Hello Skiers and Riders,
Day one at Squaw Valley (Alpine was not open). Red Dog and Squaw Creek chairs were operating this morning for the first time this season. It was my first day on skis this winter. The sky was gray and drops of water drifted down from the sky. Drizzle turned chairs seats into small puddles, and ski coats into wet cloth. This was intermittent during the short time we took advantage of the first available runs in Squaw Valley for the 2012-2013 season (10:00 to 11:00). We traveled up Red Dog a couple of times and sat on Squaw Creek once. It was good to get out, make a few turns, and take in fresh air. This afternoon the sky remains dark and rain is falling at the lower elevations.
There were two runs open where Squaw had made snow to assist mother nature. Interestingly enough, the steeper slopes seemed to have better coverage than the low angle slopes. The flat road slopes used to traverse between steeper areas of Red Dog and Squaw Creek were almost bare. I must give Squaw credit for trying and even opening. As we moved over the flat road portions of Red Dog, we passed a line of ski patrol and other employees hand shoveling snow from the adjacent hillside onto the bare looking road. That seemed above and beyond which is promising for the future of a well run ski area. In addition, the lift operators were using squeegees to try and dry off the chair seats. Again, it shows they are trying to make the ski experience more pleasurable and paying attention to their guests.
Although the number of runs and area available for skiing was not much better than the first day of skiing last year, the snow was softer (last year it was extremely firm). In addition, there were not many people on the slopes, and those that were on the hill seemed to be skiing in control. Last year I remember fearing for my life as too many people crowed the slope with many skiing way to fast. It was wet, but fun for a little while. Now we just keep hoping that the temperatures drop and we get more snow.
Enjoy your day,
Andy