The Saddle is a diamond-rated run off the KT-22 Express at Palisades Tahoe (formerly Squaw Valley). It serves as the "easiest way down" from the KT-22 lift in what is otherwise a plethora of steep bowls with natural terrain. I took the Saddle Face portion at the bottom, which provides a steeper but more direct path to Mountain Run back to the main base area.
There used to be a disclaimer about how Palisades didn't use a double diamond system here, but that has changed as of the 2022-23 season! I have changed the relative difficulty rating accordingly.
Advice: The Saddle has two main paths: a steeper, straighter portion that I take in the video, and a much shallower and more convoluted path that snakes across the skier's left portion of the mountain face. The former is better for picking up speed, whereas the latter is better for those new to advanced terrain. Keep in mind that even the mellower portion of the trail is still difficult and narrow, and often skied off depending on the day of the week.
Overall Difficulty: 5/10
Relative Difficulty (Diamond): 2/10
Accessibility Rating: 7/10
Enjoyment Rating: 7/10
This was my first day using a GoPro. I hope it is an improvement from my previous videos! I hope to improve the camera work next time, as I wish I had more experience in positioning the camera on my helmet, plus the stabilization is almost too aggressive.
