North Shore Mags: Squaw or Alpine this year?

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Originally Posted by Spats

Opening Day at Rose last season was a laugh. All the Rose passholders were sitting in the lodge drinking coffee and BSing and not going anywhere as of about 8:20, and there were four guys already in line who had obviously been there for quite a while. Finally people started rolling out to join them at about 8:30.

I noticed once I got out there that they were Squaw locals with day passes :D

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.Do you think this year was an anomaly because the snow sucked down low?

With the snow line often sitting around 8,000 ft this year I think it just pushed alot of people to Rose

ON topic:
Freshies if the $$ is not a problem you should probably give Squaw a try just too see if you like the vibe, But it is WAY Different than Alpine.

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Originally Posted by freshies

that email reponse from Squaw was fooking classic! he could have saved a lot of time typing all that with a simple: "fook you. if you don't like it, don't buy it"

hmm, lots of good feedback here, thanks all! still on the fence, but I have a month to figure it out. 10 yrs of passes @ Alpine makes it a natural right of summer to renew, hard to think that I may be going over to the dark side and cheating on my lady with that hussy Squaw :D

still the $749 full pass @ Alpine would allow me to still buy 5-10 daily tix @ Squaw over the season, and have good days @ both. but over the last 10 years or so, I have probably only skied Squaw like 20 times max...you know how it goes: once you have a pass somewhere, you don't want to spend extra $ going somewhere else, unless you can get a hook-up.

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Buy 5 "good anytime" Squaw tickets off Craigslist when you see a good deal early in the season. You'll have them to hook up when want and you don't have to think about buying a day ticket.

Night skiing at Squaw is a blast too. Stash a 6 pack, play in the park, and blast mountain runs when the snow is good.

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Originally Posted by MTT

.Do you think this year was an anomaly because the snow sucked down low?

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I bet they sold a lot of day tickets they wouldn't have otherwise, especially amongst Tahoe and Reno locals.

I don't know how much of that translates into season tickets this year, though.

freshies--
totally feel you on the fact that it's hard to justify day passes when you hold a pass somewhere else. that's why i'd say you have to just commit to one or the other.

i'd suggest committing to squaw. you might get skunked on a few pow days, but you'll learn the mountain and find stashes of your own. you have the eye for it, clearly.

in my opinion, alpine is good...but the terrain isn't anywhere near as challening. even though you may be 37, you can (and do, i'm sure!) still ride hard...which does not have to include airing it out through/over the fingers.

if the snow's good, you'll still have an amazing time. you are a hardcore skier. it's in your blood. you're absolutely not going to have a "bad" time.

go for it!

if you stick with alpine again, you're likely to always stay there. being older shouldn't mean that you're not open to trying new experiences.

I have a different debate. Squaw vs Alpine is no question for me.....Squaw is the only option.

---this only applies to weekend warriors....if you ski everyday, it is a different story.

My debate is pass vs tickets:
$1330 divided by $52 (which is the deal if you have the Four pack, buy 4 get 5th free), means you need 26 days to make money back.

There are approx approx 22 weekend Dec - Apr.

So, are you going to go up every weekend, and are you going to ski multiple days. Also are you going backcountry.

We went tickets last year, and are going to do the same this year. Last year, with the late start it really paid off. We both skied around days at Squaw (so $1000 instead of $1330).....then we got another 20-30 between a few trips, backcountry days and XC days.

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Originally Posted by Huckwheat

I have a different debate. Squaw vs Alpine is no question for me.....Squaw is the only option.

---this only applies to weekend warriors....if you ski everyday, it is a different story.

My debate is pass vs tickets:
$1330 divided by $52 (which is the deal if you have the Four pack, buy 4 get 5th free), means you need 26 days to make money back.

There are approx approx 22 weekend Dec - Apr.

So, are you going to go up every weekend, and are you going to ski multiple days. Also are you going backcountry.

We went tickets last year, and are going to do the same this year. Last year, with the late start it really paid off. We both skied around days at Squaw (so $1000 instead of $1330).....then we got another 20-30 between a few trips, backcountry days and XC days.

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everybody should do the calculation about how many days it takes to pay back their pass.

round here, our 06/07 ("extended") season from 12/2 - 4/8 is listed as having 38 weekend days. is your calc for dec-april off? that would affect the decision, natch.

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Originally Posted by upallnight

round here, our 06/07 ("extended") season from 12/2 - 4/8 is listed as having 38 weekend days. is your calc for dec-april off? that would affect the decision, natch.

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Huck said 22 weekends, not weekend days.

Go watch immersion again, and your mind should be made up.

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Originally Posted by alpinedad

Huck said 22 weekends, not weekend days.

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i just got an F in reading comprehension. sorry, i mis-read your post.

squaw = lower pass price than jackson, longer season. no-brainer! :)

actually, JH has a 'weekend-only' pass for folks like my wife. squaw doesn't have that option, though, do they? (I had the full pass when living there.)

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Originally Posted by onehotchili

what timing.... but a buddy of mine just forwarded me a response from Squaw about their pass prices. Squaw sounds just a little "arrogant" about things...

FYI, he sent them the following comment via their website:
"your season pass prices are a joke!!"

this is their response:
."

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Who said anything about northstar? We're talking about skiing.


That's it though. I'm getting a squaw pass. I'm also timing my walk from the car to a lift on a snow day. If it's over 2 minutes.....whooboy, somebody's gettin a nasty email.

freshies: sugarbowl finally posted their prices......sugarwood thing insn't bad. Especially since there's a split in the road on your way up here that goes south.

Tons of great feedback guys! you are all persuasuive in your own way, so much so that after reading a pro-Squaw one, I was like "Fook it! Squaw here I come!" I am not too old to change my ways and step it up :D

Yeah, the break even days of the pass takes on a whole new meaning with Sqaw. At Alpine, its no-brain'er for $779, because I do a lot of 2-3 hour pow mornings, then jet back up to the house to check emails and work the rest of the day. If I were buying day passes for almost $60, I think it would be hard to justify (mentally) bailing after an hour or two...

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Originally Posted by kidwoo

Who said anything about northstar? We're talking about skiing.

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POTD! Beautifully succinct and full of sting! :yourock:

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That's it though. I'm getting a squaw pass. I'm also timing my walk from the car to a lift on a snow day. If it's over 2 minutes.....whooboy, somebody's gettin a nasty email.

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Welcome aboard. C u there!
I barely broke even on my pass this year but lost days due to windhold and no electricity, esp over New Years. Still, it's nice just to walk from the car to the Funitel or KT without stopping on a powder or stoke day.

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Originally Posted by gageyk

...Squaw Vally passholders who had Mt Rose passes as well this past season. It usally takes a few storms for Squaw Valley to get good in the early season.

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I'm thinking like Jim S and gageyk. Squaw plus Rose.

Instead of Squaw full pass, for slightly less money I'm doing Squaw midweek plus Rose full. Squaw is my #1 "every weekday" place for all the well-known reasons plus night skiing to boot. Rose full pass gets me away from the Squaw weekend crowds, can have better early-season snow, and better stay-fresh tracked/buffed snow at 10000ft after Squaw snow becomes heavy days after storm.

Last year early season, Rose and Kwood were the only games in town. Diversify your portfolio!

DISCLAIMER: I should point out that I will ski full-time almost everyday next season, so maybe my opinion does not apply to most other people's situations. I'm getting Alpine midweek and Heavenly value pass too for no-brainer financial reasons I won't explain, but I won't ski there nearly as much as Squaw and Rose. Anyone got housing for me at Squaw?)

.

I can't wait to see the green turn white

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...crop50to75.jpg

I was going to buy the cheap Alpine pass (400 for 23 yro and under), but now just might do the Squaw thing- it is sick. Buy 4, get one day free isn't so bad... and yep, it's less than Jackson (less vert too).

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Originally Posted by kb1dqh

now just might do the Squaw thing- it is sick. Buy 4, get one day free isn't so bad... .

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DO IT!

....

skiing both squaw and alpine this spring here is my imput:

Squaw: insane terrain, just insane, very snobbish vibe
Alpine: Great terraine if you hike (I only had summit 6 open) but an awesome hippyish vibe

In terms of a pass I like having a good vibe where I ski... it really makes skiing a lot more fun...

What is this place called Alpine Meadows....?

http://tetongravity.com/forums/showthread.php?t=51597

Personally, I like Alpine....I just feel more relaxed skiing there. At Squaw, I feel rushed, like I'm late for work, but only its for powder. I'd probably go for the Alpine pass and score some day passes off of craigslist to Squaw...but that's plainly a financial reason. If money was no object I'd probably just buy a Squaw pass because as upallnight said, there's sooo much terrain to keep you entertained. I'd look into how many weekends you may hit the BC. It seems that I'm going into the BC more and more each year, so my wimpy $350 KW pass, and day passes off of craigslist, seems to be the best bet for me.

Good luck, and hopefully we'll finally ski a day together :)

yeah, after 9 years of getting Alpine passes, I can't pass up the magical 10th - so once again I am the proud holder of a full Alpine pass for the 06/07 season.

With the savings (~$600) i have from opting out of the Squaw pass, I can easily jusify several day tix to Squaw this season....

At the end of the day, these are good "problems" to have: Squaw or Alpine pass this year? :)

See all you 'foos in line @ Summit 6 again this winter - BRING IT ON!!!!!!!

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Originally Posted by freshies

yeah, after 9 years of getting Alpine passes, I can't pass up the magical 10th - so once again I am the proud holder of a full Alpine pass for the 06/07 season.

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Change is hard. :wink:

With 2 kids under 5 yrs old, we'll be back in the Kids' Zone at Alpine this year.


Lots of good info in the thread. When the kids are a little older, I think we will do AM passes w/ a few days at Squaw.

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Originally Posted by StormDay

Change is hard. :wink: .

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no kidding! look forward to skiing with you again this season SD. Hope you are having a good summer!

Not a bad idea as it might postpone my first encounter with Freshies. I know I am going to be dissapointed that he isn't Spiccoli.



http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/msnbc/Co...p.standard.jpg

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Originally Posted by Jim S

Not a bad idea as it might postpone my first encounter with Freshies. I know I am going to be dissapointed that he isn't Spiccoli.



http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/msnbc/Co...p.standard.jpg

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I actually look a lot like Jeffry Spiccoli - hence my avatar!

When I met you in line @ Summit 6, I will give a "Hey, I know that guy!" which is what he said right after Mr. Hand checked his class schedule in that pic you psoted :yourock:

"Hey, your tearing up my card, you dick"

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Originally Posted by enlosandes

"Hey, your tearing up my card, you dick"

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http://i.imdb.com/Photos/Mptv/1097/th-11821_0027.jpg

Then I just gotta hook up with Freshies!