A pair of Valentine’s Day avalanches have been reported at Palisades Tahoe. The slides happened around 11:00am, one near Olympic Lady and the other in the Enchanted Forest area.
Ski patrollers along with avalanche dogs were dispatched immediately and started searching for victims. No serious injuries were reported. Following standard safety protocols, avalanche mitigation operations were started in both areas.
Since Wednesday night Palisades has received 31 inches to the upper mountain and could see an additional 10 inches by this evening. Palisades recommends the following safety measures during this deep snow event:
With this storm rolling in close to freezing levels some of the fallen snow is a heavy and wet powder on top of a firm crust. Pay attention to these deep snow safety tips, including but not limited to:
- Always ski and ride with a buddy
- Carry a beacon transceiver and rescue equipment and know how to use them.
- Avoid tree wells
- If you are going to fall, attempt to do so feet first
When it comes to riding safely, another one of my favorite tips is to download the Palisades Tahoe app. It makes wayfinding the resort easy so you can stay within your ability level. The app has real-time updates on lift and terrain openings as well as estimated wait times. You can track your friends on the mountain and always re-group if you get separated while carving through the trees. Not to mention it keeps track of your vertical feet so you can go brag to your friends about the number of times you skied Granite Chief.
