Skiing at Squaw Valley

We had decided we'd take a short side trip to Lake Tahoe so the girls could experience skiing. It had been ten years for the two older girls, so they really had no memory of the experience, and our youngest daughter had never even seen snow before.

We drove along I-80 and past Sacramento, before stopping at Auburn for In-N-Out Burger. We then began our climb into the mountains, and before long we saw snow on the ground, and the scenery became more spectacular.

When we arrived at Squaw Valley, we checked into the village, and drove our car into the underground parking. Knowing we did not have to use the ice scraper when we left was a major plus. The two bedroom unit with a sofa bed in the lounge gave the 5 of us plenty of space, and it would have been comfortable for a longer stay.

The village itself was really pretty - the paved main street winds along, surrounded by restaurants and shops. It was decorated with lights and a Christmas tree, and there were fires burning to warm your hands. Given it was still a week before Christmas, and the snow conditions were poor, the village was almost deserted.

The older girls had signed up for a 'First Time' program online in advance. When we arrived, we checked out 'Squaw Kids', our our youngest daughter decided she'd also like to give it a go. In the morning we woke up to a little snow, and we all set off to collect the rental gear and get ready for the day.

Before long, the lessons were underway, and all three of them were taking the small chair lift up the beginners slopes, and sliding down with a surprising amount of stability. They seemed to be spending most of their time upright, and the snow plows were not too exaggerated.

I was unsure of whether to go out or not, but for someone based in Sydney the opportunity does not come along too often, so I hired a snowboard and headed off as well. I jumped in the Gondola to the top, and unfolded my trail map. After a quick analysis of the open trails, I realised I was not going to need the map for the rest of the day - there was really only one more chairlift (Gold Coast Express) and one run all the way down to the village (Mountain Run) that was open.

It had been a few years, so took a while to get going again, but it gradually came back to me. I spent a few hours going up and down the mountain, carving past the many snow making guns and being very glad I had goggles. But by 2pm I was pretty much done for the day, and while I'd like to say it was the limited terrain, it had more to do with the burning in my calves...

The two older girls enjoyed their day out, and when we picked up our youngest daughter from Squaw Kids, her first words were "Can we do this again tomorrow?". Unfortunately we couldn't, but least we knew she's had an enjoyable first experience on skis.

The next day, we drove down to Tahoe City, just to take in the view - it really is a beautiful area - before heading back.