North Shore Mags: Squaw or Alpine this year?

[freshies]

So, who is getting a pass and where? I have been an Alpine full pass holder for 10 years now, and every year about this time, I get tempted to shell out the extra $700 for a Squaw pass, but always end up sticking with Alpine.

I love Alpine, don't get me wrong, but something makes me want to switch it up just once and get that Squaw pass: It would be like a whole new adventure this season.

But it would also stress me out I think, because on a big pow day, I know my lines and secret stashes and hikes and little strategies of when certain chairs will open, etc. Basically, 10+ years of knowledge that only comes from skiing the same place every day....do I throw caution to the the wind and buy a Squaw pass???

Alpine Full Pass: $779 before Sept 1st
Squaw Full Pass: $1439 before Sept 1st

[Big Blue]

DO IT!!! I just sent in my check for $1339 a couple weeks ago. It's like a kick in the nuts to pay that much for a pass, but when Alpine's packed to the gills due to cheap ticket prices and you're riding squaw with near zero lift lines (not talking KT mornings here) you'll forget all about the extra cash. You gotta spend at least on season at Squaw in your life.

Edit: Post 420 and I'm not a pot-head. Someone take advantage of this momentous occasion and burn one down for me.

[freshies]

DO IT!!! I just sent in my check for $1339 a couple weeks ago. It's like a kick in the nuts to pay that much for a pass, but when Alpine's packed to the gills due to cheap ticket prices and you're riding squaw with near zero lift lines (not talking KT mornings here) you'll forget all about the extra cash. You gotta spend at least on season at Squaw in your life.

Edit: Post 420 and I'm not a pot-head. Someone take advantage of this momentous occasion and burn one down for me.

damn, I know, one season @ Squaw should be a must. Hmm, what kills me is the lack of deals on that pass! Isn't there some super-secret locals pass deal somewhere?

[guermo]

No deals ... but you get what you pay for.

Anyone who's spent a year at squaw knows that's true!

[kb1dqh]

I'm trying to figure out the same thing, only I can get an Alpine pass for $400. Still, it comes down to crowds/terrain/snow- might be worth the Squaw Pass. I'm new to the area- does Squaw get tracked out less quickly than Alpine or are there just fewer lift lines due to more terrain/better lifts?

[Lane Meyer]

Ride Nancy.

[Spats]

Squaw gets tracked out quick, but it's bigger and they've got a lot more lift capacity than Alpine.

The only line problems I've had at Squaw are holidays or sunny weekends in January/February. And even then, you just have to know the way the tourist crowds move throughout the day, because they're easy to avoid once you figure it out.

[freshies]

I'm trying to figure out the same thing, only I can get an Alpine pass for $400. Still, it comes down to crowds/terrain/snow- might be worth the Squaw Pass. I'm new to the area- does Squaw get tracked out less quickly than Alpine or are there just fewer lift lines due to more terrain/better lifts?

we could start a 30 page thread/debate on this one, but IMO, Alpine gets tracked out much less quickly than Squaw. There is only one main lift up the front-side @ Alpine, Summit 6, and there are lots of ridges and bowls off that chair that you have to work to get to = weed out gapers and snow lasts longer. Alpine also has an open boundry poilcy that is $$ : keep on hiking out the gate towards Twin Peaks and/or past Estelle and you have sweet "side country" lines for days.

Squaw has more vert and better steeps, but also more high speed acces to all parts of thre mountain. Throw in the fact that there are thousands of ripping skiers there on any given day = tracked faster.

[Jim S]

I feel your pain. Isn't it rough living near Tahoe with such decisions?

FWIW, I

• renewed my Squaw pass
• will purchase the Mt Rose pass in Sept

Those are the only season passes I'm buying this year.

[Big Blue]

Squaw has more vert and better steeps, but also more high speed acces to all parts of thre mountain. Throw in the fact that there are thousands of ripping skiers there on any given day = tracked faster.

I totally agree that Squaw gets tracked out faster. However, being one of those ripping skiers vying for the goods is part of the experience. It will push you to be a better skier. Not that there aren't plenty of good skiers at Alpine, but Squaw is in a different league. Skiing there will give you an honest appraisal of your skills, and make you want to improve. It will inspire you to try things you normally wouldn't. And, as much of a pain in the ass as it is, there's nothing like lining up for KT at fucking 7am to try to get one of the first chairs (note that I didn't say "first chair" because you'll need to get up way earlier for that). There's an energy that exists in that line that exists nowhere else on earth.

[onehotchili]

i am going w/ AM this year. my daughters are beginning to figure things out, but until they are ripping the whole time... i'll save some $$$ and stick to AM. FYI, 2 kids in Mighty Mites and 2 Adult passes at Squaw is more than $5k.

so 2 kids in the Locals and Mountain Rangers program at AM and 2 Adult passess is around $2.5k-$3k. still $$$$ but a little more palatable.

pretty soon i'll get back into coaching again so i get more of a break on prices for passes etc. sure adds up....

[freshies]

I totally agree that Squaw gets tracked out faster. However, being one of those ripping skiers vying for the goods is part of the experience. It will push you to be a better skier. Not that there aren't plenty of good skiers at Alpine, but Squaw is in a different league. Skiing there will give you an honest appraisal of your skills, and make you want to improve. It will inspire you to try things you normally wouldn't. And, as much of a pain in the ass as it is, there's nothing like lining up for KT at fucking 7am to try to get one of the first chairs (note that I didn't say "first chair" because you'll need to get up way earlier for that). There's an energy that exists in that line that exists nowhere else on earth.

Big Blue, I agree to all the above. But, then I start thinking: I am 37 now, and have done my time as the hard corps, 100 day a year, huck my meat of anything type gig. I now have a "real job" (which still allows me to log 70+ days a year) and am older and creakier and have dialed it back. So I am not neccessarily looking to push my skills/step up more, etc anymore (god knows I could use it, though...). That's a young mans game

lso factoring in your comments above, is the fact that I don't know Squaw all that well, and would be panic'd on pow days as to where to go, what lines to hit, etc. Where as at Alpine, I am dialed on that knowledge. Still, all great points, maybe I should stop being an old pussy and just sack up to the Squaw pass

[Split-It]

if you don't know the ins and outs of Squawlly yet, that's even more of a reason to get a pass. so next year if you get the AM pass and need a ripper day at Squaw, you know the dealio. Sooooo worth the money. You won't even remember the bill by opening day. VERT baby, VERT!!!!

[bcrider]

I haven’t been to either resort in a number of years but I did have a pass at Squaw for 5 years in the 90s.

To put it simple Squaw has better terrain. Otherwise Alex Cushing would have chosen the valley over from Squaw to build his resort at.

Sure Squaw gets tracked out quicker due to faster lifts and better skiers but if you’re one of the skiers doing the tracking out….doesn’t it negate that fact.

This comment needs to be quoted too.

maybe I should stop being an old pussy and just sack up to the Squaw pass

[kidwoo]

Possible basom sightings worth the admission price alone

[freshies]

Possible basom sightings worth the admission price alone

SHIT, that seals the deal right there Kidwoo, where do you ride usaully? You a Squaw pass holder as well?

[kidwoo]

SHIT, that seals the deal right there Kidwoo, where do you ride usaully? You a Squaw pass holder as well?

Nah. I love skiing there but that madness isn't something I want to commit to for a whole season.

I'm getting either an alpine pass or a kirkwood pass. I figure if all these freaks from the bay area can drive there on weekends so can I. Alpine would be for the late to work weekdays.

[4matic]

I bought a Squaw pass for this year when they first started selling them in April and got in ten+ days before they closed so I'm ahead of the game.. I have a Kirkwood pass too.

I suggest getting the Alpine pass, use the $700 to buy tickets to squaw on ebay or craigslist and then pony up for the full Squaw pass next spring.

[3pin]

I'll probably buy Alpine again this year, and possibly Rose, now that we're down in Reno. I've really grown to like Alpine for all the reasons stated above, but mostly because not everything there is immediately accessible from the lift. That, and I just can't cough up the Squaw $.

Looking forward to early morning laps on Rose Pass, then an hour or two inbounds before heading down to work.

[freshies]

I'll probably buy Alpine again this year, and possibly Rose, now that we're down in Reno. I've really grown to like Alpine for all the reasons stated above, but mostly because not everything there is immediately accessible from the lift. That, and I just can't cough up the Squaw $.

Looking forward to early morning laps on Rose Pass, then an hour or two inbounds before heading down to work.

I hear ya 3PIN, Alpine b/c of the hikes is what makes it....maybe that idea of just buying the Alpine pass as I usually do and then buying afew days @ Squaw is the way to go...

3PIN, idn't know you moved down the hill, how is reno treating you? Do you commute up to Truckee every day for work?

[flatfive40]

I only have one tahoe season under my belt and worked at squaw and rode some at alpine as well. Another thing to consider is that squaw is way more fun when its stormy. If its windy there can be nothing steep thats accessable. Squaw always has kt.

[huck4bucks]

if you don't know the ins and outs of Squawlly yet, that's even more of a reason to get a pass. so next year if you get the AM pass and need a ripper day at Squaw, you know the dealio. Sooooo worth the money. You won't even remember the bill by opening day. VERT baby, VERT!!!!

I guess if you count the top half of the mountain as big vert. The bottom half (sans KT) is just a freeway. Squaw doesn't have any more vert than any other N. Shore mountain....just more terrain.

I guess it depends on how you calculate 'vert'. If you're hiking Granite Peak and skiing all the way down Mountain Run to the Funi, while dodging slope cattle the whole way, for each run....yeah, I guess that's 'vert'. If that's your lap, and you paid $1439 for a pass, you're paying almost $2 per vertical foot.

Squaw Valley USA - Home of the 1960 Winter Olympics....and don't forget it!

[Jim S]

Get the Squaw pass.

I know that you are 37 and ready for the glue factory but I believe you have it in you to huck the back side of KT or Eagle's Nest onto Alpine territory and have the best of both worlds.

FYI: I'm 43 and keep pushing it harder and scarier every year. Maybe not big like the major players at Squaw but at least I try to push myself every year so far.

[Sinecure]

My debates on this account for a number of things. I was contemplating a switch during this past season because Squaw has a SB team and my daughter has announced her intent to only snowboard next year. Alpine hasn't had a SB team, but has promised one for the upcoming season (we'll see - I argued with them that its a chicken/egg deal - once they have a team, more kids will gravitate to it).

Squaw - longer lift lines in my limited experience (4-5 days/season for past few years)
Alpine + way cheaper season pass and despite the cheap day passes, the artificial sell-out limit (once the parking lots are full) keeps the place from getting mobbed (assuming you avoid the Summit lift around 10:15-11:30 on a busy weekend). Last season I never waited more than 6-7 minutes in a line.

Squaw - gets tracked out super fast and doesn't have as much in terms of hike-to terrain. Closed boundary policy.
Alpine + Often can find stashes until 1:00pm on a powder day, even on weekends. The new Sherwood lift rules for front-to-back laps, as well as for speed groomer laps on non-pow days.

Squaw - the kids programs are more expensive and way too serious for kids who just want to freeride. This was what originally turned me off to Squaw 6 years ago when I moved here. My kids were young then and it seemed the kid program was all about skiing, not about having fun. All I care about is that my kids enjoy it enough to want to go back again and again. As a plus, Squaw does have daycare for kids <4 - although the sign-in for those programs is a real clusterfuck compared to Alpine.
Alpine + Kids programs are great. Yes, they have flaws, and lack a snowboard group and a need a good freeride team option for kids 12+, but the staff are phenomenal - especially for younger kids. For kids 4-6 who only ski periodically, Kid's Camp (aka Little Mountaineers) is one of the best programs I've ever seen in 40 years of skiing.

Squaw + more terrain and more steeps. The only problem I see (and this is a very personal one) is that since there are more good skiers at Squaw, the steeps get really bumped up. For some this would be a plus, but since my knees are shot, I don't like bumps. I love steeps, but try to ride the ones that don't have bumped-up outruns. Most of the good steeps at Squaw have bumpy outruns.
Alpine + Great terrain, great steeps and awesome hors-piste. Not as much vertical as Squaw, but most of Squaw's good terrain is above 6900' anyway.

Squaw +- Very good grooming. I ride a carving board so I love trenching up groomers. Squaw does a great job grooming, but the crowds mean it gets cut up pretty fast.
Alpine +- The grooming at Alpine improved a lot this past year. I don't know if that was because of colder temps and good snow, or just because they got their shit together. In the past there have often been big seams between groomer passes which toss me in the air and force me to ride more slowly. Most weekends I can still find corduroy on skiers' left of Sherwood run even after lunch. Look for me going mach schnell over there late morning on a groomer day.

Squaw - Mountain Run. What a miserable way to end the day. That run terrifies me and exhausts me.
Alpine + There are a couple of really busy spots (Weasel above the Chalet and the merge of Red, Red-Blue and Blue runs) but for the most part its much more sane than Squaw.

Squaw - Where's the fucking lodge? Where the hell are you supposed to put your boots on? I hate doing that in the parking lot for a variety of reasons. The village is nice, but there's no place to get dressed in the morning.
Alpine + I now have a locker, but even without one, Alpine's lodge is great. The Kids' Zone is fantastic for families with small or big children. There are always other parents around who are willing to keep an eye on your kid while you answer nature's call. You quickly make friends with other parents (I knew OHC way before I knew of TGR) and sometimes can even rotate kid watching duty with them.

Squaw + Much better Apres-ski choices than Alpine. Lots more cougars too.
Alpine - Apres ski is pretty dismal, except in the spring when there are bands on the deck. Since I have kids, this isn't much of a factor for me - we go home after skiing to get dinner ready.

Squaw - Parking was never great. Since they took over half the parking lot for condos and a village, its even worse. Long walks to the lifts.
Alpine + You do need to get there early, but assuming you do, parking is great. Last year I had a handicap permit as a left-over from my broken hip in August - I used that a few times when I was late to the hill or had a ton of stuff to carry. Plus Alpine has a nice drop-off area and most folks respect the 10-20 minute time limit on those spots.

Squaw - Maybe its my lack of status as a regular, or something else, but I find a lot more attitude among Squaw skiers.
Alpine + On the whole, people at Alpine are great. I never have any trouble finding someone to ski/ride with me. And I often get unsolicited offers to go find trees for map-reading - from people I've never met before!


I'll be renewing my pass at Alpine again for me and the kids. The couple days I spent at Squaw deciding which I liked more sealed the deal for me. It was miserably crowded, people had way too much attitude, the layout sucked and my kids even voted against it. Too bad the two mountains can't work out some sort of limited ticket-reciprocity deal. Maybe allow holders of passes from the other mountain a limited number (say 5-10) of non-holiday, Sun-Fri tickets.

[guermo]

I only have one tahoe season under my belt and worked at squaw and rode some at alpine as well. Another thing to consider is that squaw is way more fun when its stormy. If its windy there can be nothing steep thats accessable. Squaw always has kt.

So true. Nothing like KT on storm days. KT full open while it's puking everytime. Unless you'd rather ride roundhouse... (or at very best alpine bowl).