Squaw Valley

Today was a stunning day – bright sunshine, warm temperatures, no wind. We decided to take a drive up to Truckee, then up to Squaw Valley. Squaw is only about a 40 minute drive from my house, so it is fairly close.

Squaw Valley is a very special place. Some of you may recall that it was the site of the 1960 Winter Olympics. While most of you were not around then, I was a little girl living in Southern California. This was the first Winter Olympics that was widely televised in the U.S. , and my very first Winter Olympics that I remember. I sat glued in front of the TV, captivated by the grace of Carol Heiss as she skated for her first gold medal. I thrilled as Anne Heggeveit skied down the giant slalom with the grace of a swan finishing slightly ahead of Betsy Snite to win the gold for Canada. And I fell in love with the devilishly handsome German, Helmut Recknagel, and reveled as he soared like an eagle in the ski jump. For weeks following the Olympics, my parents laughed as I “skated” or “skied” everywhere.

I first visited Squaw Valley about 20 years ago. It had obviously grown into a well-known ski area since the 1960 Olympics. In the valley, a number of resorts and lodges had been built, but it was largely uncommercialized compared to Vail or Aspen. A large gondola had been installed which took skiiers and spectators to the top of the resort, where a state of the art ice arena had been built, along with a restaurant and other facilities. It still maintained the ambiance that it had during the 1960 Olympics.

While we have visited Squaw Valley many times since, I am always impressed with how it continues to grow. The Resort at Squaw Valley had been built at the south side of the valley, and The Village at Squaw Valley had tripled the size of the facilities at the base of the ski area. There is always something going on – today was the St. Patrick’s Day Festival and the “wearin’ o’ the green” (no, I didn’t have a stitch of green on me), with Irish balladiers, dancers and lots of Guinness.

Yet, with all the new building, Squaw still has the ambiance of a small, intimate winter resort. And the area is just as pristine and beautiful as it always has been.

Hope you all have a wonderful Sunday!