California/Nevada 2022-23 Tahoe Traffic & Parking

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Squaw traffic from Saturday morning


vimeo.com/793692420/f8f87d5671

 

[Pequenita]

Squaw traffic from Saturday morning


vimeo.com/793692420/f8f87d5671

I am not going to lie - yesterday I was checking their twitter feed for entertainment, but it didn't seem as bad as Saturday's traffic (football game? chain control scared people off?).

@TallGuy , it could have been chain control coming down. For more amusement, I checked how Google Maps would navigate me home from Palisades (had I been there) to Sacramento at 3:30pm. It directed me south to Meyers, onto 50.

 

[John Webb]

I am not going to lie - yesterday I was checking their twitter feed for entertainment, but it didn't seem as bad as Saturday's traffic (football game? chain control scared people off?).

@TallGuy , it could have been chain control coming down. For more amusement, I checked how Google Maps would navigate me home from Palisades (had I been there) to Sacramento at 3:30pm. It directed me south to Meyers, onto 50.

I can believe that. . Dummies were spinning out on 80 yesterday so 80 varied between closed WB to Chains WB.
Meanwhile Google Maps, which is so damn smart, (except when it isn't-lol ), figured out 50 was open with no controls.

Note to Sac or bay area guys: In general 50 has had less problems or chain controls than 80 this year.

 

[Chris V.]

Anyone know what happened on I-80 yesterday evening between Truckee and the top of Donner Pass? Traffic was just crawling and then twice completely stopped for 15-30 minutes.

What really sucked was the huge number of drivers diverting to Old Donner Pass Rd., making for big delays for those of us needing to get into the Donner Lake neighborhood.

 

[Near Nyquist]

Slow skiing zone.

That’s not a slow skiing zone nobody ever skis slow there
It’s a better keep your wits about you in that zone is what it means

even the resort knows it

 

[Alexzn]

Palisades Tahoe parking arms race is getting ridiculous. We left TD a at 7am and my daughter was almost late for work. Traffic on Northwoods, at the mousehole, on 89 and on Squaw Valley Road. People cooking breakfast at the parking lot left and right, Wildflour line ridiculous, Starbucks line ridiculous.

Parking was full by 9:30, on a day with crappy old snow, not a holiday, not a long weekend. The sad thing was that 80% of people at the resort at 8 am had absolutely no business being there that early. The only reason was the parking arms race. And the sh&tshow propagated. If you leave that early, you don’t get the time to cook breakfast at home, so you get breakfast at the resort, this is why Wildflour and other places are suddenly full… when you get breakfast at the resort, you sh&t at the resort too, this is why the restroom lines have been truly epic and didn’t subside until after 10am!!!

This feels truly unsustainable, and the resort will have to do something about it. Employee cannot get to work, kids cannot get to the team, list goes on and on.… I fully expect all parking at Squaw being paid next season, and right now it sounds like the right move. A significantly more expensive season pass also looks like a rather good idea.

PS. There was a U14 race today, but I don’t think it was the cause. Most people I saw on the parking lot and WF were not team parents or coaches, they were regular Joe Ikons, paring early and killing time.

 

[SpeedyKevin]

Palisades Tahoe parking arms race is getting ridiculous. We left TD a at 7am and my daughter was almost late for work. Traffic on Northwoods, at the mousehole, on 89 and on Squaw Valley Road. People cooking breakfast at the parking lot left and right, Wildflour line ridiculous, Starbucks line ridiculous.

Parking was full by 9:30, on a day with crappy old snow, not a holiday, not a long weekend. The sad thing was that 80% of people at the resort at 8 am had absolutely no business being there that early. The only reason was the parking arms race. And the sh&tshow propagated. If you leave that early, you don’t get the time to cook breakfast at home, so you get breakfast at the resort, this is why Wildflour and other places are suddenly full… when you get breakfast at the resort, you sh&t at the resort too, this is why the restroom lines have been truly epic and didn’t subside until after 10am!!!

This feels truly unsustainable, and the resort will have to do something about it. Employee cannot get to work, kids cannot get to the team, list goes on and on.… I fully expect all parking at Squaw being paid next season, and right now it sounds like the right move. A significantly more expensive season pass also looks like a rather good idea.

PS. There was a U14 race today, but I don’t think it was the cause. Most people I saw on the parking lot and WF were not team parents or coaches, they were regular Joe Ikons, paring early and killing time.

Left TD before 7. Blah

 

[4ster]

If you leave that early, you don’t get the time to cook breakfast at home, so you get breakfast at the resort, this is why Wildflour and other places are suddenly full…

They got us right where they want us, this is part of the scheme. Remember, they already have our money so they need to gain revenue in other ways. Forcing us to come early and have breakfast is one way to add to the bottom line.

kids cannot get to the team, list goes on and on.… I fully expect all parking at Squaw being paid next season, and right now it sounds like the right move.

They already have the kids money too, so why should they care if they make it to practice on time?
Paid parking is another part of the scheme. Make it seem like that is the only way to solve the parking issue and encourage carpooling, but reality is it just puts more money in the corporate pockets.
It is a sad state of affairs.

 

[Chris V.]

Palisades Tahoe parking arms race....

And you kids get off my lawn!

Just say no to Saturdays in February.

 

[Joshuawjc]

I wonder how much of this is the Epic -> Ikon migration following the (much-reported) s***-show that was Vail resorts last year. I saw one number that said Epic numbers down 13% -- which is kind of insane. So they all came to Ikon. Now maybe they'll go back.

Maybe we'll be in a brave new world where it alternates each year as each passholder base gets disgusted and switches to the other in a fit of pique. ("Where you skiing this season? Oh it's an even year, so I guess I'm back on Ikon").

 

[davjr96]

I'm a bay area weekend warrior normally rotating day trips and full weekends with friends (I don't have a ski lease/second home/consistent place to stay). Today was a day trip opportunity for me, first one "needed" since November. My normal routine is leave at 4:30am getting to the resort (I pretty much exclusively ski Alpine) around 8 on a "normal" day.

A few weeks ago I did a Sat morning 4:30am departure for a weekend trip and made it to 89 just as traffic was starting to get backed up. I immediately called my friend who lives in TC and told him to hit the road. It ended up being roughly a 20 minute delay for me and I made it with a few remaining spots in the upper alpine lot around 8:30. He left his house in Tahoe City just before 8am and was not on snow until noon. 3 hours of it was driving from Tahoe City to Palisades and then an hour circling for parking.

I figured a 4:30 departure today would not have gotten me in front of the traffic and it looks like I was right. I wasn't willing to get up earlier for what I assumed would be mediocre snow and windholds. Instead I "slept in" and didn't leave until 6. Rolled into the Royal Gorge parking lot around 8:45. No traffic at all and a front row spot in the lot 15 minutes after opening, instead of a full lot 30 minutes before. A wonderful experience.

So based on that, the solution seems to be making skiing suck and less fun. If Alpine skiing was as painful as XC, all our problems would go away!

I have had an ikon pass since they existed which happens to be the year I moved to CA. Given the trend, I am not sure if I will renew. The draw will be early/late season mammoth and SLC/Jackson Friends. For me, the hassle of skiing Palisades is almost no longer worth it. I'm pretty experienced backcountry and getting into XC so that should get me through the Jan and Feb crowds without needing to go down 89. Of course the palisades traffic doesn't just effect the resort skiers but also anyone trying to get anywhere. I pretty much have to cross off a ton of BC Trailheads as options due to it.

That said, there is just something about dropping into beaver bowl with a few inches of fresh snow that keep me coming back... Unfortunately I will probably end up getting an ikon again and complaining about it a lot maybe supplemented with SB or Rose to use on midwinter weekends.

 

[Sean]

No different @epic

 

[oldfashoned]

I wonder how much of this is the Epic -> Ikon migration following the (much-reported) s***-show that was Vail resorts last year. I saw one number that said Epic numbers down 13% -- which is kind of insane. So they all came to Ikon. Now maybe they'll go back.

Maybe we'll be in a brave new world where it alternates each year as each passholder base gets disgusted and switches to the other in a fit of pique. ("Where you skiing this season? Oh it's an even year, so I guess I'm back on Ikon").

Don’t know, I looked at the traffic cams this am and could see a line of cars at the NorthStar entrance that looked like it extended all the way to highway 80!!

I woke up this morning at 4am, said f-it, I’m not dealing with the traffic and parking lot camp out at PT. Went back to sleep. Glad I did. I’ll go durning the week.

That “ 526f7365 “ pass is looking better and better.

 

[Chris V.]

I saw one number that said Epic numbers down 13% -- which is kind of insane.

The traffic past Northstar today didn't appear to be down 13%. Not hardly.

 

[coldski]

How about having the Forest Service (or other controlling agency) mandate that the maximum daily number of skiers not exceed the resorts Design Capacity (AKA Comfortable Carrying Capacity) as defined in the Master Development Plans I believe they all have to file. Example from a draft plan from Aspen from a Forest Service web site

Accordingly, the design capacity does not normally indicate a maximum level of visitation, but rather the number of visitors that can be “comfortably” accommodated on a daily basis …..
peak-day visitation at most resorts is at least 10% higher than the design capacity.

The accurate estimation of the CCC of a mountain is a complex issue and is the single-most important planning criterion for the resort. Related skier service facilities, including base lodge seating, mountain restaurant requirements, restrooms, parking, and other guest services are planned around the proper identification of the mountain’s true capacity.

Leave it to the resorts to figure out how accomplish this - reservations, season pass restrictions, reserved parking whatever. Fine them if they exceed the limit.

A-Basin apparently already does this on their own and last year only went over the limit on a single day

State of The Basin - Numbers and Comments - Volume 2

On March 3, 2020 I did a blog post that was an update on our journey to change things up at Arapahoe Basin. Our objectives then and now are ...

arapahoebasin.blogspot.com

Think this would work in Tahoe ?

 

[John Webb]

This feels truly unsustainable, and the resort will have to do something about it. Employee cannot get to work, kids cannot get to the team, list goes on and on.… I fully expect all parking at Squaw being paid next season, and right now it sounds like the right move. A significantly more expensive season pass also looks like a rather good idea.

PS. There was a U14 race today, but I don’t think it was the cause. Most people I saw on the parking lot and WF were not team parents or coaches, they were regular Joe Ikons, paring early and killing time.

The day they start all paid parking is when I quit on the Ikon Pass.

 

[Alexzn]

The day they start all paid parking is when I quit on the Ikon Pass.

Aspen is all paid parking, I think. They do have an awesome bus system though that makes driving a luxury option.

But the point is that the current situation when you have to get up at 6 am just to get a parking spot and have to wait for 40 minutes to take a dump is untenable.

 

[dbostedo]

Forcing us to come early and have breakfast is one way to add to the bottom line.

How are they forcing anyone to come early? Did they eliminate parking or something?

 

[4ster]

How are they forcing anyone to come early? Did they eliminate parking or something?

I suppose we could just stay home. Maybe encourage is a better word than force .
Yes, the demand for parking exceeds the amount of parking available.
They are basically saying, “arrive early or you will be stuck in traffic & unable to park”.
It is not just Palisades, it is industry wide.

We need more ski areas with new arteries & options to get there.

 

[Chris V.]

We need more ski areas with new arteries & options to get there.

All we need is really high elevation, north facing, not too wind scoured, outside wilderness. Good luck. Maybe in the Yukon?