A fresh ski season has arrived. Before you hit the slopes, there are new developments to note at some of the region’s resorts, including equipment upgrades, a slalom event where the pro-level contestants are also the judges, and a dispute at Homewood that’s led to the resort’s closure—at least for a season.
A backcountry slalom race where the athletes are the judges
Sugar Bowl
629 Sugar Bowl Road, Norden, Calif.
www.sugarbowl.com/home
Sugar Bowl at Donner Summit prides itself on its independent ownership, heavy snowfall and challenging terrain. According to Sugar Bowl’s website, founder Hannes Schroll, a world-class Austrian skier, convinced Walt Disney to invest in the resort, which opened in December 1939, featuring the first California chairlift. Two weeks later, a blizzard struck the summit. The high snow levels cemented Sugar Bowl’s reputation as a premier ski destination for the Hollywood crowd.
That same season, the resort held the challenging Silver Belt Classic, a backcountry slalom race down 1,300 vertical feet. From 1940 to 1975, skiers from around the world tested their mettle and skills on whatever conditions the mountain threw at them.
After a three-decade break, the Silver Belt returned in 2024, and it is again an annual event. The next installment is April 3-5, 2025, when freeride skiers (those who ski on natural, ungroomed terrain) from around the world will compete for cash prizes. In this new version, the athletes themselves judge their fellow competitors.
In other news this year, the resort debuted its new athlete training facility, Sugar Bowl Parks, a pro-level park with increasingly difficult and higher ramps and rails for freestyle skiers and snowboarders.
Palisades Tahoe’s massive expansion plan approved
Palisades Tahoe
1960 Olympic Valley Road, Olympic Valley, Calif.
www.palisadestahoe.com
As Palisades Tahoe celebrates its 75th anniversary, it is also celebrating the fact that on Nov. 19, Placer County unanimously approved its ambitious expansion plan. The approval comes after years of opposition, primarily from environmental nonprofits League to Save Lake Tahoe and Sierra Watch.
In November 2016, the Placer County Board of Supervisors first approved the plan. Sierra Watch sued Placer County and won in 2021. Palisades took in community feedback about increased traffic and decreased Lake Tahoe water quality. The resort then reduced the number of beds in the plan by 58%, agreed not to build new above-ground parking decks, and dedicated 16 acres of land for permanent conservation.
According to Patrick Lacey, public relations manager at Palisades, the plan will unfold over the course of 25 years, developing in phases, beginning with construction of 300 units of workforce housing, then 850 guest accommodations and a Mountain Adventure Center featuring a pool, climbing wall and conference space.
For this season, Palisades Tahoe invested $1.4 million in snowmaking equipment, restored the Tower of Nations and Olympic torch, and opened Little Bear Cafe, offering baked goods and sandwiches.
Mt. Rose invests more than $2 million in upgrades
Mt. Rose Ski Tahoe
22222 Mt. Rose Highway, Reno
skirose.com
Locals love Mt. Rose Ski Tahoe’s proximity to Reno and Lake Tahoe’s North Shore. With its high base elevation (8,260 feet) and north-facing slopes, conditions are favorable even into the late spring. The ample, free parking (not a given at area ski resorts) is also a draw.
This season marks Mt. Rose Ski Tahoe’s 60th anniversary, and the resort has invested $2.2 million in trail improvements and amenities. New snowmaking equipment is expected to produce snow more efficiently, and three new snowcat vehicles are equipped with LiDAR (light detection and ranging) to help measure snow depth, for more efficient grooming. There are new loading ramps beneath three of the chairlifts. The dining area has undergone a major renovation and boasts a new taco bar.
Homewood Mountain Resort closed for the season amid disagreements
Homewood Mountain Resort
5145 West Lake Blvd., Homewood, Calif.
www.skihomewood.com
The 63-year-old Homewood Mountain Resort, on the West Shore of Lake Tahoe, is closed for the 2024-25 season.
This news shocked both guests and employees. Many in the community feel their hometown, laidback ski resort is being threatened by outside developers who want to change Homewood into a high-priced, members-only destination, driving the public out.
The owners are in talks with the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA) and Keep Homewood Public, a grassroots organization of more than 3,000 people. At stake are changes to Homewood’s 2011 master plan that would make improvements to its aging infrastructure.
According to the master plan, Homewood would also make improvements to its aging infrastructure, offer new snowmaking facilities, build up to 25,000 square feet in commercial space, and construct an ice rink and other community amenities.
According to the Homewood website: “At the Sept. 25 (Regional Planning Commission) meeting, KHP leadership repeatedly made requests that TRPA require a ‘hard reset’ of the approved master plan. This new request to disregard over a decade of work from the community, developers and other local stakeholders is not in good faith and has resulted in significant and unnecessary delays in the timeline for the review of the minor master plan amendments and gondola/site plan application process. With no clear path forward for the project approval, HMR’s financial partner withdrew support for the 24-25 season.”
Candice Wilmuth, a Keep Homewood Public board member, said the group’s goal is to make sure Homewood stays accessible.
“This community is crazy for this resort, and this whole effort is to keep it going for future generations,” Wilmuth said. “We are open to a public/private resort, and we want this development to work, but over 15 times in the last year, we’ve asked HMR to include enforceable specifics about public access in the amendment, since the owners have previously documented the intent to privatize the resort.”
Homewood’s three investors—JMA Ventures, Mohari Hospitality, and Discovery Land Company—declined to comment for this article. A FAQ on Homewood’s website states: “If the master plan revision is approved, we are hopeful to open for the ’25-’26 ski season and hope to commence season pass sales next spring or summer 2025.”