Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows will begin the 2021 ski season by opening Nov. 25, weather permitting.
Operations at Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows during COVID-19 will require guests and the resort t
o work together. Squaw-Alpine is committed to providing space for physical distancing, adhering to safety policies and remaining flexible in the face of the inevitable changes throughout the season.
Skiers and snowboarders must educate themselves in advance about COVID-19 policies, respect those policies while on site, follow resort communications as they are updated, and remain flexible.
Guests should book in advance and plan to visit midweek for the best possible experience. The most updated information, including Frequently Asked Questions, resort policies and practices, will be available on the 2020-21 Winter Experience page throughout the season.
“Guests should expect COVID-19 related changes to impact a number of aspects of resort operations,” said Ron Cohen, president and chief operating officer at Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows. “The resort team, including the Mountain Operations team, will be facing numerous challenges created by COVID-19 policies and procedures. These may result in delayed lift and terrain openings, particularly on inclement weather days.”
WHAT’S NEW: The resort is spending approximately $1 million to increase physical distancing and sanitizing across both mountains. New hand-sanitizing stations are being installed and bathrooms will be outfitted with hundreds of additional touchless faucets, paper towel and soap dispensers.
Partitions will be installed in ticket, ski school and food and beverage sales locations. A fleet of high-demand electrostatic sanitizing sprayers will disinfect areas around the resort, with the ability to sanitize up to 23,000 square feet on one tank. Electrostatically charged disinfectant clings to multidimensional hard and soft surfaces, providing consistent and lasting disinfection.
Skiers and riders can expect to find more outdoor seating than ever, including expanded deck seating at Alpine Meadows Base Lodge, Gold Coast Lodge and KT Base Bar, where hundreds of new tables, chairs, heaters, umbrellas and fire pits will be available for guests to use.
The Mountain Roots food truck will also park next to the snow in The Village at Squaw Valley. Portable employee locker rooms will be placed in base areas at Alpine Meadows and Squaw Valley to facilitate physical distancing for staff.
RESORT ACCESS: Pass holders will continue to have the best and most flexible access to the resort, with no reservations currently required to access the mountain.
The resort will manage general visitation by temporarily eliminating the sale of “walk-up” tickets at the window, and tightly controlling the sale of advance purchase tickets, which are expected to be primarily available midweek.
Guests who book a ski and ride school lesson or book lodging directly through The Village at Squaw Valley will have priority access to tickets. Guests can also expect an increased cadence of communications, particularly on days that may be impacted by inclement weather.
BOOKING ONLINE: This season, guests should plan their visit in advance. Reservations will be required for ski and ride school lessons, rental and demo equipment this season.
To help guests plan ahead and reduce in-person contact, all major products will be available to book in advance online and through the Squaw Alpine App. That includes lift tickets, lodging, ski and snowboard school lessons, rental and demo equipment.
Guests can also take advantage of mobile food ordering, currently available at restaurants in The Village at Squaw Valley, including Auld Dubliner Irish Pub and Restaurant, Fireside Pizza Company, Coffeebar and Tremigo Mexican Kitchen & Tequila Bar.
Rocker@Squaw, Wildflour Baking Company and MOGROG Café at Alpine Meadows will also be launching online ordering. Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows plans to expand mobile ordering to additional locations across both mountains. Guests can check the Dining & Après page for updates.
FACE COVERINGS REQUIRED: At the resort this season, guests will be required to wear a face covering with two or more layers in any indoor facility or enclosed space, including lodges, restaurants, retail stores, shuttles, elevators and all lifts.
Face coverings are not required while eating or drinking. All guests are also required to wear a face covering with two or more layers outdoors where physical distancing cannot be guaranteed. Face coverings are required in lift lines, on all chair lifts, while walking through the Village and in other outdoor areas where physical distancing cannot be guaranteed.
Essentially, skiers and riders should expect to wear a face covering almost all of the time. Guests who are opposed to this are asked to avoid visiting the resort this season.
WHAT TO EXPECT: While the core skiing and riding experience will be largely unchanged this season, expect to see changes elsewhere on the mountain. On chairlifts, skiers and riders will be asked to self-group and load the chair with people who are within their party. The exception will be the Funitel and the Tram, which will be loaded at significantly reduced capacities.
Guests can ask to ride chairlifts alone. Lift attendants will not actively work to fill chairs, and will not require guests to ride a chairlift with people they do not know.
Capacities and operations at indoor spaces, including restaurants, bars, lodges and cafeterias, will be limited based on current state and local regulations. Guests will need to limit time spent inside, and personal vehicles will be a good option for breaks throughout the day.
Menus at lodges and on-mountain locations will be simplified, with fresh-made grab-and-go items and hot food ordered to go. Canned beer, wine, and cocktails will be available at locations across the resort.
“Everyone needs to understand that the operational challenges are huge, and so remaining flexible and understanding will be prerequisites to having a great time,” Cohen said.
Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows will continue to update its 2020-21 Winter Experience page as more information becomes available.
