Season Expectations Get A Bit More Official

Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows has released a few more details about what to expect for the upcoming season, now less than a month away. There were no real surprises for me on that list, as I’ve been watching other resort announcements all summer. We published a list of unofficial expectations back on August 12th. It turns out most of our guesses were spot on.

You can see the basics of the press release from SVAM President Ron Cohen at the SkiAlpine.com website. But to really get down to more significant details, you’ll want to check the FAQ tab. Or, you can just check the summary below. Each item is followed with an assessment of whether our initial guess in August was correct.

• Face coverings are going to be required, obviously indoors, but likely outdoors as well. Single layer face coverings are not acceptable. Correct
• Lifts will not be fully loaded. You will likely be advised to ride only with members of your household. Expect to see a lot of doubles loading on quad chairs. Some mountains suggest they could load two singles on the opposite ends of a quad or two couples on the opposite ends of a sixer. Correct
• Merging lift lines may not be a thing this year, as combining groups is something that will be discouraged. We could see the older form of separate lines all moving forward, and the front row being called out, as Alpine Meadows operated until Kate left. Correct
• Lift corrals will need more space at the bottom of the hill in order to provide more space between people. Correct
• Group lesson sizes will decrease and require a reservation. Lessons will only be available to those 8 yo and older. Mostly Correct
• Rentals will likely require a reservation, with much of the paperwork being done online ahead of time. You will likely be asked to pick your equipment sizes and enter things that would affect adjustments ahead of time. This would allow most customers to simply walk up and pick up gear and go to the snow. Correct
• Walk up day tickets will not be available, limited reserved day tickets may be available Mostly Correct
• No reservations will be required for pass holders (yet). We’re happy to call ourselves incorrect here.
• Operations could be limited due to limited staffing. Restrictions on international travel and work visas are going to impact the ski areas and surrounding communities in a big way this year. We may not see 100% lift operations, especially mid-week. Correct
• Then again, if this summer is any indication, the difference between mid-week and weekends has been blurred quite a bit. Remains to be seen
• Most areas of the lodge will have to be open to provide restrooms and provide protection from weather on stormy days. Correct
• Seating will likely be reduced to provide for more spacing. A commonly heard number is that 50% of seating capacity will be removed. Correct
• Seating will focus on providing a space for eating and a respite from the cold. Guests are asked to limit time indoors to 15 minutes. Vehicles are suggested as an alternative shelter option. Correct
• There will likely be more emphasis on ready made food and self service options to reduce the amount of queuing up to order and waiting for food. Correct
• As much as possible, food service will be offered outdoors. More seating will be available. Additional umbrellas and fire pits will be added. Mostly Correct
• Bar services will possibly be limited to beer, wine and ready made cocktails served on the deck of the Base Lodge and the Chalet. Indoor bars may not open until Placer County is at yellow “Minimal” ranking for COVID Didn’t see this one coming
• Contactless payment and credit cards are the norm for payment. Correct
• Seasonal lockers will be open this year Mostly Correct
• Seasonal locker users are asked to limit their time in the locker room to 15 minutes. Mostly Correct
• Seasonal locker rooms will have all extra movable furniture removed, including tables and microwaves. Correct
• The day use lockers are another story. Keeping them sanitized would require a small army…or an industrial fogger. Indeed, electrostatic foggers have been purchased to help in this sort of area. Maybe Correct
• The Park N Ride shuttles from Truckee used on peak days and holidays will not operate this year. Correct

There’s a few things we didn’t address at all in August.

• Seasonal teams are on at this time, with no specific mention of limitations. One would assume that teams will split into smaller packs this season.
• Shuttles between Alpine Meadows and Squaw Valley will operate at 50% capacity. At that, it still seems like a bad idea.
• The Mountaineer service will return this year, again with reduced capacity. Uhm, yeah, again, no thank you.

There’s a number of things on the FAQ that are specific to Squaw Valley. Dining, yes. Tubing, yes. Mini Snowmobiles, no….but you should check out the details if you’re looking for something more than skiing and riding.

We really hope that, with the help of us customers, Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows can pull it off this year and provide us with an opportunity for lift served skiing and riding. There’s no doubt that they will need everyone to work together to make it happen.

Here’s the big thing, the work to keep our ski season in play needs to be done now. The numbers of COVID cases and associated hospitalizations and death is rising in many areas of the country, including parts of California and Nevada. It was my intention to write a blog post about it here, but someone beat me to it. Alan Henceroth, the Chief Operations Officer of Arapahoe Basin, covered it just right in Al’s Blog:

We can’t let our guard down now. It’s not just the wearing of face coverings, washing hands and social distancing that will save us. It’s avoiding gatherings, especially indoor gatherings, of any sort. This is the year for a skipping that big Thanksgiving dinner, or not having the whole company get together for a holiday party, or not booking that little ski condo with 25 of your best buddies. Just remember, lift served skiing is worth it. So is keeping people alive.

If we lose a few subscribers because we believe in science, we’re okay with that…