Sugar Bowl to Palisades Ski Tour
Sugar Bowl to Palisades is the classic, challenging traverse between two of Tahoe's great ski resorts. This high ridge route often follows the Pacific Crest Trail and offers options for fun ski descents. It is long, around 13 miles, and involves a fair amount of vertical gain and loss throughout this long day.
Overview
Itinerary
Prerequisites
Inclusions
Gear
One of North Lake Tahoe's premier ski tours, Sugar Bowl to Palisades is a ski touring odyssey that covers nearly 14 miles with roughly 3,000' of elevation gain, ending about 1,000' lower than it starts.
- This is NOT an easy day and is a fairly committing undertaking. This trip is often done over two days, camping in the middle. Please carefully review the fitness and experience prerequisites
- Refresh gear and technique skills including ice axe and crampons
- Avalanche safety skills review throughout the day
- **This program runs with a minimum of 2 and a maximum of 3 participants.
- 6:00am - Meet your guide at Palisades Tahoe to drop off a car
- 6:15am - Drive to Sugar Bowl
- 6:45am - Review avalanche hazard rating, gear check, trailhead departure check
- 7:00am - Begin the traverse, with lessons and teachable moments along the way
- 12pm - Lunch on the go
- 3:30pm - Finish tour at the Palisades Tahoe or exit early at Pole Creek (if necessary). Debrief of the day and discuss strengths, areas for improvement, goals, and next steps in your backcountry progression.
Here are the skills and fitness you'll need for your course:
- Advanced Resort Riding skills - Including off-piste terrain in challenging snow conditions
- Intermediate Backcountry Experience - Including efficient gear management and skinning, transition technique, with 20+ days spent in the backcountry.
- Excellent Fitness - Able to spend 12-16 continuous hours outside, moving uphill at over 1,000’ per hour for durations of 1-2 hours between breaks. Participants should be able to hike 12-15 miles, climbing 3,000-6,000 vertical feet throughout the course of the day. People with excellent fitness typically have a strenuous workout 4-6 days per week. Be ready for a sufferfest!
- Previous Tour with Blackbird - Because this is a big day and we want to make sure our team is ready, we ask that you have already done a day of touring with Blackbird. If you haven't toured with us before, please send a brief resume with your previous touring experience.
Here's what's included with your tour:
- Experienced AMGA Trained Guide
- Tahoe National Forest Permit
- Group Safety Gear - Snow Science, First Aid Kits
- Wag Bags - for human waste disposal in with compliance 'Leave No Trace' principles
- Ski/Splitboard Gear
- Avalanche Gear - Beacon, Shovel, Probe
- Ski Mountaineering Gear - Ice Axe, Crampons, Climbing Harness
- Transportation
- Meals
- Guide Gratuities
Tahoe Backcountry Skiing Gear List
- Avalanche Gear - Come prepared with your own gear or rent from Blackbird
- Ski/Split Touring Gear - Come prepared with your own gear or rent from Tahoe Sports Hub - use code BLACKBIRD10 for 10% off at checkout.
Know Before you go
Price/Person
$395.00
Private Programs
Duration: 1 Day
View Full Itinerary
PRIVATE PROGRAMS
- Custom Scheduling: Choose your dates and plan around your availability.
- Tailored Experiences: Itineraries and objectives are adjusted to suit your goals, experience, and fitness.
- Cost-Effective for Most Large Groups: Private programs are typically more cost-effective for groups of 3 or more.
- Flexibility Comes at a Price: For groups of 1-2, private programs are generally more expensive.
- AIARE Courses: AIARE course pricing is based on a group of 6. Running these as a private program with fewer than 6 participants will increase the per-person cost.
SCHEDULED PROGRAMS
- Fixed Dates & Costs: Scheduled programs have set dates, itineraries, objectives, and pricing.
- Great for Solo or Small Groups: Ideal for individuals or small groups looking to share costs with others.
- Affordable for 1-2 People: Scheduled programs are typically less expensive for groups of 1-2.
- Less Flexibility: Dates fill quickly, and group programs require adapting to the skill level and pace of all participants
- Group Atmosphere: Meet others with similar interests and make some new backcountry buddies!
Note: Any scheduled program can also be run as a private program with customized dates and rates.
Both options offer exceptional guiding and experiences. Choose what works best for you!
Full Itinerary
8:00 am Meet your guide at the trailhead and review the plan for the day. The guide will discuss the avalanche problem for the day, the proposed route up and options for the ascent and descent. The guide will conduct a Trailhead Departure Check/Beacon Check.
8:30 am Set off on the 13 mile traverse between Sugar Bowl and Palisades, with multiple zones to tour up and ski down along the way. We'll review avalanche skills and practice with an ice axe and crampons
4:30 pm Return to the trailhead with enough daylight to have a margin to get back safely.
One of North Lake Tahoe's premier ski tours, Sugar Bowl to Palisades is a ski touring odyssey that covers nearly 14 miles with roughly 3,000' of elevation gain, ending about 1,000' lower than it starts.
- This is NOT an easy day and is a fairly committing undertaking. This trip is often done over two days, camping in the middle. Please carefully review the fitness and experience prerequisites
- Refresh gear and technique skills including ice axe and crampons
- Avalanche safety skills review throughout the day
- **This program runs with a minimum of 2 and a maximum of 3 participants.
- 6:00am - Meet your guide at Palisades Tahoe to drop off a car
- 6:15am - Drive to Sugar Bowl
- 6:45am - Review avalanche hazard rating, gear check, trailhead departure check
- 7:00am - Begin the traverse, with lessons and teachable moments along the way
- 12pm - Lunch on the go
- 3:30pm - Finish tour at the Palisades Tahoe or exit early at Pole Creek (if necessary). Debrief of the day and discuss strengths, areas for improvement, goals, and next steps in your backcountry progression.
Here are the skills and fitness you'll need for your course:
- Advanced Resort Riding skills - Including off-piste terrain in challenging snow conditions
- Intermediate Backcountry Experience - Including efficient gear management and skinning, transition technique, with 20+ days spent in the backcountry.
- Excellent Fitness - Able to spend 12-16 continuous hours outside, moving uphill at over 1,000’ per hour for durations of 1-2 hours between breaks. Participants should be able to hike 12-15 miles, climbing 3,000-6,000 vertical feet throughout the course of the day. People with excellent fitness typically have a strenuous workout 4-6 days per week. Be ready for a sufferfest!
- Previous Tour with Blackbird - Because this is a big day and we want to make sure our team is ready, we ask that you have already done a day of touring with Blackbird. If you haven't toured with us before, please send a brief resume with your previous touring experience.
Here's what's included with your tour:
- Experienced AMGA Trained Guide
- Tahoe National Forest Permit
- Group Safety Gear - Snow Science, First Aid Kits
- Wag Bags - for human waste disposal in with compliance 'Leave No Trace' principles
- Ski/Splitboard Gear
- Avalanche Gear - Beacon, Shovel, Probe
- Ski Mountaineering Gear - Ice Axe, Crampons, Climbing Harness
- Transportation
- Meals
- Guide Gratuities
Tahoe Backcountry Skiing Gear List
- Avalanche Gear - Come prepared with your own gear or rent from Blackbird
- Ski/Split Touring Gear - Come prepared with your own gear or rent from Tahoe Sports Hub - use code BLACKBIRD10 for 10% off at checkout.
Two skiers touring on a ridge at Sugarbowl ski resort in North Lake Tahoe
Sierra Crest ridge line in North Lake Tahoe California
Ridge line in North Lake Tahoe
Skiers touring on a ridge in Lake Tahoe
Skier touring on a ridge in North Lake Tahoe
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