Today was the last day of the 2021-2022 ski season for Alpine Meadows. All lifts and lodge operations cease as of 4pm today. It was a gorgeous sunny day on the slopes. Wind speeds were minimal. Snow conditions varied during the day from a moderate layer of soft powder on the upper levels to frozen lumpy crust on the lower elevations in the early morning.
Groomed areas offered the same conditions with a very firm and unfriendly surface below the top of Roundhouse Chair and softer conditions above the top of Roundhouse. Beautiful soft snow greeted me under Alpine Bowl Chair, in Palisades (East and West), on lower High Yellow Face, and through D7, D8, and North Peril Ridge. These awesome winter snow conditions lasted into the early afternoon. As the morning warmed the lower slopes softened making it more pleasurable skiing to the bottom. Later in the morning patrol open the Keyhole slopes and Lower Saddle which were soon filled with skiers.
There were more skiers and boarders on the slope today than I expected. The reason may have been Easter Sunday (Happy Easter to all), sunny weather, the expectation of good snow after Saturday’s storm, or perhaps the fact that the other valley did not open KT-22, Red Dog, or the Squaw Creek Lift (closed for the season). It sure felt like there were more skiers at Alpine from the other valley today than there have been all season. Lines at the base of Summit and Alpine Bowl were long, but not excessive, however the number of skiers racing down individual runs all at once was very unusual. Certain trails seemed over crowded to me (Palisades especially) to the point of turning me away from them. I fear this is what will happen next year when the gondola opens.
The other valley has announced that they will try to remain open until May 1 extending the original closing date. This was done because of the surprise late snow we have received in April (with more to come). It hurts my heart to see Alpine close when there is more snow on the upper mountain than we have had all season. The slopes at the upper elevations are fat with snow and it is shameful that the ski area is closing. I remember years ago when my parents rallied Alpine skiers and the owners of the ski area in an effort to keep the lifts turning during years when slopes were fat with snow. They started the idea of skiing until Memorial Day when snow depth allowed. In a year such as the one we have just experienced with so little snow falling during the season and now seeing the mountain so fat with snow the lifts at Alpine should be turning well into May.
At least the last day of the season was one that put a smile on my face. Alpine Meadows is a great mountain with very diverse terrain. Coming home from a week of heli-skiing in British Columbia, which was beyond awesome, made me realize how much I love Alpine.
See you at Alpine next season,
Andy
Welcome home Andy! Today was really pretty busy…another factor to throw in is that next years passes are now working. We got pretty close to finding the golden egg today, which was located near the green water tower near Kangaroo…someone beat us too it by not too long. We also played around the world, covering 7 open lifts…which should just be Summit if Alpine Meadows is closing.
I’m going to post a season wrap tomorrow some time…
Good report Andy. There was some really nice snow in the right places at the right times. East and West Palisades was fatter and better today than all season, including December. There is so much snow there that it’s very close to becoming “Palisade’s Face”. Skiers were happy, until the conversations always seemed to gravitate to today’s closing date. Every long time skier that I talked to, was at best, very disappointed with most being very angry. VERY angry. Here’s some of the Corporate blog pasted below from yesterday, and why I think it is such BS below that…
WHY IS ALPINE CLOSING? IT SEEMS TOO EARLY.
We almost always close Alpine before Palisades, and this year is no exception.
Just a few weeks ago, when the winter looked like it was completely over, we started scheduling out work on our summer projects at Alpine. We have a new snowmaking system going in at Weasel and timber clearing that we need to do for the U.S. Forest Service. Although we now have more snow, those plans are locked in and we need to start work on them to complete them prior to next season.
First sentence is SO wrong historically and for good reason. Alpine Meadows has almost always stayed open longer than the Other Valley. The spring skiing off of Summit is ideal. Almost every year that I worked here, we stayed open until there was just a skinny trail of snow near the base of Summit chair and the groomers simply could not plow any more snow in. When KSL bought Alpine, then that started changing. As for the “scheduled” projects”, all those could start now by closing off the Weasel side of the mountain. The west runout to Summit Chair does not interfere with any of the construction projects, and Alpine has done just that plan before. I wouldn’t doubt, with next weeks storms, Summit chair could probably make it to Memorial Day…as was the historic norm….
A very unhappy Bobble
As you have probably heard, the other valley ran both Red Dog and Resort (not Squaw Creek) lifts today, two weeks after they were scheduled to close. Despite that, the opening lines on the Funitel and Tram were among the longest I’ve seen in almost 60 years skiing here. Red Dog was not quite that bad. I don’t think the lines at Alpine (that’s what I’ve always called it) were significantly affected by the situation at Squaw (that’s what I’ve always called it, but I’m trying to adapt). It would have greatly helped if they had opened Wa She Shu (adapting), but that was blocked off by the setup for the Cushing Crossing. Incidentally, that was very successful.
I love your posts and look forward to them in the future, but you occasionally are a bit too much other valley phobic.
You might find https://blog.palisadestahoe.com more to your liking 🙂
Thanks for all your work on this blog this season Andy and Mark. I have loved Alpine Meadows since I was a child, and your blog only intensified that. In some (positive) ways you have changed the way we approach the mountain, and my husband and I are grateful for that. I’ve also relished the behind-the-scenes info on operations and historical/cultural poi’s.
Looking forward to next season already….although I too, am a bit nervous about how the summer work will effect next seasons Alpine culture.
Many thanks, Karen
Apart from the early COVID related closure in March of 2020, was this the earliest Alpine Meadows closure ever?
In 2015 it was April 2nd….also a low snow year
Well yah you do know who the parent corporation is, Alterra Mtn Corp
AMC = Alpine Meadows Closed