Lifts
Lower Mountain: Squaw Creek, Red Dog, KT22, Olympic Lady. Upper Mountain: Headwall Express, Granite Chief, Silverado, Broken Arrow
Expert skiing is probably the main reason people come to Squaw Valley, so covering black diamond terrain choices in a concise guide is difficult. I will break them down roughly by area, lookers left to right.
Red Dog and Squaw Creek (Snow King mountain)
This area at Squaw is often under-appreciated standing in the shadow of the legendary KT-22 lift right next to it. Being low on the mountain and being served by two slow long lifts (Squaw Creek and Red Dog) also does not help their popularity (Red Dog was supposed to convert into a high-speed 6-pack back in the 2013-14 season, but we are still waiting for that to happen). However, Red Dog and Squaw Creek hold some of the most delicious expert terrain at Squaw. From the top of Red Dog you can get to Paulsen’s Gully (you can see it from the lift), which provides an exhilarating but claustrophobic way down to the bottom of the Far East lift. If you go skiers left from about the middle of the Paulsen’s Gully right before it narrow, you will get into one of the best gladed areas at Squaw. Try to keep moving left, and you will eventually surface at the bottom of Red Dog. The runs under the Squaw Creek chair (Strainer and skiers left of it) are as good and almost as challenging as you would find on KT-22 and are often a better choice on a storm day because they are better sheltered from the weather. There is a whole skiable area between Red Dog and Squaw Creek lifts, but I would not recommend it to a visitor as it is surprisingly remote and easy to get lost. If you go there, ski with a partner and preferably with a local.
KT-22
The mothership. KT-22 is the best expert lift in North America year in and year out. The terrain is storied and the choices it offers to a competent expert skier are truly staggering.
If you are unsure of your abilities it is worth remembering that the easiest way to go down KT-22 is the Saddle Run (blue line on the map), but even that run is steep in places, and a fall on a bad snow day can be long, so if you are a beginner DO NOT GO UP KT-22. All other runs off KT-22 are quite steep, have relentless pitch, are covered with moguls most of the time, and quite often go above cliffs or next to them. If you get lost you will end up in an area that will be even worse. You get the picture.
Saddle
The only (relatively) easy way down KT-22 is Saddle run; to get there, unload the chair to the right and follow the ridge line all the way as it takes a sharp left turn. Once you reach an obvious saddle, follow the trail skiers right down on a groomed and still steep slope that deposits you on the Mountain Run around the bottom of Headwall chair. A more interesting and more challenging variations are found off the skiers right side of the ridge leading to the Saddle. The aptly named Rock Garden is a nice steep way down to the Headwall chair, just watch for the thin coverage. The entrance to the left side of the entrance to Chute 75. Most of the runs further down the ridge are much more difficult (including the infamous Dead Tree run), so try to scout from the Rock Garden, or Saddle before attempting them.
The Nose, a prominent ridge running roughly along the lift line divides KT into distinct areas with each offering its own variety of skiing. Skiers left is West Face that contains two of some of the steepest and longest bump runs in the US, Johnny Mosley’s and Chute 75. These are classic Squaw expert runs- steep, bumpy, and relentless. These runs often hold good snow (they are facing north), and are a very good choice at the end of the day because they are sheltered from the prevailing wind in the afternoon. The terrain skiers right of those runs (broadly called West Face Alternates) provides more of the same kind of skiing although the pitches are shorter and getting there is a bit trickier (get on the West Face and traverse skiers right taking care to avoid the rocks that line the top of the slope).
The Nose
The Nose is a run along the ridgeline and it deposits you on the broad snowfield along the Fingers, which often has good snow after a storm. Be extremely careful not to get down that field too far and stay skiers right. The terrain directly below this field if the famous = Fingers cliff band that runs right under the KT-22 chair. If you come past a row of bamboo poles saying “Cliffs” you have gone too far, and you need to stop and either traverse sharp right, or start evaluating other options. Many people have been either stranded in the Fingers and had to be rescued, or attempted to get down them and got seriously hurt. Don’t go there is you are not comfortable with big airs, fast straightlines, and billy-goating in rocky terrain with lots of exposure. The safe way to ski out of Fingers is to traverse far right and ski the last chute way to the right of the lift line. Anything left of the lift is bona-fide extreme skiing, the locals will cheer you on and then call an ambulance.
GS Bowl
The runs down the main bowl of KT are mostly self-explanatory. The terrain is very open, so if the weather is bad they can be quite disorienting. I remember going down the bowl on a deep powder day and unwillingly doing a full front flip off one of the terrain rolls. I was not aware of what was going on until I was well up the air. Take care to avoid a couple of small cliff bands, most notably the one above the Strawberry Fields, those can be dangerous in bad weather.
Olympic Lady
Moving further skiers right, the terrain under the old and rickety double Olympic Lady chair provides some of the most interesting skiing in KT-22 complex. The “Oly Lady” chair itself runs fairly rarely, mainly on storm days when the upper mountain is closed and KT-22 becomes overloaded. The terrain is fantastic- relentlessly steep and full of interesting nooks, crannies, and trees. To access this area, ski left immediately after unloading the KT-22 chair, take the cat track around Eagles Nest rock, and instead of dropping into the main bowl, traverse further over a slight uphill to the top of the older Olympic Lady Chair ( hint: when KT line gets out of control, Olympic Lady line is usually more manageable). You can drop in any place past the top of the chair. Directly under you is East Face, a wide and consistently steep pitch that is often bumped out. On spring days it usually developed good corn snow. If you hug the left side of the East Face for about 30 feet from the top, you will come to the entrance of the Diagonal chute, which runs right under the chair (which makes it a legitimate show-off piece). The snow in this chute is usually worse than the rest of the run, so don’t go there on crusty days. The chute spits you out on the sparsely wooded terrain that provides some the best skiing on powder days. You also can get there by just skiing the East Face past the Diagonal chute entrance and hanging a left after the prominent cliff band ends. There are several cliff bands in the middle of this slope, so watch for signs and don’t pick too much speed. One of the most enticing snowfield in this area of the mountain actually ends up in a cliff with mandatory air if you go too far down, so make sure you don’t miss the exit. Most runs deposit you to the bottom of the Olympic Lady chair, you can also take the flat section further out to the Exhibition run and ultimately back to the bottom of KT-22 lift.
If none of these options entice you, you can aways take the Women’s Downhill trail to the bottom. Even though it usually a groomer, it is rather steep and often gets bumped out. Skiers right part offers interesting relief features and natural kickers.
Red Dog Ridge (AKA: Red Dog Trees)
Despite the name this terrain belongs to the KT-22 complex. If you follow the ridge line further after passing the Olympic Lady chair, it continues as a bumpy run (that is often disorienting in bad weather). Keep going past the saddle point and take the cat track onto the Red Dog Ridge area. After you get on the wooded face, drop down at any point to get to some of the best sparse tree skiing at Squaw. This area often get a lot of windblown snow and keeps the soft snow after powder days when the rest of the mountain gets crusty. It faces north, so it is one of the last areas of the mountain to get sunbaked. Don’t go there on a typical spring day. If you drop in fairly early after the traverse, watch for a cliff band at the end of the pitch. It is usually visible, so avoiding it is not a problem unless you carry too much speed. If you go all the way along the ridge, you get to ski Heidi’s which is a delightful pitch next to the rock of the same name. All runs deposit you in a gully that leads to the bottom of Olympic Lady lift. There is a beginner trail at the bottom of that gully, so make sure to check your speed at the end of the run.
Silverado
Silverado is a great expert playground area… if the snow is right. It is a huge area roughly shaped like a canyon that is filled with steeps, bowl and cliffs and is served by a long slow 3-person fixed chair. It is so big that it feels like its own distinct mountain. “Silvy” is located relatively low on the mountain, so the snow quality can be lacking on warm spring days. Another challenge is that the bottom station of the lift requires a relatively high snow ramp, which is hard to build on low snow years. As the result, the past few years Silverado only opened for short periods of time and in some years it never opened.
Silverado terrain is accessible only through a set of gates, and the only gate that is suitable to the intermediate skier is Gate 7 (Landbridge) that runs along the bottom of the canyon. If you come to Silverado for the first time, patrol recommends taking Gate 7 first. Heed that advice, and look at the runs from the bottom to try to chart your course for the next run. Silverado is one of those Squaw areas where a wrong turn can very quickly lead you to the top of a cliff or into a very uncomfortably exposed situation, and virtually none of the exposure is visible from the top of the run, so scout it from the bottom. (Another great way to look at those runs is from the cable car.). Because it is such a vast area served by a slow lift, Silverado holds good snow longer than the other lifts on the powder days, but the lift line can quickly get out of control. If you get there early, count on 2-3 good runs before the line swells.
Gate 1
Gate 1 goes the gun pretty mellow terrain between Silverado and Solitude lift, and then drops very steeply down to the bottom of the canyon. The fun way to do it is through one of the two chutes on the left side that give one of the longest sustained steep pitches at Squaw. To get to them, keep left after you come to the obvious roll about the middle of the run. Once you are at the bottom of the canyon, just follow it to the lift.
Gate 2-6
Skiers left side of the canyon is bisected by a prominent cliff band, China Wall, so Gates 2-6 follow the same formula: a wide steep bowl on top to the edge of the cliffs, followed by a descent to the apron through one of the wide chutes through the cliffs or around the cliffs. Gates 2 and 3 serve the main run that goes roughly under the chair. Gates 4 and 5 serve the Tram Bowl above the China Wall; this is the terrain used in the Nissan Freeride World Tour. The bowl is wide and does not present much technical difficulty, but it is steep and has a very exposed feeling because you can see the cliff bands below that drop out of the view. Once you ski to the band, control your speed, and find one of the exits around the cliffs. A fun way to do it is through the Mr. Toad’s, a narrow claustrophobic long chute roughly at the left side of the Gate 4. This is one of the runs that you want to see first from the bottom, the snow there can be icy and once you get in, you cannot exit.
Gate 6, the Hanging Gardens of Silverado (marked as Kathmandu on the map), provides one of the more aesthetic lines on the mountain, it starts with a mellow rolling terrain on top that comes to a cliff band. Once there find a wide steep exit chute that deposits you onto the Landbridge run. Because the gate 6 is shorter than the other runs, it does not get hit as often as other gates on a powder day, so it can hold good snow longer. To get there, ski to the bottom of Bailey’s Beach chair and follow the cat track to a gate on the left side. Once through the gate, hang a quick left and skate to the run entrance. If you go strait instead of turning left, you come to the entrance of the Gate 7.
Gate 8
Gate 8 serves a very different terrain, it is a wide open slope that drops in a moderate pitch to the bottom of the canyon. It is facing roughly to the North, so it can be icy late in the day. If you follow the ridge line instead of dropping down, you go through gentle terrain that feels almost like a backcountry run. If you keep to the right, you get to the top of a rather gnarly set of chutes directly in view of the bottom of the Silverado chair. These chutes are some of the steepest in Silverado and in Squaw, and the snow quality is often marginal, so bring your A-game. These chutes are the reason why Gate 8 used to be marked as a double-black (a rarity at Squaw).
Headwall
Headwall terrain provides some of the best steep open skiing at Squaw, the terrain is entirely above the tree line, and if the snow is good, the bowl skiing is thrilling. The late Warren Miller, who used to be a ski instructor at Squaw during early days, lamented in him memoir that it was not possible to ski the mountain headwall right above the chairlift (the current Squaw One chair). His wish was granted when Squaw built the Headwall Express chair. The chair goes up to the ridgetop next to the Palisades. That ridgetop is one of the most consistently windy areas of the mountain, so Headwall is one of the first chairs to go on windhold. On the flipside, this wind often creates windbuffed areas on the Headwall Face, which makes for very high quality skiing on days when the rest of the mountain can have marginal snow. If you come to the top of the lift and are not excited (or feel too intimidated) by the runs, go straight from the lift and take the Chicken Bowl down to the Siberia lift basin. Otherwise, make a U-turn at the patrol shack to access most of the runs. Immediately skiers right at the shack is the Sun Bowl, a mellow wide bowl that is facing the morning sun. As the result it is the first area of the mountain to develop corn snow in the spring, and the first to get slushy, so make sure to hit it before 11 am. Recently Squaw started to groom the left portion of the bowl creating a wide intermediate run (Edit: this practice seemed to have stopped for the 2014-15 ski season). Once you done with the Sun Bowl proper traverse left to get on top of the Enchanted Forest area. Enchanted Forest is looking North, so the snow there stays frozen long after Sun Bowl becomes skiable. If the snow is marginal on an icy morning, just take the groomer run (Bullet) down to the Headwall lift. If the snow is good, you have a number of options to get down, just be careful not to ski to the top of one of many small cliffs that fill this area of the mountain (in other words, if you are skiing it the first time, don’t go Mach-Schnell, you may find yourself airborne very quickly).
most people tend to get to the Enchanted forest via a different route- by taking either Headwall Face or the Slot runs. These runs contain some of the best wide-open steep skiing at Squaw and on a good day they are quite thrilling. Headwall Face is exactly what it is called- it is the steep wide terrain right underneath the Headwall chair. To get to it, make U-turn after you get from the chair and follow the narrow cattrack to a shoulder under the lift. A sharp left gets you to the North Bowl (more about it later), if you keep skiing under the chair, you will get to the top of the Face. Although it feels very steep, it is actually manageable for an average expert skier, and provides a nice sustained steep pitch that tests your skills. For a variation of this run (Hogsback), bear sharp left after you reach the Face and ski down along the next ridgeline. It will deposit you right to the bottom of the Siberia chair. If you want to take that run, do try to look at the snow while you are riding the chair, if it looks frozen or scraped-off, skip it and take a different route.
If you keep going along the top ridge past the Face entrance and follow a narrow cattrack, you will come to the entrance of another Squaw gems- the Slot. Slot has a pretty steep initial pitch that quickly mellows down to a very manageable, but still thrilling pitch. If the center of the run is heavily bumped, try the left or the right side, they are usually better. The Slot on a good snow day feels almost like an Alaska heli-ski run, steep, long and big. In fact, the best preparation to an Alaska heli-ski trip is to ski Slot top-to-bottom all day.
If you keep traversing right along the ridge after you come to the entrance to the Slot, you will be entering Light Towers- another legendary area of Squaw. The lines at Light Towers don’t quite look their difficulty when you see them from the chair. In reality they are all very steep and extremely gnarly. Add to that some of the worst snow quality on the mountain, and you will get some serious challenge. Light Towers lines are definitely double diamond level and above, so you need to do some serious soul searching before you drop in; unlike many other areas at Squaw this is a true no-fall terrain, you are almost always above exposure (if you are inclined to ski there, the lines are described quite well in the “Squallywood” book). The best advice would be to skip Light Towers altogether and head to the terrain further to the right (across the Cornice II groomer). It contains three very nice chutes- Hourglass (the easiest and recommended for a first-time goer), Classic (the most aesthetic), and Needle (narrowest of the three, often requires hop-turns all the way down). Again, the true steepness is apparent only when you are standing on top of each chute. The best way to reach them is to either start on the ridge right of the Cornice II groomers, or ski the Face of the Slot, veer right after the initial steep pitch, and traverse under Light Towers (look up while you are doing that).
North Bowl serves more of the same wide open steep terrain typical for Headwall. To get there ski along the ridge under the lift and hang a sharp left. It is quite steep at the top, but mellows out significantly about a third of the way down. As with any North-facing slope at Squaw watch for ice in the morning. The farther down to the right along the ridge you go, the steeper the turn-in is, keep that in mind. After a big snowfall the top part often slides leaving a pretty crusty surface.
Emigrant
Emigrant a terminal cruising part of the mountain, but it does contain access to one of the gems hidden in plain sight- the Funnel. It’s a steep narrow bowl dropping from the top of Emigrant down to the Shirley Lake chair area. it is one of there steepest “normal” runs at Squaw and one of the best things about it is that you can “dial your own steepness”- the more you go skiers left, the steeper it gets. The lines to the right are somewhat mellow by Squaw standards, but still is a true expert terrain, the lines to the left are “oh-my-god-this-is really-steep”- the kind where if you fall, you are going all the way down to the bottom kind. The slope is facing the sun, so it often gets great corn snow. Check your speed before the exit, as there are often visible rock bands. Also there is usually a cat-track under the exit, which can launch you if you are not aware of it and forget to check your speed. The only drawback is that to lap it you have to ride back up Shirley Lake chair, ski down to Emigrant and ride up the slow Emigrant chair.
Granite Chief
Depending on who you talk at Squaw, Granite Chief lift is either beloved or dismissed as overrated. It does not quite achieve the iconic status of KT22, but it is a great lift in its own right and serves an astonishing variety of terrain that can be an all-day long expert playground. It is a slow fixed chair that gives you ample opportunity to scope your line, relax, and if you are lucky watch the skiers taking the flier off the numerous cliffs just below the chair. Note: unlike many other lifts at Squaw, there is no easy way down Granite. Once you are on the chair, you are committed to skiing at least the main bowl- all other runs are harder. If you don’t consider yourself at least an good intermediate skier, think twice about going up Granite. The skier’s right groomed run often has bumps on its right side.
Granite Chief terrain is centered around the central bowl with two or three main runs of usually groomed and easy long rolling black diamond runs. The two areas to the sides could not be more different: the skier’s right terrain is a mass of steep cliff-bordering runs that are often bumpy. Most of that terrain faces north, so it holds good snow longer, but thaws last in icy conditions. The skiers left side is huge glade interspersed with a few chutes and runs next to cliff faces that give endless variations on a powder day. It faces the sun, so it softens up early and often turns to glop by early afternoon.
Skier’s right side: Corkscrew and RockPile
To get to the Corkscrew and Rockpile area runs take a left after unloading the chair and ski along the ridge until you reach an obvious saddle. Carry some speed and get up and slightly left along the ridge to the edge of an obvious bowl; then traverse across the bowl along a well-work and bumpy path to a rocky knob. The run to the left of the knob (Magoose) is a thrilling steep and often bumpy drop into the main bowl. In good snow it is unbelievable fun, if the snow is rock hard, patrol usually closes it, and for a good reason. Runs to the left of Magoose often get windblown snow and are surprisingly good at times when other runs are sub-par. If the wind is howling, check them out. If you enter the gate at the top of the rocky knob, you will get to the Corkscrew proper, which is billy-goating run along the cliffs and drop-offs. it is more scary than dangerous, but the ass-pucker factor is quite high and a wrong turn or an edge slip can be consequential. I would not advise exploring Corkscrew on your own, and if you do, make sure to check your speed at all times. Immediate right to the Corkscrew is one of the gems in the area- Split Tree. Once you see it, it is pretty self-explanatory. If you go further down the slope past Corkscrew entrance, you will get to a steep and bumpy gully dropping you down to the bottom of Shirley Lake chair. If you go a little bit up the right side ridge at any point, you will get to a nice open run along the face that is called RockPile. It does have a decent size drop off at the right side , so don’t ski too close to the right edge. If you keep going along the traverse all the way, you will drop down into a small bowl that merges with the blue Attic run. That bowl is often ignored on a powder day (it is not nearly as steep or as long as other runs in the area, so it does not get hit as much as the other runs), so it may be a good bet to get a fresh powder turn or two. If you turn left before hitting the Attic groomer, you get to a little fun gully that gives a less traveled alternative to the bottom of Shirley Lake chair.
Skier’s left side: Hidden Bowl, Diving Board
This area is really way too big for a detailed description (and some routes are better be left undescribed). Generally you get to that area by taking a right from the chair unloading zone, or hanging a hard left and skiing under the chair. If you follow the chair line you get to ski atop of the cliff band that provides some of the best opportunities at Squaw for showing off your cliff-jumping skills. The undisputed gem of the area is the Diving Board- a prominent take-off shelf that is right under the chair. The length of the flight depends on the angle, if you take the proper angle (straight), the flight is pretty long, but you will be rewarded by huge cheers from the lift. It is a very difficult jump in good snow, so it is not recommended, and if you do it in bad snow, you are asking for serious trouble. If you aim hard left the drop is a lot smaller, but still scary and still not recommended. There are plenty of smaller drops and straight lines down the ridge. If you aim further left, you ski a nice wooded area that deposits you to the bottom of the meadow that is a runabout from the Hidden Bowl. The Hidden Bowl itself (to which you get by taking the right after getting off the Granite chair) is a fairly mundane run unless it is snowing or just stopped snowing. After the meadow you pick your way through a forested rolling terrain to the bottom of the chair. The two main runs in the area are skirting a large cliff band from the top and from the bottom. Pick whichever run you like.
Granite Peak.
This is an easy 10-15 minute hike from the top of the Granite Chief chair, and you are guaranteed never to be alone on it. The higher you get, the gnarlier the terrain becomes. An easy way to get acquainted with Granite Peak terrain is to hike only to the peak’s shoulder, and take a run down the apron. The top has several chutes varying from rather difficult to very difficult. Most of them are in the Squallywood book. If you get to the summit, Direct Chute is probably the easiest way down (and that’s a rather relative assessment). The area across the summit (VIPs) is not described even in the Squallywood book, so I will leave if for you to explore. The peak also hold another Squallywood gem- the Patrol Chute which is a gnarly almost straightline where you have to manage your line to avoid a few rocks choking the steep chute. If you have the skills and guts to ski that line, you should not be reading this guide.
Smoothie
This run is the best-hidden secret at Squaw Valley. It is a long run along the resort boundary that connects Granite Chief to Silverado. It is open only in spring, and only for a couple of hours a day when the corn snow is in its prime condition. if you ski at Squaw in the spring and see a beeline of people traversing across the Hidden Bowl, it means Smoothie is open, so get to it as soon as you can. Be warned that it is a very long traverse, and the actual run will feel short after doing so much huffing and puffing, but it feels almost like backcountry and is well worth the effort. Be mindful of the traverse etiquette, as speed is VERY precious on this traverse, so if you decided to stop, step off the track immediately. People would not hesitate to run you over if that lets them glide an extra 20 feet. So, be considerate.
Expert Terrain
Lifts
Almost any lift will get you to those runs, but the most famous areas are accessed from KT22 (Fingers, McConkeys (Eagles Nest)), Headwall (Light Towers), Granite Chief, Silverado (China Wall), Siberia (Palisades), and Broken Arrow (Funitel Knob/Sacrifice).
Squaw is choke-full of legal lines that would be considered truly insane at most other resorts, and most often than not those lines sit in full view of a chair. Areas like Palisades, Mainline Pocket, Fingers, and Light Towers have been featured many times in ski movies and your pulse will quicken even from looking at them. To add to the spectacle, Squaw has no shortage of skiers who can ski those lines with fluidity and grace and they do it regularly. If you entertain the thought of skiing those lines, remember that they can have very serious consequences, study them carefully, wait for the good snow, and most important, be realistic about your abilities. If you are really serious about skiing that type of terrain, get a copy of “Squallywood” a guidebook to Squaw Valley’s most exposed lines, written by Dr. Rob Gaffney, a longtime local resident and an extraordinary skier. This book is usually available from most local merchants in the village and seems like a worthwhile investment, especially considering the risks involved. Perhaps the 4 most famous lines at Squaw are: High Line (Eagle’s Nest (McConkey’s off KT-22), Schmidiots (Palisades), Sacrifice (Broken Arrow), and Tram Face (illegal closed area just under the Cable Car route). If you have the skills to stick any of those lines on a great snow day, you do not need to be reading this guide. Attempting any of them on a bad day is suicide.
If you are interested in checking some of those lines out, but don’t have the skills or the guts to ski them, the good viewing choices are Eagles Nest and Fingers (see it from the KT22 chair) and Palisades- see them from the top of the Headwall Chair. Granite Chief lift on a bluebird powder day is a prime viewing spot, you are almost guaranteed to see someone buck a big cliff on your way up. Once on the top, keep an eye for people skiing the Patrol Chute off the Granite Peak. If you are adventurous (and a very good skier) take a hike to the Palisades (when they are open, which is usually not on weekends) and peek into the Chimney chute from the top. Then ski the National Chute down to the bowl, in any other ski area this 40+ deg rock-lined chute with a cornice on top would be considered at least a double diamond, on Palisades it’s the “Easiest way down”. Palisades become way easier late in the season after . a fat winter. You still need to bring your skills, but snow accumulation mediates steepness (to an extent) and corn snow slows you down (also relative).
