Tag Archive for: Palisades Tahoe

Evelyn Kanter

What’s Been Happening in Ski Country Since Mud Season

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Credit:Bruno Giuliani

While you’ve been busy the last few months layering on the SPF, firing up the grill and dreaming of snow, you might have missed a bunch of news from ski country. Here’s what’s interesting and important intel since snow season turned into mud season from some of the many sources I follow year-round, to keep you up to date. 

First, congratulations to two winners –

Bode Miller has just been inducted into United States Olympic & Paralympic Hall of Fame. Miller, who grew up skiing and racing in New Hampshire, is a six-time Olympic medalist and five-time World Championships medalist, and has 33 World Cup wins and two overall World Cup titles. Jannik Sinner became the world’s top tennis player when he won at Wimbledon in July.  He was also a champion skier on the youth team where he grew up in the Italian Alps.  Sinner told Powder Magazine how skiing made him a better tennis player.

Ski Jumping World Cup at Lake Placid

Tickets are on sale now for the International Ski and Snowboard (FIS) Ski Jumping World Cup returning to the Lake Placid Olympic Jumping Complex on December 12-14. The event will bring together the world’s top male and female ski jumpers for three days of competition on the HS 128 large hill, with individual events and a mixed team competition. Women’s World Cup ski jumping made its U.S. debut in February last season on the same hill in Lake Placid. The event made further history when a grassroots effort made it possible to award equal prize money for the women’s jumpers, marking a significant step toward gender equality in professional ski jumping. Lake Placid is the only North American stop of the 2025-2026 World Cup season. It’s happening during a break in the Milano Cortina Winter Olympic Games from February 6-22 (ski jumping, Feb. 9-16) in Italy. This marks the fourth consecutive season that Lake Placid has hosted an FIS Ski Jumping World Cup. The men’s tour returned to the Olympic Jumping Complex in Lake Placid in 2023 after a 33-year hiatus and again in 2024, before the historic World Cup in February 2025 that included women. More information or to purchase tickets: Lake Placid Olympic Jumping Complex

Palisades Tahoe New Base Area

The massive planned base area development at Palisades Tahoe looks like it finally will go forward, now that the resort and two Tahoe-area environmental conservation groups agreed to various reductions in scope. The agreement ends a 14-year legal battle that has delayed the project from breaking ground. According to the industry magazine Ski Area Management, which I follow regularly for all its insider intel, the agreement downsizes the plan substantially, including a 40 percent reduction in total bedrooms, a 20 percent reduction in total commercial space and eliminating an indoor waterpark within the village area. The agreement also creates a conservation easement for two lots at the base of Shirley Canyon that were slated for development but will now be forever preserved for trail access and recreation. And, it prevents additional development within the village plan boundary for 25 years.

Small Colorado Town Buys Eldora

The small town of Nederland is purchasing local favorite Eldora from multi-resort operator Powdr, which will continue staffing and operating it for two seasons, to ensure a smooth transition. Part of the agreement is to keep Eldora on the Ikon Pass, which the official Nederland town website  says provides “a stable revenue stream and keeping that as a part of the funding is essential to the financing plan.”

Taos Ski Valley New Lift and New RFID Gates

Lift 7 is being replaced, and the new high-speed version is expected to be open for the new season.  You can own a piece of Taos history – and support the next generation of skiers and boarders – by purchasing a retired chair.  All proceeds support the UPLIFT Youth Fund.  Also new for next season is RFID gates.  No more taking your pass out of your sleeve or from around your neck.  The new system also makes online purchases, including reloading a pass, more efficient. See you on the slopes!  

Jon Weisberg

ShortSwings!

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This is to thank the 3000+ of you who completed our August reader survey. We learned that on average, those of you who did not take last season off skied an average of 26 days. That’s down from a few seasons back when the average was more than 33 days. But, when you figure that the national average is 6.5 skier/boarder days, you quickly realize that we’re the ones using the resorts…especially midweek.

We seniors are a very luck lot, doing what we love, when we want to.

Like many of you, I missed last season. That was a first since I started at age 10. Now I’m psyched about getting back on the hill. Skiing brings me immense pleasure. Each of you feels this in your own way. Whether it’s snaking slowly through a mogul field, cruising down a well-groomed slope or floating through thigh-deep powder, you understand.

Ski often enough and you’ll experience a great mix of conditions. Although I haven’t done so in several years, I’ve found pleasure skiing in a blizzard. Very cold days bring their own form of bliss. Warm, bluebird days are a form of skiers’ nirvana.

It is wonderful to age and ski and to be outside in the snow. It doesn’t matter the size of the mountain or the number of runs. It’s simply being there and skiing that brings joy.

This is the first issue of SeniorsSkiing.com for the 2021-22 season. We’ll be posting new articles each week and emailing them to you as a package every other Friday. As a heads up, we’ll  occasionally email advertisements. Each of these ads has been vetted to be relevant to your skiing interests. 

I hope you continue to enjoy SeniorsSkiing.com. Best wishes for a great 2021-22 season!

Patagonia Offering Store Credits for Trade-Ins

With the goal of keeping its stuff out of landfill and improving the environment, Patagonia has introduced a program that gives credit for old and worn Patagonia products. The credits can be used in its retail and online stores. Click here for details about the program and the amount of credit offered.

Will This Replace Day Lodge Burgers and Fries?

A new eatery — Oxygène Café — in the French ski resort, Tignes, specializes in vegan, vegetarian and gluten free food. Started by Oxygène, the French Alps based ski school specializing in English speaking ski and snowboard lessons. The company is partnering with Caffè Vergnano, a socially and environmentally friendly Italian coffee brand.

Snowbasin to Add Base Village and Club Med

Source: The Salt Lake Tribune

Snowbasin, the vast ski area north of Salt Lake City, near the city of Ogden, was the site of the 2002 Olympic Downhill events. The place offers terrain for every ability. What it hasn’t offered is a place to stay at the mountain. All of that is about to change as Club Med builds a 300 room facility (projected opening: December 2024) and as plans develop for a base village with restaurants, shops and lodging (project to start in 2025). 

Sundance Mountain Resort: New Owners Make Changes

Sundance

Founded by Robert Redford in 1969, Sundance changed hands last December. Over the summer, the new owners installed two new lifts and upgraded snowmaking services, among other changes. A high-speed detachable quad will access the mid-mountain summit. The second lift will provide expanded terrain choices to guests returning from the back mountain. Sundance is a Utah gem. Off the beaten path, it’s not far from Salt Lake City, Park City and Provo and rarely has crowded slopes. Lodging is primarily in the form of condos and it has always been a foodie destination. Most importantly, there’s a range of excellent terrain. 

Squaw Valley’s New Name: Palisades Tahoe

According to a news release issued by Alterra, the company that owns the resort, the “…name change was an important initiative for our company. At the end of the day, “squaw” is a hurtful word, and we are not hurtful people. It was a change that needed to be made for us to continue to hold our heads high as a leader in our industry and community. We have a well-earned reputation as a progressive resort at the forefront of ski culture, and progress can’t happen without change.”

Deep Discount on Stocking Stuffer Ski Books

Arcadia Publishing has a roster of 27 books covering localized skiing history. They paperback books are loaded with vintage photos and have titles such as Skiing in the Mad River Valley, New Hampshire on Skis, and North Carolina Ski Resorts. Part of the series explores “lost ski areas,” those that existed years ago but no more. Among them, Lost Ski Areas of the Berkshires, Lost Ski Areas of Southern Vermont, Lost Ski Areas of Tahoe and Donner, and Lost Ski Areas of Colorado’s Front Range and Northern Mountains. Arcadia is offering SeniorsSkiing.com subscribers a 30% discount on all of its skiing titles. Click here to shop the books and enter the code, SENIORSSKI, when checking out. The offer is good from October 7 to November 7.

The Perfect Gift for Older Skiers

Bootster is a clever, compact device that makes it easy to get into a ski boot – even when it’s cold. It has a super slippery surface that helps the foot slide in effortlessly. And unlike shoehorns, sprays, etc., Bootster is compact and easily carried in a parka pocket (click on the video above). If you or an older skier you know likes to shed boots during lunch, getting them back on with Bootster is a breeze. It is pretty much indestructible, making it ideal to pass on to the next generation of skiers. At $25 (+ shipping) the price is right. Looking for something to give your favorite older skier? Bootster will be appreciated for years to come.

Boston and Denver Ski Shows Cancelled

This is second year in a row. The cause? Covid.

It’s a Bird?

People have been dreaming about being able to fly without a plane for years. Technology is finally making it possible, as shown in this video compilation of several different approaches from around the world. Who knows? At one point, some version of these flying machines may eliminate the need for ski lifts. About 16 minutes.