Happy New Year

The last day of 2025 was a short day for me, but the skiing was pretty good considering the overcast skies and drizzle that began just after 11 am. Kangaroo and Yellow Chairs were added to the list of chairs open as of this morning. Lakeview, Sherwood, and Alpine Bowl Chairs remain closed at this point in time. Lakeview and Sherwood are closed due to a lack of coverage. It looks like warmish weather is on the way for a couple of days (rain), but snow is forecast for the days after the wet weather. Perhaps we will receive enough snow later in the weekend or the beginning of next week to allow Lakeview and Sherwood to open. My fingers are crossed.

Looking back at 2025 from our first ride of this season on Yellow Chair

Looking back over the 2024-2025 ski season made me a little tired. I think I need a nap after thinking about the 150 days I skied last season. Alpine opened on November 22, 2024, and closed on April 27, 2025. I think I missed a couple of days during the season, but not many. I ski at Palisades three days after Alpine closed, bringing my season total to 153 days. This year, we are starting later, with significant snowfall occurring recently. I really do not remember very many days when the skiing was not worth the effort of driving to the parking lot and putting on all my ski gear, but there were a few rainy days and some when the surface was as hard as an ice rink. Every year is different.

Today, the surface was more springlike than it was yesterday. Yesterday we skied runs that were more north-facing. The Chute That Seldom Slides and D8 were filled with soft winter moguls. Today they were soft, something like cream cheese. The runs were drier than spring snow but warmer than cold winter conditions.

Looking way back, it is fun to think of the history of Squaw Valley and Alpine Meadows. Squaw Valley opened on Thanksgiving Day in 1949. There was one double chair (Squaw One) and a couple of beginner rope tows. The double chair was the longest double chair to be constructed at a ski area at that time. Alpine Meadows opened on December 28, 1961. The Summit Chair was a double chair at that time. Times have changed along the way, with more lifts and faster lifts. A person is able to complete more runs in a day using today’s faster lifts than we ever hoped to obtain in a day when I was a young man.

One of my favorite lifts was constructed in the 1950s. It was known as a Jig Back Tram. Below is a short history of the reason for the construction of the tram that I pulled off the internet.

Palisades Tahoe (then known as Squaw Valley) was in a tricky spot in the early 1950s. With harder-to-operate lift infrastructure, along with the risk of major avalanches (mitigation wasn’t as sophisticated as it is now), the ski resort needed to add a new lift that would be less prone to damage from avalanches. However, the Korean War led to a ban on steel, leading the California ski resort to make a bold decision to survive.

These factors led to the creation of the Jig Back Tram, a wooden lift intended to last only five years and be used solely to mitigate avalanches. However, it ultimately operated for a few decades and was even open to the public for part of its lifespan. While it was seen by the ski resort as a reliable lift, it also dealt with derailments.

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL,

Andy