Olympic Valley, California – Palisades Tahoe’s 2024-25 season is officially underway.
On Friday, November 22nd, Palisades Tahoe opened for the season. Both the Palisades and Alpine Meadows sides are now open, along with the Base-to-Base Gondola. The ski resort’s opening weekend was made even better thanks to 12″ of new snow, and more snow is expected over the next few days. So, what’s new at one of the largest ski resorts in America this season?
Quite a bit. Snowmaking improvements, three new groomers, and more restaurants headline the changes at Palisades Tahoe. Here’s a recap of the changes at Palisades Tahoe for the 2024-25 season.
Tower of Nations & Olympic Torch Entrance: This historic landmark, which was used for the 1960 Olympics, has undergone an extensive renovation. Some of the improvements include repainting, new country shields, a new sign that states “Home of the 1960 Winter Olympic Games,” and a fire-wise eternal torch.
Snowmaking: After a slow start to last winter, Palisades Tahoe decided to further invest in its snowmaking infrastructure. $1.4 million has gone towards a new booster pump (to make the water reach the snowguns quicker) and new fan guns to the Gold Coast base area, allowing the ski resort to open that terrain quicker. Snowmaking equipment has also been added to Julia’s Gold, allowing ski racers to train earlier.
Grooming: Palisades Tahoe has acquired three more Pisten Bully Snowcats, making the California ski resort have “the most advanced fleet of snowcats in the U.S.” These three Snowcats feature SNOWsat LiDAR, which allows the operators to determine snow depth.
All of the ski resort’s groomers, including the newly acquired ones, will now run on Neste renewable diesel. Compared to fossil diesel, this type of fuel reduces greenhouse gas emissions by up to 80%.
New Restaurants: A few new dining experiences have been added to the California ski resort. Opened back in September, Little Bear Café features coffee and baked pastries and sandwiches from Palisades Tahoe Pastry Chef Cortney Hadley. Located over at Alpine, Stoked Oak will feature various BBQ entrees. 39° will feature Asian dishes with a Tahoe twist.
Transportation Improvements: In an attempt to reduce its traffic issues, Palisades Tahoe is undergoing several initiatives. The Mountaineer, which connects Olympic Valley and Alpine Meadows, is expanding service, adding another van during weekends and holidays, and more hours on the Alpine Meadows side.
The TART Park & Ride shuttle is returning this season. The shuttle, which connects Tahoe City plus Truckee to the Village at Palisades Tahoe, will run every Saturday and Sunday until March 31st. If you ride the shuttle, Palisades Tahoe will give you a $10 voucher to use at one of their eateries.
Parking reservations will return for the 2024-25 season, with it being active on Saturdays, Sunday, and some Holiday periods.
New President & COO: After Dee Byrne retired earlier this year, the Alterra Mountain Company announced in September that Amy Ohran is the new President & COO at Palisades Tahoe. Amy has extensive experience in the ski industry, including previously serving as the Vice President & General Manager of Northstar and being in various leadership positions at the ski resorts that are part of the POWDR portfolio. In addition, she currently serves as a board member for the National Ski Areas Association, North Tahoe Community Alliance, and the Tahoe Fund Board.
“I am very excited for this new opportunity at the legendary Palisades Tahoe and am committed to connecting current and future generations to their mountain journey at this beloved destination,” said Amy Ohran in the September press release. “I look forward to leading this talented team through our thoughtful and progressive growth, while prioritizing the guest and employee experience through the stewardship of our mountains as a place for everyone, now and well into the future.”
Click here for a full rundown of what’s new at Palisades Tahoe for the 2024-25 season.
Image/Video Credits: Palisades Tahoe
