California Ends Stay-at-Home Order for Tahoe Counties
Effective January 12, California has lifted its stay-at-home order for the Greater Sacramento region. Tahoe ski areas are no longer affected by these restrictions.
Squaw Valley and Alpine Meadows Employ New COVID Protocols for Post-Storm Operations, Delaying Openings
For the first time since COVID became a factor, Squaw Valley and Alpine Meadows have rolled out major weather-mitigation operations this morning. Due to the need for social distancing among staff, the two mountains anticipate that avalanche mitigation and lift de-icing will take longer than usual this year.
Alpine Meadows Early-Season Roundhouse Run: Sympathy Face + Associated Trees
A lap down Alpine Meadows' Sympathy Face, one of the only trails exclusively served by the resort’s Roundhouse lift. This tree terrain is quite technical, with steep, twisty pitches and considerable exposed rock on this mid-December day.
California Ski Regions Mandated to Suspend All Overnight Stays, Non-Takeout Dining Starting Tonight
California ski regions must suspend all non-essential overnight stays and non-takeout dining starting tonight at 11:59pm. Only one mountain in the state is unaffected by the order.
Squaw/Alpine Opens A Day Early, Several Other North American Resorts Open This Week
Multiple North American resorts open for the 2020-21 season this week. We’ve detailed the opening-week access details for each of these mountains here.
7 Notable Lift Installations from the Past Half Decade
Over the past five years, dozens of new lifts have been installed at major mountain resorts around North America. While nearly all of these upgrades have provided mountain experience improvements over their predecessors, a few examples have especially stood out in their positive impacts.
Alterra Releases 2020-21 Lift Ticket and Ikon Pass Reservation Policies (Many Resorts Don’t Require One)
Alterra released their initial ticket and pass policies for the upcoming winter today. Many Ikon resorts, including the overwhelming majority of unlimited destinations, will not require reservations. However, multi-day pass products for Alterra-owned mountains will be severely limited.
Off Peak Podcast Episode 0: The First Ever PeakRankings Podcast
It’s Steve’s first day on the job. Nicole talks about her journey down the Keyhole trail at Alpine Meadows. We discuss COVID-19-related lift construction delays. The team attempts to keep the pod G-Rated.
Mountain Review: Palisades Tahoe - Alpine Meadows
Really still more of a local mountain than a true resort, this often overlooked Lake Tahoe spot offers low crowds, untracked slopes, and surprisingly extreme terrain.