Squaw is a quintessential Tahoe mountain, complete with world-class terrain and attitude, locals and Bay Area weekenders who are fanatical about their mountain, and a sizeable and very visible “Squallywood” extreme skiing scene. The mountain is renowned for its steeps and granite cliffs that provide plenty of challenge to any skier. However, even if you are not a ski movie star yet, the mountain has plenty to offer- wide open bowls, mellow beginner and intermediate runs, warm California weather, gorgeous views of Lake Tahoe and surrounding mountains, and the famous “Tahoe dumps” that can drop up to several feet of snow overnight. Heavier maritime snow prevalent in California also tends to stick very well to the granite faces, giving the mountain some of its famous steep runs.
Mountain map
In the Fall 2011 Squaw Valley has merged with the neighboring resort- Alpine Meadows. This merge created one of the largest single ski areas in the continental US. Although you can ski both mountains on one ticket, at this time you still need to take the shuttle between the two base areas because there is no lift-served connector between the two resorts. The resort owners annonced plans to build a connector gondola between the bases of Squaw Valley and Alpine Meadows, California Express. This lift should transform the skiing experience allowing you to hop easily between the two mountains in search of better snow and lesser crowds. It should also help to revitalize the sleepy Apline Meadows base area
During the 2012-2013 season the management has opened a backcountry connector between the two resorts. Going from one resort to another on skis is still an adventure, but if you are a good skier and looking for somewhat of a different experience from riding the resort, I recommend trying it out if the connector is open. Update: the connector was not open during 2017-2018 season, it is not clear if it will be open during 2018-19 season. Of course, the California Express gondola will make it completely redundant.
Mountain updates
The biggest news the past few seasons was the complete overhaul of the lift system around High Camp. The old High Camp chair was is gone, the Links lift has been relocated, and a new high-speed Big Blue chair ran from the bottom of Siberia and Broken Arrow to the top of the ridge between Silverado and Shirley Lake. Big Blue was a really positive development in several key areas: (1) It finally provided genuinely long green trails at High Camp. (2) it made much easier/faster to move between Headwall/Siberia area and Shirley/Granite. (3) It opened another post-storm day route from the base area to Granite: now you could take Squaw One to Big Blue if the Funitel is jam-packed with skiers.
The 2015-16 season brought the new Siberia chair, where the old aging 4-pack high-speed lift was replaced by the new 6-pack high-speed lift. There are persistent rumors that Red Dog chair could be converted from an old fixed three-seater to a brand-new 6-pack high-speed lift. Such change would reduce the travel time up Snow King and also would provide a genuine top-to-bottom high-speed alternative to KT-22 on storm days when the upper mountain is closed. At the time of this writing the old Red Dog chair is still going strong. Another perennial candidate for replacement is aging fixed grip triple Granite Chief chairlift.
Terrain and snow
Squaw Valley terrain tends to be heavy on steep runs that are often covered in bumps, so the mountain tends to attract and breed good technical skiers; and the average skier level tends to be quite high. Expect this this mountain will be harder than your home hill, and chances are that it will be way harder. Most of the terrain is open bowls, which unfortunately means that on a storm day a lot of the mountain gets shut down due to poor visibility. Still there are plenty of choices between many wooded and sheltered areas that are accessible even on a bad weather day. The snow is a typical Sierra snow, heavy in moisture content. Winter tends to be heavy on storms and powder skiing, spring is mostly sunny and warm days with plenty of corn snow.
Crowds
The mountain is large enough to dissipate all the crowds even on the busiest days; although on bluebird powder days the most famous lifts, such as KT-22, Headwall, Granite Chief or Silverado can get very crowded. The competition for the first tracks is fierce, and you should not count on skiing any first tracks on a powder day 45 minutes after the lifts open. Some popular intermediate lifts, for example, Shirley Lake chair always have long lift lines during the peak times of the day.
Safety
Squaw has a unique open terrain policy where almost everything within the resort boundary is fair game. It makes for many exhilarating possibilities, but also places more responsibilities on the skier. Although the lifts are marked according to the broad difficulty level of the terrain they serve, many lifts serve varied terrain ranging from easy blues to a double-diamond terrain. The best advice is to watch where you are going and take all the posted signs seriously. Generally when patrol closes terrain, they mean it. If you see a set of tracks leading somewhere, it does not necessarily mean that it is safe to go there. Those tracks may belong to JT Holmes, Aaron McGovern, Chuck Patterson, Michelle Parker, or countless local super-duper skiers that think nothing of hucking a 30 feet cliff. If you are contemplating a gnarly run, take your time to see if from the bottom and from the top. Ski patrol often has to rescue people who get stranded on Fingers on KT22 or on one of the many high cliffs at Silveradio. Give those guys a break and ski safe. If you go into the trees on a storm day, make sure you ski with a partner and think about wearing a beacon.
Equipment
Tahoe is in the maritime snow zone, so the moisture content is relatively high, and snow is heavy. On the flipside, this heavy snow sticks to the sheer faces and this is what gives Squaw its famous steeps. If you are planning to ski off-trail, wide skis are your friend and many locals ski on 100mm+ width skis in all conditions. Powder days call for even wider boards. So, if your skis are 70mm carvers, you may think of leaving them home for your trip out West and rent locally. Most of the shops in the area rent out demo skis. Squaw has a demo center at the top of the Funitel, and BlueZone Sports and Tahoe Daves also rent demo skis. The climate is generally warn, so staying warm on the slopes of Squaw depends on your ability to stay dry. If you ski in a storm, make sure that your clothing and gloves are seriously waterproof. Another important technical piece of gear for sunny days is sunscreen.
Etiquette
Californians are pretty mellow and friendly, unless the snow is deep and fluffy, then it gets to their blood and the attitude changes dramatically to “there are no friends on a powder day” kind. If there is a line for a chairlift, don’t hold it up to wait for your wife/husband/friend. If you let a chair go up unfilled or empty you will be booed by the line. On a powder day the lines can get pretty aggressive, especially earlier in the day where competition for the best snow is fierce. The less I say about the scene on the first tram up on a powder day, the better. The competition for that “First Box” ride is fierce, and the run out of the tram to the entrance of Silverado is a mad stampede. If your stomach is not up to that adventure, use Squaw’s Dawn Patrol program and prepare to be hated by everyone who stood in line for two hours to get that first box. Don’t stop to adjust your bindings at the entrance to the lift maze, you are guaranteed to have a local run over your skis at high speed. It is not that the guy does not know how to ski, he is just unhappy that you are blocking the way. Most people will stop to help you get your equipment if you take a tumble, (unless it is powder morning; then you are out of luck). Taking singles line to get on a chair faster is OK. Getting into a singles line with your buddy and then waiting for a double opening is not OK (you will get jeers and you deserve them).
Squawllywood scene
A unique feature of Squaw Valley’s terrain is that many extreme runs or jumps are located either right next to a chairlift or in full view of the lift. On a bluebird powder day you are almost guaranteed to be treated to a spectacle of people jumping large cliffs or skiing lines that look somewhat (or truly) insane; this is the stuff you only see in ski movies and it is happening right before your eyes. Chances are some people skiing it were in those ski movies. If you see someone setting up a big camera, or if you see a “peanut gallery” building up it is often well worth it to stop and wait.
If you are interested in learning more in-depth about extreme skiing at Squaw, I highly recommend a “Squallywood” book by a local legend Rob Gaffney, which is available from most of the village merchants. it will give you a new appreciation for the mountain and its terrain.
Where to eat/drink at Squaw on or near the mountain
The upper mountain has The Arc, which is your typical cafeteria style ski area grub. Decent, but expensive. If you are willing to go to the base for your lunch, you have much more variety. The undisputed local favorites are the Wildflour Bakery and Dave’s Deli. Wildflour (AKA “the cookie shop”), located on the lower floor of Olympic House serves tasty sandwiches, chilis, bagels, and baked goods. Their pizza bagel is a ski team lunch classic. Dave’s Deli has a selection of prepared sandwiches, cakes, and soups, is probably the cheapest lunch at Squaw. The company offering is the KT’chen, which serves generic hamburgers and pizza at standard ski area prices. With Wildflour and Dave’s a step away I see no reason to eat there unless you have a sudden craving for french fries. If you are willing to step away from the slopes and spend more time for your lunch, the village has a number of options at all price ranges. Mountain Nectar Deli (next to Starbucks) offers good wraps and excellent smoothies. The Coffee Bar at the other end of the village is the undisputed coffee king of Squaw, their coffee would not be out of place in the Bay Area or NY City.
1960 Olympics legacy
Squaw Valley was the site of the 8th Winter Olympic Games in 1960. Although the games at that time were a much smaller affair than they are today, they still played a big role in putting Squaw in the map and there are still many signs of the Olympic heritage throughout the village. High Camp has an Olympic Museum where you can learn about the history of the 1960 games.
This map shows how the mountain and the village looked like at the time, and it also shows the routes of the ski races (if anything, it looks like women courses were shorter and steeper). Some of those routes are in use today. The mens slalom course (Exhibition) is often used for competitions today, and ladies slalom (Red Dog Face) is often used for mogul meets. Rahlves Banzai Tour roughly follows mens GS race course off KT-22 on its Squaw stop. The mens downhill course was immortalized as the Chinese Downhill race in the movie Hot Dog. The remains of the ski jumps still are visible today under the Far East chair.
Climate and weather patterns
California ski resorts are in the maritime zone, so the weather tends to be sunny and warm punctuated by storm cycles that dump snow that is frequently measured in feet. December tends to be wet and snowy, January is typically sunny and dry, and February and March bring additional snowfall that often peaks in March. April is spring skiing weather with long warm and sunny days. Because the resort base is at 6,200 feet, climate change in recent decades has affected Squaw season patterns. December skiing used to be reliable, now is is becoming a crapshoot, although the resort has invested heavily in snowmaking to ensure reliable snow for the holiday visitors who stick to groomed trail. Unfortunately, most people come to Squaw to ski off-piste and there lack of natural snow can be a problem.