High Sierra Fun at Squaw Valley USA

By Katherine E. Hill

The peaks of Olympic Valley form the backdrop for summer fun at Squaw Valley USA, with enough activities from the Village to High Camp to keep visitors and locals busy for days without ever leaving this breathtaking valley.

The peaks and bowls that make up some of the best skiing and snowboarding in the world, also make for spectacular hiking and mountain biking trails when the winter’s snows are replaced by summer wildflowers. You can tackle some of the most challenging single track in the region or hike to Squaw Peak for panoramic views of Lake Tahoe, Martis Valley, and Desolation and Granite Chief wilderness areas.

At High Camp, guests can relax at the pool and hot tub and enjoy world-class cuisine, enjoy hockey or ice skating and take on the newest adventures with an 18-hole disc golf course and paintball.
In the Village, you can enjoy shopping and dining, with music, movies and festivals every week. And, the kids will find great summer fun with mini golf and rock climbing, a zip line or bungee trampoline and much more.

New this season
Squaw Valley USA rolled out a myriad of new activities on mountain and in the Village for all ages to enjoy this summer, including mountain biking, paintball and disc golf at High Camp, along with a kids’ zip line in the Village.

Mountain biking returned to Squaw Valley this summer for the first time in nearly 10 years. The park features 12 miles of downhill single track and mountaintop cross-country trails. The resort has said that they plan to open additional terrain in the future. Mountain biking is offered Friday to Sunday through mid-September and the trails can be accessed by the Cable Car, with rentals available in the Village.

The mountaintop paintball course at High Camp features a course using natural terrain along Silverado ridge with play offered daily. Also at High Camp is the new 18-hole disc golf course. Discs are available for rent and purchase at the Bath and Tennis Shop at High Camp.

Kids will enjoy the new 200-foot zip line located next to the Funitel building. Kids slide into a harness, climb to the top of the tower and zip across the field. The zip line is open daily and can accommodate children up to 120 lbs.

Village at Squaw Valley
The Village at Squaw Valley offers shopping, dining and a number of activities for everyone to enjoy.
Clothing, art, home furnishings, luxurious bath products and much more await shoppers in the Village. With more than a dozen shops, there’s plenty of unique items to keep even the biggest shop-a-holic satisfied.

You won’t go hungry in the Village with dining at Mamasake Sushi, Auld Dubliner, Fireside Pizza, Soupa, Twenty-Two, Blue Coyote or Squaw To Go. Wine lovers will want to indulge in the unique selections at Uncorked Wine Bar, featuring daily wine tastings. Don’t forget to stop by Mountain Nectar with a fresh-made smoothie to cool off those warm, summer days.

No visit will be complete, however, without a few hours (or the day) at Trilogy Spa featuring massages, skin care, body scrubs and nails, among other services.

During the summer, you also can enjoy the free Tuesdays Bluesdays in the Event Plaza from 6 to 8:30 p.m. through August. On Thursday nights, be sure to stop in for the free movies at dusk through August.

And, you’ll find festivals in the Village throughout the summer, including the Wanderlust Festival from July 29 to Aug. 1 (see feature in this issue), the Brews, Jazz & Funk Fest on Aug. 14 and 15, Alpen Wine Fest on Sept. 5, the SATElite Festival from Sept. 10 t0 12, and Peaks & Paws on Sept. 18.

For the kids
The Village is a great place for the entire family, with a number of kid-orientated activities. Head over to the Squaw Valley Adventure Center kiosk located in front of Starbucks, and pick out your golf balls in magenta, blue, yellow and red for a round of mini golf. The miniature golf course is cleverly designed to meander throughout the Village, taking advantage of the scenery and keeping players moving by the many shops and eateries located in the Village. The course features a variety of fun mini-golf holes including two tunnels, several trick shots and one hole where you have to jump an open trench.

Afterwards, kids and adults will love the SkyJump, featuring two trampolines and a bungee system that the jumper is attached to via a harness. I’ve seen kids and adults performing air flips forward and back during their 15-minutes of high flying. I’ve done the SkyJump myself, and its great fun that makes you feel like a 10-year-old again.

The Village offers many great family adventures through Squaw Valley Adventure Center. Along with the SkyJump and Mini-Golf, they also offer a Ropes Course for ages 7 and older and the Headwall Climbing Wall for all ages.

High Camp
High Camp, situated at 8,200’, is a destination in itself. Visitors can ride the Cable Car from the base village, climbing 2,000 feet with sweeping views of the valley, Lake Tahoe and the peaks of Squaw. Once your reach High Camp, you can enjoy any number of activities at the complex, or head out for a hike around the meadows and peaks. Be sure to take in lunch or dinner at the Poolside Café with spectacular dining options; see Tastes in this edition.

The Swimming Lagoon & Spa features a free-form lagoon with 50-meter lap lanes and two islands landscaped with waterfalls and native boulders. The 25'-diameter spa is heated to 102 degrees and surrounded by expansive decks and a casual umbrella bar. The Bath and Tennis Club provides lockers, towels, showers and changing rooms. The Olympic Ice Pavilion is a true wonder with ice hockey or skating offered amid the heat of summer.

The Olympic Museum showcases the resort’s unique collection of memorabilia, news articles and video presentations detailing the many magical moments that took place at Squaw Valley USA.

Guests can even enjoy stargazing with professionals using high-powered telescopes and night binoculars to learn about stars, constellations and the night sky from July 29 to 31, Aug. 5 to 7, and Aug. 13 to 14. During our recent visit to High Camp, we were able to clearly see the rings of Saturn, with its moons lined up against the sky.

Hikers can reach the tallest peaks at Squaw Valley and can get a jump start on their journey by taking the Cable Car to High Camp, where many trails start. Hiking maps are available at Guest Services at the top of the Cable Car with information on trails for every level, along with information on local flora and fauna.

Hikes can climb to the weathered buttresses atop Squaw Peak, as we did on a recent hike, visit the historic Watson Monument at Emigrant Peak or meander through the meadows covered with wildflowers, and enjoy the panoramic views afforded from Squaw's spacious upper mountain.

As well, Squaw Valley offers guided Sunset Hikes through the summer. Sunset Hikes are offered July 30 and 31, Aug. 6, 7, 13, 14, 20 and 21 at 6 p.m. Dogs are welcome on the hiking trails.

The Cable Car to High Camp uploads every 20 minutes on the hour from 10:40 a.m. to 8 p.m. through Aug. 22 and until 4 p.m. from Aug. 23 to Sept. 13 (the last day for Cable Car and High Camp operations). Cable Car tickets are $24 for adults and $12 after 5 p.m., with discounted rates for seniors, youth and children. There also are Cable Car swim and skate packages available. Sunset Hikes are $5 for adults with Cable Car ticket, and Evening Cable Car & Hike Packages are available for $15 for adults and $5 for 12 and under at 4:45 p.m. Sunset Dinner Packages are available from $39 to $49 per person.

For more information, call (530) 583-6985 or visit www.squaw.com. The Village at Squaw Valley offers a number of lodging and activity packages, call (866) 818-6963 for details.