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The Best Season Passholder Party At Alpine Meadows In A Long Time

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We have to admit, we were a little bit apprehensive about how this thing was going to turn out. But tonight there was no doubt that there was plenty of soul left at Alpine Meadows. That soul lives in the mountain, in the people that have spent their lives on that mountain, and in the employees that worked tirelessly to make it all work. It totally worked at every possible level for the 2014 Season Passholder Party.

The registration process was fast and efficient, and registration continued right on up to 6:30. Somehow, between Facebook, our posts, Snowbrains,com and a last minute push message from the Alpine Meadows app, a solid crowd of Alpine Meadows faithful poured through the breezeways and loaded onto the Summit Chair. I heard one person guess 500 people were in attendance, but I think it’s probably quite a bit higher. It was tough to estimate, as the crowd spread all over the top of Summit.

The mountain top festivities included a fire pit (maybe more than 1?), some music, some hot chocolate, and a whole lot of smiles. My favorite of the evening was watching the smile of Alpine Meadows GM Scott Swietanski, looking out over the happy crowds atop the mountain. Plenty of people seemed to have smuggled some other beverages to the top, and that just seemed to add to the joviality of the evening.

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Moonrise to the east, sunset to the west

The sun and the moon were stunning, doing their thing right on schedule, around 7:25. While the sun set in the west over the Granite Chief Wilderness, the full moon rose in the east over Lake Tahoe. The photo opportunities were endless. Shortly after, patrol opened the fence, allowing people to do the twilight ski or board on the freshly groomed surface of Alpine Bowl back to the lodge. Others lingered near the top and found more creative lines down the hill. One group of friends staged a derby through Hot Wheels Gully, while another explored some different routes down Gunner’s Knob.

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The twilight descent begins in Alpine Bowl

The BBQ offered it’s typical menu, as did the Last Chair Bar. Plenty of people seemed happy with that offering, while others were content to sit around the fire on the Sun Deck and enjoy a beer or two. It was a lot of pure awesomeness.

We saw many people sporting the Alpine Meadows love tonight. There was logo wear all over the place. We loved that the registration table was offering awesome Alpine Meadows die cut stickers for everyone. Alpine Meadows has one of the most recognizable logos in the industry and we hope it never goes away!

Thanks to all of the Alpine Meadows employees that pulled together to make this event a reality. We know it required a huge effort from everyone. Seeing all of the smiles and that old Alpine Meadows vibe meant your efforts were totally worthwhile.

You can click on any of the pictures below to enter the gallery mode and see larger versions with captions.

6 thoughts on “The Best Season Passholder Party At Alpine Meadows In A Long Time”

  1. Dear Andy, Scott & Da Crew!

    THANKS!

    Love the pics.

    Love the report.

    Love the stoke.

    Really glad all the logistical issues were fully planned.

  2. Sometimes I think corporations and private equity firms lose sight of the fact that ski areas are all about the camaraderie.

    Nice job by KSL to create a passholder party for the soul of skiing to enjoy.

  3. Earth moving experiences.

    Looks like a win/win for the lift company and the hardcore locals. Gee, imagine what could be achieved if both sides really worked together, as KSL did when they moved buildings and roads.

    Did the earth move for you?

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