Squaw Valley, CA – California’s Squaw Valley and Alpine Meadows have announced nearly $8 million in capital improvements for the 2013-14 winter season, as part of the Tahoe-area ski resorts’ five-year, $70 million Renaissance project. This year’s investment follows the $38 million in base area and on-mountain improvements from the past two winter seasons, bringing the total investment to date to more than $46 million.

The new projects for the upcoming season  include significant snowmaking improvements at both resorts, new snow cats for grooming, a new Wanderlust yoga studio, a new home furnishings store named Spruce, and comprehensive room renovations at The Village at Squaw Valley, as well as new on-mountain and valley signage for increased way-finding and accessibility.

“Through extensive surveying, we have heard from our guests that snowmaking and exciting vacation experiences continue to be things they are looking for at Squaw Valley and Alpine Meadows,” said Andy Wirth, president and CEO of Squaw Valley and Alpine Meadows. “As a result, we are continuing to work with the industry’s best experts to modernize the experience both on and off the mountains with the goal of making Squaw Valley and Alpine Meadows two of the top resorts in North America.”

Year one of the Renaissance brought a renovated base village with new restaurants, bars and fire pits to Squaw Valley, as well as other amenities including completely revamped terrain parks in partnership with Snow Park Technologies (SPT), the new SnoVentures activity zone with tubing and mini-snowmobiles, and the world’s first ski-in/ski-out Starbucks. Year two included significant snowmaking improvements at both resorts, a new high-speed, six-passenger chairlift and improved High Camp beginner experience at Squaw, a mile-long terrain park at Alpine Meadows, and a new restaurant and two new retail stores in The Village at Squaw Valley.

On-Mountain Improvements
Squaw Valley and Alpine Meadows are continuing to invest in the resorts’ snowmaking system and grooming fleet for the 2013-14 winter season. Between Squaw and Alpine, the resorts are investing over $2 million in state-of-the-art snowmaking guns, new piping and system upgrades. Both resorts are also investing $1.4 million in five new snow cats, including one additional winch cat.

Squaw Valley and Alpine Meadows are investing $70,000 in new terrain park features for the 2013-14 winter season. The focus will be on expanding the resorts’ arsenal of jibs along with several signature features, allowing for more variety and more creativity in the terrain park layouts for next winter. The park crews at both resorts will be designing new features for every ability level, focusing on new and creative features for intermediate as well as advanced skiers and riders.

Base Area Improvements
The base area at Squaw Valley this winter season will feature the addition of a new Wanderlust yoga studio, a new home furnishings store, new amphitheater at the KT Base bar, and improved signage.

Squaw Valley is investing $125,000 in the build of Wanderlust Yoga Squaw Valley, a contemporary yoga space in The Village at Squaw Valley. Many yoga classes will incorporate Squaw’s Sierra landscape, with on-mountain classes as well as classes that will start in the studio and wrap-up with skiing and riding in the winter, or with a hike, bike ride, run, or swim in Lake Tahoe in the summer.

Squaw Valley will also be opening Spruce, a new retail store located in the east end of The Village across from the Auld Dubliner. Spruce will offer home furnishings as well as specialty items for adults and kids including games, stem ware, candles, soaps and decorative pillows. In addition to the items in-store, Spruce will offer access to online purchasing for a wider selection of furniture.

Squaw’s concert venue at the base of KT-22 will receive a $150,000 makeover to sculpt an amphitheater at the KT Base Bar. Squaw’s terrain already creates a sort of natural amphitheater at the base of the mountain, but the resort will be grading the terrain for optimal concert viewing.

Additional base area improvements include renovations to Squaw Valley’s main ski rental shop designed to improve flow by 10 percent, and the addition of a wedding garden at Olympic Village Lodge for summer weddings. To make the resorts more welcoming and accessible, Squaw Valley will be investing $130,000 in increased and improved signage in the base area, as well as on-mountain.

Lodging Renovations
The condominium suites at The Village at Squaw Valley are receiving $1.2 million in renovations for summer 2013, including all new mattresses and bedding, as well as new furniture, carpet, additional flat screen TVs and air conditioning in many units. The Village surveyed guests to find what they would most like to see improved and many of the survey results revolved around bedding. Each bedroom in every rental unit at The Village at Squaw Valley has been upgraded with new mattresses and new, modern, triple-sheet bedding.

Environmental Improvements
Squaw Valley has committed to investing $300,000 to reduce the resort infrastructure’s carbon footprint by 10% effective as of early summer 2013. The investment includes state-of-the art automation systems to regulate the temperature of the High Camp pool and hot tub as well as the offices and conference room in Olympic Village Lodge, allowing the resort to use substantially less propane. The resort is also replacing over 1,600 light bulbs and fixtures at Squaw Valley and Alpine Meadows with high-efficiency LED and fluorescent light bulbs.

Race Services and Team Programs
In order to host the U.S. Alpine Championships in March 2013, Squaw Valley invested over $80,000 in race services upgrades at Squaw Valley, which will continue to benefit the ski area’s abilities to host world-class events. The investments included a new digital scoreboard, new timers, new bleachers, new B-Net safety net and a new sound system. The new race services equipment will be used for every level of alpine racing – from the Mighty Mites up through U.S. Olympic skiers returning home for next year’s U.S. Alpine Championships at Squaw. In support of the resorts’ own up-and-coming athletes, Squaw Valley and Alpine Meadows will be investing over $40,000 in the ski team facilities between the two resorts.