What’s New for Winter 2019-20 at Squaw Valley | Alpine Meadows, CA

After a record-breaking 2018-19 snowfall season spanning nine calendar months, Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows is slated to open for the 2019-20 season on Nov. 15, weather and conditions permitting.

The resort will welcome guests with new lifts, events, experiences, dining, and bars.

The new Treeline Cirque chairlift at Alpine Meadows is a $10 million detachable, high-speed quad chair that will transport skiers and riders from base area to the Sherwood ridge in a total of five minutes. The lift will feature a mid-station for quick access to some of Alpine’s best low-intermediate terrain. From the top terminal skiers and riders can drop into expert terrain on the frontside or venture into the back bowls of Sherwood, which boast the resort’s best views of Lake Tahoe. The protected alignment of Treeline Cirque makes it favorable in high winds and inclement weather, and the rapid access from the base area will dramatically improve the skier experience for a wide range of ability levels.

The Tram Car Bar, a restored 70’s era Squaw Valley tram cabin, will make its home on the Olympic House deck, serving drinks as the Aerial Tram soars overhead. While programming and menus are still in the works, the Tram Car Bar will be a nod to Squaw Valley’s storied past—the original logos and unique shape of the cabin will be the ideal après-ski photo op with the iconic Tram Face in the background.

The Leap of Love, a collective Leap Day mountaintop wedding, will take place on February 29, 2020 (Leap Day). Up to 50 couples will get married or renew their vows at the picturesque High Camp Upper Observation Deck, with panoramic views of Lake Tahoe and the snow-capped Sierra Nevada. The ceremony will be followed by a laid-back gathering in the Terrace Bar & Restaurant and a group ski down 3.2 miles to The Village at Squaw Valley.

• Related: Let it Snow: The Ikon Pass Brings $181-Million in Improvements to Your 2019/20 Winter

Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows will host the U.S. Freestyle Moguls National Championships March 19-22, 2020. The event will bring together the best moguls skiers from around the country for a weekend of intense competition in moguls and dual moguls. The event will be held on the historic Red Dog trail at Squaw Valley, frequent home to international snowsports competitions since the 1960 Winter Olympic Games. The country’s brightest freestyle moguls talent are expected to compete, including Olympians and World Championship medalists Jaelin Kauf, Tess Johnson and Brad Wilson.

Casamigos, a new Mexican restaurant & tequila bar from the owners of the Auld Dubliner will be opening in The Village at Squaw Valley for the 2019-20 winter season.

Alpenglow Expeditions will introduce two new winter activities for the 2019-20 season. Based in The Village at Squaw Valley, the local mountain-guide service will be leading half-day guided snowshoe tours through the beautiful Shirley Canyon starting Dec. 2019. Known for its summer hiking trail, Shirley Canyon’s winter wonderland can now be explored with a professional guide. Three-hour guided tours will leave The Village at Squaw Valley each Saturday and Sunday at 10:30 a.m. Also new this winter, skiers and riders looking for a quick trip to the next secret stash can explore the backcountry in a single run, using the chairlifts at Squaw Valley. Each Saturday and Sunday at 11:30 a.m, Alpenglow Expeditions will lead guided groups through the area’s boundary, entering the backcountry with special permission from the resort. These single-run tours will give resort guests a taste of backcountry skiing and riding in the Tram Ridge zone beyond Broken Arrow, discovering unexplored terrain and untracked powder. All skiers will be equipped with avalanche rescue equipment, but no special skiing and riding equipment will be needed. All winter experiences are weather and conditions permitting. Visit www.alpenglowexpeditions.com for more information.

In response to demand for more guided experiences, The North Face Mountain Guides program will expand with a new half-day offering to complement the existing full-day option. Started in 2014, The North Face Mountain Guides take groups of up to four skiers and riders to discover the resort’s most coveted terrain, secret stashes, and hidden groomers. The program is loved for its priority lift line access, ideal for big powder days.

One dollar from every sale of the 2019-20 Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows signature beanie will benefit the Shane McConkey Foundation, a local non-profit organization that supports kids, wildlife and the environment. This year’s beanie features a scaled rendering of the Squaw Valley and Alpine Meadows mountains, with the silhouette of the eagle statue that sits atop KT-22 in honor of Shane’s legacy. Beanies are available at locations across the resort as well as at the online logo store.

Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows will be featured in the new Out Of Bounds movie, a giant screen 3D experience following Olympian snowboarder Torah Bright as she journeys through the world’s longest chain of mountain ranges extending from Antarctica all the way to Alaska. Along the journey, Torah will ride with backcountry legend and Squaw Alpine athlete Jeremy Jones.

The new Mountaineer app-based shuttle service kicks off for its second season on Dec. 13, 2019, and will operate through April 12, 2020. In its inaugural season, Mountaineer transported over 81,000 passengers and removed at least 20,000 vehicle trips from access roads in Squaw Valley and Alpine Meadows. New this season, Mountaineer will offer extended evening hours in Squaw Valley (until 10 p.m. daily) and holiday service in Alpine Meadows. In addition, two more vehicles were added to the fleet in order to meet demand and further reduce weekend wait times.