Basecamp for Lake Tahoe
Palisades Tahoe is the beating heart of Lake Tahoe adventure. Plan your trip with us today.
The woman who’s been getting first chair on KT-22 since the 1980s has some advice for you.
Chip Lambert’s remarkable journey through 57 seasons at Alpine Meadows is a testament to his enduring passion for skiing and commitment to sharing the sport with as many people as possible. His journey is an inspiring narrative of a life deeply intertwined with the mountains he loves.
Gael Williams is the longest-running member of the Palisades Tahoe Ski Patrol. In fact, this year marks his 41st season as a patroller. Known as a kind, knowledgeable, easy-to-talk-to mainstay on the mountain, Gael has been here through decades of change and excitement. What never changes for Gael is how much he loves these mountains (especially KT-22) or his drive to be the hardest worker on the hill. From sun up to sun down (and often in the darkness, too) Gael gives his life to one of the most difficult and rewarding jobs on the mountain. For the past three seasons, there has been another factor upping the fun for Gael as well: His son, Zach, is now also a member of the Palisades Tahoe Ski Patrol.
Tim Manning has been making snow at Alpine Meadows since 1990. Now the Manager of the snowmaking department, he shares his story with us, from the accident that nearly left him paralyzed to the memorable years when he made snow all the way from November to April.
Glossy photos of spread eagles, daffies, power-infused cliff drops, and powdery rooster tails have long frozen the kinetic artistry that is skiing. Tahoe skiers are some of the most artistic on the planet, but it’s the photographer who stands in the cold, balancing on the mountain’s edge, composing and then capturing the perfect millisecond moment in time. It is an art unto itself, and for the last three decades, the art of photographer Hank de Vré has helped define the ski culture of Lake Tahoe.
This is the home mountain of Olympians, world champions, and the stars of some of your favorite ski movies. That doesn’t just happen by coincidence. There’s a measurable impact that these mountains have in the ski and snowboard community. It’s widely recognized as a badge of honor to call yourself a Palisades Tahoe skier or rider. It’s a proud, but humble claim. Because if you can make it here, you can make it anywhere. This is where skiers are made.
The 1960 Winter Olympics marked an important first: because of the Games, it was the first time Reno was integrated as a city. While the Olympic events took place here in Olympic Valley, Reno, just forty miles across the border, stood ready as the gateway city, serving as the base of operations, with an airport, abundant lodging facilities, and other amenities to cater to the thousands of spectators eager to attend the Winter Olympics. Despite its proximity to California, where race relations were far more progressive, most cities and towns in Nevada were heavily segregated.
The construction of the Base to Base Gondola has long been a dream. For nearly a century, local resort leaders have imagined a European-style ski circus that would connect from Sugarbowl all the way to Lake Tahoe. This is a look at the history of their plans, and how pieces of it came to life.
A former freestyle skier named Troy Caldwell made history when, in the 1980s, he bought a huge chunk of rugged, mountainous terrain between Alpine Meadows and Olympic Valley, a piece of property that’s been the missing link to connect the two resorts.
In April of 2021, Olympic Valley lost one of its earliest property owners and part-time residents, Herb Magnuson. Herb ended up being a very active community member before, during, and after the Olympic Games.
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