Palisades At Sugar Bowl Opens For Second Time This Season 

The Palisades at Sugar Bowl Resort in Lake Tahoe might just be the most extreme inbounds terrain found at any ski resort in the region. This series of cliff faces (really it’s just a shear cliff) turns into a line of spines on a good snow season as the powder stacks storm after storm. Sugar Bowl along with the rest of Lake Tahoe has been having a record breaking winter season and has already seen 755” (19.17m) of snow, this in turn has created the perfect conditions for the Palisades to open.Due to the extreme nature of this part of the resort it’s rare for the Palisades to open up but the ski patrol at Sugar Bowl has just dropped the rope for the second time this season. We believe it’s as much about the conditions on the spines and the landing zones below cause even the most seasoned expert rider will be pushed to their limits + when you fall ski patrol has to be able to come get you. We visited Sugar Bowl in February this year and rode the lines beside the Palisades + looked on in awe of this incredible terrain from the Mt Lincoln Express which gives you the perfect view point to spot you next line, if you are one to take on this extreme terrain. Here’s what Sugar Bowl has to say about their terrain.Driving into Sugar Bowl, the legendary shark fin spines of the Palisades come into view. This jagged row of steep cliff faces stretches from Mount Lincoln to Mount Disney forming one of the more awe-inspiring visions of steep skiing in Tahoe. What's more, the Palisades aren't off limits, they're 100% in bounds and open when conditions allow. A True Double BlackWhile the terrain adjacent to the Palisades on both sides (Nancy’s Couloir or the ‘58) offers the expert skier a navigable path, the Palisades themselves are a true double black-- as unforgiving as they come in Tahoe-- necessitating tight hop-turns, point-it chutes, and/or mandatory airs. Once you make it through the gauntlet, you can “open ‘er up” with GS turns of glory on the wide-open apron below. When the Palisades OpenKeep an eye on our conditions page or Twitter account for updates on when the Palisades will be opening. When Patrol drops the rope, any hardcore skier or rider worth their salt will be lining up to test themselves against the most challenging terrain in Tahoe. Get ready for the show.

The view of the whole cliff face in which the Palisades Zone is located at Sugar Bowl Resort. Credit: SnowStash