Industry News
Homewood Mountain, located on the west shore of Lake Tahoe, has announced it will stay open to the public after all. It had previously announced plans to move to a semi-private model, and only sell season passes to members due to a 35% drop in season pass sales and a 40% overall drop in skier visits over the last decade.
Harry Hirsch, the resort’s vice president and general manager, recently made the announcement during the annual Breakfast Club hosted by the North Tahoe Community Alliance.
“First and foremost, Homewood is and will continue to be reserved for all to enjoy. So, we are not closing our doors to pass holders, or daily ticket buyers and we will be open for all, including our local community.” – Harry Hirsch
Improvements
The resort is also planning major upgrades including a gondola and mid-mountain lodge.
The gondola will be out of the base area and replace the Madden Triple lift. The eight-passenger gondola could be finished as soon as 2024. Although the gondola is still subject to approval from the Tahoe Regional Planning Authority (TRPA), it is reported that Homewood has already ordered the gondola, and parts for the lift are already being stored onsite.
Having a faster lift with more capacity at the base area will be a major upgrade from the uninspiring triple chair. Due to being located at a lower altitude compared to other Tahoe resorts, the bottom half of Homewood can be undesirable to ski at times. Quicker access to the upper mountain, as well as the option to download easier, will be a coveted amenity.
In addition to the gondola, the new mid-mountain lodge will greatly enhance the on-mountain experience. As it is now, the only on-mountain facility is a small hut that doesn’t even have running water. The new facility will change how guests spend their day for the better, especially since they won’t have to return to the base area for food or breaks.
Other upgrades the resort plans to implement include snowmaking infrastructure, upgrading grooming equipment, and a new lower mountain après outlet at the bottom of the gondola. Infrastructure and amenities projects will include real estate offerings, community gathering spaces, and significant tree work across the resort. All of the developments are consistent with the 2011 master plan which was previously approved by the TRPA.
Homewood does still plan to offer some exclusive club memberships. It is unclear at this time if the memberships would be only for local homeowners or anyone. It might look similar to what Windham Mountain Club has done in New York, which is still open to the public, but members gain access to exclusive year-round benefits such as a gym, spa, and golf. At Homewood, this could also include summer hiking and mountain biking.
Besides its lower elevation, Homewood has faced other challenges in some unfavorable terrain exposure aspects, as well as traffic on the surrounding highways. Larger resorts like Palisades Tahoe and Northstar California attract a large number of skiers, making getting to Homewood further south on the west shore of the lake cumbersome. Hopefully, the new path forward at Homewood will be sustainable for the long term.
