Powder Day Tomorrow

Hello Skiers and Boarders,

It is snowing again in Alpine Meadows.  I was not on the hill today, but friends that I met at lunch claimed that snow had built up to 6″ or 8″ in placed on the mountain.  The snow is coming down in showers that were heavy at times, but as of now it is not sticking on Hwy. 89.

After posting the photo showing the Shuttle Cornice sign I was sent the following information which is a history of Alpine Meadows Ski Area and of the installation of lifts at Alpine Meadows taken from an old ski patrol website.  I thought it was interesting enough to pass along to those of you who like a little history of Alpine Meadows.  In addition to the history of the lifts we were discussing trail names on the chair the other day.  There was a discrepancy concerning the location of Our Father and High Yellow Gully.  Our Father is the name of the traverse leading from the top of the Sherwood Chair to what is properly known as High Yellow Gully.  High Yellow Gully begins near the ridge top to the skiers left of High Yellow Face.  I must admit I have been guilty of referring to the gully as Our Father in the past.

 ALPINE HISTORY FROM AMNSPA

Alpine Meadows was the brainchild of John Riley who, in 1961, developed Ward Peak as an alternative to the ‘fast lane’ pace of Squaw Valley. In 1971 Nick Badami entered the picture as Alpine’s Chairman of the Board. In 1981 the company reorganize, Alpine Meadows of Tahoe Inc. becoming the parent holding company of subsidiaries Alpine Meadows Ski Corporation who’s president is Howard Carnell and Park City Corporation, acquired in 1975. In the 1994 the Corporation was purchased by Powdr, a privately held corporation based in Salt Lake City. In 1995 they purchased Boreal and Soda Springs ski areas.

Alpine has now grown to an area with 2000 acres of ski terrain (35% advanced, 40% intermediate and 25% novice)on 1800′ vertical drop. There are 11 chairs and 2 surface lift. Snowmaking covers 200 acres from Alpine Bowl and the top of Scott to the base area. Natural snow fall averages +29 feet per season which ‘normally’ lasts from Thanksgiving to Memorial Day

In its first season, 1961-62, Alpine started with 3 lifts (Summit #1, Big Poma which is now Kangaroo and Little Poma now Tiegel Poma).

The rest of the lifts went in as follows:

Roundhouse #2 (originally called Avante) was installed in the 1962-63 season. Little Poma was moved to the Meadow area the same year.

Weasel Pass #3 went in as far as midramp in ’64-65.

Sherwood #4 (originally called Down-Ward) in ’65-66 was built along with some shuttle pomas to get people back and forth through Scott Meadow.

Alpine Bowl #5 was installed in ’66-67 and Weasel was extended to Sherwood and the old Scott T-bar (now gone) was installed from the base of Scott Meadow, below Mid Ramp to nearly the top of Scott Peak.

Subway and Lower 40 were installed in ’68 and the Plateau T-bar (now gone) went in above 8-A on the West Creek side to above Loop Road.

Meadow #6 chair replaced the Little Poma in 1971

Yellow #7 went in for the ’72-73 season and Plateau was removed and Scott #8 went in the season of ’73.-74

Kangaroo #9 replaced the Big Poma in 1975

Subway #10 chair replaces the Subway Poma in 1979

Lakeview, #11 the most recent chair to be installed, was built for the ’84-85 season and replace the Scott T-bar. That same season Roundhouse was converted to a triple.

Enjoy your day,

Andy

The Unofficial Alpine Meadows Ski Report
Produced by Andy Wertheim
Tahoe Truckee Realtor
Email: andyinalpine@yahoo.com
Website: www.tahoeriverfrontrealty.com
Phone: 530-583-3483 ext:3