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Squaw Valley USA
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103 reviews for Squaw Valley USA
Off-season (shoulder season) in the Tahoe area, specifically Squaw Valley can be an awesome experience. Especially if you simply want to hike, jog, swim.
I have hiked now at Squaw several times during the month of September. The cost is relatively expensive to ride the Squaw TRAM with friends....alone, or with your dogs. Less that $25 roundtrip if you want....or take the Tram to High Camp and hike several miles to the Valley floor. The difficulty of the hike is 'moderate'.....and well marked. Further, there are few if ANY mountain bikers to get in your way. Instead, enjoy the variety of views, including Lake Tahoe.
Plan your day to allow at least 2.5 - 3 hours for the ride up the mountain, then a leisurely and comfortable hike downward. Carry plenty of water, sunscreen and wear appropriate shoes and clothing....always check the weather reports before you begin your trip.
I rate this location 4 - 5 compared to Northstar@Tahoe (2.5)
This place is outta this world. I'd like to start by saying, any place that honors our military with free tickets all year long deserves a round of applause!!!
I've been here many times, and always enjoy it regardless of the conditions. I like the location, because its just a short trek to Reno where I usually stay! The terrain here is sweet. My only complaint is that there aren't many trees so not many tree runs to be had, and it can get quite windy at times...
I have been boycotting Squaw now since my last trip up there at the very begining of the '08/'09 season. Sure, the mountain has some great terrain, but it is not worth the money and the horrible attitude I've received from some of the employees. The following stories are about one such employee that absolutely defines the WORST customer service experience I have ever had in my entire life!
Squaw was one of the first resorts to open last season, and thus they ran some nifty specials that were posted up on the website. I had a group of friends that went up the 2nd or 3rd day they were open to take advantage of the special early season rate that was posted on their website and playing on their snowphone that morning.
When they arrived at the ticket counter, the woman said the prices had changed, it would now be over $60 (this is for a mountain not even halfway open btw.) They told her the early season rate was still posted online and she directed them to special ticketing. There they waited for almost 45 minutes.
Finally, a big guy named Ivan, called them up to the counter. As they tried to explain the situation, he just shook his head and spewed out garbage like, "prices are always subject to change." In this guy's mind it was fine and dandy let people drive 2 or more hours for an old fashioned bait and switch. When they dialed the snowphone right in front of him, which replayed the early season rate, he begrudgingly agreed to give them the deal, but not without a long lecture about how stupid they were to just believe what was posted on their company website!
Fastforward 2 days, and I'm getting ready to head up to Squaw completely unaware of what my friends had just experienced. I was drawn to go there as it was one of the only resorts open and they were offering a special deal of a $20 lift ticket that day for any season pass holder to another resort. I had purchased a pass to Sierra about a month prior, but did not have it in my possession as I was a first time passholder there, so they needed to take my photo, and Sierra had just opened the day before.
I thought ahead though and called the special ticketing office the day before I was planning to go to inquire about this. The woman told me that obviously I wasn't the only person in this situation, and that bringing my photo ID along with my email proof of purchase confirmation for my pass was all I would need to validate the deal. She also told me I would need to go through special ticketing.
I got a late start that day. It had been storming pretty bad and a friend of mine was running late, so we didn't leave Sac until 9am. We drove 3 hours through chain controls from Colfax on up. When we arrived at noon, we were set to just bomb as many runs as we could before they closed down.
I get my gear on and go to special ticketing and they have a line running out their interior door, down the stairs, and out to the exterior door. I walk up the stairs to see what the hold up is. They have 2 counters open and both are processing season passes, taking photos, liability waivers, etc., a very time consuming process. 45 minutes later, it is finally my turn to talk to, you guessed it, Ivan.
I politely explain to him that I'm here for the $20 deal and that I brought in my ID and proof of season pass purchase as I was told I needed to do the previous day. Before I even finish my sentence, he cuts me off, gets in my face and spits"Who told you?!" I calmly told him if he would let me finish I would tell him. I continue my story with him interrupting me about every 5th word with some snide comment. He then brags about the fact that he's been turning people away all day for that deal. I said, "Oh really, you've been turning people away who drove 3 hours through chain restrictions because written proof of a season pass purchase is not enough for you?" He begins to berate me and says there's no reason why I shouldn't have my actual pass in hand, that they always mail them. I said, "oh really, even for first time pass holders that need a photo taken first like all these people that have been waiting in line for almost an hour?" He then argues that "you can pick up your pass in the summertime." I politely tell him that pass prices for most resorts weren't even posted last summer, and furthermore, why would I drive all the way up to a resort in the middle of summer just to pick up a season pass when gas was $4.50 a gallon?!?! He begrudgingly pulls out the paperwork to have me sign off on the $20 deal, all the while berating me like I'm the idiot.
Finally, about 1pm, I have my lift ticket and my friend and I trek out to the lifts. We walk one direction, closed lift, then another, and finally find one that's open. AND, it turns out it's the ONLY one running and has been the only one running all day long. That bastard was happily charging people full price for one god damn lift all day! I will NEVER, EVER go back!!!
Awesome!! Home to the Olympics many years ago, this place still boasts pride for hosting the Olympics. The slopes are always very challenging. I really like the great condition that they keep the snow. I definitely wouldn't recommend this place if you are a skiing or snowboarding novice, for the resort caters more to the advanced. However, novices could always go ice skating and sip on the hot cocoa that they offer.
I love this resort but don't come here alot due to cost. It's worth it just to come once.
WE did have a problem last year with some of the employees. We lost 2 of our beginner skiers and the staff was sure no one else was on the mountain. Turns out they were stuck on the tram. I was suprised that the last staff member came down before our friends.
Squaw still remains my favorite ski resorts in the Tahoe region. All the restaurants and shops are clean and up to date. The facilities area clean. The parking lots are mud free so it doesn't get your gear and your car super dirty. The main, 50 person, gondola ride is always fun especially the swing parts. The new ticket scanner is pretty convenient, quick, and easily transferable especially if you have someone that lost their ticket and you find a unused ticket. It's usually never too crowded unless you are in the noob areas. Great scenery, and friendly workers.
The Olympics House patio area is pretty awesome after a long day on the slopes. You can cool down with a cold glass of beer before you hit up the slopes again for the night runs!
You actually feel like you get your moneys worth when you snowboard/ski from 9am to 9pm. Night boarding for the win!
What more can you ask for in a resort?
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Disclaimer: I don't know crap about skiing. Until yesterday I had not skied for 8 years.
I get to Squaw and I think, "wow, this place is more like a shopping mall than a ski resort". Back in the day, at rinky-dink places in Utah and Idaho, the focus was all on the hill. Now, and in Tahoe, there are amenities. Your dog might need a new organic squeaky toy. You may feel like some yoga. You might prefer a bar with a fire, but a different *kind* of fire than that other bar with a fire has. Whatever. That entire mess of needless consumerism aside, I am overall impressed with Squaw and indeed the state of skiing as a whole.
Rental at the resort (yep I'm lazy and I hate carrying those things around any more than I have to) was efficient and painless. Well, painless until the boots ate holes in both little toes, but that took all day and is nothing new. Hot Damn those newfangled parabolic skis are nice! They don't have tips per se, but it's easy not to get them all crossed up. They work in powder as well as the packed stuff. Besides shake up the snobbery that is skiing a bit, one amazing thing snowboards have done for us is force ski designs to improve.
Speaking of which, Squaw doesn't seem to make life easy for boarders; most lifts had no place for your boarding friends to sit down and strap their little straps and such. Snowboards tended to pile up, and I can only imagine the mess this would cause on busy days. Fortunately skiers and snowboarders seem to have converged in terms of snobbishness and overpriced gear, so I witnessed no altercations or dirty looks as in the days of olde. Lots of flat spots on the green runs and hokey cat tracks near the lift lines make certain areas a pain for boarders and beginning/reentrant skiers alike. My advice would be to avoid the green runs as much as possible and find easy ways down on the blue runs, there are plenty.
OK let's get to the important part of this review, food and drink. The food at High Camp, true to the whispered warning of a staffer at the bottom, is crap and overpriced crap at that. No one in our party whom I asked about it was spared the gut trauma of the chili and sausage-heavy menu up there. Arc seemed slightly better, but their weird beer setup bugged me. Apparently they have long lines from the bar to a taproom-- very long lines which hold many pints of mixed-up beer. Perhaps this is so kegs can be kept in the snow? Problem is, you cannot be assured of getting the correct beer, or a even single kind of beer, from such a setup unless lines are flushed between keg changes. Apparently this is not the practice here, so boo on them.
The village area was somewhat better. Le Chamois was groovy because you can drink beer outside and bother the good-natured stoner-girl barkeep. The Irish bar was a choad magnet but had all the requisite Irish beers and even decent root beer for your non-drinking chums. Staff there seemed not to give a damn unless you wanted to order 20 Jägermeister shots and some blow or something. The Tasting Lounge was OK but the drinks cost too much ($7 irish coffee vs $2.50 draft beer at Arc? wtf). Chamois takes it with the combination of indoor and outdoor seating, good cheap drinks, cool staff, and food that actually smelled good. Some of those bars with big fires seemed like they had potential as well, but one can only have so many drinks in a single ski day.
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The other half needed to break in my Christmas present and i was craving some snow time. Squaw is one of the impressive resorts in Tahoe offering great runs to cater the novices to the seasoned.
They provide classes for the newbies and the bunny slopes are challenging enough so you're better prepared for the real thing. Their nigh skiing is beautiful (lifts to Camp High). Not into snowboarding or skiing? There's an ice skating rink and Olympic museum at Camp High, snow tubing, snowshoeing or take a ride on the cable car for magnificent views of Lake Tahoe.
Weekends from Friday to Sunday are usually packed with locals and ski enthusiasts. Beware as 12 years olds can snowboard circle around you!
All day lift tix for adults are $79 and gets cheaper by $20 after 1pm then after 4pm. Snowboard rentals are around $50 for the whole package.
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Hoooray! I found my Winter Park of California!
This place rocks my ski socks!
It's very modern, super clean, has the snob appeal minus the snobby you're-only-a-shop-girl-ya-know attitude, has gorgeous slopes, the crazy number of lifts (many to just a single slope--the wonderful bonus of this is that each lift line is quite short) has the gondolas (they call them cable cars, but I live in SF so I can't call them that), an upper lodge at High Camp complete with upper mountain bunny slopes as well as the lower set of each.
My favorite run is the long blue one that goes from High Camp all the way down the face of the mountain to the Base Area. I can't remember the name, but it's the beautiful long one that you can ski at night.
There's plenty of parking, there are tons of cute shops, bars, and restaurants. The cost of the lift tickets are relatively high, but we snagged several for nearly half the price on Craigslist. BIZZZZZZAM!
See my pics of the night skiing. It is my favorite part. They shut all but 2 lifts, but you can ski at night when it's gorgeously lit up and most of the obstacles (read: other skiers and boarders who aren't very good) are gone.
SUGGESTIONS:
1) If you can, rent your skis elsewhere--this rule applies to every place I've ever been. It's hella' cheaper for the same rented quality you want and need.
2) Get your tickets discounted anyway you can (Craigslist rocks, but be careful as always).
3) Don't board for your first time if you can't stay for 3-4 days to do it till you master it. Go with skiing instead, you'll be glad you did. And rent a place with a hot tub. Your ass (if boarding) and thighs (if skiing) will appreciate it.
4) Don't attempt to ski or board without lessons if you weren't born on skis. The rest of us appreciate it.
5) HAVE FUN! Don't take friends who are drama-queens and your trip will be wonderful. I don't and always have a good time.
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So last Friday, we're riding the Funitel (Squaw's version of a gondola) up the mountain, and some friendly, young, nice looking guy starts chatting up Mrs. Z with all kinds of comments about her day, her skis, where the good snow is, making stupid jokes - the usual ski area bullshit - and she is laughing right along.
Just when I'm thinking, "check out this cougar bait, he is seriously working it," I hear Mrs. Z ask, "So, where you planning to ski this morning, Jonny?"
He answers her, and I lean over and whisper, "What?" you KNOW this dude?" And she whispers back, "that's Jonny Moseley, you dumbass."
Sorry, my People Magazine didn't come this week.
It turns out he was headed to the top of the Funitel to host the first of a week-long Ski with Jonny program. Each day at 10 he hosted a tour of the mountain, including some great skiing tips and a back flip demonstration, and culminating in an epic run down KT-22's West Face, renamed "Jonny Mosley's Run" after he won the Gold at Nagano.
And so, we skied with Jonny. Friday and Saturday. How cool is that?
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1/8/2008
Squaw Valley, the supermodel.
She can be an icy, moody, annoying pain in the ass. She demands your… Read more »
My first time at Squaw was last Saturday-Valentine's Day!! It was snowing ALL day and my fingers and face quickly froze up at the top of the mtn. There were a few flat parts spread out and with fresh powder, it SUCKED getting stuck on a snowboard. Wax your boards!! But at least it didn't hurt falling. :D The resort was really big-had to take shuttle to lower bunny slopes. FYI, when the weather is bad, they don't take beginner classes to the upper bunny slopes. Didn't have to wait long for the lifts, runs were empty enough to practice at your own pace. Tissue boxes at each lift was a life saver. Staff was friendly, a few of the rental girls were kinda blehh.
The upper cafeteria (arc?) had okay food (huuuge chilli cheese fries+baked potato= ~$18)and lots of open tables. The lower cafeteria in the village (where you get rentals) was small and crowded. They have a fireplace and small bakery that smells so wonderful. I thought I saw a microwave somewhere, so I'd def recommend bringing cup of noodles or something and making it yourself.
Save money and pre-purchase your lift tickets at a sports store ahead of time! I bought my ticket from a Sports Basement store in the Bay Area. Only cost me $62!! no restrictions!! returnable within 30 days of purchase. Normal holiday tickets cost 83!! I think REI sold them for 68. So look around to find the best deals. And have fun!!
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I went here with friends over a not-so-busy weekend. We got tickets on the cheap via Craigslist ($45/person) so it made this expensive ski resort accessible to our wallets. Each slope has it's own lift (unusual) so there is very little wait time to get back to the top.
I really wanted to do snow tubing, but that didn't happen, bummer...
The awesome thing, at the big gondola, whilst leaving, there were two happy girls selling shots or mixed drinks for $9.00 a pop. Expensive? I don't think so considering the gal hooked me up severely. Thanks!
The village at the bottom is cute an the sushi restaurant is very tasty!
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Spent 1 day at the resort with some friends during the President's day weekend and had a BLAST. The resort is extremely clean and well-run. The gondola ride up is a bit daunting, but once you are up the mountain, there is much fun to be had. The lift ticket prices are a bit higher than other resorts that I've been to, but I purchased mine through my company and got a great deal.
I would suggest bringing your own equipment OR, renting equipment ahead of time, as the equipment rental charge is also quite pricey.
Addition: Yes, it can get crowded here, but if you head over to solitude (blue lift), you can sort of avoid the rush of people (wasn't so bad on the w/e that I was there!!!)
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I have to give Squaw some props - I know people aren't into it because of the crowds, lack of trees and wind issues at the top of the mountain, but they run a really efficient ship. I love the RFID entry and have decent organization in the lift lines.
The place is OK for boarders, definitely get some areas where its flat and people strap out. Blues are a pretty wide range, probably a little on the easier side. But I think there are some great runs for beginners that are wide and open so you can practice your s-truns and garlands as I did!
Village is OK.... wish there were some more shopping options like Northstar, but what can you do. I love the bar Blue Coyote, mainly because the owners are from MD and used to live in my hometown and they gave me an industrial sized cannister of Old Bay for my french fries.
But most importantly, I had an accident there a couple weekends ago and the ski patrol teams were INCREDIBLY helpful especially when there a ton of accidents everywhere. They didn't downplay my injury, took great care in bracing up my leg, putting me in the toboggan and the stretcher. I really give them props on the care and attention they gave me (turns out I broke my ankle).
Recommend getting your tix ahead of time at Sports Basement for the cheapest deal ($61 vs. $80ish on the mt.)
Start with my sister in law, her husband, and mr. threeholepunch forcibly strapping me into my shin bruising boots and then both men shouting different directions at me while I fall three times in my first three minutes on skis, sobbing pathetically into my goggles.
Jump ahead to me hopping off the lift, high-fiving my instructor Kirk after an amazing lesson and having a huge margarita.
This place is insanely beautiful, beyond anything I had imagined. I was TERRIFIED of skiing and had to be escorted to and monitored in my lesson by the three previously mentioned rellies... but I did it!!!!! Kirk was the most amazingly patient teacher. I learned at a reasonable pace for a totally uncoordinated and physically awkward person and he was really clear and nice the entire time, even when he was blocking me so I wouldn't slide away.
The weather was amazing, the people there were inoffensive, and all the parking and procedures and equipment rentals and everything were clear and easy.
Fantastic.
Honestly, When i first arrived here as a noob (and i STILL am a noob after many boarding trips :[) .. i was scared.
This mountain is gigantic and definitely have a 5 feet tall girl scared.
My first trip i was on the bunny slopes.. or more like leveled slope and took me a day to get up and down because i was so rusty. shameful :[ it was too leveled and hard to board. but i was too scared to go anywhere else! everything SEEMED difficult.
Had such a hard time getting down or to the lifts that by closing time, the snow patrol had to take me in the snow mobile to the lift .. which was a fun experience! riding up a crazy incline while holding on for your life. hoping you wont fall backwards... O_O
my second trip went far better, i realize i can't be scared of the mountain or i wont get anywhere! i went from the VERY top to the very bottom - took me the ENTIRE DAY though!
very nice mountain, prob be better if the season was better! lots of space and not too crowded because of the size of the mountain!
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Didn't try KT-22 this time as there hasn't been snow in a month and that mountain can be bare, icy and windy.
This time we stuck to the backside all day, Shirley Lake Express for some warm up but most of the time in the woods under Granite Chief. Not as many people in these woods. Trees are spaced out wide enough to not be very difficult and you can find some powder drifts in here. There are even some cliffs if that floats your boat.
The backside is pretty sheltered except at the very top so it's a good place to go when the wind picks up.
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1/16/2007
Squaw Valley resorts is the biggest resort in the Tahoe area but compared to other ski resorts the… Read more »
Not for snowboarders!!!! I've been here a few times...though the resort is very nice and has a lot of amenities. I would rather not go back again.
The runs are not made for snowboarders....first time I didn't have a good time but I loved that they had grilled corn when I left the lot. Second time it was storming so bad and some of my friends felt like they're going to die. Third time we got stuck on flat runs where one of my friends broke her wrist.
I'm an advanced snowboarder but I guess Squaw is just not for me!
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I came here the week before Xmas to take advantage of Squaw's GREAT support of Active Duty Military. They had their 1st big snow dump, so while we were there, they opened the upper mountain.
As a beginner skier, I think this is a good mountain. Lots of green runs to warm up on, some nice wide blue runs to hone your skills, and even though the bigger runs were still closed, I found the backside runs (by Shirley Express) to be perfect to make runs that scared the crap out of me - while making me better.
I'm not sure if the prices change in season, but we found resort prices MUCH more affordable than Heavenly. $2 for a LARGE hot chocolate at Dave's Deli, $1 locker rentals all over ($8 at Heavenly), and reasonably priced food at Gold Coast village.
The staff was getting used to the new RFID tickets but if you're on the upper mountain, you only need them once (to get on the tram/cable car).
At the end of the day, the nice long run was awesome, and I think they start night skiing this weekend on it.
I would not recommend Squaw to those who like to go on green runs, because there is only a handful, and they are very short. I stuck to mostly the blues, but for some reason they did not seem as fun as Northstar. Not much turns to do? Maybe I will appreciate Squaw more when I can do the black diamonds with ease.
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My thoughts:
- Incredibly huge mtn
- Should find any types of trail that fits your skill
- Have to deal with Sierra Cement
- Breathtaking views
- Not much lodging close by
This is another mtn that I have fond memories of skiing many years ago with bunch of my friends.
Place is so big with bumps, steeps, and jumps everywhere. While the snow is not as good as Utah or Colorado, it makes up for that with enormous amounts of snow with enormous amount of skiable terrain.
My big complaint is the lack of lodging close to the area for visitor like myself. We ended up commuting from Reno to ski this great mtn.
MY NEW FAVE! I love everything about Squaw (except for that Gondola sardine box) The mountain is huge and well-groomed. Very user-friendly, even the lift landings were packed well and weren't sharply steep like Kirkwood; which means less embarassing falls! Squaw feels like a huge snow playground of fun; there were so many lifts and trails to take, and so you're not doing one run more than once. I noticed that the blue runs here are more green and a bit easier than the blues at Kirkwood. The 'advanced only' trails felt more blue than anything.
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I keep coming back to Squaw wanting to like it, but every time it turns me off.
Let me list the ways:
Highest prices for everything. Lift tickets, ski school, you name it
Any hint of weather, and they have to close down about 1/2 the mountain. I understand it's a safety thing, and it's not really in their control, but when I'm paying $80+/ ticket it's irritating.
Attitude (not altitude) - boy have they nailed that one. It's not just the employees. People who go here tend to be the snooty ones. I realize that skiing/boarding are inherently snooty, but this is the worst, and I've skiing for over 35 years, and have skied at Park City, Snowbird, Deer Valley, Boulder, Vail, Whistler, and all of the Tahoe resorts.
Ski School - My daughter is 7 yo, and the offer the most crowded, less personal, and most expensive, program I've seen. She learned less here that anywhere else, and she's been skiing for 3 years.
Crowds - see above.
Don't get me wrong, the skiing here on top is among the best in North Tahoe. But I will look for any reason not to go here.
This is the first *real* resort I ever skiied at, and I have great memories of this place. The trails and the variety are endless. I could just come here once and never go anywhere else. Alas, it's a little hard to get to if you want to do a day trip, and it's a little pricey if your friends are a little strapped for cash.
Great place. I recommend it to everyone.
If I wrote this review last year I would have only given it three stars at best, but that would have been a function of me being totally new to the sport of skiing. We came here last Xmas and man it was a completely overwhelming experience. The resort is HUMONGOUS compared to the other ones around it and definitely burns a hole in your pocket as far as $$ goes. We did stay at the Village so it was super convenient and had a great view of the Torch Light Parade down the slope on Xmas eve. My two private lessons with Jim Moore, an instructor at their ski school, however, was worth every penny. He was AWESOME and knew how to say all the right things to get me to even dare to move around on those darn skis. By the end of that week, I was hooked.
Fast forward now to this past week, Dec 2009. Wow, did we have a great time at Squaw Valley!! By this year the kiddos and I are able to go on the blue runs. That totally opens up the entire mountain to us. We were lucky enough to go skiing there the day after Xmas. We received more than 2 feet of powder over Xmas and it was the best skiing condition I've experienced in my two dinky years of skiing. The place was beautiful and it was heavenly (sorry Heavenly!) to go down those slopes with my whole family! There are so many trails to explore at this resort it's hard to get bored. The lifts are easy to get on and off unlike some of the smaller resorts.
However, we are not too impressed with their kids ski lessons/programs. Feels a little more like babysitting than the real deal. You will get a much better lesson for your little ones at Sugar Bowl, Kirkwood or even Homewood. The adult private lessons are much better. Request for Tim Reeves or Jim Moore and you will not be disappointed. Pack your own lunch also if you are tight on cash. Remember, this place is EXPENSIVE.
All in all a great experience, if you focus on the mountain and ignore the expensive getup's on the snow bunnies running around the place you will appreciate all it has to offer.
Best part of being retired - I can go snowboarding midweek.
Two friends and I set out at 6AM (a time on the clock I had not seen for months). This was my first time at Squaw Valley and I was excited to hit the slopes. Our first run turned out to be a disaster as we slid down an ice sheet with no sign of the white stuff (snow or coke). I started to think that $72 I spent on a ticket was a rip.
We decided to hit the other side of the mountain in search of the elusive powder and hit the jackpot. The snow was plentiful and as smooth as a baby's butt.
Just like a frat boy takes advantage of drunk sorority girls, I did the same with the empty mountain and long runs. Squaw has the longest runs in Tahoe and the Gondola can zip you back to the top in minutes.
Best part of the day: hitting the terrain park and making asses of ourselves. Seeing a grown man attempt to ride a rail and fail miserably is the best entertainment one can ask for.
Thank you Squaw for giving me a last great snowboarding day of the season. I promise I will come back next season (and I really mean that, not like how I tell girls I will call them after a one night stand)
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Headline:
Dec 24, 1995,
Young Asian child falls off ski lift..
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Okay, it was only like 7 feet, but it was the first time i had ever gotten on, fallen off a ski lift. Aww, East Broadway, the memories...
I'm not the n000b like I used to be, and now don't even bother with my arch nemesis, EB, but still find Squaw Valley the premier resort/ski location in the greater lake Tahoe area. I have been coming back since 1995 and have an amazing time each visit.
I wouldn't say this is the place to come if you are a beginner (read headline), but for intermediate and advanced skiers/boarders, Squaw Valley is where you want to be. The new Funitel is quick and very spacious to get you to the top of the mountain, and the 2+ mile mountain run is always a great way to determine the "King of the Mountain", RU RU
Lift tickets are a bit more compared to the other resorts, but trust me, the outcome will always be better at Squaw.
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Not much of a skier, but I love to ride the cable car up to the top of the mountain. Went up last weekend. Beautiful view of Tahoe. Warm. Lots of snow. Can ice skate and swim. Pretty much paradise. Food is on the crappy side - recommend other dining options. But that isn't why you are here anyway! Recommend getting evening lift ticket - only $11! Well worth it.
PS - only fatalities were like in 1972 or something when the traction cable came loose and slashed through the car during a windstorm. Something like 4 people were slashed and died. A few more fell out of the car and lived! Because they landed in the snow! Wow! They don't run in high wind anymore, so don't worry about it!
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I loved Squaw! The mountain had a lot of room and I experienced some really good powder while I was snowboarding there last weekend! The trails are wide and there were a lot of options to choose from. I also liked the little village area at the bottom, it had a nice mix of fancier places and then true lodgey places. We got drinks at the loft following a long day of snowboarding and really enjoyed the realness of it. I'll definitely be coming back!
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I hadn't been skiing in like 10 years or so. Then I went here. I'm not entirely sure what to compare this place to, however. All I know is that the place was rather crowded, but at least most of the randos were skiers & not boarders. Decent snow. Decent-sized park with lots of blues and some good black diamonds. Can get icy here though.
A bit expensive overall. Except the beer, which I thought would be $8-9 were only $7 for a 20oz. cup. PLUS, they had Blue Moon on tap. Niiiice.
Probably a better park for intermediate skiers than beginners. Some decent jump areas for boarders too. Didn't go night skiing, but heard it took a long time to actually get up there due to their little trolly-system and all the randos runnin' round.
I might go back here, but I'll wait for less ice.
Oh, they had a concert up there during the last weekend. Yeah, like I go to the mountains to hear loud musak that I could hear back in the Bay... It sucked. It was a corporate coup. White people rapping poorly for other white people. Sad, sad, sad. Corporate Whoring at its worst.
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My first snowboarding experience was here at squaw valley USA! I must say their bunny slopes were pretty steep. Since I was a noob it literally took me half an hour to snowboard down then walk back to the lifts and back up again. I must say that was a good workout. 5 rounds of that and I was done for the day. Prepare yourself to feel super sore the next day. I'll definitely come back again. I need to improve on my snowboarding! Maybe around my birthday :)
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I'm a beginning snowboarder and I recently went to Squaw for the first time, and I loved it! There's plenty to do here to keep a beginner occupied.
I started off with a couple of practice rounds on the "Papoose" bunny slope, then I took the Funitel to Gold Coast. That in itself was amazing - the views are gorgeous, especially the lake in the distance. Once at the top (8000'+) there was plenty of green stuff to keep me busy. I loved the wide, treeless, gentle slopes. Actually, in a few places it was almost too flat, making me wish I was on steeper terrain. For an overly-cautious rider like myself, that was quite a confidence builder.
I didn't think it was too crowded - it was the 2nd Saturday in March and there was no fresh powder, so maybe that's why.
I can't wait to go back!
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Squaw is awesome!! When my friends and I were there, it was super icy in the beginning but we were able to get a bunch of good runs off of the Solitude lift. By the afternoon, the whole mountain was "soft" enough to rip up. Since my friends bought a bunch of the Tahoe 6-packs, boarding was cheap and we were able to get in a few runs at night too!
It's quite a bit colder at night, but you gotta go just to check it out. We had a lot of fun and it was pretty empty too!
Oh yeah, Gym Class Heroes did a free concert at the base area which was pretty cool....if you can get here for less than the regular price, do it!!
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Squaw is one of the "big" Tahoe resorts, with big slopes, big facilities, and big prices. I think Northstar's village may surpass Squaw's now, but Squaw still has the full spectrum of shops, restaurants, bars, and hotels. They also have what must be the most extensive mid-mountain complex in Tahoe (thanks to the 1960 Olympics), complete with a skating rink and 2 gondolas that go up to it. Beginners take note: aside from some bunny slopes, ALL the green runs are on the upper mountain. They're some sweet runs to be sure, but the second time I was here the whole upper mountain was closed due to wind, which will screw you over if you're not ready for some rather tough blue runs.
Speaking of blue runs, don't overlook the run down to the Squaw Creek chair; it's a fabulous and long blue with almost no annoying "road" sections. You can even have lunch down here at The Resort at Squaw Creek (which is totally separate from Squaw Village). It's one swanky place that seems to be more about spas and conferences than skiing, so your eating choices are effectively limited to the Sweet Potatoes Deli--a cute but contrived little spot all decked out like a country home--you can even buy a teddy bear.
As for the rest of the mountain, well, I sort of prefer Northstar's meandering, tree-lined runs to Squaw's much more open (and generally quite steep) hillsides. But the black-diamond types should find plenty to like (a lot of people swear by the KT chair, for instance).
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one of my favorite spots to board..
the bunny slope is HUGE which is good in the sense that it gives everybody room to space out.. beginners stay out of the way of more experienced skiers/boarders and vice versa.
the mountain itself proves it can be a pretty good challenge. with approx two dozen or so trails.. they have something for every level skier/snowboarder. with a handful of technical parks.. it's a pretty diverse mountain.. and a normally well groomed one at that.
the snow conditions are usually exceptionally good in non-el nino seasons and decent during. the snow is powdery and nothing like SoCal snow.. it's literally 30x's better!!
and at the end of the day.. when you're ready go pack it in.. they have a nice run that slowly winds down the center of the mountain.. and the scenery is pretty photogenic since it overlooks the lake.
i'd personally pick Squaw over Heavenly which is my other favorite mountain up in Tahoe.. but both are something to be had.
Squaw Valley has its ups and downs, which balance each other out to make this an acceptable, but not the best, ski resort.
The ups:
Easy parking on the first Saturday and Sunday of March, short lines for the lifts, enough space on the green slopes to learn to snowboard without getting creamed by people who already know what they're doing, decent food options (though overpriced as usual with ski resorts), a comfortable sunny sundeck, and more than enough places to kick back and relax (i.e. write papers on my laptop) at the lodge. Free lift tickets and VIP passes for the mid-afternoon concert is a bonus (my sig. o. has good friends).
The downs:
A prevalent attitude exists amongst the staff here, one that states, "we don't really give a flying fig about service. You want something, get it yourself. You're a nuisance anyway." I didn't understand why most of the staff at the resort were so defensive and moody... for example, when a customer at the bar says, "Aw, you didn't have Blue Moon at the bar yesterday either" and the bartender's response is a curt, "Well, I wasn't working yesterday," do ya think maybe someone needs to chill out a bit? Clearly customer is not blaming bartender for the beer shortage. Bartender seems to take the statement personally and misses the opportunity to provide *service* by suggesting another option and possibly garnering a tip.
Also, the lift tickets are quite expensive, for those who don't free-ride like me.
My knees are so battered from falling on the icy mountain, but I cannot blame Squaw for the wind (which removed the powder) and my lack of agility on a snowboard.
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This was my first place to go snowboarding for the first time back in 2002. Since I made a few reviews in Tahoe, I might as well add this to my list :)
My family and I were there on a Saturday, and it actually wasn't too crowded. It was pretty nice weather-wise and my cousin and i took the snowboarding class which was really fun. Our instructor was patient, and taught us well! He was really detailed in how to do certain things and the class was fairly small so he was able to help us out individually.
How ever, once you get down to the bottom of the bunny hill, be careful not to get in the way of the main path (the slope sort of veers into it and this stupid guy tripped over my cousin who was just sliding down slowly to maintain her balance)
Ok, its our first time to ski the Tahoe area and we chose to start off at Squaw. It's the beginning of spring break in Texas and we were really surprised to see an uncrowded mountain, on a Sunday no less. The mountain is huge and offers tremendous terrain for all abilities - we would have liked to been here after a big dump of powder!
If Dietrich H. is correct on separate entities operating the village and the mountain, then that might explain the lack of updates since the '60 winter olympics it would seem. This mountain is prime for reinvestment and updates to keep pace with Northstar and the nice facilities at Alpine Meadows.
With having been 2+ weeks since the last good snow, compounded with spring conditions, we didn't have a chance to ski all the terrain, nor see the mountain at its best. Giving it the benefit of a doubt, I'll give 4 stars instead of 3! (Average amenities -1 star; High Camp hot tub and pool not open the weekend we were there -1 star; potential for terrain +1 star = 4 stars) We liked Alpine Meadows over Squaw -both are great for no frills skiing and boarding. Northstar is for the pampered (m)asses .
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Da best Jerry - da best!
Ever snowboard with your friends and walk out of the gondola in a clam bake like you were still in college? Ever slip in the snow in a literal "fall down drunk" episode after eating mediocre mountain-food at the Mexican cantina? Ski in and ski out of your studio by Plumpjack?
It can all happen at Squaw.
I love you Squaw. If you were a woman I'd get over my fear of commitment and only traverse your hills for (gulp) the rest of my life...
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I would give this place 5-stars because it has such great balance but there's always a shitload of people there that in the end it slows down the whole process of Tahoe altogether. (Longer lines for food, ski lift, ski rental, etc.)
I really like Squaw Valley though because it's very big, meaning in addition to your slopes you have a large area for shops, restaurants (this allows for people to spread out which is kinda nice). The ski and snowboard rentals are in separate buildings which is also nice because then it's easier to get through paying and actually getting your rental equipment.
They also offer night skiing which is pretty awesome :)
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