What’s Happening?

The smell of fall is in the air, and we all know what that means. Winter is just around the corner.

The Last Patch of Snow Hanging on at Grouse Rock

Some of you know what is happening on the Alpine side of Palisades Tahoe, but I imagine many of you are wondering what changes are in store for this coming winter. The first, and one of the more important maintenance items that locals have been clamoring for, is occurring this week. A portion of the Alpine Meadows Road is being re-paved after last winter destroyed it. We have endured a rough road with pot holes all summer. I cannot wait for the new surface to be completed. Driving the portion of the road being re-paved has been like skiing a slalom course as we all wove around pot holes in an effort to avoid the bumpy ride. Unfortunately they are not re-paving the entire road, but some is better than nothing.

Goodbye Pot Holes as the new pavement is installed on Alpine Meadows Road

The section of power line between Chalet Road and the main lodge is being upgraded and installed underground. Hopefully this will allow the ski area to operate equipment on a more reliable basis.

Some new grooming equipment has been added to the existing fleet.

Two or more of these groomers are new

One of the larger projects has been the installation of new piping for more reliable and upgrades snowmaking. Piping I noted a week ago lying along side a trench running up Ladies Slalom is now in place and buried underground. Large excavation equipment remains on the mountain digging trenches for addition piping.

New piping has been installed up Ladies Slalom

Looking from the top of Scott Chair it appears work was done to the top of Alpine Bowl Chair.

Alpine Bowl where underground pipes have been covered.

Around the base of the lodge an area beyond the existing deck appears to have been leveled out. I am not sure the reason for this, but it might make walking to the base of Roundhouse less of an uphill climb, or perhaps they will be planting something in this area to beautify the ground for the summer season ( drainage work is also occurring in this area).

Base area where the ground has been flattened and drainage work is being completed

We did see, what we thought was, new snow making equipment installed on the Weasel Trail. Snowmaking equipment is install on the top of towers. Were these in place last winter?

Snowmaking equipment installed on tall towers

I am sure additional upgrades are taking place, but these were the most obvious ones that we noted on our mountain bike ride to the top of Lakeview Chair from the base of the Alpine Meadows Road and back down through the ski area.

View of Lake Tahoe from the top of Lakeview Chair

Notes from the summer:
It is bad enough to be stuck in a long line at Summit Chair, but this summer the lines continued as road work of all sorts has been going on all summer. On too many occasions we have been stuck waiting in a long line of traffic for a significant time.
Kayaking and Paddle Boarding has been fun. We have had many days with clear blue skies and a calm surface on Lake Tahoe. Recently I spent a long morning kayaking along the lake shore off Sand Harbor State Park on the east shore to Tahoe.

Kayaking off Sand Harbor and taking a photo of the rocks along the shoreline.

We were treated to some great outdoor music this summer at Commons Beach and in the Village at Squaw Valley.

Chris Cain playing his heart out at a Blues Night Concert

Lastly, we have apparently lost a portion of our name. I assume, in an effort to promote its brand and eventually eliminate the name Alpine Meadows all together, the sign at the corner of the Hwy. 89 and the Alpine Meadows Road has refurbished. The new sign indicates you are turning to approach Palisades Tahoe (bold in orange) with the word Alpine (in smaller white letters). Meadows is gone. I bet Alpine will be gone sooner than later.