Squaw's Gold Coast redone for this season

SQUAW VALLEY USA ANNOUNCES $1.2 MILLION REMODEL OF GOLD COAST MID MOUNTAIN RESTAURANT

New menu offerings, improved guest service complement new eco-friendly design

[Squaw Valley USA] October 14, 2008 - This winter Squaw Valley USA will introduce skiers and riders to a new dimension in food service with the $1.2 million Gold Coast Mid Mountain restaurant project. The 14,000 square foot space will be transformed into an inspiring atmosphere with new food and an entirely new aesthetic.

“With this restaurant we are creating a new philosophy on eating at a ski resort,” explains Squaw Valley USA Chairman & CEO Nancy Cushing. “The food and environment that guests will experience are an expression of that philosophy and a tremendous change from what was offered in the past.”

Located at the top terminal of the Funitel (Squaw Valley’s 28-person cabin gondola), the new restaurant is being constructed from 100% recycled and locally produced building materials. Under the direction of a new executive chef, the restaurant will offer fresh and healthy food sensations to complement the natural motif and evocative design of the space.

“Here in California, people are accustomed to great food. Now they can find it on the mountain - at Squaw Valley,” says Cushing.

The most up-to-date resort operation schedules, events and season pass information are available on www.squaw.com.

North Lake Tahoe update

North Lake Tahoe Recreation Update

October 13, 2008


After a brief visit from the Snow Gods that left a dusting of the
white stuff around the lake and in the upper elevations, North Lake
Tahoe temperatures have returned to normal, with fall highs in the
60s and nights in the 20s and 30s.


Resorts and Towns' Update: Halloween events abound, from harvest
festivals to beer tasting, there’s something for all ages. For
special event details around the region, click to www.GoTahoeNorth.com.


As part of the weeklong Tahoe City Harvest Festival, Rideout
Community Center on the West Shore hosts the Pumpkin Patch Family
Carnival Saturday, October 18 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., with food, fun,
games and activities. Admission is free.


Disabled Sports USA presents the 19th Annual Foam Fest Fundraiser at
the Tahoe Biltmore in Crystal Bay Saturday, October 18, 7 to 10:30
p.m. Attendees sample more than two dozen microbrews while listing to
the sounds of Sol Jibe, with chances to win ski passes, snowboards
and prizes. Must be 21 years of age. Tickets are $35 at the door.


The Incline Village Nursery School will hosts its 29th Annual Pumpkin
Patch Fundraiser Saturday, October 18 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at
Incline High School. It’s fun for all ages with bounce house, games,
pony rides, raffles, pumpkins and bake sale. Admission is free.


Mystery is the theme for the final Thunderbird Lodge Winemaker Dinner
Sunday, October 19 from 5:30 to 10 p.m. Guests enjoy a murder mystery
dinner while enjoying the cuisine of Chef Geno Duggan of the Crystal
Bay Steakhouse and the “mystery” winery. Tickets are limited and
reservations are required. The cost is $250 per person and includes
four-course, sit-down dinner.


Volunteers work on projects that restore and protect the Truckee
River at the 13th Annual Truckee River Day Sunday, October 19. Pre-
registration is required. After work projects end, participants
celebrate at Granite Flat Campground. Kids can also help release
trout back into the river at 4 p.m. the same day.

December 07' snow dump at Blackcomb. The Canadian premier resort is hoping for a repeat.

Getting psyched for the ski season? If Whistler/Blackcomb get early season dumps like the one above, the grand opening of the new Peak 2 Peak Gondola linking the two giant mountains will be epic. Christening is scheduled for December 12, this blogger's birthday and we will be there for the festivities two months from today. Ski resorts in BC, Canada, Washington, Colorado, Utah and Tahoe have all received dustings, which could be a good omen..or not! Early season is always a bit dicey, but 9 out the past 10 years have found Whistler-Blackcolm in operation with over 3000 skiable acres open. All too often, early season storms in the Sierra yield to warmer weather and destroy Thanksgiving opening bases, but in a couple weeks the snow guns will be blasting away as nightime temperatures will be well below freezing to blow enough snow to operate. Natural snowfall will be a bonus if cold air prevails.

Winter is on it's way. Colorado and Utah with dustings already, and the Sierra is expecting snow this weekend.

When Whistler received 3 inches of powder a couple weeks ago, it signaled the prelude to the winter ahead. Shortly thereafter, Winter Park in Colorado, Snowbasin in Utah and other ski resorts began to report dustings. Now, the forecast calls for a pre-season dump at Sierra mountain resorts to last for a couple of days. Certainly these developements in early October bode well for an early ski season, and cold nights have prompted resort operators to fire up snow guns and blast slopes with some cover. Skiers and riders can get in the mood with a couple of events coming up in San Francisco. The Icer Air show at AT@T Park is set for October 18th, and the San Francisco Ski and Snowboard festival is a weekend affair Nov. 1-2 at Ft. Mason. Whether the current dismal economy will dramatically affect people's ability to enjoy the winter in the mountains remains to be seen. Gas prices now seem to be the least of considerations in planning winter road trips to the slopes. Resort operators may need to get extra creative to attract snow sliders to the mountains this season, and we'll be highlighting the various bargains and specials that develop to help our sport. Visit our website: www.12sportsonline.com often for the latest in conditions and deals as the winter season heats up.