It’s Not Just About The Logo At Alpine Meadows

We hear the same argument frequently. It usually starts with someone saying “They can change the logo to anything they want, but it will still be Alpine Meadows.” The same suggestions were made this week when Squaw Valley Ski Holdings announced the naming of the “Pacific Crest Bowls”. While 85% of readers responding to our poll this week did not like the new name scheme, a smaller percentage commented that it did not matter what you named the bowls, the skiing and riding would still be the same.

While we’ve never believed such statements, there seemed to be some new sentiments today. Squaw Valley released its October edition of Squaw magazine. Here’s the quotes that have been getting the most attention:

“Often overlooked and historically under-marketed, the expansive back bowls of Alpine Meadows offer vast terrain for every type of skier and snowboarder.”

“A lot of people don’t even know these beautiful, wide open bowls exist” says Cara Whitley, Squaw and Alpine’s chief marketing officer, “We wanted to bring to life the fact that the bowls are appropriate for intermediate skiers through experts.”   –Squaw Magazine, October 2014

Undermarketed? Not any more. Sure those runs have been on the maps for years, and people can see the tracks from the Sherwood lift. But never have they been marketed as terrain appropriate for intermediate skiers, which in general, they are not. While intermediates might do fine with a short trek over the Upper Saddle into CB Chute or even Sun Bowl, the terrain past there is hardly wide open bowls, friendly to intermediates.

We could ask “What were they thinking?”, but we already know the answer. These marketing decisions are being made by people that don’t know the mountain, and likely aren’t even skiers, because if they were, they would know that this terrain is not for intermediates. They have not seen the large cornices develop, or the minefield of chunder than can develop when those cornices drop or bowls slide during control work. They haven’t been caught in a line that closes out over a cliff or a wide band of barely covered scree.

What will happen when that dad with a 6 year old “intermediate skier” doesn’t stop before one of those drops, or when someone’s mother takes a slide for life into the Granite Chief Wilderness because she didn’t understand the difference between the snow conditions on the two sides of the ridge? Whether or not a tragedy happens, the “marketing effort” made by Squaw will likely turn the amazing terrain that we know as High Traverse into just another place that gets tracked out in an hour by the overflow traffic from Squaw Valley.

If you don’t believe it, think about how Munchkins was just never the same after articles in Powder and Freeskiers literally opened the floodgates. We’re not the only one’s concerned today, here’s a selection of comments we have seen:

“Who writes this *&%$? “Undermarketed” is the key word. Hey Andy! How about inviting a bunch of intermediate gaper skiers to ski the “often overlooked and undermarketed Keyhole………” We better make room in the parking lot for Care Flight on a daily basis.” -CM

“Can’t wait till I see my first gaper shivering in fear as the winds come over the crest and the snow is blowing then vertigo sets in and they have no idea what way to go and there is a 10′ cornice staring them in the face. This is so awesome… Mark my word that the bowls will be closed a lot more than they are open due to this marketing to intermediate riders.” -CB

“The old locals like my dad are super upset about this.” -BA

“A lot of people don’t even know these beautiful, wide-open bowls exist” Really? all it takes are a pair of eyes to see the tracks from almost anywhere on the mountain to see these epic lines. Thank you for marketing my favorite lines–I really wanted more people to take them from me.” -TB

“Often overlooked and historically under-marketed”… THAT’S THE POINT!!!” -JA

Yes, things will definitely change, especially with the marketing effort to get tourists to buy $699 tours to help them find these “secret stashes”. Yes, that article also appeared in the magazine too.

But there’s much more to it than the huge marketing push for this “new terrain”.  Several people have been quick to point out that the Alpine Meadows experience has been erased bit by bit since 2011. One reader summarized the changes pretty neatly with this list posted on the Friends Of Alpine Meadows Facebook page:

Why is our skiing experience being diminished?

1. Greatly shortened season and operating hours. 12/12 opening, early closing, no early operation hours in the spring, late starts on normal “storm days”.
2. Not enough lifts operating during peak days (ABC/Yellow)
3. Elimination of special events
4. Nominal mountain improvements
5. No major investment in snowmaking, terrain parks or low snow planning…it is as if they did not learn from the past three years and still hope for a “big year”:.
6. Use of Alpine as “Squaw’s” overflow area
7. Early season focus on Squaw rather than Alpine, which is higher in elevation, has real vert, no downloading and has access to off-piste, even in low-snow.
8. Increase in child ticket prices – opposite direction than we need! If we want a future in this sport, we need to make skiing super affordable for families trying to learn.
9. Major team price increases.
10. Loss of parking to “VIP $$$” spots
11. Increased wind-holds and weather holds that would never have occured in the past.
12. Charging Aspen prices for a “no-frills” ski experience!

-DS

It is painful to watch our ski area being transformed before our very eyes. Many of us have chosen to live here because of Alpine Meadows. We have built our lives and families around skiing our favorite mountain. It’s much more than combining a logo and renaming some bowls. While this might come across as elitist to KSL’s marketing department, it’s the locals and faithful daytrippers that make Alpine Meadows unique. John Riley, Peter Klaussen, and all of the other Alpine Meadows forefathers must be rolling in their graves.

#FreeAlpine