Tahoe’s biggest ski upgrade in decades is nearing completion. See how it’s going

Two of the Tahoe region’s most iconic resorts – Squaw Valley, as it was known at the time, and neighboring Alpine Meadows – united under the same ownership in 2011. A new gondola scheduled to open by the end of this year will make that connection physical for Palisades Tahoe, as the resorts are now collectively known.

The $85 million dollar Base to Base Gondola will transport skiers and snowboarders 2.4 miles between the two vast ski areas in a 16-minute ride over high ridges with distant views. It’s expected to open in mid-December.

The project was intended to create “the most reliable, efficient and unique lift experience in the United States,” said Casey Blann, senior vice president of operations, at a media tour on Thursday.

Two lifts, which can be operated independently in case of strong winds, will drive the gondola. Its 96 cabins can move 1,400 people per hour.

A separate project, on the Olympic Valley side of the resort, upgrades the Red Dog chair from a three-person lift to a high-speed six seater. The Alpine side has upgraded snow-making equipment and improvements to the lodge.