Squaw Valley is full of legendary people and stories. There absolutely is some truth to the marketing line “The soul of skiing lives here.” One of the biggest legends, Dr. Robb Gaffney, knows more about the mountain than just about 
anyone. His book, “Squallywood: A Guide To Squaw Valley’s Most Exposed Lines” is a classic. While thousands of copies have been sold, probably more copies have been stolen. It seems like my copy is constantly missing from my bookshelf. The book, now out of print, sells on Amazon for $90-200. Ultimately the book became the basis for the Game of G.N.A.R., or Gaffney’s Numerical Assessment of Radness, It’s a game that forever changed Squaw Valley.
Gaffney is also a notable psychiatrist and founder of Sportgevity, which is promoting the development of lifelong passion for sports. Unofficial Alpine readers know that we have been all about keeping skiing and riding affordable for everyone. It leads to happy and healthy adults, kids, families and communities. Yeah, Gaffney is definitely a hero in my book.
Dr. Gaffney has served as a Mountain Ambassador at Squaw Valley for 20 years. Today, he announced his resignation from the position. Unlike a letter that was recently signed by some other ambassadors, we know this one came right from Gaffney’s heart. Here’s his statement:
Gut Instinct
After much consideration, I have resigned my position as a skiing “ambassador” of Squaw Valley. I have represented Squaw for 20 years and have thoroughly enjoyed the mountain and the camaraderie of a community energized by a shared passion for skiing, snowboarding and the outdoors. As we all know, Squaw is going through significant changes and the driving forces behind these changes have shifted the local climate in a direction that is uncomfortable for me. With all change comes tension and I welcome tension when it brings us to new and better places. But I don’t trust that this tension, at least at this time, is headed in a positive direction. I am not opposed to change, I am not anti-development, and I recognize that Squaw needs drastic updating and improvement. However, I am not comfortable being linked to an organization and a process that fundamentally disturbs me at several levels. Now that doesn’t mean I disagree with everything that has gone on in the last 3 years. I have a lot of hope and belief that the greater process will work out in Olympic Valley’s favor. But for now, as a service to my sport and as a representative of all who love sliding on snow, I am releasing any binds that could prevent me from thinking, speaking, or acting independently.
Robb Gaffney
We applaud Dr. Robb’s willingness to stick to his personal beliefs, even when it means risking a whole lot of history. It’s not easy being that guy that is willing to raise his hand and say “Something here isn’t right.” I have a whole new respect for Dr. Robb Gaffney today, and a little bit less respect for those that sold out.
If you haven’t seen it yet, here’s Robb Gaffney’s pitch for the Incorporate Olympic Valley crowdfunding campaign. It just became a whole lot more meaningful.
Robb, tonight I shall raise a glass of cheap beer in your direction, a toast to your wise leadership today.
I’m skeptical about IOV, but props to Dr. Robb for literally putting his money where his mouth is.
I applaud Dr Robb’s ability to stay true to himself. In my book, that is far more important than a free season pass.
is also sagely sitting on the fence, watching. IOV hasn’t exactly swayed them to support it. I half wonder if lots of sage advice was passed onto the iov board or if the board knew better.
God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son……Mr. Wirth loves Squaw Valley so much that he moved to Lahonton.
Don’t forget UA’s contribution to getting questions out there.
I stand with Dr Gaffney .
Sellouts? You mean the guys at UN?
Nope, the people that signed the other letter that supported Andy as the god of Squaw.
Gotta give the guy credit for standing up for what he believes!
wow, Andy is firing up
http://www.tahoedailytribune.com/northshore/10973750-113/squaw-valley-community-individuals%3Ffb_action_ids%3D551131075006419%26fb_action_types%3Dog.comments%26fb_source%3Daggregation%26fb_aggregation_id%3D288381481237582
Andy refers to hydrology reports but the Water Board said there’s just enough for only 100 new homes! Who’s right, and did the Water Board ever publish the Correction they wanted to write at the Minutes on Dec 17th 2013? Andt should fire a letter of about that.
Dr. Robb you rock..you helped save my life and you are still here for me..Must have been a hard decision and I applaud you for making it…you need to follow your heart and I know KSL is not in mine..Change happens..but this is not for the better of my neighborhood.
Affiliations are important, but you’re the one who has to look at yourself in the mirror every morning, and it’s more important you like what you see. Good move Rob.
I thought this was an unofficial Alpine site. You whine and bitch about them on an Alpine site. Who ever proclaimed Mr Gaffney an ambassador of anything? You are furthering the Squalification of Alpine.
Unfortunately KSL also owns Alpine Meadows. If there’s someone else that believes that KSL is keeping skiing lame, we’re going to mention that. Mr Gaffney happens to know Alpine better than most of us. The photo above is out near Grouse Rock.
KSL is managing (operating) partner at Alpine while JMA Ventures is the capital partner. Anyone working in commercial real estate that is privately owned would know that a capital partner has more control at the end of the day. Has anyone researched if the Title at Alpine was transferred to a new ownership entity? This would confirm “who” owns Alpine.
The town planning guy said he has titles.
IOV should put them, and road info (like classification) and easements and hydrology reports etc etc upon their site and put up meeting dates for other projects’ community meeting dates. We shouldn’t have to hope that things like 8 mile pipes are investigated by reporters.
Imo, until IOV looks like its a genuine unbiased future administrator – with a long term team of career staff and long haul board members wth soulful ideas and go-getter do’ers – it’ll be branded as a one trick pony.
At least they’re doing well in circulating minutes such as the drc minutes.
look at who owns stock in nstar, and resorts and real estate companies and other associated entities. Also look at who sits on committees and is ‘consultng’ to corporates, and look at their past political offices. Then and only then will you get an idea .
don’t forget the trusts.
don’t forget the management and service contracts.
don’t forget the deal with White Wolf
I’m pretty sure the lift side though was separated from the r.e side so the lift revenue side is safe if the realty market collapses.
regarding titles, how high are the airspace rights over WWof.
Dear Mr Schniveling,
UA is definitely NOT furthering the squalification of Alpine Meadows.
Why only the other day, Unofficial didn’t like my idea to rebrand AM as the Audi Meadows Country Club 🙂
Here is invite for Dr.Robb to ski Alpine with us! We pole whack, do pro call shout outs and claim it as good as the guys next door!
Dr G better realise we are the most rad skiers at AM y’know 🙂
….how many gnar points does HE get for skiing with us 🙂
Damned right !! Pole stealing rippers, Howler monkey rebel yells, SPECTACULAR DOUBLE EJECTIONS, best cat calls from the lifts !!! and more fun than most !! C’mon over and get some !
We’re so much radder than him 🙂
Props to Robb Gaffney!! His actions speak for themselves.
The idea to Incorporate Olympic Valley is a great idea and KSL needs to get onboard because they’re obviously threatened by the idea.
After reading the recent KSL letter from Andy and Robb’s resignation letter, I find my self asking- Does KSL own the land that Squaw Valley Road is built on or does Placer County own the road & maintenance? If neither entity owns the land, it would be considered privately owned & maintained. Right? Incorporate Olympic Valley could generate additional revenue from Leasing road access back to KSL if they choose to not be part of Incorporate Olympic Valley. This lease idea would be similar to the Leased access that White Wolf has in place for the land at the top of KT22 chair. If KSL had to build a new access road on their land, the infrastructure costs would be exorbitant and impact their Master Plan Development, let alone the environmental impacts.
Just my .02
Squaw valley road is a county road that would a part of the newly incorporated town.
KSL partners through Squaw Valley Ski Holdings owns Alpine Meadows not JMA.
Isn’t SV Rd classified as a ‘scenic highway’
I’m not sure if Scenic HWY is different to ‘county road’ but there might be big differences if it is, eg a scenic highway might qualify for grants. Ask Mike G.: he’s looking into grants.
The town might have a role as a ‘partner agency’ for things like snowclearing and sweeping it but not realigning it – KSL might fix cambers and icy tight bends so traffic accidents don’t leave you sitting in traffic for ever. I’m pretty sure I read that in that not-so-clear nop or spec plan docts. It was an idea put to KSL ages ago – and they either had the same idea or they listened. Either way, I don’t think a town has to pay for that or pay for more than snowclearing. Ask Van Nort??? ask Andy? Ask them both.
Btw look at the projected traffic in tahoe by 2030 in this doc from 2012.
Look also at all the traffic projects.
A town will be part of something bigger. The town will need admin staff who make a career out of this especially if an iov board are part time volunteers beseiged with all the crap politics and backstabbbing in the corridors of power. Ask Barb what she thought she’d get into and what the reality is. It’s not a walk in an open zoned park!
http://www.dot.ca.gov/dist3/departments/planning/tcr/tcr89.pdf
Ask Public Information Officer CalTrans District 3 / Tahoe Basin Outreach Coordinator
703 B Street, Marysville, Ca 95901 530-741-4566 what type of road it is and what the implicatons are, and if you’ll be hung drawn and quartered.
I don’t think you’d get far if you put a boomgate and tollboth on it, but I bet ksl drooled at the idea of paid parking. Have you noticed the assidious refusal to say parking will be forever free?
Have you noticed the mass transit stops are still lurking there so …maybe ….one day you’ll pay to park in the 1 level parking area over the ground level carpark unless you catch the bus from mass centers like the one in TC?
I sure hope IOV, when its born, is astute enough to draft up conditions to stop that. Also, let’s pray IOV never succumbs to the temptation to ‘get in on’ paid parking.
– Dick Turpin
I never thought I’d see Old Goat doubting if IOV is the way.
Is it time for IOV to reignite the passion and show its more than a head contractor for outsourced services?
If we honestly look at the issue, the main reason people want the incorporation of Olympic Valley is to stop/ control the proposed expansion by Squaw Valley. It just another tactic in the long running NIMBY war. However these flatland interlopers who oppose the current expansion by KSL have historically oppose ANY development. As an Olympic Valley resident who has been for here for three decades I appreciate the economic benefit Squaw Valley has provided; in jobs, tourism, and ever increasing property values. I also like Doppelmayr lifts over what was and without growth Squaw Valley becomes Donner Ski Ranch. Squaw Valley finally has an owner that has a world class plan and wants to built a community. KSL has listen and adjusted their plans, but sooner or later the adults in the room have to move forward and realize that that wining sound of the NIMBY crowd in the valley will never stop. The heritage of Squaw demands a World Class Ski Area. That’s what true Olympic Valley residents deserve, not a city bureaucracy. Andy Wirth has a track record of successful management and investors that hold him accountable, you don’t make a billion dollar bet and mismanage it. I trust him more than a bunch of flatland elitists who have some “commune” inspired understanding of economics. If the development does not go through KSL will pull out of the valley, and we are back to the “robber baron owner days”, who could care less about community, the environment, homeowners, and employees. Residence of the valley do not own Squaw – they are customers of the resort. To think that they have a absolute say in its direction after economically benefiting from it with no personal risk is ludicrous and shows their true dishonesty-its not for the community’s benefit- it for their greedy benefit only- they got theirs to hell with the rest of us. As a person who relies on Squaw for my livelihood I say build the project. Hell build it ten times over and while you’re at it have squaw take one of its D10 dozers and go all Marvin Heemeyer on the flatlanders houses who oppose the development.
What happened to Intrawest and how many of these amazing executives worked for Intrawest? They have a great track record so if we go the way of mammoth into bankruptcy, we will have experienced people to lead us.
Have a look at Amex’s report at sec.gov.au for the 2008 and 2009 and onwards as they battled things. The latest was filed a week ago, and they’ve had interesting times with the federal regulatory people, a bit like poor old Hewlett’s woes with the DoJ. $108m. I’d like to see KSL’s business modelling before pointing fingers at IOV’s initial assessment.
I hope Peter explaind the varous modelling that KSL might use to either be a success or a half baked rehash of failed modelling.
Ask Packard’s ex treasurer if he looked at the modeling, and who’s the guy who said at a meeting ‘what’s in it for me?”
Looks like a County can agree to not charge a cent in ‘ransom/alimony’ or can demand huge amounts infinitely
http://nipomonews.org/2006/12/30/what-is-revenue-neutrality/
Will IOV overcome that hurdle?
Mark,
If you trawl though this you’ll see Andy Wirth was guest speaker on things like mass travel to California and the Winter Olympics bid for Tahoe.
We read ads by the SOV people about how KSL are great for the north lake but where do the SOV and IOV sit on all the things a Winter Games will bring to Tahoe!
Can you find out where people stand.
http://www.visitcalifornia.com/media/uploads/files/editor/2_22_12CommissionMtingPosted.pdf
I thought it died: Is it not Norway, China, Poland-Solvakia and Khazikstan bidding for these games, or is the bid on the backburner like the Timberline rolling coaster?
Tell me again how great these Leadershp ideas are.
Let’s see:
Carpark vanishes, carpark re-appears
Mass Transit buses appear, and disappear,
$5m 64 acres is on a site that won’t support the traffic so we need a road now on USFS land near TC/Homewood – and maybe to AM/SV. Can we fit a 20 mile pipe on that?
All these brilliant leaders should sit down and work things out.
Andy could go down in history as The Man if he can secure a Winter Games bid with the help of Nevada (who contributed $750k I see) and help from all the Politicians named around page 47.
How awesome would it if an ex olympian lit the Flame at Squaw again.
Who would you chose to light the infernal flame.
Please ask the SOV Treasurer gentleman about the dollars, tax revenue and visitor numbers for that grand vision for Tahoe because, with respect to IOV, they probably don’t think how great it’d be to build a “Sochi” or a “Beijing”.
Regarding the couple who queried if IOV would be good for the region, please ask them where they stand on these visions.
Behind the bleating about “it’s too big” “it’s just right”and ” won a medal and I trust my pal”, and “he’s a nice guy” there’s more going on with more jigsaw pieces than you can poke an 8 mile pipe at.