Spring snow, endless runs, and mountain magic at Palisades Tahoe.
This story is as real as they come, based on a trip that unfolded in March 2025. It was not long after the Christmas break, back at work and feeling fresh, with no plans to go far anytime soon, when an opportunity landed in my lap. I was asked to support Laura Hutchings and host seven Kiwis (Rebecca, Rachael, Ben, Chloe, Toby, Rebekah and Amy) on an ultimate snow holiday around Lake Tahoe, California. The words I remember hearing were snow, ski, Tahoe, drive a V8, but honestly, they had me at travel.
And that is exactly how it began. Last minute, a bit wild, and absolutely sensational. I want to show you what late season skiing looked like at Palisades Tahoe. We visited multiple resorts on this trip and, to avoid turning this into a novel, I decided to give each one its own post. They all deserve their own stage.
I want you to see just how much snow there was in March, what a true spring ski mecca (my unofficial title) feels like, and where to dine, après and carve your heart out. You are in for a treat. Here are a few reasons why I love Palisades Tahoe and why it deserves a place on your ski travel list.
Travel: Auckland to Palisades Tahoe, California
The journey started in Auckland, with the team meeting at the Koru Lounge before boarding Air New Zealand’s NZ8 to San Francisco. Koru was exactly as you would expect, delicious food, a good welcome drink, plenty of space and not too busy either.
Unfortunately, that sense of space had to be sacrificed for the next fourteen hours once we were taxied off. No business class for moi, I was tucked by the window in economy, all cosied up in blankets, taking photos of Auckland from above and loading my first movie of the journey. My headphones connected via Bluetooth and this felt like a mega win. Air New Zealand delivered as always, tidy, efficient, friendly, with good food and comfy seats.
Roughly seven movies later we landed in San Francisco at 11.00am and sailed through customs and immigration to collect our bags. The only thing that took any time was finding the car rental company. We had to jump on the sky train to a separate terminal where all the rental desks were located.
A short while later, vrooooom, a massive Nissan Armada was grunting its way onto the highway with Ben, Rachael, Rebecca and me at the helm. I had forgotten how much I missed driving a vehicle like that and it took me straight back more than fifteen years to when I owned the exact same model. Nostalgia hit hard, accompanied by a good dose of early 2000s pop music courtesy of co-pilot Ben.
What impressed me most was how smooth the traffic flow was. Everyone seemed to know exactly where they were going, leaving ample gaps and showing real courtesy on the road. The drive from the airport only gave us a glimpse of city traffic before the road began carrying us northeast towards the Sierra Nevada mountains, with the Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz slowly fading in the distance.
Around five hours later, tired as expected, we arrived at Palisades Tahoe. We parked downstairs with plenty of space and headed off to check in to our rooms. We stayed at The Village at Palisades in a two bedroom suite with two bathrooms, a massive living room with a fireplace and a great kitchen for anyone keen to host a cosy night in. I will get into a couple of après options below. In short, the Village sits at the base of Palisades Tahoe and offers studios plus one to three bedroom suites. You are just steps from the slopes with easy access to skiing, dining, shopping and entertainment.
Dinner: The Rocker
The Rocker at Palisades Tahoe serves up hearty American fare with proper mountain vibes. Think Pub Burgers, Steak Frites, Rocker Wings, inventive Nachos and bowls packed with local ingredients from the Tahoe Food Hub. Brunch lovers will be pleased to know they also dish out favourites like Smoked Salmon Hash Browns. It all sits right at the base of Alpine Meadows and delivers that true mountain experience.
You will find classic comfort food, fresh salads, generous mains, seasonal specials, great drinks and an atmosphere that makes you want to linger a little longer. And yes, they do brunch, rejoice!
Apres: Auld Dubliner
A few of us wandered out for a nightcap at The Auld Dubliner. It was a Tuesday and reasonably late, so the place was on the quiet side, though you can easily imagine it buzzing on a weekend. The whisky selection was excellent. After a few sips, plenty of laughs and a round of travel story updates, we decided to call it a night.
Palisades Tahoe Day 1.5
The day started painfully early for me with the alarm going off at 4am. I had every intention of hitting snooze, yet somehow my feet were already hanging off the side of the bed. After so much time in the air and on the road my body was craving gym therapy, so thirty minutes later and one coffee down I was in the lift heading downstairs. Eyes wide open, ready to get into it, swipe the card and… red light. Another attempt, same result. Then it clicked, the gym must open at 6am. At least I was the first to discover it was snowing outside. I headed back to the room, caught up on emails and waited for opening time. It all worked out in the end.
Ski Gear Rental: Village Demo
I opted to travel light and choose rental gear at the resort. 8:30am on day one and we are at the Village Demo getting our forms in and sizes known to the team. Everything worked like clockwork, and the team was very knowledgeable, friendly and willing to get us the best set up possible. Blown away by how good the gear was too! 30-40 minutes later I was all geared up with fresh boots and a brand spanking new latest model Capita snowboard that worked like magic, and I couldn’t be happier.
Favorite Palisades Tahoe lines
The snow was falling hard and I couldn’t wait to get up there. Snowboarding came into my life only recently and spending most of my years near the equator definitely played a part. I’d describe my skills as highly adventurous with a side of nerves. So when Scott, Maddie and Blair from the Palisades team took us straight to the top right out the gate, I was quietly questioning my optimistic blue line choices and the lack of a training wheels warm up. Straight into the thick of it… literally. If you fancy a green to blue to very dark blue day that gets your heart racing, this is exactly what I’d pick. Explore the Palisades Tahoe trail map here.
Warm up
Right in the village jump on The Funitel and make your way to the Gold Coast. Start your warm up carves by taking the cruisy Mountain Run all the way to the bottom a couple of times. If your legs are starting to burn a little you are doing it right. Take it slow on weekends, this line can get busy and beginners often use it.
Main dish
This is where I spend most of my time. Utterly enjoyable terrain with a great mix of variety. Think greens and blues with the perfect balance of groomers, trees, snow pockets, different lift choices, technical options and straight senders. It all revolves around Gold Coast and it is where I could happily play all day.
Take The Funitel to Gold Coast and from here jump on The Gold Coast Express. You can ski the green Gold Coast line or the blue Gold Coast Face. Both take you far enough to catch the Emigrant chair up to Monument Ridge, then drop back down on blues or optional greens to mid mountain. Repeat for as long as the legs hold. From the top there is also the option to take The Mora traverse and unlock Mules Ear and Monkey Flower, a fresh little pocket of fun.
Dessert
By now the nerves had faded and the confidence was catching up. For a bit of spice Maddie took us East. We rode Big Blue Express and traversed to Solitude, a lift served area known for its quieter terrain. The tree runs and off piste pockets were especially good.
Second dessert
I was buzzing at this point and the team had one more treat lined up. Silverado. The expert only back bowl filled with double black chutes, cliffs and rugged terrain that the resort is famous for. The only way I was getting through was by following Blair’s line choice which came with the quote of the trip. In his words, and now basically the tagline of the week, “technically it is a black diamond but if you send it straight down the guts it’s more of a dark blue”.
Because this zone needs a deep snowpack and a huge amount of prep work, Silverado only opens in ideal conditions. Spring delivered and we were lucky enough to score it. It felt like the rarest of rewards.
Dinner & Apres: Fireside Pizza Company & The Slot Bar
After what could only be described as one of the best days on the mountain, all we wanted was food, warmth, and somewhere that felt a bit like home, a cosy spot to regroup, rewind the day and laugh about the near misses. No need to choose when you can have it all, so we set off on a mission for pizza first, bar second.
Fireside Pizzas delivered exactly what we were craving: proper gourmet pizza eaten by the fireplace in the living room of our stellar two-bedroom suites. Bliss after a leg-burner of a day.
For après, we wandered downstairs to The Slot Bar. One of the best ski town dive bars in America from bythesnow.com. A tiny, no-frills ski-town bar – think of it as a divey, low-key local haunt. Expect $5 beers, walls plastered in retired skis, classic ski films looping away in the background, and the very friendly vibe where someone’s dog might be licking your face if you are not paying attention.
Perfect end to a perfect day.
Palisades Tahoe Day 2
A mix of mild jet lag, travel and a full day on the mountain made getting out of bed a little more challenging than usual, but the allure of fresh snow, coffee and first tracks won out. We only had a couple of hours before we needed to leave, yet we couldn’t let the Alpine Base area go unexplored.
With a breakfast burrito in hand from The Little Bear Café, we marched towards the gondola to carve a few lines and squeeze in one more run at Palisades’ main area. This was spring skiing at its finest – crispy fresh snow in the morning, clear blue skies by midday, and starting to get a little toasty in the ski jacket. The photos speak for themselves.
All in all, Palisades Tahoe blew my ski socks off. I’ve been talking it up ever since returning. Six thousand acres of terrain across Palisades Tahoe and Alpine offer the perfect mix of cruisers and thrilling ski lines, iconic history, great après and solid dining options. On top of that, the village is easy to navigate and the free wax and board storage options are an absolute dream.
Bonus: March Snowstorm
Jumping ahead exactly seven days after skiing and touring all over Lake Tahoe, I had just dropped the team off at Reno Airport when I had to race across the Sierra Nevada mountains through a country-wide storm that was forcing mountain passes to close.
I made it through safely thanks to having the right vehicle booked by the team and woke up in Yosemite National Park to these stunning views.
We could only imagine how incredible it must have looked back at Palisades, with spring skiing and this much snow. The team, everywhere we went and the people we met… everything was absolute magic. I will be back for more.
We help with flights, transfers, accommodation, lift passes, activities, and more. Connect with our Snow Holiday Experts on NZ Toll-Free: 0800 555 035 to see if this could be the trip for you.
