A long-awaited gondola connecting the two bases of the Palisades Tahoe ski area opened officially on Dec. 17.
The $65 million Base to Base Gondola connects Alpine Meadows with the Village at Palisades Tahoe. With its opening, skiers and snowboarders will be able to traverse between the bases of the two mountains in 16 minutes. The gondola also has two intermediate stations.
For users, the gondola replaces what otherwise is a seven-mile drive between the two mountains. It also conjoins the Village at Palisades Tahoe's 3,600 acres of skiable terrain with Alpine Meadows' 2,400 acres of terrain.
Combined, the two mountains, which are already jointly operated by Alterra Mountain Company, will offer the third most skiable acres in the U.S. behind only Powder Mountain and Park City Resort, both of which are in Utah.