North Lake Tahoe celebrates the 2016-17 winter season with new non-stop flights from Long Beach, Atlanta and Dallas along with an array of on and off-mountain experiences that encapsulate a storybook winter escape. The region introduces more than $4.1 million in updates to snowmaking, grooming equipment and on-mountain safety. Improvements also include new backcountry experiences, the 2017 Audi FIS Ski World Cup, innovative green initiatives, and celebratory events to mark the season.
New Non-stop Flight Services to North Lake Tahoe
Reno-Tahoe International Airport announces several new non-stop flight service routes, offering more travelers the opportunity to experience Lake Tahoe during the 2016-17 winter season. Visitors traveling from Long Beach can now fly daily on JetBlue Airlines, Delta Airlines will launch a non-stop flight from Atlanta on December 19, and Southwest Airlines adds non-stop service from Dallas on January 6.
Events
Holiday Season 2016 at Squaw Valley
Squaw Valley I Alpine Meadows ignites the holiday spirit with a torch, providing a new roster of ongoing holiday activities while transforming The Village at Squaw Valley® into an “Olde World Christmas” including vignette storefronts from Christmases past. Opening Ceremonies include a torch light parade on Exhibition Trail, a 25-foot-tall Singing Christmas Tree, and illuminated ice sculptures in the Ice Garden at Olympic Village Lodge. The full December 17 – 31 schedule includes free and ticketed events such as holiday parties, horse drawn sleigh rides, storytelling with Santa, and farm to table dinners with Olympians and legends. Entertainment includes performances by the Truckee Dance Factory, Reno Jazz Orchestra, and TOCCATA - Tahoe Symphony Orchestra and Chorus, all culminating on New Year’s Eve with the Squaw Valley Prom presented by the High Fives Foundation.
2017 Audi FIS Ski World Cup at Squaw Valley
Alpine World Cup ski racing returns to Squaw Valley March 9-12, 2017 on the legendary Red Dog run that hosted the 1969 World Cup and 1960 Olympics. The Audi FIS Ski World Cup at Squaw Valley features Olympic champions like Mikaela Shiffrin and Squaw Valley’s own Julia Mancuso, who will compete in the women’s giant slalom March 10 and the women’s slalom March 11. The March 9-12 schedule of events also includes concerts, fireworks and parties.
Diamond Peak Celebrates with 50th Anniversary Events All Season Long
Founded in 1966 as Ski Incline, Diamond Peak celebrates its golden anniversary with a series of events focused on the history of the resort. Expect a historic ski/snowboard film and speaker series featuring classic ski films from the 1960s through today, stories and multimedia from the resort’s past, plus decade-specific costume contests and other ways to join in the fun. In addition, Diamond Peak’s lodge will display images and memorabilia from throughout the resort’s history.
Snow Making, Surface and Trail Improvements
Squaw Valley I Alpine Meadows Launches Snowmaking & Surface Enhancements
Squaw Valley I Alpine Meadows invests $1.4 million in snow surface enhancements for the 2016-17 season. Alpine Meadows improves the snowmaking infrastructure on Kangaroo Run, frequently used by ski racers for training. Squaw Valley investments include three new SMI fan guns, 12 HKD low energy guns, replacement of air and water pipelines and upgrades to 102 automatic snowmaking hydrants, allowing the system to go online at high speeds. These enhancements reduce the communication time from the hydrant to the snowmaking pump house from minutes to seconds, increasing the ability to operate more snow guns simultaneously.
Squaw Valley I Alpine Meadows perfects trail surfaces with two new PistenBully 600 Winch Cats designed for grooming steep slopes. These powerhouse machines allow for maximum ground coverage and high angle grooming while providing fuel savings over current machines. A PistenBully 100 and a PistenBully ParkPro also join the fleet at Alpine Meadows, with the ParkPro dedicated to precision shaping in the terrain parks.
An additional $1.5 million in snow removal equipment at both Squaw Valley and Alpine Meadows improves ease and timeliness to lift access on big snow days.
Mt. Rose Trail Improvements & Snowmaking Upgrades
Previously requiring significant natural snowfall in order to be constructed from the unload of the Blazing Zephyr 6 chairlift to the upper section of the Northwest Passage trail on the north side of the mountain, the Main Lodge return trail is now graded and contoured into a more productive, functional ski trail. As a result of these improvements and requiring only minimal snowmaking, the Slide Bowl side of the resort is now expected to be accessible much earlier in the season than ever before.
System improvements more than double the amount of snow that can be produced, allowing the resort to make snow more efficiently and offer expanded areas of terrain.
Homewood Snowcat Adventures Begin First Full Season
Following the successful launch of Homewood Snowcat Adventures during the last half of the 2015-16 winter season, the resort again offers snowcat accessed backcountry skiing and riding during the 2016-17 season. Groups of up to 10 advanced level skiers and riders can enjoy guided access to over 750 acres of tree runs, steeps, glades, backcountry bowls and untouched powder. All day packages include lift access at Homewood, the snowcat tour, backcountry gear and professional instruction related to mountain safety practices.
Dining
Squaw Valley I Alpine Meadows Offers Refreshed Dining Experiences
Newly appointed Food & Beverage Director, Steve Moberly and Executive Chef, Tiffany Swan offer guests a new lineup of dining options and experiences for the 2016-17 winter season. New offerings include an expanded Moonlit Snowshoe Tour & Dinner series at the mid-mountain Chalet at Alpine Meadows, Farm to Table Dinner + Movie series at Olympic Valley Lodge and the ever-popular holiday dinners on Thanksgiving, New Year’s Eve and Valentine’s Day. In addition, menus across the resort are reinvigorated with more fresh and healthy options, including items locally sourced from the Tahoe Food Hub and more grab-and-go offerings to help guests get back out for more laps on the mountain.
New Aprés Ski Options at Resort at Squaw Creek
Ski the 2,000 vertical feet of steeps, chutes and cliffs on KT22 at Squaw Valley and end the day with the drink named after the classic ski run inside Six Peaks Grill at Resort at Squaw Creek. Voted best chairlift in North America, KT-22 is an expert’s nirvana and an iconic chairlift—worthy of an artfully crafted namesake beverage. The cocktail is made with Hangar 1 vodka swirled with pomegranate juice and fresh pressed lime, finished with a float of house white oak barrel aged Grand Marnier.
Wild Bill’s BBQ at Snowflake Lodge
After a successful introductory season, Chef Bill Vandenburg expands Wild Bill’s BBQ offerings at Diamond Peak’s mid-mountain Snowflake Lodge. Hungry skiers and riders can find authentic barbecue, slow cooked and smoked on site, with house-made barbecue sauces and tasty sides. Daily offerings include smoked tri-tip, chicken, pulled pork, pork ribs, burgers and sausages. Check out Wild Bills BBQ satellite location at the Base Lodge on weekends and holiday periods.
Mountain Safety
Squaw Valley I Alpine Meadows Implements Avalanche Mitigation Systems
After being the first to install a remote controlled avalanche mitigation system in 2015, Squaw Valley I Alpine Meadows installs $1.2 million in four new major Gazex Avalanche Mitigation Systems, two at Squaw Valley located at Gold Coast Ridge and Mainline Pocket, and two at Alpine Meadows located at South Peril and High Yellow. In addition to Ski Patrol efforts, the Gazex Inertia Exploders may decrease delays in lift start times, and increase the efficiency of Ski Patrol in opening the ski areas.
Lodging Offers, Tickets & Deals
Squaw Valley I Alpine Meadows Partners with China’s Genting Secret Garden Resort
The 2016-17 ski and ride season marks the beginning of a strategic alliance with China’s Genting Secret Garden Resort, future host of the snowboarding and freestyle events for the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics. The partnership with Genting Secret Garden Resort provides exclusive discounts for season pass holders, including five free days of skiing and the ultimate bragging rights of skiing and riding at two Olympic host resorts.
Squaw Valley Provides Expanded Ticketing Services
A new permanent ticket center in the Aerial Tram lobby opens with eight fixed locations to increase ease and convenience of the purchase process. In addition, two portable ticket stations are now at The Mountain Stream ticketing location next to Uncorked Wine Bar, open on peak days and weekends, offering a total of seven ticketing stations conveniently located for guests arriving through the eastern end of The Village at Squaw Valley®.
Stay Free at Hyatt Lake Regency Lake Tahoe
Take advantage of Snow on Sale, allowing guests to secure a free fourth night stay when booking three consecutive nights. The promotion will run throughout the season and gives visitors the opportunity to spend an extra day on the slopes, relaxing fireside or exploring the Sierra Nevada.
Diamond Peak Flex Pass
With 50 years of affordable, family-friendly fun, Diamond Peak knows a thing or two about how to save skiers and snowboarders money. The special 2016-17 “golden” Flex Pass multiday ticket is the perfect way to ski more and save more this season, with prices as low as $50/day for adults. Available in 2-7 day increments, the direct-to-lift Flex Pass is fully transferable, can be used any day and is valid all season long.
Diamond Peak Presents More Season Pass Holder Bonus Days
Diamond Peak 2016-17 season pass holders enjoy 44 complimentary non- holiday lift tickets at 11 partner mountains this season. Participating resorts include Boreal Mountain Resort, Homewood Mountain Resort, June Mountain Ski Area, Bogus Basin, Lee Canyon, Red Lodge Mountain Resort, Whitefish Mountain Resort, Purgatory Resort, Arizona Snowbowl, Pajarito Mountain Ski Area and Sipapu Ski & Summer Resort.
Green Initiatives
Squaw Valley Removes Single-Use Serving Items
The 2016-17 season brings the removal of single-use serving items. Single-use items are replaced with reusable cups, dishes and silverware to further reduce waste and involve guests in the resort’s commitment to sustainability and reducing waste resort-wide.
POW Parking
Squaw Valley I Alpine Meadows partners with Protect Our Winters (POW) to offer free premium POW Parking to guests who carpool to the resort with four or more passengers in the vehicle. The program aligns with the resort’s mission to reduce its carbon footprint, raise awareness about how transportation contributes to climate change, and promote carpooling and efficient transportation within the region. In one year, a 20% passholder participation rate would remove 657 vehicles from the road reducing 758 metric tons of carbon dioxide, equivalent of electrifying 104 homes for one year, or burning 85,293 gallons of gasoline.
Technology
New Squaw Valley I Alpine Meadows App
The new Squaw Valley I Alpine Meadows app offers real-time lift, trail and snow data for iPhone and Android along with unique new features including real-time group tracking, compiling individual season data such as total vertical climb and lifts skied, chairlift wait times, and a responsive navigation map that points out key locations in relation to the user.
For more information about North Lake Tahoe visit www.GoTahoeNorth.com.
