Uncertain Winter For Sierra At Tahoe
Sierra-at-Tahoe resort has indicated that it will not be able to fully open for the coming ski season after damage from the Caldor Fire which burned in and around the resort. They say:
Although we have been working nonstop—and will continue to—on plans to reopen the resort, we want to let you know that we are still uncertain as to how much terrain we will be able to open this year. The safety of our employees and guests continues to be our number one priority, and despite making progress every day and working together with our partners at the United States Forest Service, and with arborists, engineers and inspectors, we have big challenges ahead.
Detailed inspections of the entire resort have revealed that we will not be able to offer you the same ski experience you have come to expect from Sierra. The work ahead of us includes evaluating the damage to trees throughout the resort property, particularly those along ski trails and lift lines, and continuing to repair chairlifts that were impacted while simultaneously navigating global supply chain and shipping challenges that are slowing that progress.
We’re not giving up, nor are we backing down from the challenge. We want you to know what we know - our intention is to keep moving forward, and to open what we can, when we can to welcome you back to Sierra this season.
We realize that it’s incredibly frustrating not to have all the answers, or to have a clearer picture of what the season may look like. Like you, we wish we did. On behalf of our entire team, we appreciate your patience, support and understanding as we work through this unprecedented situation.
We have been busy bringing experts to Sierra to evaluate and help us outline our plans to open the resort safely, and as soon as possible. Engineers, arborists, and representatives from the United States Forest Service have begun the detailed inspections necessary in this effort.
What we now know is that there is more damage to the resort than was initially thought. A significant number of trees were weakened by the fire, some of our chairlifts have sustained damage, and other infrastructure requires repair. Already, a tremendous amount of work has been done along Sierra-at-Tahoe Road to remove fire weakened trees, and engineers are making progress in the effort to repair affected lifts.
As we look ahead, there’s still work to be done on the mountain to remove fire weakened trees on trails and along chairlift lines, and we’re working in partnership with the USFS to do that. As we learn more about timelines related to the repairs that are in progress, fire damaged tree remediation, and what our operations may look like this winter, we will continue to keep you informed.
We also want you to be confident in knowing that our goals remain the same: to put our employees back to work, to give you the high-quality ski and snowboard experience you’re accustomed to, and to adapt and persevere as we always have. The Sierra-at-Tahoe spirit is alive and well!
