Pat Northrop has spent 46 years teaching thousands of skiers how to navigate the slopes of Palisades Tahoe. Some of Pat’s claims to fame include teaching Olympic champion Jonny Mosley to ski, obtaining her pilot’s license, and earning a coveted Lifetime Season Pass. After dedicating more than four decades to ski instructing, Pat recently retired, leaving behind an impressive legacy and a new generation of skiers. The Tahoe community celebrated Pat’s retirement with a party on March 2nd, 2025. Read on to learn about Pat’s incredible story and impact on Palisades Tahoe.
Department: Mountain Sports School
Years at Palisades Tahoe: 46
Jobs Held: Ski Instructor and Mountain Sports School Supervisor
The Interview
When did you first start skiing?
I first clicked into skis at age 3 while my family and I were living in the Tucson area. We moved to Tahoe full-time when I was 6. One of my sisters took to ice skating, but ever since I was young, I always gravitated towards skiing.
How many years have you spent as a ski instructor at Palisades Tahoe?
46 years! I started in the fall of 1978 and continued through the spring of 2024. I have a PSIA Ski Instructor Level 3 certification. I initially got hired as a Supervisor for Mountain Sports School.
Can you tell us about your background before coming to Palisades?
I studied at the University of Utah, which was a perfect fit for me to ski and get a little distance from home. I was interested in kinesiology and took a PE class when I first started. I was trained by Alta instructors and started teaching lessons in 1970 as a freshman. Flashing forward, I did a fifth year at Long Beach to pursue my teaching credential. During this time, I was going to Mammoth every weekend to ski. Eventually, I decided to come back to Tahoe and live here.
What brought you into teaching at Palisades Tahoe?
I was working as a substitute teacher at local Tahoe schools, when I had some health issues. My doctor didn’t want me to be in a confined space in schools, but I got permission to teach ski lessons outside, and I thought there was nowhere else I would rather spend my time.
What are your family’s connections to the mountain?
I moved to Tahoe when I was six. I have two sisters. My dad put in the road to the top of the mountain and Siberia Mountain in 1958. He helped flatten out the mountain due to VOR restrictions, which used to be 73 feet higher. I was 8 when the Olympics were here in 1960. We were one of just three or four families that were involved and had trailers parked to help with the Olympics.
What was your favorite part of your job?
I loved working with Women’s Way (now called Women of Winter). It was different and fun, and I enjoyed this experience a lot.
What was the most challenging part of your job?
Nothing is coming to mind!
How would you explain your teaching style?
I start with something I know they can do. At Mountain Meadow, I would ski behind students and watch to distinguish their level. Then we would go from there. I enjoy taking people down Shirley.
What was your experience like being involved in Women’s Way, now called Women of Winter?
Elissa Slanger started the program—it was the first of its kind in the USA. Her husband was the head of ski school. The group would meet in the locker room, and then after assessing ski level, get divided into ski groups. We would have a group lunch, then come back into our ski groups. There was always lots of interest from women wanting to ski with fellow women and finding community on the mountain.
I understand you have an aviation background as well?
Yes, I got my pilot’s license at age 17. My younger sister is a captain for Southwest Airlines. All three girls in our family flew. I was in Civil Air Patrol as a cadette at 14-15 years old and then went on to run the cadettes program. It was a very cool aviation program to be on!
Do you have a favorite run to ski?
KT-22 and Siberia Face were favorites, especially back in the day.
I heard you taught some notable skiers?
Yes, I taught Johnny Moseley back in the day. I was his first ski instructor. He was very sweet as a kid and gave me a shoutout when he won!
What have you been up to in your recent retirement?
Getting stuff done around the house! A bit of watching TV and enjoying nicer weather. I’ve skied twice since retiring.
What do you hope for young women today to experience in the ski industry?
Keep skiing! We have been out there doing it for years, so keep doing it!
