Squaw Valley Resort : High Sierras Lake Tahoe, CA - Beauty in a high place.

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appetizer followed by a deliciously abundant mocha-thyme brazed short rib main course. For desert, I had the salted caramel creme brulee rounding out a pleasant dining experience in a comfortable atmosphere. 

The next morning I skied early riding the Funitel just after 9am. It was cold and windy at the top and the conditions were rough. The snow was hard, what some skiers refer to as “California Concrete.” I was disappointed until it warmed up and then the snow became more “corny.” Back at the lodge, a skier informed me that the conditions were slushy in the afternoon. A local also told me that “they’ve had three disappointing winters in a row.” 

Squaw Valley Resort Lake Tahoe - The Tram
In the afternoon, I met my last host at the Starbucks again and we rode the Tram, a cable car that fits over a hundred people, to High Camp enjoying lunch at the panoramic Terrace Bar & Restaurant. The views of the lake and surrounding mountains were spectacular there. Beyond the terrace outside there was a pool and hot tub being readied to open for the spring season. 

As I reflected upon my journey that evening aboard a flight from Reno to Los Angeles, I realized that overall The Squaw Valley Resort has plenty of amenities, excellent ski facilities, and above all a great laid-back and terrifically scenic Northern California atmosphere. And yet, three warm winters in a row suggest that great skiing in the region is more dependent than ever on the weather patterns and less dependent on the actual resort itself, no matter how well-operated or funded.  

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