Squaw Valley/Alpine Meadows Officially Renamed Palisades Tahoe
To go along with their new gondola connection, the two areas formerly known as Squaw Valley and Alpine Meadows now have a new name. This change comes in the wake of calls for businesses to remove emblems of past minority oppression, with the word “squaw” having been used as a slur against Indigenous North American women.
Video Review: Alpine Meadows
An in-depth video review of Alpine Meadows, a ski area located just north of Lake Tahoe.
Off Peak Podcast Episode 13: Living in Tahoe
Sam and Nicole discuss the logistics, benefits, and drawbacks of their winter living in Tahoe—and highlight some noteworthy experiences.
Squaw Alpine’s Gondola Looks to Be on Track for Winter 2022. Here Are Our Initial Thoughts on the Project.
Alterra has released several details that offer clues about what to expect for the new Squaw Alpine gondola. Based on what we know so far, we’ve compiled a list of potential pros and cons that the project may bring.
Alterra Capital Plan Confirms Squaw/Alpine Gondola and Major Steamboat Projects for 2021-22
Earlier this week, Alterra announced $207 million in major capital investments for its Squaw Valley/Alpine Meadows, Steamboat, Deer Valley, and Mammoth resorts.
We’ve Refined the Way We Measure Skiable Acres. Some Resorts See Size Score Changes.
Some resorts measure their acreage by total footprint, which doesn’t always comprise entirely skiable terrain. Others measure their acreage by skiable terrain only, but don’t include parts of the resort that are technically in-bounds but not skiable. To remedy this issue, we employed an acreage calculator to determine the true skiable footprint within the bounds of each resort.
Too Many Resorts Have Earned Our Top Rating for Challenge. It’s Time for a Splitter.
Ten resorts—nearly 30% of the resorts we’ve reviewed—currently earn a perfect 10 for challenge in our scoring system. To address the competitiveness here and truly distinguish the most extreme resorts, we’ve effectively split the 10/10 challenge category into two.
We’ve Slightly Adjusted Our Facilities Ratings Towards Practicality, Resulting In a Few Score Changes.
We’ve historically weighted some very small facilities with limited space and inconsistent openings as highly as more practical lodges. With today’s adjustment, we’re aiming to fix this discrepancy.
Idiot's Delight: A Run Down a Truly Extreme Alpine Meadows Chute
A run down Idiot's Delight at Alpine Meadows, starting with a mandatory drop-in off a cornice, filtering into a perilously tight couloir with no room for error, and leading into the Wolverine Bowl. This line takes a 2-5 minute hike to reach from the Summit chair.
State of 2020-21 Resort Operations
With COVID-19 cases continuing to persist across North America, we’re seeing some resorts tighten capacity restrictions or push back openings, either voluntarily or by state mandate. As you debate whether to book a trip this season, we’ve decided to aggregate all we know in one place.