SKI CLINICS: Women of Winter at Palisades Tahoe
- Constance Traynor
- Jan 21
- 5 min read
A sunny California day, sharp coaching, and a crew of women who found more in themselves than they expected.
The Women of Winter clinic at Palisades Tahoe didn’t rely on theatrics or over‑promising. It delivered something far more valuable: a clear, honest read of each skier, terrain that revealed truth, and coaching that turned that truth into progression.
It was a classic Sierra bluebird day — warm sun, soft light, and the kind of visibility that makes the mountain feel wide open. On groomers, the snow was fresh and fast. Off piste, it shifted between firm and wind‑blown, the kind of variable that rewards good skiing technique and exposes where habits start to fray. In other words, ideal conditions for learning.
One lap, and the coaches already knew who was on their chair
The biggest surprise wasn’t the weather or the turnout. It was how quickly the coaches could see each skier for who she actually was.
Within a single lap, they had a read — not based on self‑descriptions (women notoriously undersell their abilities), but on movement. How someone entered a pitch, how they managed speed, how they reacted to terrain changes. The mountain became the assessment tool.
From there, the group split into two tracks:
Spicy — for women ready to push into steeper, more complex terrain.
Less spicy — for those wanting to refine technique on groomers while still dipping into the challenge.
The “less spicy” name turned out to be misleading in the best way. This wasn’t a mellow lap‑around group. It was a crew working on real skills, with terrain that still asked something of them.
Cami’s coaching: technical, personal, and quietly confidence‑building.
The She‑Shredz crew spent most of the day with Cami, whose coaching style was grounded, technical, and deeply attentive.
Instead of using chairlift rides for pep talks or fear‑based check‑ins, she used them for something far more productive: technique‑specific conversations tailored to each skier. What they were working on, what to adjust, how to apply it on the next run. She answered every question, no matter how small, and made sure each woman understood why a cue mattered, not just what to do.
On snow, she layered drills with intention. Short‑turn work on groomers wasn’t filler — it was preparation for the terrain to come. And when the group moved into steeper or more variable sections, she didn’t default to the classic “you’ve got this.” She gave clear, actionable direction.
Cami’s unofficial motto — “just send it” — floated through the day, but not in the reckless, hype‑driven way the phrase usually implies. In her hands, it meant: trust your technique, trust your training, and commit to the turn you’ve prepared for. A grounded version of send‑it energy.
A spicy traverse, a drop‑in, and a moment of truth
One of the defining moments of the day wasn’t a big line — it was a traverse.
To reach the groomer they were aiming for, the group had to navigate a spicy off‑piste traverse: steep, variable, peppered with little whoops, and capped with a small drop‑in. It was the kind of section that can rattle even confident intermediates.
Watching the women move through it was a study in micro‑progression. Not fear versus bravery — but technique versus terrain. Weight over the downhill ski. Quiet upper body. Eyes scanning ahead instead of down. Small adjustments stacking into control.
By the time they reached the groomer, you could feel the collective exhale — not relief, but pride. They had done something they wouldn’t have chosen alone.
Five women, five arcs, one shared win
The group was a mix of locals and women who had driven up specifically for the clinic. Different backgrounds, different comfort zones, different goals — but all of them had at least one moment where they surprised themselves.
The highlight came on Granite Chief. It wasn’t the steepest line on the mountain, but it was steep enough and sustained enough to demand intention. Each woman dropped in with her own version of hesitation, and each one skied it cleanly.
At the bottom, the stoke was unmistakable. Not performative. Not Instagram‑ready. Just real, earned confidence — the kind that only comes from doing something you weren’t sure you could do.
Momentum worth extending
Because I wasn’t actively taking the lesson, I had the advantage of watching the day as a whole. One thing stood out: the energy spike at the end.
Multiple women asked if there was a way to keep skiing together with some level of guidance. Not because they felt unfinished — but because they felt unlocked.
There’s an opportunity here. Leaving one coach available for a loose, open‑format afternoon session could extend that momentum. It would give women a chance to immediately apply what they learned, ski with their new crew, and keep building confidence while the spark is still fresh.
From hesitation to intention
Every woman in the group had a moment of being puckered — a pitch, a traverse, a drop‑in that pushed them. What mattered wasn’t the fear; it was the tools they were given to move through it.
Instead of “just send it” in the reckless sense, the coaching message was:
Here’s how to ski this safely, in control, and on your terms.
By the end of the day, the conversations on the chair had shifted. Women weren’t talking about what scared them. They were pointing out new terrain they wanted to try. They were naming goals. They were describing how they wanted skiing to feel — smoother, stronger, more fluid, more fun.
That’s the real success metric of a clinic like this. Not the number of laps. Not the difficulty of the terrain. But the shift from doubt to intention.
Ready to tap into this level of progression?
Palisades Tahoe runs Women of Winter clinics every Sunday at Alpine Meadows and every Wednesday at Palisades Tahoe. They’re designed for women who want real coaching, real terrain, and a community that lifts each other up.
Levels welcomed:
Intermediate (Blue Skiers)
Advanced (Black Skiers)
Pricing:
Sundays at Alpine Meadows: $150
Wednesdays at Palisades Tahoe: $130
Format:
3‑hour clinic
Women‑led
Terrain‑based learning
Focused on technique, confidence, and progression
Booking:
Available through the Palisades Tahoe Ski & Ride School page. Click here to sign up.
And if you want the same level of technical progression layered with She‑Shredz ski soul and stoke, join us:
She-Shredz Women of Winter — Intermediate Progression Clinic
February 9–10 at Palisades Tahoe
A two‑day, women‑powered progression experience built around confidence, terrain choice, and the kind of community that changes how you ski.
Plus, check out the California Women’s Ski Clinic List on She‑Shredz.com — a curated guide to every women‑specific clinic happening across the state this season.
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