Palisades Tahoe, CA May 9, 2023

[tseeb]

I left San Jose at 4:40 and loaded Funitel at 8:40. I skied Siberia six times and was surprised to find some new snow. It was not very deep and a little crusted, but still fun to make some tracks.

On my last early Siberia lap, I hiked Reverse Traverse to top of not running (staffing?) Headwall once where I skied some of the Face, then some of the Nose before cutting over to Big Blue which I rode to Shirley Lake. Snow on my first Shirley run was so good I rode lift and skied run to lookers right which was not a good as it was not smooth under the new snow.

I moved to Granite Chief and skied it four times, first turning right into big bowl at top for first time this year, then skiing SE facing to bottom where new snow was almost immediately turning to corn. Granite had not been open the previous two days, either from visibility or due to big cornice pieces falling from blasting. I skied very good Main Backside, almost too soft High Voltage before skiing excellent steep and smooth Magoos.

I returned to Siberia and skied one non-hiking run before doing 4 hikes on next three runs. I did Reverse Traverse twice skiing Nose that was not that smooth followed by excellent North Bowl. Then I did big hike to top of Palisades where I skied National (wide one on left)

Chute for first time this season. Entry I used to avoid starting above rocks required dropping a 1’ lip, but snow was great so I cranked about 8 big turns before taking high line into Reverse Traverse.

I skied the Face, then cut over into Cornice II/Slot area where there was a wet slide, hopefully caused by bombing.

Then I found good steep gully into Mountain Run. Next picture is skier in Main Chute. This could have been year to do it.

I finished my day with 6 laps on KT. I alternated Saddle with steeper options on second lap with Ladies Downhill and earlier, steeper entry into Red Dog Ridge than 12 days earlier. I also skied Rock Garden, something I don’t think I’ve done before. Entry is past these signs.

I finished my day a few minutes after 2 with 26.75K skiing an even more aggressive earlier line into Red Dog Ridge, hugging the cliff area that I’d seen others wrapping around and dropping while riding chair. Palisades hours are 8-2 which seemed a little early today. They are closed Wed-Thurs while Alpine side is closed Mon-Tues. In June and until 7/4, it will be only Alpine as Funitel is getting new cables.

 

[Sbooker]

A pretty good day on skis for May. Looks lovely.
How would you rate the steeps at Palisades compared to the runs off the top of Mammoth and the area under the Deep Temerity lift at Aspen Highlands?

 

[tseeb]

I think hike-to chutes at the top of Palisades are steeper than top of Mammoth and Deep Temerity, where you also have the added challenge of usually being bumped out or narrow shots between trees. But the steepness at top of Palisades is over quickly while Mammoth and Deep Temerity are more sustained steeps. Palisades does have many other areas with comparable sustained steeps including Headwall, KT, Olympic Lady and Red Dog. On Tuesday, I saw someone lose a ski and slide most of National Chute. I also saw a boarder who didn't look like he belonged there go into narrow chute between rocks to lookers left of National. He took a long break where it flattened out.

 

[Tony Crocker]

Palisades is on the short list of most lift served steep terrain in North America. And besides there being a lot of it, West Face and 75 Chute are as long sustained vertical steeps as anywhere lift served in North America.

I'd also agree that Deep Temerity is as tough a single terrain pod as anywhere.

Mammoth's strength is that nearly all of its steeps are at high altitude with north exposure for good surface conditions and abundant wind deposition for early season coverage. Thus visitors can expect most of them to be skiable for most of the season. Steep terrain is the most sensitive to snow conditions. You're not going to be skiing that stuff if there's a lot of rocks or frozen granular.

At Palisades those sustained steeps are north facing but rise from a low base of 6,200 feet. The upper mountain steeps are still max 9,000 feet and have primary east exposure. Deep Temerity also faces east and it takes more time for Colorado fluff to cover that kind of terrain than dense coastal snow. The real marquee terrain there is Highlands Bowl, which is northeast facing and sustained 40 degrees for over 1,000 vertical. But you have to be able to hike from 11,800 to 12,400 feet to ski it. I've done it 3x but that's one ski bucket list item that is probably beyond me now at age 70.