Olympic Valley, CA – California’s Squaw Valley and Alpine Meadows ski resorts are investing nearly $8 million in capital improvements for the 2013-14 winter season. The improvements are part of year three of the Tahoe-area resorts’ five-year, $70 million renaissance designed to improve all facets of the resort experience.
The investment for the first two years of the renaissance totaled $38 million and brought new chairlifts, expanded kids’ activities, new restaurants, redesigned terrain parks, and the world’s first ski-in/ski-out Starbucks to the resorts. The improvements continue this winter with a new yoga studio, $1.2 million in lodging improvements, electric car chargers, food trucks and a mid-mountain beer garden.
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. To ensure quality snow surface conditions throughout the season, Squaw and Alpine are also investing $1.4 million in five new snow cats, including a winch cat.
Squaw Valley and Alpine Meadows are also investing $70,000 in new terrain park features. The focus will be on expanding the resorts’ collection of jibs along with several signature features, allowing for more variety and more creativity in the terrain park layouts for next winter.
Squaw and Wanderlust have partnered to open the new Wanderlust Yoga Studio – a permanent home for yoga and positive energy in Squaw Valley. In addition to classes seven days a week, the new yoga studio will offer workshops that incorporate Squaw’s landscape, including pairing yoga classes with hiking and paddleboarding in the summer and skiing and riding in the winter. Squaw Valley was the original birthplace of the Wanderlust Festival, now the world’s largest and fastest growing music and yoga gathering.
The slopeside condominium suites at The Village at Squaw Valley have received $1.2 million in renovations in summer 2013. Each bedroom in every rental unit at The Village at Squaw Valley has been upgraded with new mattresses and triple-sheet bedding. Many units have also received new furniture, carpet, additional flat screen TVs and air conditioning. The Village offers spacious condominium suites in one, two and three-bedroom options complete with a full kitchen, fireplace, balcony and a bathroom per every bedroom in the unit.
Squaw Valley and Alpine Meadows have purchased two new fully-outfitted food trucks to serve fresh, new dining options at the resorts this winter. The food trucks, named Mtn Roots, will offer a mix of regionally and sustainably sourced food. The Mtn Roots trucks will serve up quick bites as well as more substantial options for sit-down meals that can be enjoyed on nearby outdoor tables. The food trucks will feature rotating menus based on the ingredients available locally as well as feedback from diners.
Many of the sustainable menu offerings will be created in partnership with the Tahoe Food Hub, a local non-profit organization committed to increasing the availability of nutritious, ecologically grown food by connecting small-scale, regional food producers with schools, restaurants and resorts like Squaw Valley and Alpine Meadows. In partnership with K2 Skis, the food trucks will also offer a signature K2 dish. One of the food trucks will be parked primarily on First Street at The Village at Squaw Valley and the other at the base of Alpine Meadows – though both trucks will roam for special events.
Alpine Meadows’ mid-mountain lodge, The Chalet, is being transformed into a Bavarian-style beer garden for this winter season. The Chalet and the new Sierra Beer Garden will offer an array of leading Californian beers as well as pressed sandwiches and sausage plates. One signature menu item will be raclette – a melted cheese Swiss specialty that is sure to delight diners. The fully renovated Chalet will be open for Christmas 2013.
New for the 2013-14 winter season, Squaw Valley has installed four new electric car chargers at the resort, making Squaw the first ski resort in California to install charging stations for electric cars. The resort installed two new CS-40 pedestal chargers from Clipper Creek, offering four 30 amp, 240 volt, J1772 charging stations. J1772 charging stations are a SAE standard for electrical connectors for electric vehicles, meaning the chargers will be compatible with most electric cars on the market today.
The new charging stations are located at the western edge of the Far East Building at Squaw Valley, next to the Cornice Cantina. Guests can spend the time needed to charge their vehicles enjoying all that Squaw Valley has to offer including skiing and snowboarding, and four seasons of scenic tram rides, family activities, and shopping and dining in The Village. The charging stations will be open to guests seven days a week – however, guests are asked not to leave their cars at the charging stations for more than 10 hours at a time.
The recently renovated KT Base Bar and Plaza Bar are both getting new menu items for the 2013-14 winter season. New dishes include the Tahoe Food Hub Kale and Quinoa Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette, Tuna Tartar, Greek-Inspired Flatbread Pizza, AntiPasti with cured meats, olives, pepperoncini, artichoke hearts and cheeses, gluten-free Burrito Bowls and rotating soup of the weeks.
This winter, Squaw Valley is offering a new program called Teaching Tykes, designed for parents who want tips on how to teach their little one (ages 3-5) to ski or snowboard. Available for $169, the price includes a one-hour lesson for parent and child, beginner lift ticket for parent and child if 5 years old (ages 3 & 4 are already free) and kids ski or snowboard rentals.
Squaw Valley and Alpine Meadows are each offering a new kids team program for the 2013-14 winter season. The snowboarding equivalent of Squaw’s Mighty Mites program, the new Mighty Riders program will offer young riders ages 7-13 the opportunity to develop skills and passion for snowboarding over the course of the winter season at Squaw Valley. At Alpine Meadows, the new Snow Rangers program will offer winter adventures and on-mountain training such as backcountry touring, snow science, avalanche awareness, snow camping and more for past ski team members ages 12-18 who have a solid base of alpine skiing.