With the merging of Squaw and Alpine we are all chomping at the bit to get our hands on White Wolf, but in the mean time the Squaw-Alpine traverse will serve just fine. The connect was made official this year and serves as a fun twist on the two mountains we all know and love. Patrol has kept the gate open most days this year, assuming an acceptably low avalanche danger, but has been a bit hit or miss this spring due to the shallow snow pack and spring time instabilities. Regardless, if you catch it open here is what you can hope to find:
Squaw-Alpine Traverse Breakdown:
- ~800 Vert to Alpine
- ~200 Vert to Squaw
- Fun skiing down to Squaw
- Mostly hiking to Alpine, until you reach Wolverine Bowl
- Can be completed in 45 min. to 1 hour at a leisurely pace
While the Squaw-Alpine traverse is marketed primarily as a traverse to get from one resort to the other, there is some fun skiing through the trees that drop into Five Lakes. They are easiest to access coming from Alpine, but you can also hike to them from the Squaw gate.
Spring conditions are in full effect, and with the recent weather systems the snow was in an awkward in between state – a sprinkling of snow left a mix of spring time mashed potatoes and a sprinkling of corn snow. However, with the lurking storm rolling in tonight, things could be getting a nice refresh.
If you haven’t yet, get out there and check out the Squaw-Alpine traverse. If you’re a Squaw skier by trade, it’s a nice shift to get outside the resort boundaries. And if you’re an Alpine human, you need to work your way over to squaw and see what real skiing is all about 😉
I’ve still never done this. Gotta get out there before that string those lifts
Fun way to spend a morning!