Squallywood Anyone?

Throughout the world, people ski. Some do it more than others, some do it as a Christmas activity while others do it for a living. If you have ever touched a pair of skis, THE place to take those bad boys is Squaw Valley USA in Lake Tahoe, California. Squaw, as many call it, is the hotspot for extreme skiing. If you want 100 foot cliffs or intense powder skiing, Squallywood is the place for you.

                                                                Overlooking Lake Tahoe

Johnny Mosely, Olympian medalist, hails from here. Many other professional skiers call Squaw Valley home. There is a wooden bear in the village that has engraved on it the 47 Olympians that are from here.  In fact, many members of the youth ski team go on to get ski scholarships and some make it professional. After being a former member of the freestyle team, I can tell you that this is not a surprise. Many of the 16-17 year olds seem like they are destined for the Olympics, with their run of 360 arials to backflips off cliffs. KT-22, one of the peaks in Squaw Valley, has been called the best run in the western hemisphere. With the only funitel (large gondola) in North America, 4,000 acres of shredding material, and more than 30 chairlifts, you can see why Squallywood is an A-List ski destination. Take that Colorado. Does Aspen or Vail have a hot tub area 2,000 feet above the base? A run that’s almost 4 miles? I didn’t think so, but Squaw sure does.

                                                                KT-22. This looks delicious...                                                                                

It wasn’t always like this. More than 60 years ago, a man named Alex Cushing started this ski resort with just 1 pull chairlift. It quickly progressed into a popular skiing area for the competitive skiers, and by 1960 it held the Winter Olympics. Ever since, the staff at Squaw makes sure to improve each year. With a mix of anything from intense terrain parks to narrow chutes, Squaw Valley makes itself much more than just another ski area.

                                             Don't be surprised to see this after a "good" day of skiing

Although you probably think of Squaw as some death toll area right now, don’t worry. You probably won’t die like  X-Games gold medalist C.R. Johnson did in the cliffs of Squaw  a few months ago. Ok, that was a bad idea saying that. You won’t die here, as there is plenty of beginner and intermediate terrain. There is an Ice Rink on top of the mountain, and surrounding that is a good amount of Green and Blue runs. So bring the family and have a great time, no matter if you are renting a pair of skis for the weekend or trying to make it to the big show.

                                      Squaw and it's night skiing. Have you bought your tickets yet?