Squaw Valley christened the first Shirley Zone tree run this week. The new trail has been renamed “Mac & Ernie’s.”
The first tree run was renamed to honor and thank Ryan McInerney, a President at Visa. The McInerney family provided a generous donation to Waterkeeper Alliance.
The Waterkeeper Alliance is the largest and fastest growing nonprofit solely focused on clean water, fighting for every community’s right to drinkable, fishable, and swimmable water.
The trail name was awarded to the McInerney family during the fundraising gala and auction celebrating the World Cup, held at Squaw Valley last March.
This week’s ceremony included an unveiling of the new trail sign in the Shirley zone and an address from Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows Senior Vice President of Mountain Operations Casey Blann. A second trail sign was furnished to the McInerney family to take home.
The trail will bear its new name for the duration of the 2017-18 season, including trail signage and trail maps online and in print. The trail will return to its previous name of Tomlinson’s for the 2018-19 season.
For more information about Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows, visit www.squawalpine.com.
Diamond Peak: The family-friendly resort in Incline Village will open Thursday, Dec. 14 for skiing and snowboarding.
Diamond Peak plans to offer top-to-bottom skiing and snowboarding on Crystal Ridge, Sunnyside, Lodgepole, School House and in the Child Ski Center’s designated learning area, with the potential for Ridge Run and Popular to also be open if conditions permit. Snowmaking operations have been running non-stop for more than a week, thanks to the temperatures dropping enough to make snow.
Diamond Peak offers 655 acres and 1,840 vertical feet of skiing and riding, with gorgeous views of nearby Lake Tahoe. Operating since 1966, Diamond Peak is among North Lake Tahoe’s hidden gems. It has terrain for all levels, and some of the best tree skiing in the Tahoe Basin.
Diamond Peak will be the 10th Lake Tahoe resort to open for the 2017-18 season. The four other resorts – Homewood Mountain, Soda Springs, Donner Ski Ranch and Granlibakken – are anticipating opening by the weekend.
Mammoth Mountain: Early-season snow and good snowmaking conditions have given Mammoth a strong opening to the season. The resort says it has the more terrain open than any other resort in the country.
By this weekend, Mammoth will be operating 22 lifts, 120 trails, and four terrain parks for skiing and riding. Seven new lifts began operating Wednesday (Dec. 13).
Crews have been working round the clock to provide more lifts and runs. The resort, located along the Southeastern Sierra mountain range, is reporting 20-60 inches of snow.
Projected Lake Tahoe ski resort openings
- Mt Rose: Open
- Boreal Mountain: Open
- Heavenly Mountain: Open
- Squaw Alpine: Open
- Kirkwood Mountain: Open
- Northstar California: Open
- Sugar Bowl: Open
- Sierra-at-Tahoe: Open
- Tahoe Donner downhill: Open
- Diamond Peak: Dec. 14
- Homewood Mountain: Dec. 15
- Donner Ski Ranch: Dec. 15
- Granlibakken: Dec. 15
- Soda Springs: TBA
