Squaw Valley Ski Resort
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| Location: | Olympic Valley, Placer County, California  United States |
| Nearest city: | Tahoe City Truckee Carson City, Nevada |
| Coordinates: | 39°11′0″N 120°15′0″W / 39.183333°N 120.25°W |
| Vertical: | 2850 ft - (868 m) |
| Top elevation: | 9050 ft - (2758 m) |
| Base elevation: | 6200 ft - (1890 m) |
| Skiable area: | 4000 acres - (16 km²) |
| Runs: | 177 - 25% easiest - 45% more difficult - 30% most difficult |
| Longest run: | 3.2 miles - (5.1 km) The Mountain Run |
| Lift system: | 33 lifts |
| Lift capacity: | 49,000 / hr |
| Terrain parks: | 3 |
| Snowfall: | 450 in. - (1143 cm) |
| Snowmaking: | yes |
| Night skiing: | yes |
| Web site: | Squaw.com |
The Squaw Valley Ski Resort in Olympic Valley, California, is one of the largest ski areas in the United States, and was the site of the 1960 Winter Olympics. It is the second-largest ski area at Lake Tahoe (after Heavenly), with advanced chairlifts (high speed quads and high speed six packs), as well as the only funitel in the U.S. The entire community of Olympic Valley is commonly referred to as "Squaw Valley." The resort attracts 600,000 skiers a year. Its ski season usually runs from mid-November to late May.[citation needed]
Perched atop the Sierra Nevada, with a base of 6,200 feet (1,900 m) and spread across 6 peaks and 4,000 acres (1,600 ha) the resort tops out at 9,050 feet (2,760 m)[1] above sea level at Granite Chief. The area receives bountiful maritime snowfall–often getting 40 feet (12 m) or more in a winter—leading to snowpack depths of 200 inches (5.1 m) over steep, granite-laden terrain.
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[edit] History
Since its opening in 1949, Squaw Valley has positioned itself among an "A-list" of North American "big mountain" ski areas such as Alta, Whistler-Blackcomb, Lake Louise, Jackson Hole and Crested Butte, combining with its laid-back California culture to earn the moniker "Squallywood".[2][citation needed]
The resort operates year-round, offering various activities in both winter and summer, including an ice skating rink, a swimming lake and spa, and tennis courts.
By 1942 Wayne Poulsen, a former star skier from the University of Nevada, had acquired 2,000 acres (810 ha) in present-day Olympic Valley, California, from the Southern Pacific Railroad. In 1946, Poulsen met Alex Cushing, a Harvard-trained lawyer, with the political connections and access to capital that would make the resort a success. Shortly before opening in 1949, Poulsen and Cushing had a disagreement over the future of the resort. Cushing ended up controlling the Squaw Valley Ski Corporation that brought the 1960 Winter Olympics to Squaw Valley and transformed Lake Tahoe with his vision for the mountain and innovations in the ski industry. Until his death, Cushing was the founder and chairman of Ski Corporation, the parent company of the Squaw Valley resort.
Valley
Cushing modeled Squaw Valley after European resorts by putting pools and lodging on the mountain instead of at the base, and repeatedly brought the latest lift technology to the United States.
Though the 1960 Olympics had practically been promised to Innsbruck, Austria, Cushing went to Paris in 1955 with a scale model of his proposed Olympic site—even though his mountain had only one lift at the time—and persuaded the International Olympic Committee to choose Squaw Valley. It was the first Winter Olympics to be televised live and attracted millions of viewers. The 1960 Winter Games provided a significant boost in visibility that signaled that American skiing had risen to the level expected of European resorts, hosting the alpine skiing events during those games.
At the end of the decade, Squaw Valley hosted the World Cup tour in 1969 with four alpine ski races, slalom and giant slalom for both men and women.
A scenic cable car (aerial tramway) carries visitors to 8,200 feet (2,500 m) to the High Camp Bath and Tennis Club. The cars are attached to a fixed point on a cable loop. When one car is at the top of the mountain, the other car is at the bottom.
Squaw Valley is home to KT-22, the chair selected best in North America by Skiing magazine (in 2005).[3]
Squaw Valley is home to several annual summer events. The July Wanderlust Festival brings in accomplished yoga teachers as well as many well-known musical performers.[4] In August, the Squaw Valley writer's conference attracts authors from all over the world. Many summer camps operate out of the Valley.
[edit] Climate
| Climate data for Squaw Valley | |||||||||||||
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| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Average high °C (°F) | 3 (37) |
4 (39) |
5 (41) |
8 (46) |
12 (54) |
17 (63) |
22 (72) |
21 (70) |
18 (64) |
13 (55) |
7 (45) |
4 (39) |
11.2 (52.1) |
| Average low °C (°F) | -8 (18) |
-8 (18) |
-7 (19) |
-4 (25) |
-1 (30) |
3 (37) |
7 (45) |
7 (45) |
4 (39) |
-1 (30) |
-5 (23) |
-8 (18) |
-1.8 (28.9) |
| Source: The Weather Channel[5] | |||||||||||||
Squaw Valley has an alpine climate with cold snowy winters and cool to mild summers. The highest recorded temperature was 35 °C (95 °F) in 1998. The lowest recorded temperature was −31 °C (−24 °F) in 1949.
[edit] Address
1960 Squaw Valley Road, Olympic Valley, California, USA, 96146
[edit] See also
[edit] Notes
- ^ Note: The Squaw Valley Ski Resort map lists Granite Chief at 9050 feet (2758 m) (Source), but TopoQuest maps and Peakbagger list the peak at 9006 feet (2745 m) above sea level. (Source.)
- ^ http://www.squallywoodthebook.com/
- ^ http://www.skinet.com/skiing/resorts/western-us/california/2005/06/first-chair First Chair Casimiro, Steve. June, 2005.
- ^ http://www.wanderlustfestival.com Wanderlust Festival
- ^ The Weather Channel—Canadian Climate Normals 1971–2000, accessed 07 July 2009
- 1960 Winter Olympics official report. pp. 93–5.
[edit] External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Squaw Valley |
- Squaw.com - official site
- SnowGuide.org - Squaw Valley
- 3dSkiMaps.com - Squaw Valley Ski Resort
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