Squaw Valley has a full day of events planned for their Earth Day Celebration tomorrow, April 21. Stroll through the Village to learn and shop, green and recycle friendly. Enjoy music and performances including the local Trashion Fashion Show where high schoolers have created fashion out of trash and show it off while teaching about the environment. The Squaw Valley Earth Day celebration is a fun day in the valley and you are bound to bump into frineds enjoying the mountain spring day.
Posts Tagged ‘Squaw Valley’
Earth Day at Squaw Valley
Friday, April 20th, 2012Ali Kariotis, USA Juniors take 5 medals at FIS Junior Worlds
Tuesday, March 27th, 2012It is with pride that I write this blog about Ali Kariotis, a Squaw Valley Freestyle Ski Team member. In Valmalenco, Italy, the FIS Junior World Freestyle competition came to an end with Ali Kariotis on top of the podium, champion on the dual slalom event. This was the 5th USA medal of the competition making it the most successful American representation at the event ever. Ali has been a long time member of the Squaw Valley Ski Teams, starting with the wonderful Mighty Mite program. In fact I was one of her coaches during her time in Mighty Mites. She was delight to ski with then as she loved to ski and be on the snow. She acceled at a young age and now is proving herself in a worldwide arena. Congrats Ali. Click here to read more.
Pain McShonkley Classic
Friday, March 23rd, 2012Let the fun begin. The sun is shining and folks are gathering for all the fun of the Pain McShlonkey Classic weekend. On the schedule you will find an invite only fundraising Gala event tonight: theme is Moulin Rouge. Saturday morning kicks off with a Chinese Downhill on snowlerblades putting professionals against amateurs. Later in the day is the Big Mountain Snowlerblade Comp. The day finishes off with a few apres ski events and then and 80′s After Party. The whole weekend is in honor of our lost skier, friend and community member Shane McConkey. To learn more about the memory of Shane, the foundation created in his honor and this weekend’s events, just visit www.ShaneMcConkey.org. You can also take a look at Squaw’s website and check out the You Tube video.
Big snow brings big driving complications but amazing skiing…
Monday, March 19th, 2012It has been storming off and on for the last week. We have seen it all… huge light fluffly flakes, slushy wet flakes, sleet blowing sideways and rain. Luckily the storm ended with the light and fluffly snow we all love to ski. This weekend was packed. I heard multiple reports from friends from the bay area taking 6 to 7 hours to drive up with spin outs and stops over the summit. The parking lot and the lifts were packed Saturday morning, everyone ready for their piece of powder. It was definitely a day to ski with friends as the lines were long so you might as well catch up and the snow was sliding so gdod to be with a buddy. The ski patrol worked hard and got mostly everything open by the end of the day. Sunday was much less crowded on the slopes but the crowds were still big. It was a cold storm day so there were a lot of hot chocolate breaks happening. The skiing was still great but not as good as Saturday.
After a great weekend, many happy visitors hopped in their cars for the drive back down the hill. Around 4:30pm the line of cars from Truckee was just about to the Squaw stoplight. My sister and family tried to leave around 7pm and Highway 80 was closed. A lot of folks were stuck up here for the night. Speaking of being stuck, I was returning home around 8pm last night and could not make it to my house. There were pile ups of cars on both access roads stuck, smashed into each other and in the ditches. Crazy part was both pile ups included tow trucks who had been trying to help and joined in the mess. I parked at a neighbors house and walked.
Then comes Monday, ahhhhh! Headwall opened after a week of closure (i think). It was almost 2 feet in some places of light fluffy powder. The skies were bright blue, the parking lot full, the lines managable, everyone smiling, it was a good morning. What a little piece of paradise we have here in the Sierras.
Crowds and skiing
Friday, March 2nd, 2012Today was the blue bird powder day we have been waiting for all season. After two days of storms and lower mountain skiing, the sun came out this morning gloriously shining on Squaw Valley and the untouched powder of the upper mountain. Everyone and their brother and sister and all their friends were on the mountain today. The cars were a steady stream into the valley making the drive time from Tahoe City and Truckee 45 minutes and 1 hour respectively. By 11am the cars were parked down the main road to Eric Rd. (unforntunately many of those cars had parking tickets in their windshields).
And now for the ski report, it was about quality not quantity. I only had a short window of time this morning and planned to get a few great runs. As I got to the locker room, about 8:50am, KT and Red Dog were already loading and the Funitel line was longer than I have ever seen it. First run I headed for the skier packed powder on Chute 75. Nice and smooth, the snow was fabulous and the run empty. Next to the Funitel as the line had returned to normal, which broght me up the mountain for Siberia and the Reverse Traverse. Headwall had a late opening for the lif but the skiing was ready. I skied Sun Bowl and then the Horse Trails. The Sun Bowl was wind impacted but great after the first 10 turns, and Horse Trails was great. In fact I enjoyed it so much I went for another round and could still find untracked turns.
The crowds kept pouring in and I headed home about 11am to start my work day. I actually had a busy afternoon which included showing property. It is going to be a busy weekend.
Skiing at Squaw…
Tuesday, February 28th, 2012Might Mite Squaw Cup
Thursday, January 19th, 2012Well last weekend’s Mighty Mite Squaw Cup was an experience. Sunday morning, race day, it was incredibly cold from a strong wind. The gates were blowing sideways and the Green Stars were shivering at the top of the course at 9:30am ready to start their first Mighty Mite race. It was one of those times when you feel sorry for the kids in the blowing weather but also have to smile as they make 3 turns between gates, switch courses accidentally and even go through the same finish line while they learn what it is to race. Don’t get me wrong, some of those little Green Stars new exactly what to do, but it was a mixed bag of experiences the kids. I think it took over an hour to get all the Green Starts through the course two times. Hats off to the coaches and race crew for providing the experience and staying positive. Next the Orange Stars did their runs and as they were wrapping up 3 of the 4 lifts open on the mountain closed on wind hold. That left only Exhibition for the Mighty Mites, the other ski teams who were training and the general public still wanting to ski. The Red Stars got started and the wind did not let up. Squaw had to close Exhibition, rightly so. The last thing parents want is there children on an extremely windy chair lift ride.
The rest of the race was moved to Monday (Martin Luther King Day). Luckily the wind had subsided and the sun was out but it was still quite cold. Our son is a Blue Star and he enjoyed two great runs on the course. At this age great means: went around all the gates the right way, stayed on his course, crossed the finish line and was smiling at the end for the fun of it all.
There was an issue that came up during the race, the race times. I was a Mighty Mite coach for 8 seasons and now this is my 4th season as a mother of a Mighty Mite/Shooting Star. I know the races times are never shown. That is why I was shocked when I walked over near the race shack and found an electronic board, out for everyone to see, with names and race times. I thought “This is new. I wonder why they are doing this?” Of course I had to take a look and I found my son’s name with a fairly fast first run time and a DNS for his second run. Quite a few kids had a DNS for their second run, but many of them had times.
From my years of racing I know DNS means Did Not Start, differing from the other abbreviation, DSQ, meaning Disqualified. DNS means you did not do the run. DSQ means you did the run but missed a gate, or several in the case of some of the little competitors this past weekend. I knew my son, as well as many of the others raced both runs. One of the coaches was noticing the board as well and went to check it out and came back to report the display was not working accurately and all the times were in the race shack on the computer. I was glad to know and spread the word to other parents who were asking and looking at the board. It really is a bummer the board was even on because it was causing some confusion.
Our Blue Star Wins!
Anyway when the official results came out and the coaches went up on stage to announce the winners, and our son won the gold for Blue Stars. He was so excited letting us know, this was the first Mighty Mite race that he was in the top ten. We are so proud of him and thankful for the opportunity for him to grow in the sport of skiing through the Mighty Mite program. Thanks to the coaches and staff who do their best with a large number of kids gaining their first racing experiences.
First Mighty Mite Race of the Season
Friday, January 13th, 2012Lawrence Realty is a proud sponsor of the Mighty Mite junior ski program at Squaw Valley. This Sunday over the 3 day weekend will be the Might Mite Squaw Cup of the season. The kids will be racing on the lower part of Exhibition most of the day. Here is the approximate schedule.
9:00 – 9:30 – all teams inspect the courses
9:30 – Green starts and take BOTH runs. One run on the red course and one run on the blue course.
10:45 – Orange takes BOTH runs. One run on the red course and one run on the blue course.
12 noon – Red takes BOTH runs. One run on the red course and one run on the blue course.
12:45 – Purple/Blue takes BOTH runs. One run on the red course and one run on the blue course.
1:30 Silver/Gold takes BOTH runs. One run on the red course and one run on the blue course.
2:00 Awards at the Ford Race arena/Julia’s Double Gold
We will be there supporting the Mighty Mites this weekend and especially our son who is a blue star. See you on the slopes.
Mighty Mites in Olympic Heritage Celebration Week
Tuesday, January 10th, 2012
Jonny Moseley leading the Mighty Mites
We are in the year of the summer Olympic Games in London and Squaw Valley is celebrating their Olympic Heritage, as the host of 1960 Winter Games. This past weekend some the Mighty Mites got to participate in the celebration by doing a Parade of Flags on Exhibition following 1998 Gold Medalist Jonny Moseley. The Red, Purple and Blue Stars of the Mighty Mites each carried a country flag and followed Jonny in snake like fashion down Exhibition. Then they clicked off their skis and headed to the fire pit where Jonny Moseley spoke. He started by thanking the Mighty Mite parents for having their children participate in the program. Jonny, other well known locals Julia Mancuso, Marco Sullivan, Travis Ganong to name a few, started his successful skiing career in the ranks of the Squaw Valley Ski Team. Also present yesterday at the firepit was three time Olympian Kirsten Clark-Rickenbach. Though Kirsten did not grow up in Squaw Valley, she is a local of the valley now with her family and an advocate of the sport. She also had a few words to say to the gathered crowd about the children and the sport of skiing. All in all it was a pleasant and different way to end a day of Mighty Mites. Stay tuned as next week is the first Squaw Cup of season and Lawrence Realty is a proud sponsor.
Jonny Moseley talking to the Mighty Mite families
Andy Wirth hosts the Squaw Valley Property Owners
Monday, January 9th, 2012This past weekend members of the Squaw Valley Property Owner’s Association gathered at Olympic Village Lodge for a talk and reception hosted by Andy Wirth, Squaw Valley’s CEO. This was the rain check event that Andy promised when he got double booked last fall and had to cut his evening short when the property owner’s invited him to Graham’s Restaurant. So Andy graciously hosted everyone for a beverage or two and then got up to talk in front of the crowd.
Andy, Larry and the prayer flags
During the evening it was brought to my attention by several property owners that Andy is charting new territory by meeting with the property owners, something the previous CEO’s never seemed to do. He is a fabulous public speaker and quick to react to questions, comments and attacks on Squaw Valley and the decsions being made.
Andy shared an interesting story about his attendence to a Himilayan alliance conference. After his talking about our lack of snow to the right people at the conference, we now have monks at the base of Mt. Everest praying for snow for Squaw Valley, plus several strings of pray flags were sent to Andy.
One of the topics up for discussion that evening was snow making. We learned about a variety of factors impacting the snow making or lack of it. Here are a few… snow can be made either on Mountain Run or Red Dog, not both at the same time; over the last few weeks there has been a temperature inversion with warm air on the upper mountain; the snow making system on the mountain run was designed to augment snow and was not designed and never been used to make all the snow on the mountain run.
SVPOA dinner at Graham's Restaurant
In sounds like Squaw Valley was being attacked over the holidays about all the the things people were not happy with and all the rumors that were spreading. Andy asked us to all be advocates for Squaw Valley, help stomp out the rumurs and support the mountain. Actually from a real estate standpoint it is best for Squaw Valley to be seen in a positive light. He promised to communicate more information and sooner to property owners so we can help keep the story straight. The closing of the event was a short clip on Squaw Valley from the new Warren Miller movie. It was a nice positive way to end the talk and remind us what a wonderful place we live.
About half the crowd headed to Graham’s Restaurant after the talk for a preset 4 course meal. It was delicous, the conversation interesting and a wonderful close to the evening.
