Squaw Valley is the birthplace of extreme skiing in the USA and has been the backdrop for more ski and snowboard videos than I can count. It’s a destination that every serious skier and snowboarder pines to visit, and is widely recognized as one of the best and most extreme ski resorts in the world.
We learned a lot about Squaw Valley from our interviews with locals. Of course, a lot of people talked about the amazing terrain and snow, but we already knew about those.
What we didn’t already know, though, was the best places to go when the snow is deep, and where to get a good california roll when the hill closes.
Now we do know, and so will you. Here’s everything you need to know about visiting Squaw Vally.
I’ve wanted to visit Squaw Valley — the birthplace of extreme skiing and backdrop for many of the ski movies I watched as a child — since I was young. I was thrilled when we arrived there in early January.
Unfortunately, they hadn’t had much snow since Christmas, and the crowds of holidaymakers that visit the hill and left little behind. So, the first two days were less than ideal for sampling extreme terrain that the locals rave about.
On the night of the second day, however, it snowed nearly a foot. So, on the third day we did a bit of hiking and put in some of the best turns of the season.
All’s well that ends well, especially when you walk away with photos like these!
**Special thanks to Bryon of Exploring Elements for the photos of me (the snowboarder in the blue jacket). You can find all of Bryon’s photos here.
We asked interviewed locals and visitors as Squaw Valley to find out what they think about the mountain. A lot of people talked about the big mountain terrain, exposed cliffs, and steep pitches. There were several mentions of the terrain park (which is pretty epic) and the chill vibe of the community. We kind of … Read more