It’s going to be a summer to remember: We will be skiing and snowboarding at Alpine on the 4th of July. Yes, you read that correctly. We’re keeping Alpine open through the 4th of July this year!
This is different than the recent years when we’ve been open on the 4th. Typically, we run the Funitel at Palisades up to the upper mountain throughout the warmer months, but this year, we have a large project to complete on the Funitel that will prevent us from operating it past May 29th.
During the month of June, we will be replacing the haul rope on the Funitel. This sizeable project has been in the works for several years and despite the huge amount of snowfall we’ve received, we cannot adjust or change the date of the project in any way. We’ll be sure to keep you updated on the progress of the project here in our Operations Blogs, but in the meantime, here is what you can expect for our operations schedule this spring and summer:
SPRING OPERATING SCHEDULE:
April
- Both Alpine and Palisades will be open 7 days a week.
- The Base to Base Gondola will close after Sunday, April 30th.
- On Saturdays starting April 8th, if the weather is clear, we will keep KT-22 and Summit or Roundhouse open until 5pm.
May
- Alpine will be open Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.
- Palisades will be open Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday.
- The Funitel’s last day will be Monday, May 29th.
- The Aerial Tram will close on Monday, May 29th. It will re-open starting in June for summer sightseeing and activities.
MAY OPERATING SCHEDULE:
| Sunday | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ALPINE | OPEN | CLOSED | CLOSED | OPEN | OPEN | OPEN | OPEN |
| PALISADES | OPEN | OPEN | OPEN | CLOSED | CLOSED | OPEN | OPEN |
SUMMER OPERATING SCHEDULE:
June
- Alpine will be open Friday, Saturday, and Sunday for skiing & snowboarding.
- The Aerial Tram at Palisades will re-open for sightseeing and activities for the second two weekends in June: June 16th-18th and June 23rd-25th. It will open for daily operations starting June 30th.
July
- We will be open for skiing & snowboarding July 1st through 4th at Alpine only.
- The Village at Palisades Tahoe will be open daily during the month of July.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is the Funitel closing on Monday, May 29th?
We have had a Funitel haul rope (main cable) replacement scheduled for over two years and this is a major and necessary maintenance project that requires significant advance planning. We did attempt to postpone the project when we knew that we would have a longer season, but we were unable to adjust the schedule. Crews from the lift manufacturer are coming from Europe to do this work and there was, unfortunately, no other option than June to complete this work.
Why isn’t there skiing at Palisades in the summer? Why can’t you run Wa She Shu instead of the Funitel?
While we replace the Funitel haul rope, absolutely no travel will be allowed under the Funitel. This means that the KT Deck will be closed, the Via Ferrata will have a delayed opening (currently scheduled for June 24th) and lifts like Wa She Shu or Big Blue cannot operate during this time.
Why aren’t both mountains operating 7 days a week in May?
We are excited to be able to offer skiing and snowboarding at both mountains through May, with an offering every day of the week. Normally, we would not operate both resorts this late into the season and we saw this as an opportunity to provide extended skiing and riding at both Alpine and Palisades, providing more terrain choices, and different experiences, and as a way to provide continuing access for both Alpine and Palisades loyalists.
Why does the Base to Base Gondola close on April 30th? Will the Base to Base Gondola re-open for 4th of July?
We realize that this is not ideal given the current situation of deep snowpack and Funitel project work. However, when negotiating the operating terms of the Base to Base Gondola, we agreed to an April 30th closing date as part of our arrangement with the Granite Chief Wilderness Protection League. We are not able to operate the gondola beyond April 30th or for any summer dates.
Will Palisades re-open for the 4th of July?
At this time, we plan for only Alpine to be open for the 4th of July. While Palisades will not be open for skiing and riding on the 4th of July, there will still be plenty to do. The vibrant Village will be open daily, as will the Aerial Tram starting in June for sightseeing and activities at High Camp.
We will plan to operate shuttles between the two base areas so that guests can enjoy the skiing/riding and live music at Alpine as well as lodging, dining, shopping, and the Aerial Tram at The Village at Palisades Tahoe with a convenient transportation option.
Will uphill or backcountry travel be allowed at Palisades or Alpine?
No. Uphill/backcountry travel is NOT permitted at either mountain, even when the resort is closed.
WANT THIS BLOG TO COME TO YOUR EMAIL INBOX?
Sign up for our Mountain Operations email list, and we’ll send this blog directly to you every time we have an update. We’ll share another update soon. Sign up here.
HOW ELSE CAN I STAY UP-TO-DATE THIS SEASON?
We’ll arm you with all the information you need to plan the perfect ski day any day this winter. Bookmark these pages:
Not wanting to check the website constantly? Try these other methods:
- Follow our Mountain Operations Twitter account
- Sign up for the Palisades Tahoe Ski & Ride Report (Weather Blogs + Conditions Blogs are included here)
- Download the Palisades Tahoe App
Do you have any requests for this season’s Operations Blogs? Topics you’d like to see covered or information you think is missing? Send us an email at chatter@palisadestahoe.com with your feedback. We have received a lot of messages lately, and we are getting back to you one by one. Thanks for being patient!
