The celebration included a hike to the top of the peak where a small monument to Poulsen has been erected out of stones and wood. The group gathered around an American flag suspended on a rock outcropping for a group photo and then circled around the monument, holding hands. The Palisades Tahoe Chapel's Reverend Stephen Hamilton led the group in a small ceremony in remembrance of Wayne Poulsen's unique life and contributions to the Palisades Tahoe community. Via two-way radio, those that were unable to make the hike, including the late Poulsen's wife Sandy, listened in and watched the group atop the peak from a telescope set up in the Palisades Tahoe Chapel.

The ceremony focused on all the contributions Wayne and the Poulsen family made to the valley. From the base of the valley, Poulsen Peak is framed beautifully by the vaulted roof and windows behind the altar of the historic Palisades Tahoe Chapel which is built on land donated by the Poulsens. The church has welcomed generations of Poulsens and thousands of community members and visitors over the years. After the mountain-top ceremony the group congregated at the Chapel for a luncheon and party.

Throughout the afternoon guests shared humorous and touching stories of Wayne and Sandy's life together and fond memories of past experiences with Wayne.

"It has been a great life here in Palisades Tahoe and I am delighted to see so many old friends," expressed Sandy Poulsen, while holding the official Placer County name proclamation. "I know that Wayne would have loved to see you all."

"My dad was a spiritual man and Palisades Tahoe was his cathedral," explained the Poulsen's youngest son Russell. "He would have been very honored."

Poulsen's love affair with Palisades Tahoe started at a very early age. He was born and raised in Reno, NV and began hiking the peaks of Palisades Tahoe in his teens. He explored every inch of the mountains and skied every slope. He started the first organized ski team at the University of Nevada, Reno and became a champion racer. After college he opened the first ski resort in Nevada; Mount Rose Upski. He had a long and distinguished career as a military pilot during which he purchased 640 acres in the valley and began dreaming of developing a ski resort. In 1948, Poulsen partnered with Alex Cushing in the Palisades Tahoe Development Company and began to fulfill his ski resort dreams. The partnership ended in 1949, but Poulsen was not deterred. He purchased nearly 2,000 acres of land and began to develop the area, by building roads and selling lots. He also opened the Papoose Ski Area. One of his proudest achievements was prior to the 1960 Winter Olympic Games when he single-handedly prevented 150 acres of the Palisades Tahoe meadow from being paved over and used as the site for a sewage treatment plant. Wayne and Sandy were married and lived in Palisades Tahoe for over fifty years and they raised eight children in a community he helped build.

It was a day of thanks and community spirit. Those that attended celebrated a man and a family with dreams as lofty as the peaks that shelter the valley. They commemorated a life spent exploring and protecting and christened a mountain with a fitting new name.