On the western shore of Lake Tahoe, California, one of the most scenic ski resorts in the Sierra Nevada is preparing a transformation set to reshape its main base access. At Homewood, construction is underway on a new eight-person gondola lift that will replace the historic Madden chairlift, with the resort targeting entry into service during the 2026/27 season, though a specific inaugural date has not yet been announced on the calendar.
After foundation excavation began in early June and components of the old lift were removed, construction progressed rapidly over the summer: both the base and top terminals as well as the line towers have already been erected. The new alignment will terminate slightly above the elevation reached by the old Madden chair, right at the site slated to host a new mid-mountain lodge in subsequent development phases. For skiers heading up Homewood’s slopes, where the blue waters of the lake lie just steps from the base area, the initial climb from roughly 1,900 meters at the valley floor to the mid-mountain zone will now take place inside enclosed cabins.
Farewell to the historic Madden chair and the plan to move beginner skiing higher up
The handover closes a chapter spanning nearly sixty years: built in 1966 and upgraded in 1982, the Madden chairlift was one of the resort’s most recognizable landmarks. Its retirement, following the ski area’s reopening in winter 2025/26, was marked by an auction of one hundred historic chairs, with a portion of the proceeds donated to Sierra Community House, a local organization supporting families in the region.
Replacing the old chairs with an eight-person gondola is not just about offering a sheltered ride up; it also forms the first building block of a broader mountain redesign. Among Homewood’s stated goals is using the new lift to move the beginner learning experience roughly 300 meters higher than the current base-area teaching zones. Thanks to the enclosed cabins, first-time skiers will be able to ride directly to a higher elevation where snow cover is more consistent and panoramic views over Lake Tahoe open up in full, without having to ski down a lower-mountain run to return to the base.
While construction of the new upper-mountain learning areas and mid-mountain lodge belongs to later phases of the master plan, the program for the 2026/27 season focuses on bringing the gondola into operation. It will provide a new access portal to distribute skiers across Homewood’s 1,260 acres (about 510 hectares) and 66 trails, spread over just above 500 meters of vertical drop up to roughly 2,400 meters at the summit: for anyone who remembers the old Madden chair, the difference will be felt from the very first boarding above the shores of Tahoe.
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