Palisades
Alpine Meadows
About this zone
This is Alpine’s sharp end. Accessed from Alpine Chair, the Palisades are a tight, hike-to zone where you gain the ridge and choose your line. Skier’s left eases into Pygmy Forest under Alpine Bowl Chair, while farther along the ridge the terrain quickly turns steep and technical with the Keyholes and surrounding chutes. It’s narrow, rocky, and unapologetically expert. Most lines funnel back into Alpine Bowl and Deer Camp, where things mellow out enough to reset and go again.
Best When
This zone shines for confident experts looking for steep, north-facing terrain at high elevation. Cold storms and midwinter chalk suit it best, and it holds snow well thanks to limited sun exposure up high. It’s also a great choice when you want fast laps: drop, regroup in Alpine Bowl, and spin the chair again. On bigger days, it opens the door to longer missions, including dropping through to Sherwood for the full south-face vert.
Watch Out For
The Palisades are serious terrain with real consequences. Expect tight entrances, exposed rocks, and mandatory steep sections once you move past Pygmy Forest. Route-finding matters, especially in flat light or when coverage is thin. Cornices and variable snow can complicate ridge access, and while the runouts are forgiving, the top isn’t. If you’re unsure, this isn’t the place to figure it out.
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