Why A "Bad Bear" Temporarily Closed Palisades Tahoe's Granite Chief Lift
A notification announcing the temporary closure of 'Granite Chief' from Palisades Tahoe's mobile app confused skiers on Sunday, April 7th, 2024.
Conditions were prime for safe spring skiing, but Palisades Tahoe Mountain Manager Jimmy King made the call after spotting a bear near the top of the Granite Chief lift. Check out the photo King captured of the bear below:
Photo: Jimmy King/Palisades Tahoe
King initially spotted the bear near the peak, "... looking curiously at people and the garbage bin at the top." Rather than take chances, King acted quickly to shut down Granite Chief and nearby Emigrant Lift.
Ski patrol then performed a sweep of the area to ensure the safety of the skiers and the bear itself. Emigrant and Granite Chief remained closed for the rest of the day.
A Palisades Tahoe official noted that it's the resort's policy to close terrain when a bear or other wildlife is present, but this bear was particularly worrisome due to the tag on its ear.
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife regularly captures, tags, relocates, and hazes "problem" bears from towns around Lake Tahoe.
Palisades Tahoe ski patroller and 2022 Red Bull Raid winner Zach Williams captured the photo below of the bear investigating signage at the top of the Granite Chief lift.
Palisades' diligence in protecting skiers, and the bear itself, needs to be noted.
Sunday was a fairly busy day on the mountain with prime spring skiing conditions and the final day of the Winter Wondergrass music festival.
Shutting down two upper mountain lifts wasn't ideal, but the resort prioritized safety. As a Palisades skier, I'm grateful for that.
Palisades Tahoe
Granite Chief is open today, April 9th, 2024.
On another note, the presence of our newfound furry friend is a reminder that the mountains we recreate in are still, well...wild.
Stay safe and respect your surroundings out there, friends!
Related: How The US Ski Team Met Ludacris In Lake Tahoe
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