Palisades Tahoe, CA, Report: Going for the D-Spin 720º at 47-Years-Old View this post on Instagram A post shared by SnowBrains (@snowbrains) Report from May 25, 2025 I woke up at 1 am last night and everything was so clear. I’d wake up at 5:45 am, drive to Palisades Tahoe, land the D-Spin 720, and roll back down to Mammoth for Tall Carl’s party. Tahoe had been off the table because […] Conditions Report Miles Clark | May 26, 2025 0 Comments
Missing Camper Found Alive After Almost a Month in Snowy Sierra Nevada Wilderness Tiffany Slaton, a 27-year-old from Jeffersonville, Georgia, was found alive Wednesday afternoon after surviving nearly a month alone in the snowy Sierra Nevada wilderness. Her discovery near Lake Edison brought relief to her family and the Fresno County community, concluding an intensive search that spanned nearly 600 square miles, according to the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office. Related: Could You Survive […] SnowBrains | May 15, 2025 0 Comments
Palisades Tahoe, CA, Report: Fear, Anxiety, & Relief in “The Chimney” Report from March 20, 2025 “Scott Schmidt described [The Chimney Sweep] as being like a 90-meter ski jump. This is an appropriate analogy, particularly at low and low-medium snow levels. When viewed from above, the inrun looks long, and it feels even longer when you are skiing it.” – Dr. Robb Gaffney in Squallywood Difficulty: Medium Snow 8, High Snow […] Conditions Report Miles Clark | March 21, 2025 0 Comments
Palisades Tahoe, CA, Report: Backflips Off The Tram Building & Mainline Pocket | Big Hucks Off “The Drifter” & “Smooth Air” Report from March 18, 2025 When you’re old, you need a plan. And a friend. Or, better yet, a friend with a plan. I had local legend Aaron Fox guiding me yesterday and he had a plan. There are so many options on a sunny powder day at Palisades… You can get overwhelmed. You can easily make the wrong call. […] Conditions Report Miles Clark | March 19, 2025 0 Comments
Palisades Tahoe, CA, Report: “Best Day of the Year at Palisades (for me)” – Cody Townsend Report from March 17, 2025 “Best day of the year at Palisades (for me).” – Cody Townsend, 3/18/25 I think Cody is right. It was the best day of the year at Palisades for me so far for sure. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Cody Townsend (@codytownsend) The day started cold, windy, and snowy. KT-22 skied […] Conditions Report Miles Clark | March 18, 2025 0 Comments
Palisades Tahoe, CA, Report: Sunny Wind-Buff Snow Fun in the “Ahhh Chutes” Report from March 16, 2025 Yesterday was a sunny, wind-buff snow day at Palisades Tahoe, CA. We weren’t sure what to expect, so we got out there early. The previous day delivered wind buff magic at Palisades that we sampled from 3-4pm after backcountry skiing. Right off the bat, the wind-blown snow was stiff and catchy. It wasn’t great. Then, […] Conditions Report Miles Clark | March 17, 2025 0 Comments
Lake Tahoe, CA, Backcountry: Powder Bliss Above A Shimmering Lake Report from March 15, 2025 “Beware the ides of March…” – Soothsayer, Julius Ceasar, Shakespeare Fox & Garret took us to a new zone yesterday. The unknown was high and we were willing to explore. Well, the unknown was high for me, at least. They’d been here before. Trail breaking was harsh in the deep, dense snow but I was […] Conditions Report Miles Clark | March 16, 2025 0 Comments
Palisades Tahoe, CA, Report: “Chute 75” | Saw The Skull & Crossbones, Skied It Anyway Report from March 14, 2025 After backcountry skiing in the morning, we rallied for a few laps at Palisades Tahoe, CA. We bubbled directly onto KT-22 looking for windbuff. We were told Chute 75 was smooth and flat we we went there first. It was perfect. Wind blow snow, no moguls (on the upper part), good turns, high speeds. Our […] Conditions Report Miles Clark | March 15, 2025 0 Comments
Lake Tahoe, CA, Backcountry Report: Deep Powder Snow Exploding Off My Skis & Jacket Report from March 14, 2025 Yesterday we went for a zone that takes a bit of a walk. We were the only people in the entire area. All day. The skinning up was brutal at times. Deep, dense snow up to 3 feet deep had slathered the mountainside. We took turns bashing the snow down in 7-minute shifts. The wind […] Conditions Report Miles Clark | March 15, 2025 0 Comments
Lake Tahoe Backcountry, CA, Report: Happiness = 27″ of Deep, Dry Powder Report from March 13, 2025 We woke up at 6 am today completely confused about what to do… Backcountry or Palisades Tahoe? We agonized for about 30 minutes then finally decided on backcountry when we heard that it snowed about 32″ overnight up top and there was a slight chance of lightning and thunder this afternoon. The UC Berkeley Snow […] Conditions Report Miles Clark | March 13, 2025 0 Comments
Skier Sentenced to Prison for Using Father’s Ski Pass A Spanish skier has been sentenced to one year and nine months in prison for repeatedly using his elderly father’s ski pass to access the lifts at Sierra Nevada, Spain. The father’s ski pass was a free ski pass for skiers over the age of 70 and the defendant was accused of repeatedly using his father’s ski pass over two […] Industry News Julia Schneemann | February 6, 2025 0 Comments
24 Days Without Measurable Snow is California’s 3rd Longest Winter Dry Spell Since 1991 According to California’s Central Sierra Snow Lab (CSSL), the Sierra Nevada is experiencing an unusually dry January, marking its seventh driest start to the year since 1971. As of January 28, 2025, the lab has recorded only 1.5 inches of precipitation this month, raising concerns about potential drought conditions in the region. Related: SnowBrains Podcast Episode #60 | Dr. Daniel […] SnowBrains | January 28, 2025 0 Comments
Splitboarder Survives Night Alone After Friend Abandons Him in Sierra Nevada Backcountry A splitboarder had to be rescued from the backcountry in California’s Sierra Nevada Mountains on December 29 after his friend left him behind. El Dorado County Search and Rescue (EDSAR) teams responded to the distress call near the junction of Warr Trail and Saxon Creek Trail, also known as Mr. Toads, at around 5 p.m. Related: Hiker Rescued After Unplanned Night […] SnowBrains | January 6, 2025 3 Comments
Palisades Tahoe, CA, Operations Update: Mixed Precipitation Followed by Powder Operations Update: Mixed Precipitation Followed by Powder By Maddie Condon/Palisades Tahoe on December 27, 2024 The storm that rolled in on Thursday dumped 12 inches of new snow in 24 hours on our upper mountain, and 2 inches of snow at the base. That being said, winds are playing a big factor in our operational ability, as this storm is […] Industry News SnowBrains | December 27, 2024 0 Comments
Palisades Tahoe, CA, Report: Opening Day For KT-22 | First Human Being Down “Ahhh Chutes” This Season Report from December 20, 2024 Today was the last day of Autumn 2024. Today was also the first day the legendary KT-22 opened for the season. KT holds the best terrain at Palisades Tahoe, CA, and it showed. KT didn’t open until noon as patrol was waiting for conditions to soften. Once it popped, everyone went nuts. I saw just […] Conditions Report Miles Clark | December 20, 2024 0 Comments
Palisades Tahoe, CA, Report: Playing “Q*bert” In Crunchy Corn Snow After the Big Rain/Freeze Event Report from December 18, 2024 It’s incredible how quickly this place can go from catastrophe to damn fun. For me, this happened in 24 hours, but I’m getting reports that folks were having fun off-piste in the sunshine at Palisades Tahoe as soon as the same day of the rain/freeze event. What happened? It rained to the top of the […] Conditions Report Miles Clark | December 19, 2024 0 Comments
[Photo Tour] Look But Don’t Touch at Palisades Tahoe, CA, Yesterday Report from December 17, 2024 Look But Don’t Touch Yesterday at palisadestahoe, CA! “If you go off-piste, you’re taking your life in your hands,” Ski Patroller David told us yesterday… And he was right, the off-piste was treacherous after the previous day brought rain to the top and a freeze overnight. The whole mountain was a crusty popsicle. Then, only […] Conditions Report Miles Clark | December 18, 2024 0 Comments
Palisades Tahoe, CA, Report: Stormy Fun Wet Powder Skiing Before The Rain… Report from December 15, 2024 We weren’t sure what to expect out there yesterday so we stumbled outta bed and onto the slopes at Palisades Tahoe early. The storm was hitting hard with 100mph winds that kept the upper mountain closed. Red Dog and the Resort Chair were open so we headed up. View this post on Instagram A post […] Conditions Report Miles Clark | December 17, 2024 0 Comments
Lake Tahoe, CA, Backcountry Report: Skiing Fast Powder Snow Above Stunning Lake Tahoe Report from December 15, 2024 Yesterday, we got out into the Lake Tahoe, CA, backcountry early. Well, we thought we were early, but people had already done two laps by the time we hit the top… No matter, there was plenty of room out there, and our first run was buttery smooth. The wind had its way with the snow, […] Conditions Report Miles Clark | December 16, 2024 0 Comments
Lake Tahoe, CA, Backcountry Report: Big Storm, High Avalanche Danger, & Mellow Turns Report from December 14, 2024 We got out into the Tahoe backcountry early today in a driving blizzard. The Sierra Avalanche Center called for HIGH avalanche danger, with human-triggered avalanches likely. This pushed us into low-angle, non-exposed terrain. So, we went for a lovely walk in about 2 feet of new snow. Geoff, Jamie, and I cruised around, set skin […] Conditions Report Miles Clark | December 14, 2024 0 Comments