This is the first year I ski Squaw. I've been a couple of sunny powder days and a weekend with miserable (but challenging and fun) conditions. I ski intermediate terrain... just getting into bowl skiing. First, the service: (1) Grooming is poor, although that made me a better skier, (2) Some of the lifts are so incredibly slow (Solitude, Red Dog)- come on Squaw use the outrageous ticket price for good, and (3) Some of the staff are inattentive, in one occasion a skier lost his ski and almost a ligament all because of the staff,(4) On the good side, the buffet at High Camp is among the best ski resort restaurants I've seen and the price affordable. The business model: Priciest ticket in Tahoe for no good reason, but okay, I accept it. There are plenty of similar examples in life. But Squaw is right now offering 4 days for $105 each (and reloadable at the same price for the remaining of the long Squaw season...). How is that for those who purchased the season pass making math with $159-$169/ day... Squaw should run some kind of lowest price guarantee. This really got on my nerves. The mountain: I loved the terrain, but for a skier of my skills (intermediate and moving into more advance) there is really no reason to go to Squaw over say Heavenly. Real powder days are equally good in both. Tons of intermediate terrain in Heavenly. Heavenly views are among the best ski views in the world. South Lake Tahoe offers all sorts of accommodations, food and in general, apres-ski. This is my advise to Squaw: get out of your comfort zone. Update. Upgrade. I didn't experience high crowds (not sure why, good timing I guess for the sunny days) but I read about it. Time to invest in alternatives. What about connecting Squaw and Alpine with a gondola? That would be something. I had a lot of fun, but it's hard not to notice that this place is running on its Olympics reputation.
