One of the many benefits of living in Nevada County is the backyard playground offered by the Tahoe National Forest and Sierra Nevada, offering area residents nearby outdoor adventures of biking, hiking, skiing and more.
Palisades Tahoe’s long-planned and highly anticipated Base to Base Gondola project is a game-changer for skiers and snowboarders, connecting the resort with Alpine Meadows and making the 6,000 acres of terrain accessible among the two resorts by a 15-minute ride that offers stunning views along the 2.4-mile route.
The gondola, which opened in December, climbs 3,105 vertical feet and takes skiers and riders over the top of Palisades iconic KT-22, where passengers can either disembark and make a run from the “Mothership” or continue on to the base of each resort, where chair lifts are ready to whisk you up for your next run.
According to reporting by the Sierra Sun, the Base to Base Gondola is part of $85 million in improvements that have been made by Palisades Tahoe ahead of the 2022-23 winter season, and the connection makes the resort one of the largest in North America.
“We’ve opened a new chapter in our storied history,” Dee Byrne, Palisades Tahoe president and COO, said during December’s opening celebration. “Combining these valleys, these legendary mountains, and our community is a top priority for us. We’re going to be excellent stewards of our past going forward.”
After making morning laps at Shirley Lake or playing in the powder on Siberia Express, skiers and boarders can literally head over to Alpine without the need of hopping in a car or onto a shuttle. Instead, passengers can enjoy the breath-taking views of Granite Chief Wilderness, Lake Tahoe and the Sierra Nevada.
Adventure from Base to Base from Palisades Tahoe on Vimeo.
“The gondola is also be among the first in North America to utilize fully-automated parking,” the Sierra Sun reported, “allowing for its 96 cabins to be unloaded and stored indoors in 20 minutes at the push of a button. Storing the cabins indoors keeps ice off them meaning less were work for crews in the morning before allowing guests to hop on the gondolas.”
The project was completed in time to welcome the Stifel Palisades Tahoe Men’s FIS Ski World Cup to Palisades Feb. 25-26, when the best skiers in the world will descend upon Tahoe.
Click here for more on the Base-to-Base Gondola project.