Squaw Valley

Editor's Note: This story has been updated. The original version referred to Squaw Valley Ski Resort throughout the article even though the name change would impact the entire company of Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows.

In the weeks since the police killing of George Floyd, a Black man in Minneapolis, there’s been a broad reckoning with various kinds of racism in the U.S. This cultural shift has led some government, businesses and community members across the county to take down or rename landmarks with ties to various kinds of racism.

Two Tahoe-area ski resorts can move forward with their plans to build a massive gondola connecting the properties together.

The Tahoe region is reporting staggering snowfall totals for the month of February. Truckee received 121 inches while Tahoe City came in at 134 inches. 

Tahoe-Truckee winter employees are relying on snow for income this season. KUNR contributor Kaleb Roedel of the Northern Nevada Business View has more. 

An exhibit paying homage to the 1960 Squaw Valley Winter Olympics is on display at the Truckee Community Recreation Center. Everything from vintage uniforms and rarely seen photography to illustrations by Walt Disney --a huge fan of skiing--are also showcased. The memorabilia are some of the last remaining vestiges of a games that changed winter sports and the Tahoe-Truckee region. Our arts reporter Holly Hutchings visited the exhibit and talked with one avid Olympic collector and author to learn more.

Word of Andy Wirth's retirement as the president of Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows has snapped the ski industry to attention and echoed across Olympic Valley and the Truckee-Tahoe region. Our contributor Kaleb Roedel of the Northern Nevada Business Weekly has the story.

Squaw Valley recently hosted the Alpine Skiing World Cup. It’s an international event requiring intense preparation. Reno Public Radio’s Alexandra Mosher looked into what it takes to create a world class race course.

People love to watch ski races, like this one at Squaw. But a lot goes into sculpting a quality course, like Red Dog. Racer Georgia Sege just went speeding down it.

“It’s good. It felt really fast; it’s pretty straight at the top and then it has some turns at the bottom, but it’s really short and it’s really fun.”

Squaw Valley hosted the Ski Alpine World Cup over the weekend. Organizers say that one of the main goals of holding the race is to inspire the next generation. Our contributor Ky Plaskon spoke has the story.

Perched high above a sea of spectators on a slick slope of snow, is a thin nylon tent. Inside, the racer stomps her feet like a bull and bangs her polls together. Only a plastic start gate stands between her and the 600-foot drop. Her coach yells and she catapults herself toward the crowd.

The Ski Alpine World Cup opened in Squaw Valley Thursday night and is running through the weekend. Contributor and Reno Youth Radio Teacher Ky Plaskon was there.

Squaw Valley has finally received the green light to undergo a major expansion project despite vocal opposition. To learn more, our News Director Michelle Billman spoke to Melissa Siig. She’s a reporter for Moonshine Ink, an independent newspaper in Truckee and North Lake Tahoe.

Squaw Valley Resort’s expansion plan has passed another hurdle on its way to approval. With a thumbs up from the Placer County Planning Commission, the project moves this fall to the County Board of Supervisors for final approval. Our Tahoe-based reporter Amy Westervelt has that story. 

Placer County released the final plan for the expansion of the Village at Squaw Resort last week. Reno Public Radio's Amy Westervelt brings us this update. 

The final proposal for Squaw's expansion is not noticeably different from the draft plan released last year. According to Squaw CEO Andy Wirth, that's because it's solid as-is.

"All our development plans are to improve upon not just disturbed land, but 90 acres of asphalt."

Squaw's controversial redevelopment is continuing to make its way through the planning process. We caught up with folks on both sides of the issue for this update.

Proponents of the proposed expansion of the Village at Squaw say the development will make it a full-service resort.

Kathryn Rees, a Sacramento lobbyist who owns a condo at Squaw Lodge, explains. "When we come up and it's raining, guess what? There's absolutely nothing to do, other than watch TV or go to the bar."

The effort to incorporate Olympic Valley into its own town has ended. Reno Public Radio’s Amy Westervelt has been covering the proposal and has this update.

After trying for nearly three years to turn the unincorporated community surrounding Squaw into a town, the nonprofit Incorporate Olympic Valley officially pulled its application yesterday. The Placer County Commission overseeing the application declared the town financially unviable last week, making it difficult for the effort to continue. 

Olympic Valley residents who want to incorporate their town had a big win this week, but they’ve got a long road ahead, and not everyone in the community wants a new town. 

For the past three years, some Olympic Valley residents have been pushing to incorporate the small mountain community surrounding Squaw Valley into its own town. Currently, Olympic Valley is unincorporated, which means big decisions get made in Auburn, the Placer County seat.

Squaw Valley developers have revised a controversial expansion plan to address community concerns, but opponents say the changes don’t go far enough. 

Squaw’s planned expansion of the Village at Squaw Valley has received more than 300 public comments, most of them negative. Critics cite the development’s impact on traffic, natural resources, and scenic views as top concerns.