New gondola connects resorts to form California’s biggest ski area

Starting Saturday, a new gondola will begin carrying passengers on a 2.4-mile ride over what is now — at 6,000 acres — the largest ski area in California.

The gondola links two popular ski resorts in North Lake Tahoe, Alpine Meadows and Olympic Valley, in a 16-minute ride with views of the lake and the Sierra, according to Palisades Tahoe, the company that owns the resorts.

The company is set to unveil the new ride, which connects the bases of the resorts, with daylong festivities Saturday that include free tours of the resorts’ skiing terrain and live music.

According to the company, the new gondola has 96 cabins that can carry eight passengers each.

The $65-million project has been in the works for years, but faced opposition from environmentalists who feared the project would cut through and negatively affect the federally protected Granite Chief Wilderness area. The company reached an agreement with the Granite Chief Wilderness Protection League that included placing the gondola at least 1,100 feet from the wilderness area at any point.

Palisades Tahoe also agreed to provide funding to the league to purchase land within the area and conservation easements.

The opening comes as the area has been doused with plenty of snow for visitors and skiers.

According to the UC Berkeley Central Sierra Snow Lab, the area saw more than 4 feet of snow fall on the slopes in 48 hours during a weekend storm.

The National Weather Service forecasts the ski area will see sunny skies throughout the weekend, with a high hovering in the low 30s.