Squaw Valley USA

Skiing at Squaw is epic, tinged with Olympic history, but summer is golden as well. The Wanderlust Festival of yoga and music, hiking, swimming and hot tubbing brought me back to Squaw in July, and the best moments were on top of the peak where I found this old tree that had so much personality. I returned 3 times to swim in Shirley Lake and bask in the beauty of the mule ears, purple flowers, patches of snow and Alpine air.

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Squaw Valley, California is known to be the ski lovers paradise during the winter months, but when given the chance, the mountain can offer the best of nature even in it's off-season. When choosing which trail map to use the locals will heave a sigh and offer their fair warning, "The trail diverges at times, but just keep following the creek and you'll get there." Little do you know, you're about to discover new ground that has never been trekked on before. Getting lost is inevitable, discovering nature is your priceless reward. Four miles of hiking trails, one mile of beginner-style rock climbing, a serene lake-side picnic beside Shirley Lake and an adventure thriving half-day later you will fall for Squaw Valley come sun or snow.

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As you slip off the lift, breath misting in the frigid air and knees still shaking from your last blast down one of Squaw Valley’s challenging ski runs, you’re fiddling with gloves and bindings and goggles and not paying much attention to your surroundings. All of a sudden, you reach the top of the slope and the view opens out in front of you. A ramp of fine white powder dropping steeply at your feet, lined by frosted firs plucked straight from a picture postcard. Way off to the east are the steely blue waters of Lake Tahoe, flat and vast in the valley beneath a roil of fluffy cotton-wool clouds. You take a deep breath, the air so cold and sharp and pure it hurts, the view so clear and still it seems hushed with expectation. Launch yourself down the mountain, become one with the picture.

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It’s tough to know where to start when taking in Squaw for the first time. Most arrive early at KT-22, with coffee and a whole lot of “this one time” stories. Some opt for the classic Funitel start, which delivers you to the upper mountain and a multiple of challenging routes (most notably the Palisades and Mainline) via Siberia or Headwall. And still others choose to start lower on Red Dog or Squaw Creek in hopes of finding the goods in the trees. No matter where you start, or finish for that matter, Squaw has it all. If you tire of the lake views and endless steeps on the front side, simply jump on one of their 31 lifts and head to Granite Chief for an inbounds backcountry-like experience. Or, if it’s park you want, check out the world-class Superpipe and jump lines built by Tom Richards and crew.
—Read more and get current conditions at Powder Magazine.

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