"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," Homewood VP and GM Andy Buckley told the Tahoe Daily Tribune last winter. The lake view makes Homewood worth the drive, and the lake is also why its lowest slopes are hard to keep covered. The new eight-passenger gondola replacing the Madden Chair takes that problem on directly. It moves the place where people learn to ski off the lakeside base and up to mid-mountain, where the resort can make snow more reliably.
Homewood's opening day is Dec. 11, according to the Tribune's Sep. 25, 2026 preview of the season. The first piece of that move goes into service this winter. The rest of it is still years away.
The chair that set Homewood's limits
The Madden Chair was the main way up from the North Base, and the ride took close to 10 minutes, according to the Tribune. On a powder morning that meant a slow start. For a first-timer it meant something more limiting. The terrain within reach of a beginner was the lower mountain, and that's the part closest to the water and hardest to cover with machine-made snow.
The gondola's numbers show how much changes. Each cabin holds up to eight people. With all cabins running, the system moves 1,500 to 2,400 people per hour depending on run speed, which the resort says is more than triple the old Madden lift's upload capacity. Buckley told the Tribune each cabin costs about as much as a Porsche, and he framed the spending around the long-term plan more than the ride itself.
What goes up the hill this season
Three changes this winter all point the same way, toward getting skiers higher on the mountain. The Tribune's season preview lists them:
- The gondola, running from the base toward the site of a future mid-mountain lodge in place of the Madden Chair.
- Snowmaking, with a new pipe and more than 30 new snow machines.
- A mid-mountain beginner area, whose first phase brings new surface lifts and a warming yurt for the snowsports school.
Taken together, the lift carries beginners to higher terrain, the snowmaking keeps that terrain covered, and the surface lifts and yurt give lessons a home up there. Buckley described the payoff to the Tribune this way: "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 gondola's status is concrete but still in progress. On Homewood's gondola update page, the top and bottom terminals, every tower and the haul rope are installed. The page also lists the cabins as delivered and stored in Sparks, the California Tram Board permit as approved, and the cars themselves as "coming soon," with winter 2026–27 as the opening goal. In August, the Sacramento Business Journal reported that the resort was aiming to finish in December. The resort has said the gondola will open this winter. It hasn't said whether it will be spinning on Dec. 11.
What stays a construction site
The lodge Buckley described in that quote doesn't exist yet. He told the Tribune that construction on the mid-mountain lodge is expected to start in 2029. Until then, he said, "There's no destination there to begin with." The resort's future plans page lists more of the master plan: a replacement for the Ellis Chair, a new learn-to-ski lift, more snowmaking, and upgraded village and mid-mountain facilities.
| Piece of the plan | Where it stands for winter 2026–27 |
|---|---|
| Gondola replacing the Madden Chair | Terminals, towers and haul rope installed; cabins delivered; opening goal is this winter |
| Snowmaking | New pipe and more than 30 new machines this season |
| Mid-mountain beginner area | First phase: surface lifts and a ski school warming yurt |
| Mid-mountain lodge | Construction expected to begin in 2029 |
| Ellis Chair replacement, new learn-to-ski lift | Listed in the master plan; no published timing |
The base area still shows the work. Homewood's parking page says the South Base lot was reserved for construction staging over the summer and parts of the North Lot were used for resort construction. Its mountain safety notice closes all trails, access roads and on-mountain areas to the public until the winter season opens.
How a closed winter turned into this one
Homewood got here after a closed season and a reopening that came later than announced. Here's the sequence:
- Winter 2024–25. Homewood didn't operate. SFGATE reported that the resort said it was running at a deficit and its financial partner had withdrawn support while the master-plan approval dragged on. SFGATE also reported that a members-only club concept had been dropped in late 2023.
- Jan. 22, 2025. TRPA approved the master-plan amendments and the gondola permit. The Sierra Sun reported that the amended plan cuts planned residential density by 45%, shrinks building mass and scale, and widens scenic view corridors.
- April 2025. The resort said it would reopen for 2025–26 without the gondola because permitting had missed the installer's scheduling deadline, according to the Sierra Sun.
- Dec. 27, 2025. Ski operations resumed. The Tribune had earlier reported a tentative opening date of Dec. 12, 2025.
- Spring 2026. Crews removed the Madden Chair after the season, KOLO reported. Homewood auctioned 100 of the old chairs, with part of the proceeds going to Sierra Community House, and bidding closed April 26.
The resort is owned and developed by a partnership of JMA Ventures, Discovery Land Company and Mohari Hospitality, KOLO reported. Public access is written into the approvals. The community access plan filed with TRPA says anyone may buy ski products and ski with a valid pass or ticket while the mountain is operating. It bars a members-only model without TRPA approval and provides for compliance reports and enforcement. The Tribune notes that the nonprofit Keep Homewood Public formed to keep the mountain open to everyone, and that both sides agree the mountain needs a gondola.
The 2025–26 opening slid about two weeks past its tentative date. With the gondola cabins still to be hung, it makes sense to watch the resort's own announcements as Dec. 11 approaches.
Passes, parking and the bus for opening week
Homewood's season pass page lists these prices for 2026–27:
| Pass | Adult | Teen | Child | Senior |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unlimited, no blackout days | $1,399 | $999 | $799 | $1,049 |
| Value, excludes peak holidays | $999 | $799 | $699 | $849 |
The Value Pass blacks out Dec. 26 through Jan. 1, Jan. 16 and 17, and Feb. 13 through 15. A 2-Day pass at $899 for adults and $749 for seniors covers any two midweek days outside its own peak exclusions. Adult and senior passes include up to six buddy day tickets under the stated peak-day terms, and every pass includes parking. Family Pass sales resume in spring 2027.
The West Shore Resident pass, which the resort calls "True Local," is for full-time residents between Tahoe City and Rubicon. It was sold from March 16 to April 14, 2026, and the residency verification deadline was Oct. 31. The page now shows it as no longer available for this season. On the ticket page, the Inspire & Serve ticket costs $75 on non-peak days for Tahoe Basin first responders, teachers, and active or retired military. The resort also offers four free non-peak days for qualifying Tahoe Basin students in grades 6 through 12 who make the honor roll.
Getting there works like this:
- Parking. The main lot is the North Base at 5145 West Lake Blvd. The parking page calls it first-come, first-served, says construction may affect it, and has drivers pay by on-site QR code. The resort's adult lesson page says lesson parking requires a reservation booked online.
- TART. The Fall 2026 Mainline schedule stops at Homewood in both directions between Tahoe City and Tahoma. It runs through Dec. 11, the same day the mountain opens, so check for the 2026–27 winter timetable before planning a bus ride that week. Last winter's schedule kept Homewood on the West Shore Mainline and listed TART rides as free.
- Rentals. The rental shop has moved to a new location and has a new Atomic fleet.
- Food at the base. The dining page lists Madden Cafe, Big Blue View Bar and 89 Bar & Grill, and still marks all three as closed for the 2025–26 season. It makes sense to pack lunch on opening day until the resort posts this season's hours.
Lexi Cerretti at Tahoe Icon tracks the West Shore master plan as it moves from permits into lifts and lodges, along with what each phase means for properties along West Lake Boulevard. To talk through Homewood's next phases and the homes near them, schedule a private consultation.
