This Winter, Homewood's Ski School Moves Up the Mountain

For decades, Homewood's first-timers learned on the gentle slope at the North Base, close enough to the lake to hear Highway 89. This winter that slope holds the bottom terminal of an eight-passenger gondola. KOLO reported in March that the base of the new lift sits "where the beginners used to ski." The Madden lift, first built in 1966, came down to clear the new line because the two lift lines cross farther up the hill.

For a West Shore family, the biggest change this winter is where the day begins. Homewood is moving its learning terrain about 1,000 feet up the mountain, and it is doing that before the mid-mountain lodge that would anchor the area exists.

The lower mountain was the weak link

Homewood's own explanation for the move comes down to snow. The resort's gondola page says lifting beginner terrain 1,000 feet higher lets it "chase the higher elevation snow and capture lake views." VP and GM Andy Buckley said the same thing more plainly to Tahoe Magazine, as published by the Tahoe Daily Tribune. "It's important because we're so close to the lake, it's quite difficult to make snow which can make the lower area hard to access," he said.

Last season showed what he meant. In the KOLO interview, Buckley pointed to 2025-26 as the example of the "weakness of the lower arteries from the upper mountain to the lower mountain," where Homewood did not have enough snowmaking. He also said that in a season with very limited snow, the groomed surface the crew managed to build drew compliments from the local community.

The fix has two parts that depend on each other. The Tahoe Daily Tribune's Sept. 25 season preview lists a new snowmaking pipe and more than 30 new snow machines. It also lists the first phase of a mid-mountain beginner area with new surface lifts and a warming yurt for the snowsports school. The snowmaking is meant to keep the routes down the mountain open all season. The gondola brings anyone who cannot ski those routes yet up to where the snow lasts longer.

Old lift, new lift

The Tribune piece called the old ten-minute ride "torture for skiers and riders on a powder day," and said the new lift will more than triple Madden's uphill capacity. On a storm morning, that matters as much to a parent with a ski-school drop-off as it does to the regulars heading for fresh snow. Both groups now board the same lift.

The new line also runs differently. KOLO reported that the cleared corridor goes up the right side of the mountain from the old beginner slope. Homewood says the North Base is its main parking lot. Ticketing, the bottom terminal and the start of a lesson day will all sit close together at the north end of the resort.

A gondola to a lodge that isn't built yet

The top station lands at the site Homewood has set aside for its Mid-Mountain Lodge. The resort's plans page describes that lodge with food and drink, outdoor dining and firepits. For now, mid-mountain gets a warming yurt for the snowsports school.

That gap shapes how the gondola gets used this winter. Homewood describes it as a lift for "skiers, riders, sightseers," connecting "mountain and lake." Buckley gave a more cautious timeline in the Tribune roundup. "Non-skiers will use it in the future," he said. "There's no destination there to begin with; when we build a mid-mountain lodge it will allow people to get there." According to that piece, lodge construction is expected to start in 2029.

He also described the long-term picture in the same interview.

"Imagine sitting on the deck of the lodge looking out to the lake and watching your kids learn how to ski. It's a piece of Homewood that's often lost because the real experience is up above. The gondola gives us that connection."

The kids and the view are part of the picture starting this season. The deck comes later. In the meantime, a family with a non-skier on the trip still plans around the North Base. Homewood has not published a sightseeing schedule or fare for this winter.

Weeks before opening, the cabins are still in Sparks

The Tribune preview lists Homewood's opening day as Dec. 11. As of mid-October, Homewood's gondola update page shows a lot of finished work and a few steps left. The resort lists these milestones as complete:

• Gondola purchased, with towers and cabins delivered and stored in Sparks, Nevada
• California Tram Board permit approved
• TRPA build permit approved Jan. 22, 2025, and Placer County substantial conformance received April 18, 2025
• Placer County gondola building permit approved
• Tree removal along the line, grading and terminal foundations
• Top and bottom terminals and all towers installed

The same page's timeline still marks two stages as unfinished:

1. Cable installation, listed as "In Progress"
2. Gondola cars on line, listed as "Coming Soon"

The status note at the top of the same page says the haul rope has been installed, and the timeline does not say what cable work remains. The timeline lists the opening as a "GOAL" for winter 2026-27. Dec. 11 is a target that depends on cabins coming over from Nevada and the lift being finished before then. Homewood also reminds the community that all trails, access roads and on-mountain areas stay closed until the winter reopening, for the safety of work crews.

This follows a run of comebacks. Homewood stayed closed for the 2024-25 season while its owners worked with the TRPA on revising the 2011 Master Plan, then reopened for 2025-26. The full approval history is on the TRPA's Homewood Master Plan page.

What's priced and what isn't

Season passes are listed and day tickets are not. Homewood's season pass page lists adult prices for 2026-27, and every pass includes parking.

The West Shore Resident pass, which offers Value-pass access at a discount, is no longer on sale for this season. Its sales window ran March 16 to April 14, 2026, and the page says sales resume in spring 2027. West Shore households that missed that window will be choosing from the passes in the table.

On Homewood's tickets page, general 2026-27 day tickets are still listed as coming in fall 2026. The page lists $75 non-peak tickets for Lake Tahoe Basin first responders and teachers and for active-duty or retired military. Qualifying Tahoe Basin honor-roll students in grades 6 through 12 get four free non-peak days. The eligibility rules still refer to pay stubs dated "August 2025 or newer," so check the current terms with the resort before you count on that rate.

Where the Madden chairs went

The old chair already found new homes. Homewood auctioned 100 Madden chairs with bids starting at $650 each. Bidding opened April 15 and closed April 26, according to POWDER. Part of the proceeds went to Sierra Community House, and the resort later said it had contacted the winners to arrange pickup. In June, Homewood held a Community Social and Gondola Celebration outside North Lodge with a project update, a food truck and live music. As of mid-October, the resort's events page lists no gondola opening-day event.

Buckley told the Tribune that each eight-person cabin costs about as much as a Porsche. The first passengers to fill them will likely include a lot of kids headed up to the new learning area.

If you're wondering how Homewood's new setup will change winter weekends on the West Shore, whether you're hosting family, timing ski-school mornings or thinking about owning near the North Base, Becky Arnold has watched this mountain change for a lifetime and is happy to talk through it. Start your Tahoe search — call Becky for west‑shore expertise.