall forming is happening, with scheduled pours each Thursday until they are complete. Hydronic snowmelt and pavers will follow as sections open up with backfill. Also underway are the boiler room underslab plumbing and asphalt demo and repaving on the east side of Members lockers.

Red Dog

Work to excavate the hill behind the top terminal continues, and concrete was flown to the towers and top terminal on August 26. The helicopter flew Exhibition, where concrete trucks were stationed. At the bottom of the lift, underground utility excavation is ongoing.

UPDATE: August 21, 2022

General Updates

During the week of 8/22, temporary disruptions are anticipated on the Five Lakes Trail. Please continue to respect all closures and signage.

Alpine Base

A lot of work is underway at the Alpine Base, with concrete scheduled to be poured on the main floor of the maintenance building Thursday (8/18), with the last section of the retaining wall between the maintenance building and Treeline Cirque to be poured Friday (8/19).

Efforts to ensure the breezeway ramp that provides access to the restrooms is ADA compliant is also underway, and inspection of the new gas line is anticipated soon, which once complete, will then allow for sections of the pipeline to be covered.

Alpine Mid

At Alpine Mid, crews continue to weld the massive steel columns/beams that will make the terminal enclosure, and formation of the concrete wall on the west side will begin Monday.

KT Mid

The final grading work and completion of the gabian baskets is underway at KT Mid, with teams planning to wrap up that work by end of day Saturday. The site will then be turned over to Leitner Poma so they can begin hauling the terminal structure components up for installation, which is anticipated to begin Labor Day weekend after the materials are prepped and a crane in place.

Work to pull two sections of the Comm Line (KT to Palisades Base and KT to Alpine Base) will begin early next week. Temporary disruptions are anticipated on the Five Lakes Trail, with exact dates to be confirmed, however the trail will be staffed and hikers may be held in specific trail sections for short periods of time until it is safe to cross with this work underway.

Palisades Base

Work continues at the Palisades Base with footings to be poured Thursday and Friday (8/18 and 8/19), and demo work occurring inside the TTMG space.

Red Dog

At the top of Red Dog, work to excavate the bank behind the top terminal continues to make space for unloading during the winter season. Forms and rebar is being set for each tower, and concrete will be flown in on 8/26, with the helicopter expected to fly from Exhibition where concrete trucks will be stationed.

At the bottom of the lift, a concrete pad for the loading platform and gantry for the RFID ticketing will be constructed later this summer. Noise related to the construction of Red Dog is occurring Monday through Friday from 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. and Saturdays from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

UPDATE: August 14, 2022

General Updates

Chalet

Renovation of the existing deck is underway.

Alpine Base

Work on the maintenance building continues with the installation of steel floor beams and metal decking. Rebar is going in on top, and the concrete floor will be poured on August 18. The last major wall section to go in will be completed on August 19.

Backfill work is continuing on the south side of the building, with components of the wall on the east side between the maintenance building and the Treeline Cirque lift still to be finished. A survey of the Base to Base Gondola terminal plaza area will be done on August 12, with the plaza to be constructed after the survey is completed.

Alpine Mid

At Alpine Mid, the vertical steel columns are in and the roof beams have been placed by the crane. Smaller beam sections are now being placed and work to bolt and weld the entire structure will occur next week.

KT Mid

At KT Mid, Leitner Poma has brought in the concrete footings that will support the pedestrian platform for cabin loading and unloading at the mid-station. Backfill work is underway, and Leitner Poma will start bringing the terminal components up on the 22^nd. A crane will be used to place the structure, however it is anticipated that it will take two weeks to haul the materials up there before the setting work begins.

Palisades Base

Work to dig the footings and place rebar for the Base to Base Gondola turnaround is underway. Concrete will be poured on August 16.

Red Dog

At the top of the new Red Dog lift, work to create more space for the unload area is underway, and the team from Leitner Poma is working on the lift. The terminal has been formed and the rebar is in. Concrete will be poured via helicopter on August 26.

At the Red Dog base, conduit was installed and layout work will start next week. Carson Construction will eventually be completing the excavation work for the underground utilities that are being rerouted (phone, RFID gate, power, etc.).

Construction of Red Dog is occurring Monday through Friday from 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. and Saturdays from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

UPDATE: August 4, 2022

General Updates

Construction related trail closures are in place for the World Cup Trail, Trollstigen Trail, and sections of the Western States Trail. Signage is posted, and updates will continue to be reflected on the Palisades Tahoe hiking map and trail status along with Western States detour options. Please continue to respect all closures and signage.

Chalet

The foundation at the Chalet has been completed, and the next step will be to pour concrete in approximately two weeks.

Alpine Base

At the Alpine Base, the terminal is up, and Leitner Poma has finished the work with the crane. Work to install the window sections is underway, and the underflooring will also soon get underway. At the maintenance building, metal decking is being installed over the steel beams on the main floor, and concrete will be poured after that, with the installation taking approximately 10 days to complete. The snow beach will be built back up over the next two weeks, and demo starts Monday on the bathrooms on the third level of the lodge. The men’s restroom will ultimately offer a higher quality experience while also meeting current ADA standards. The women’s restroom was recently enhanced and will receive minor updates during this time.

Alpine Mid

At Alpine Mid, steel is being put in place by a Crane to construct the physical structure that will house the terminal. This work is anticipated to be finished by Tuesday, August 9.

KT Mid

At KT Mid, lift operator houses and platform footings will soon be positioned and set. Teams are also building the road that will travel around the north end of the terminal, and continue toward the Top of KT lift. Specifically, rock drilling will occur on Saturday, with blasting tentatively scheduled for Monday.

Palisades Base

The last of the underground utilities are in place at the Palisades Base, and efforts are focused on finishing the foundation in order to pour footings, tentatively scheduled for August 12. The terminal housing is complete and work to get power to the area is underway.

Red Dog

The Red Dog top terminal and excavation work is complete, and drilling on tower 10 is likely to occur late this week. Trails remain closed in the area, and a helicopter is tentatively scheduled for August 9 to fly in the rebar cages for the towers and potentially some concrete. Leitner Poma is installing conduit for communication and power from the Terminal to the Operators House by next week.

UPDATE: July 28, 2022

Thanks for continuing to follow along! Here’s what’s happening now, and what’s to come in the short-term at both Alpine and Palisades:

Chalet

Utilities are being worked on.

Alpine Base

At the Alpine Base, the maintenance building steel beams are being placed and the decking will be installed next week. Backfill work around the gondola terminal base is in progress, and Leitner Poma plans to bring a crane in this weekend and will stage materials in order to place the terminal on the pylons. Their crews will be working on Saturday to expedite the work.

Alpine Mid

At the Alpine mid-station, the lower and upper footings have been poured and the steel columns and beams begin arriving next week.

KT Mid

Installation of the walls that will surround the perimeter of the terminal is nearing completion, which will allow for the setting of lift operator stations next week. Backfill around the structures will occur after that

Palisades Base

At the Palisades Base, excavation work and setting of rebar for the pedestrian ramps has been in progress, along with hydronic pipe testing. The operators’ station will be set in the next few days, which includes excavation work for all of the main power and conduit.

Red Dog

The concrete for towers 1-3 is set, water and sewer is being reconnected to the lift maintenance building, and electrical to the building is also being realigned and installed. There will be no blasting on tower 10 for now as hand clean-up is still in progress. The helicopter is scheduled to fly on Monday starting at approximately 9:00 a.m. Additionally, materials will be flown on Wednesday, August 10 and all day on Thursday, August 25.

UPDATE: July 21, 2022

General Updates

Construction related trail closures will be in place for the World Cup Trail, Trollstigen Trail, and sections of the Western States Trail beginning Monday, July 25. Signage is posted, and updates will continue to be reflected on the Palisades Tahoe hiking map and trail status along with Western States detour options. Please continue to respect all closures and signage.

Chalet

Silt fencing has been installed around the project area as work continues to improve this on-mountain facility.

Alpine Base

At the Alpine Base, work to backfill around the maintenance building is on-going with exterior drains being installed. A crane will be on-site July 21 and 22 to install the steel beams and columns required for the interior of the maintenance building. Slabs were poured on Wednesday between the main lodge and the exterior, retaining wall.

Alpine Mid

At the Alpine mid-station, rebar and the footings are complete and the concrete pour is planned for July 25 and 27.

KT Mid

Installation of the walls that will surround the perimeter of the terminal continues, and contractors are currently working on the road connecting the terminal to the saddle.

Palisades Base

At the Palisades Base, work on the footings and underground hydronic piping has been underway and rebar and concrete will be installed next week for the pedestrian access ramps to the Plaza.

Red Dog

Excavation work at the top terminal is complete, and work on tower 10 is underway, with drilling in progress and blasting scheduled to take place on Monday, July 25. At that time, trail closures (World Cup Trail, Trollstigen Trail, and sections of the Western States Trail) will be in effect for safety.

At the bottom of Red Dog, the concrete column for the terminal and towers 1 and 2 were poured on July 20. Excavation work for tower 3 will begin July 21.

Photo taken July 9 of the Base to Base Gondola Village Terminal

UPDATE: July 14, 2022

General Updates

A helicopter will be onsite at the resort delivering loads of materials from the Palisades Parking Lot to the Red Dog lift line on July 15 from 9-10:30 am.

The Tevis Cup is scheduled to take place on Saturday, July 16 and will pass through the Western States trail within the resort between 6-8 a.m. The event organizers will work with the Palisades team to mark the trail on Friday, July 15. Digging will not take place at the top of Red Dog before 8 am on Friday and Saturday to allow for course set-up. The Western States Trail will be closed all day on July 14 and after 8 am on July 15 and 16.

Alpine Base

At the Alpine Base, the culvert footing has been poured and the rebar has been installed on the raised portion, prior to this pour on July 19. Backfill around the maintenance building is ongoing, and overall, things are moving ahead quickly. On July 21, Leitner Poma will start their work on the gondola terminal.

Alpine Mid

Rebar for the footings is nearing completion and the concrete pour will happen on July 25 and 27. Leitner Poma is currently working on the interior of the existing terminal.

KT Mid

The walls that will surround the perimeter of the terminal are going up quickly, and the KT ski patrol building construction is also in progress.

Palisades Base

At the Palisades Base, the first phase of underground utilities was completed and plumbers are working on phase two. Work to set rebar is happening, and concrete footings along the deck and the ramp will be poured soon. Installation of the hydroponics that will heat the pavers on the plaza and the ramp is also underway. The generator footing is complete as well.

Red Dog

Excavation work to remove the old Red Dog towers at the top terminal continues, and related trail closures remain in effect. A contractor hired to assist Poma with challenging tower installations on rock will be on-site July 19.

At the bottom of Red Dog, the base terminal has been dug and the footing poured. Teams are now working on the vertical column for the base terminal and digging for the tower 1 and 2 placements.

UPDATE: July 8, 2022

General Updates

Alpine Base

At the Alpine Base, crews are currently digging out utilities in the maintenance building and are preparing to lay pipe there soon. Excavation work will begin in the next few weeks, and the building permit process is underway for a propane tank gas line installation. That work will be completed by Palisades Tahoe crews.

Alpine Mid

Footings are being formed and preparations to install rebar are underway.

KT Mid

Crews are setting baskets on the retaining wall at the KT mid-station.

Palisades Base

At the Palisades Base, crews are welding hydraulic lines, staking for the wall will happen July 7, and concrete crews will begin forming footings between Members Lockers and TTMG on Monday, July 11.

Red Dog

The replacement and realignment of Red Dog continues. Leitner Poma has excavated the base terminal area and in the locations for footings 1 and 2. Rebar is being set for the base terminal, and footings will begin to be poured around July 20.

Excavation work to remove the old Red Dog towers continues, and trail closures remain in effect as a result.

Additional Palisades On-mountain Updates

Digging for the Exhibition snowmaking project is still a week or two out, however when it begins, it will start at the bottom (likely after July 15)
There will be construction noise for the next two weeks and visual impacts are anticipated the last week of July as the snowmaking project starts uphill
The event services building has been removed and the mound it sat on will be regraded and brought back to its natural contour
Work has begun at the Upper Vehicle Maintenance, Trilogy space for ski school improvements, and at Far East; all are active construction projects
Leitner Poma is targeting July 18 as the next day the helicopter will be used for lift construction
The Tevis Cup is scheduled to take place on Saturday, July 16 and will pass through the Western States trail within the resort between 6-8 a.m. The event organizers will work with the Palisades team to mark the trail on Friday, July 15

**Construction activity is dependent on weather, conditions and logistics, and all work complies with the allowed hours of operation (6am-8pm midweek, 8am-6pm Saturdays). Thank you for adhering to posted signage and closures.

UPDATE: July 2, 2022

General Updates

Please note that construction related trail closures are in place for the World Cup Trail, Trollstigen Trail, and sections of the Western States Trail. Currently there are no open trail options from our neighbor, the Resort at Squaw Creek to the Village at Palisades Tahoe (for at least the next week). Signage is posted, and updates will continue to be reflected on the Palisades Tahoe hiking map and trail status webpage along with Western States detour options.

Alpine Base

At the Alpine Meadows Base Area, the next step is to get waterproofing and backfill completed before the steel for the maintenance building is installed.

Alpine Mid

Excavation continues on the building footing

KT Mid

At the KT mid-station, excavation work has been underway over the past week and crews will begin construction in the mid-station area today.

Palisades Base

Excavation work necessary to begin the footings for the walkway is underway at the Palisades Base Area.

Red Dog Base

At the bottom of Red Dog, excavation work is underway for the footing of the terminal, as well as the concrete foundation of the lift and towers 1, 2 and 3.

Top of Red Dog

BMPs have been put in place before an Excavator with a rock breaker is brought in to remove the old foundation. A Spyder Hoe will begin work at tower 4 (toward the bottom of the hill just above Searchlight), then move to the top and start working down from there. Work to excavate the new lift unload area will also soon get underway.

UPDATE: June 24, 2022

Thanks for following along! Here’s what’s happening on the mountain and in the base areas at Palisades Tahoe this week.

General updates at Palisades Tahoe

There is a lot of work underway on the summer roads, and signage is posted. Rather than hiking on the summer roads, follow trail markers and stay on open trails including the Shirley Canyon trail. Work is underway to reestablish trail signage to the trail networks. Please be aware as trail closures can occur during the week when construction or other activities are taking place.

Alpine Base

Work to start to build up the areas that support the plaza and other structures above is underway. In areas with full retaining wall, backfill and compacting work is happening this week, working from western edge to the east. Finished pouring the final wall sections for the Maintenance Building

Alpine (on-mountain)

The Weasel snowmaking project is moving forward, and BMPs are being lined out. Digging for power installation will start in the next few days, and there is work being completed on the on-mountain road network. Hiking traffic may be impacted weekly Monday-Thursday. Signage indicating heavy equipment on the road has been posted, and it is imperative that all closures are adhered to.

Alpine Mid

Digging of the perimeter footing is in progress, and rebar work has begun. Following that, concrete will be poured.

Palisades Base

Utilities and site work continues. Next week, , footings will be scratched in with backfill occurring as work continues. Exhibition and Red Dog snowmaking upgrades are underway, including the dig work necessary to install electrical vaults at the bottom of Olympic Lady.

Red Dog

Leitner Poma has disconnected the old Red Dog top terminal and lift shack and moved them out of the way. Two towers remain in place that will be flown out as they are in steep terrain that an excavator can’t get to. The helicopter has been scheduled for June 28 with exact times to be determined. There will be restricted access from the parking area all the way up Mountain Run.

A breaker will be brought in next week to hammer and remove the concrete footings so they can be used as non-structural fill around the terminal.

BMPs on the downhill side are being set up, and access to complete this work is hazardous due to the nature of the steep terrain where the work is being done. Excavation and line work will be underway over the next several weeks, including rock moving and blasting. It is critical that all closures are adhered to as this is an active construction zone with hazards due to the steep terrain.

The Red Dog base and bottom towers have been laid out, BMPs are set up, and digging will start soon.

UPDATE: June 18, 2022

With all of the various projects moving forward at both Alpine and Palisades, we have broken out updates based on project location. Here’s the latest!

Alpine Base

Progress has been made pouring concrete footings in a few locations in the Alpine Base including the maintenance building internal support footings and those in the maintenance corridor. Crews will start hanging steel on maintenance building walls next week.

KT Mid

Leitner Poma is reviewing the mid-station survey points and will start their work later this summer. In the meantime, SNC will start work next week to begin the work necessary to form the perimeter around the mid-station terminal.

Red Dog

Surveying and foundation work for the new Red Dog lift is underway, and materials are being brought up to the top of the new Red Dog lift. There may be some construction activity Friday (June 17) and possibly Saturday (June 18) during the Broken Arrow Sky Race, however course marshals will be in place at locations where drivers may intersect with the course, and drivers have been alerted to expect runners on the road. All efforts will be made to minimize race interruptions.

Palisades Base

In the Palisades Base Area, most of the new storm drains are in, demo of the existing plaza pavers has been completed, and work is starting to lay out the footers needed for the wall.

UPDATE: June 9, 2022

With on-mountain and base area projects underway at both Alpine and Palisades, there’s a tremendous amount of work in progress. Here’s what’s happening now and what’s to come in the short-term at both Alpine and Palisades:

Alpine

The mid-station terminal has been completed, and the work to begin the footings for the building that will house the terminal will begin soon.

Chalet Lodge improvements begin next week, with efforts continuing through the summer.

Electrical work related to the snowmaking upgrades at Alpine will begin on June 15. Please note operations and maintenance is occurring Monday through Thursday at the Alpine Base, and construction areas are closed to public access.

Palisades

The existing Red Dog chairlift has been prepped for demo, and Leitner Poma is scouting the new Red Dog lift tower placements over the next week.

Electrical work has started for the snowmaking upgrade project at Palisades and it is anticipated that that project will begin in earnest July 1.

UPDATE: June 7, 2022

Following a successful week that included removal of trees along the new Red Dog lift line, the start of the complete replacement of the Funitel’s electrical system, and the installation of the Alpine mid-station gondola terminal, projects this week will include the removal of buildings in the Red Dog Complex, prepping for the removal of the old Red Dog Towers as well as demo and earthwork associated with the Palisades Plaza. .

In addition, the Palisades Drive Station construction and propane line installation are planned this week. At Alpine, the retaining wall was poured last week which will allow us to start backfilling the area between the wall and Summit/Roundhouse Lifts. Also at Alpine, work on the ramp in the breezeway will continue, and crews will dig footings in the maintenance corridor while working on drain piping.

The image below shows the crane used to install the Alpine mid-station of the gondola. Photo credit: Blake Kessler

UPDATE: May 30, 2022

Helicopter work will take place on Tuesday, May 31 in order to complete removal of trees from the new Red Dog lift line. Helicopter work is scheduled to begin after 12:00pm and should be completed prior to 5pm. This work is weather dependent, and will comply with the allowed hours of operation for midweek construction; 6am-8pm.

The below map shows the flight path.

UPDATE: May 16, 2022

At The Village base area this week, crews will continue to set up BMPs around the construction zone and moving parts for the Gondola from the Poma Lay Down area, in the closed portion of the parking lot, to the construction site. Later in the week, there will be a crane on-site to begin setting materials for the Gondola Base Terminal. Starting Tuesday, construction fencing will be expanded to include new areas to the north and south sides of the Funitel building. These closures may impact the Funitel Plaza, and our team is doing the best we can to minimize impact in this area. Please follow all posted signage and respect all closures.

The old Red Dog Terminal has now been removed. Soon, there will be trenching and excavating between Member’s Locker Room and the Gondola Base Terminal for power infrastructure. This may begin as early as this week, although it is more likely to occur next week. All work will comply with the allowed hours of operation, which is 6am-8pm for midweek construction and 8am-6pm for Saturdays.

**All dates are subject to change. Construction activity is dependent on weather, conditions, and logistics.

UPDATE: May 13, 2022

Beginning May 12, there will be a crane on site to begin dismantling the Red Dog base terminal. The cable and chairs were removed earlier this week. Truck and equipment traffic will be occurring in and around the construction area as well as the Poma Laydown Area, which is part of the closed area of the parking lot closest to Red Dog. The street between preferred parking and the base terminal of the Gondola will also see truck and equipment traffic throughout the week.

Next week, crews will begin to set up materials for construction of our base area projects. We also expect to see expansion of our base area construction zones as BMPs and additional fencing are installed. These installations may affect pedestrian traffic. Please follow all posted signage and respect all closures.

All work will comply with the allowed hours of operation, which is 6am-8pm for midweek construction and 8am-6pm for Saturdays.

Please visit the construction blog for ongoing updates.

**All dates are subject to change. Construction activity is dependent on weather, conditions, and logistics.

UPDATE: April 30, 2022

Helicopters will begin flying on Monday, May 2, to remove trees from the new Red Dog lift line into the Village at Palisades parking lot. Helicopter work is scheduled to continue all week, through Friday, May 6. The area of the parking lot where trees will be placed has already been fenced off, and no pedestrian or vehicle traffic is permitted in that area. This work is weather dependent, and will comply with the allowed hours of operation for midweek construction; 6am-8pm.

The below map shows the flight paths and the restricted and closed areas for the duration of the work. All areas shown in either green, yellow, red, or blue are not to be used for travel or work while the helicopter is in operation.

**All dates are subject to change. Construction activity is dependent on weather, conditions, and logistics.

UPDATE: April 19, 2022

Construction on the new Red Dog chairlift is scheduled to start this week. Tree cutting will begin early in the morning on Wednesday, April 20, and the lift will begin to be disassembled soon after. The construction area will be fenced off to the public. Some walkways near the Red Dog base terminal will be cordoned off in the coming weeks, and foot traffic will be rerouted. Due to weather, construction plans are shifting day-to-day, so we will provide updates once those construction activities and closures are set to begin.

** All dates are subject to change. Construction activity is dependent on weather, conditions and logistics.

RED DOG CONSTRUCTION: WHAT TO EXPECT

Construction activities are slated to start in mid-April on the Red Dog lift replacement. Construction activities will include (in approximate order) tree cutting, lift disassembly and removal, tree removal by helicopter, excavating, blasting, and installation of towers. Our guests, staff and local residents can anticipate the following impacts due to these activities.

ANTICIPATED IMPACTS

Hiking trail closures: The Western States Trail will experience intermittent closures throughout Red Dog lift construction this summer. During closures, hikers are encouraged to use other trails, with nearby Shirley Canyon and Granite Chief trails as great alternatives. Hikers who hike up to High Camp during operating hours of the Aerial Tram can download for free.

We understand that these intermittent closures will be an inconvenience to our local community, so we will be communicating closures with access road signs, trailhead signs, with the Palisades Tahoe app and @palisadesops on Twitter.

Tree cutting: Tree cutting will take place to clear space for the new alignment of the chairlift. At least 75 percent of the trees being taken down are categorized as diseased or unhealthy, and the project will improve forest health in that area. There will be noise from chainsaws and tree felling around the Red Dog and Poulsen’s Gully area, and the tree cutting areas will be closed to the public.
Excavation & blasting: Plan for noise from blasting and heavy machinery. Excavation areas will be closed to the public while work is ongoing.
Helicopter flying: Plan for noise from helicopter flying.
Parking: Areas of the Palisades Tahoe parking lot will be closed for equipment and construction material staging. The most convenient parking areas will remain available.

CONSTRUCTION HOURS

Noise emanating from construction activities, including helicopter flights, is prohibited on Sundays and federal holidays, and will only occur:

Monday-Friday, 6am-8pm during summer (daylight savings time)
Monday-Friday, 7am-8pm during fall (standard time)
Saturday, 8am-6pm (helicopters may be used on Saturdays as needed)
Placer County’s Planning Director is authorized to waive these time frames based on special circumstances, such as adverse weather conditions.

Questions or complaints about construction should be sent to gondolaconstruction@palisadestahoe.com

UPDATE: April 19, 2022

Construction on the new Red Dog chairlift is scheduled to start the week of April 18. Tree cutting is planned for this week, and will begin once ground conditions allow. The construction area will be fenced off to the public. The lift will also begin to be disassembled, likely beginning around April 21. Some walkways near the Red Dog base terminal will be cordoned off in the coming weeks, and foot traffic will be rerouted. Due to weather, construction plans are shifting day-to-day, so we will provide updates once those construction activities and closures are set to begin.

** All dates are subject to change. Construction activity is dependent on weather, conditions and logistics.

UPDATE: Wednesday, October 13, 2021

A helicopter will be flying today, Wednesday, Oct. 13, to pour concrete at the KT mid-station. All trail access along the flight path will be closed. This will be the final day of helicopter work for this construction season.

**All dates are subject to change. Construction activity is dependent on weather, conditions and logistics.

UPDATE: Thursday, October 7, 2021

A helicopter will be flying today, Thursday, Oct. 7, out of The Village at Palisades Tahoe, to place the last remaining gondola lift towers from the base area to the top of KT. All trail access along the flight path will be closed. Hikers may use the Thunder Mountain Trail for travel up the mountain.

**All dates are subject to change. Construction activity is dependent on weather, conditions and logistics.

UPDATE: Friday, September 24, 2021

A helicopter will be flying today, Friday, Sept. 24, out of The Village at Palisades Tahoe, to place the gondola lift towers from the base area to the top of KT. All trail access along the flight path will be closed today. Hikers may use the Thunder Mountain Trail for travel up the mountain.

Tomorrow, Saturday, Sept. 25, Five Lakes Trail and Alpine Lodge will be closed. The helicopter will be flying out of the base area in Alpine, to place the gondola lift towers from that base area to the top of KT. If work concludes early, we will reopen the Five Lakes Trail.

**All dates are subject to change. Construction activity is dependent on weather, conditions and logistics.

UPDATE: Tuesday, August 24, 2021

A helicopter will be flying today out of the Juniper Spire area at Palisades, midway up Mountain Run, to pour concrete on towers 8, 9, 14, 19 and 20. Noise impacts to the Village area will be less during this portion of work as it is happening further up on the slope.

On Wednesday, August 25th, the helicopter will be flying out of Alpine Lodge to pour concrete on towers 15, 21, 22, 26 and 27. The Five Lake Trail remains closed through Sept. 6, due to the temporary closure of Tahoe National Forest.

UPDATE: Thursday, August 5, 2021

A helicopter will be flying out of The Village at Palisades Tahoe on Monday, August 9 to pour concrete on towers 3, 4 and 5 near The Village at Palisades Tahoe. The helicopter landing area will be in the parking lot between the Far East building and Squaw Valley Road. Expect helicopter noise during construction hours, 6am-8pm.

On Tuesday, August 10, the helicopter will be flying out of the Juniper Spire area, midway up Mountain Run, to pour concrete on towers 7, 10 and 12. Noise impacts to the Village area will be less during this portion of work as it is happening further up on the slope.

UPDATE: Tuesday, July 20, 2021

Update, 1:20pm: Five Lakes Trail is now open to the public.

The Five Lakes Trail is now closed for blasting work on lift towers near the trail, but will reopen as soon as blasting is completed later today. We will provide an update when the trail is open.

UPDATE: Friday, July 16, 2021

**All dates are subject to change. Construction activity is dependent on weather, conditions and logistics.

Update, 3:15 pm: Five Lakes Trail is now open to the public.

Five Lakes Trail will be closed the morning of July 16 for blasting and excavating work at lift towers near the trail. Work will likely conclude in the afternoon, at which time the trail will reopen. We will provide an update when the trail is open.

The Five Lakes Trail will close for a brief period next week, either July 19 or 20, for additional blasting at the lift towers. This closure will only take place for 1-2 hours. The CMS sign at the base of Alpine Meadows Road will be updated with the most current closure information, and trail closure signage and blockades will be placed and removed as needed.

UPDATE: Wednesday, July 7, 2021

**All dates are subject to change. Construction activity is dependent on weather, conditions and logistics.‘

Five Lakes Trail will be closed July 8 & 9 and July 12-15 for blasting and helicopter work. These are anticipated dates and we will be working hard to shorten or limit closures as much as possible. The CMS sign at the base of Alpine Meadows Road will be updated with the most current closure information, and trail closure signage and blockades will be placed and removed as needed.

In addition, guests, community and employees can expect noise due to concrete transportation and placement operations in The Village at Palisades Tahoe.

UPDATE: Friday, June 25, 2021

Blasting work has concluded early, and Five Lakes Trail has been reopened.

UPDATE: Thursday, June 24, 2021

Five Lakes Trail will be closed briefly tomorrow, June 25, from approximately 3-4:30 pm for blasting work. A helicopter has been rescheduled to pour concrete on tower 7 at Palisades tomorrow, June 25.

UPDATE: Monday, June 21, 2021

The helicopter that was scheduled to pour concrete for tower 7 today has been canceled. The helicopter that was scheduled was requested to assist with firefighting efforts. We do not have a confirmed reschedule date at this time.

UPDATE: Wednesday, June 16, 2021

A helicopter is scheduled to pour concrete for a gondola tower at Palisades on Monday, June 21.

On the Alpine side, excavation of the Alpine base terminal has begun.

UPDATE: Tuesday, June 15, 2021

A helicopter will be flying tomorrow, June 16, to service existing gazex installations at both Palisades and Alpine. This routine seasonal maintenance is unrelated to the construction of the base-to-base gondola.

Drilling and blasting on the gondola mid-station located on the KT-22 ridge is expected to begin on June 17. This work will last approximately 8-12 days. Hikers in the Five Lakes area can expect occasional noise and possible dust. No additional hiking trail closures are expected with this activity. Blasting will occur underground: sound and vibration are expected to be less than avalanche control tools like gazex or hand charges. Sound and vibration monitoring equipment will be used to ensure that blasting conforms to the approved requirements of the project.

**All dates are subject to change. Construction activity is dependent on weather, conditions

UPDATE: Thursday, June 10, 2021

A small section of the Western States Trail in Olympic Valley is now closed due to the construction of the base-to-base gondola. The closed section is located near where the trail crosses the KT-22 summer road. The closure is expected to last approximately 3-4 weeks. Hikers can get around the closed section by using the World Cup and Thunder Mountain hiking trails. Find the summer hiking map here.

UPDATE: Friday, June 4, 2021

Helicopter work in the Five Lakes Trail area has concluded sooner than expected. Five Lakes Trail is open.

UPDATE: Thursday, May 27, 2021

**All dates are subject to change. Construction activity is dependent on weather, conditions, and logistics.

A helicopter will be used to conduct tree removal on the Alpine side June 2-4. Five Lakes Trail will be closed June 2-4 and the Alpine Lodge will be closed to the public during that time as well. Homeowners will continue to have access to their homes via Chalet Road.

There will be some limited helicopter activity on the Palisades side to drop off equipment during the same date range: June 2-4.

Excavation on towers 3, 4 and 5 is expected to begin this week or next. These towers are located uphill/south of The Village at Palisades Tahoe.

Noise emanating from heavy construction activities, including helicopter flights, is prohibited on Sundays and Federal Holidays (including Memorial Day) and will only occur Monday – Friday, 6am-8pm and Saturdays, 8am-6pm.

UPDATE: Thursday, May 20, 2021

**All dates are subject to change. Construction activity is dependent on weather, conditions, and logistics.

Repair work on the KT-22 summer road will begin on Monday, May 24, and work at the KT Midstation project site will commence when road work is complete.

Excavation on the Palisades base terminal will begin on Wednesday, May 26. The Palisades base terminal is located adjacent to the Funitel and Member’s Locker Room.

Excavation will begin at the Alpine base terminal on Friday, May 28. The Alpine base terminal is located at the southwest corner of the Alpine Lodge.

Impacts include noise from heavy machinery operating in these areas. Construction areas are closed to the public.

UPDATE: Friday, May 14, 2021

Tree cutting in the Five Lakes Trail area concluded sooner than expected. Five Lakes Trail is open.

UPDATE: Wednesday, May 12, 2021

The Five Lakes trail will be closed Thursday and Friday, May 13 & 14, for tree cutting. Here are some other hiking recommendations in the area.

UPDATE: Friday, May 7, 2021

On Monday, May 10, tree cutting will begin at the Alpine base area and the Caldwell property in Alpine. There will be noise from chainsaws and tree felling in these areas. Tree cutting areas will be closed to the public. Five Lakes Trail is not anticipated to be closed for this phase of work, stay tuned for additional updates.

UPDATE: Wednesday, May 5, 2021

Gondola Construction: What to Expect

We anticipate construction activities to begin soon on the Palisades Tahoe base-to-base gondola. Construction activities will include (in approximate order) tree cutting, tree removal by helicopter, excavation & blasting, and building of terminals and towers. Our guests, staff and local residents can anticipate the following impacts due to these activities:

Anticipated Impacts:

Hiking trail closures: Five Lakes Trail and Western States Trail will experience intermittent closures throughout construction this summer. During closures, hikers are encouraged to use other trails, with nearby Shirley Canyon and Granite Chief trails in Olympic Valley as great alternatives. Hikers who ascend to High Camp during operating hours of the Aerial Tram can download for free.

Estimated hiking trail closure durations for Five Lakes Trail and Western States Trail: 12 days in May, 14 days in June, 10 days in July and five days in August.

We understand that these intermittent closures will be a real inconvenience to our local community and visitors, and will be communicating closures with access road signs, trailhead signs, the Palisades Tahoe app and @PalisadesOps on twitter.

Tree cutting: Nearly all tree cutting will take place on the Alpine side, relatively little tree cutting needs to happen on the Palisades side. There will be noise from chainsaws and tree felling around the Alpine base area. The Tree cutting areas will be closed to the public.
Excavation & blasting: Plan for noise from blasting and heavy machinery. Excavation areas will be closed to the public while work is ongoing.
Helicopter flying: Plan for noise from helicopter flying.
Parking: Areas of the Palisades Tahoe parking lots will be closed for equipment and construction material staging. The most convenient parking areas will remain available.
We do not anticipate any impacts to skiing and riding operations due to these construction activities.

We will provide updates as exact dates are confirmed. All construction activity will be dependent on weather, conditions, and logistics.

Construction Hours:
Noise emanating from construction activities, including helicopter flights, is prohibited on Sundays and Federal Holidays, and will only occur:

Monday – Friday, 6am-8pm (during daylight savings time, summer)
Monday – Friday, 7am-8pm (during standard time, fall)
Saturdays, 8am-6pm. Helicopters may be used on Saturdays, as needed.
Placer County’s Planning Director is authorized to waive these time frames based on special circumstances, such as adverse weather conditions.

Questions? Reach out to gondolaconstruction@palisadestahoe.com.

April 12, 2021 Update:

Palisades Tahoe is preparing for the construction of the base-to-base gondola connecting the two areas. This is a tremendously complex project, with four terminals spanning two ski areas, and our team will continue to work closely with Leitner-Poma on the planning and construction.

FAQ:

Will there be any construction impacts to ski operations?

Palisades Tahoe plans to operate skiing and riding as conditions permit. We currently anticipate operating until the end of May, but much will depend on weather and snow conditions. Should there be any construction impacts to operations, we will communicate with skiers and riders about potential impacts that affect the spring season.

How long will construction take/When will the gondola open?

Construction timelines and opening date are dependent on weather, conditions and logistics.

Where will the gondola go?

The gondola will transport guests between The Village at Palisades Tahoe and the Alpine Lodge. Guests will also have the option to disembark at the KT-22 mid station. There will be no onload/offload access for Palisades Tahoe guests at the Alpine Mid-Station.

Does the gondola provide access to KT-22?

Yes, the gondola will add lift access to the top of the KT ridge at Palisades from either base area, at the rate of 1,400 people per hour. KT-22 lift has an hourly capacity of 2,100.

Will it be possible to ski between Palisades and Alpine once the gondola is installed?

No, the terrain at the two areas is not contiguous, and installation of the gondola will not open additional skiable terrain. Skiers and riders will be able to use the gondola to travel between the two mountains in about 16 minutes, instead of getting in their cars.

Will the gondola installation result in the addition of new terrain access between the two mountains?

The gondola will not add new terrain to the resort. Terrain that will be connected by the gondola is not contiguous.

What is the hourly capacity of the gondola?

The gondola will have the capacity to transport 1,400 people per hour in 8-passenger cabins.

How long will it take to get between the two mountains on the gondola?

The gondola ride is anticipated to take 16 minutes.

When will the gondola operate?

The gondola will operate during the winter season only, as late as April 30, when both Palisades and Alpine are open.

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Base to Base Gondola Operations Red Dog

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Operations Update: Closing Weekend Information

This is the final stretch. We hope that you'll be able to join us for these last three days of spring skiing at Palisades Tahoe. Temperatures have been on the cooler side for late May, which helps to preserve our snowpack, and we'll likely have temperatures in the 60s through Monday. Here's what to expect for the closing weekend of the 23/24 winter season:

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The Northern Lights over the resort last Friday.

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We're the only ski resort open in Lake Tahoe and there are still TEN DAYS to get your last turns in. We're looking pretty good for the final stretch, but since it has been (and will continue to be) quite warm, we thought you'd want another update. Here's our best guess for the end of the 23/24 season:

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Ross Roberts welding a winch tower. Photo by Waqas Shafi.

Operations Update: End of May Expectations

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Gondola Construction: What to Expect

Anticipated Impacts:

April 12, 2021 Update:

FAQ:

Will there be any construction impacts to ski operations?

How long will construction take/When will the gondola open?

Where will the gondola go?

Does the gondola provide access to KT-22?

Will it be possible to ski between Palisades and Alpine once the gondola is installed?

Will the gondola installation result in the addition of new terrain access between the two mountains?

What is the hourly capacity of the gondola?

How long will it take to get between the two mountains on the gondola?

When will the gondola operate?

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