California/Nevada Squaw/Alpine Reno Question

[Jenny]

We'll be coming from Mammoth so we'll have a car, but we need to stay in Reno on Sunday, March 25th since we leave town at the crack of dawn Monday morning. Which got me to thinking - would it be more cost effective to turn in the car early, and stay somewhere that would shuttle us to the resorts? Need to explore this, but wondering if anyone knew right off whether it's a huge pain or knew of any hotels to check out.

(I haven't begun to look at this - don't know how long it takes to get from Reno to Squaw, relative cost, etc. Just thought maybe someone here could save me a little bit of time.)

 

[dbostedo]

It might be cheaper/easier to return your car after the last ski day and spend your last night in Reno. And you'd still save if it cuts a day off your rental (I'm not sure if it would). I did that (due to a flight cancellation) and stayed at the Best Western right beside the airport... I actually walked to it from the airport. Otherwise, Reno is about an hour from Squaw in good conditions.

So two scenarios :

1. Go to Reno early : Spend two nights in Reno and at least a day less on the car. So you save on hotel (maybe) and the car, BUT you'd need a shuttle to and from Squalpine. I think that's like $50 each way per person. Maybe someone can comment on a public transport option, but I don't think there is one, and it would be a long route.
2. Ski your last day at Squaw, drive to the airport and return your car, and then walk or take a free shuttle to a Reno hotel for the night. This would be the most convenient, but might not save much.

I, personally, wouldn't do #1.

 

[Jenny]

Goodness, the Best Western says it's fully booked for that night already!

That's pretty much our first plan - ski through Sunday and the drive to Reno for the last night. We actually have three days for skiing and will use the two MCP days and then figure out the third. Maybe we can hit Mt. Rose this time.

The car is pretty inexpensive, really, and the time it would take on any shuttle would be a PITA, I'm sure. My first pass at looking for lodging out by Squaw just made me ponder alternatives.

 

[Eleeski]

If you can swing it, stay at Squaw. The traffic in and out, especially on a good Saturday, is unpleasant. Once there, you shouldn't need to drive. Driving to Reno isn't too bad on a Sunday - you are not going with the main traffic on I80 back to the Bay Area.

Transportation is a hassle. We had a big party which filled up a shuttle van on our schedule and that was OK. A few years ago, I took a hotel bus down to Reno after skiing. We had to quit early, it was slow and only good because we had a big crew and partied the whole way down. That resort bus hasn't been an option the last couple years - I don't know if it's the hotel or the group. We usually just rent a car - it's cheaper, faster and easier.

We did stay at quite a few places in the Valley while we were building our house. We VRBOed a couple places (actually went through Squaw Valley realty as they manage several places). Olympic Village Inn was OK (nice pool and hot tub). The Village at Squaw was fun but I only stayed there off peak - it was quite reasonable then but it can get pricey at prime time. Careful of Craigslist, the waterski team got scammed off Craigslist and we ended up hosting 17 college kids over New Years! There is a lot of room capacity in the Valley so you should be able to find something. It might be worth the extra money to spend a night or two in the Valley.

Reno is inexpensive. Close to an hour drive to Squaw so that dilutes the savings. But it's a relatively easy drive. I stayed in Reno a lot during the building - tied the overnight with a Home Depot run. For you, Reno's a bit closer to Mt. Rose which is a fun hill. And Reno can be a fun town.

Have fun,

Eric

 

[Philpug]

If you can swing it, stay at Squaw. The traffic in and out, especially on a good Saturday, is unpleasant. Once there, you shouldn't need to drive. Driving to Reno isn't too bad on a Sunday - you are not going with the main traffic on I80 back to the Bay Area.

Transportation is a hassle. We had a big party which filled up a shuttle van on our schedule and that was OK. A few years ago, I took a hotel bus down to Reno after skiing. We had to quit early, it was slow and only good because we had a big crew and partied the whole way down. That resort bus hasn't been an option the last couple years - I don't know if it's the hotel or the group. We usually just rent a car - it's cheaper, faster and easier.

We did stay at quite a few places in the Valley while we were building our house. We VRBOed a couple places (actually went through Squaw Valley realty as they manage several places). Olympic Village Inn was OK (nice pool and hot tub). The Village at Squaw was fun but I only stayed there off peak - it was quite reasonable then but it can get pricey at prime time. Careful of Craigslist, the waterski team got scammed off Craigslist and we ended up hosting 17 college kids over New Years! There is a lot of room capacity in the Valley so you should be able to find something. It might be worth the extra money to spend a night or two in the Valley.

Reno is inexpensive. Close to an hour drive to Squaw so that dilutes the savings. But it's a relatively easy drive. I stayed in Reno a lot during the building - tied the overnight with a Home Depot run. For you, Reno's a bit closer to Mt. Rose which is a fun hill. And Reno can be a fun town.

Have fun,

Eric

And from Squaw, I would suggest considering going around the lake and over Mt. Rose, it is much prettier (not that the drive down 80 is not) and you will avoid the Squaw Sunday exile. How many is in your "we"?

 

[at_nyc]

I almost always stay at Reno because I typically only ski a couple days, and have either a super early or super late flight which necessitates staying at Reno for at least one night. I dislike the hassle of changing hotel, and the drive isn't bad at all. Of course the saving on lodging doesn't hurt either.

 

[Jenny]

If you can swing it, stay at Squaw. The traffic in and out, especially on a good Saturday, is unpleasant. Once there, you shouldn't need to drive. Driving to Reno isn't too bad on a Sunday - you are not going with the main traffic on I80 back to the Bay Area.

Transportation is a hassle. We had a big party which filled up a shuttle van on our schedule and that was OK. A few years ago, I took a hotel bus down to Reno after skiing. We had to quit early, it was slow and only good because we had a big crew and partied the whole way down. That resort bus hasn't been an option the last couple years - I don't know if it's the hotel or the group. We usually just rent a car - it's cheaper, faster and easier.

We did stay at quite a few places in the Valley while we were building our house. We VRBOed a couple places (actually went through Squaw Valley realty as they manage several places). Olympic Village Inn was OK (nice pool and hot tub). The Village at Squaw was fun but I only stayed there off peak - it was quite reasonable then but it can get pricey at prime time. Careful of Craigslist, the waterski team got scammed off Craigslist and we ended up hosting 17 college kids over New Years! There is a lot of room capacity in the Valley so you should be able to find something. It might be worth the extra money to spend a night or two in the Valley.

Reno is inexpensive. Close to an hour drive to Squaw so that dilutes the savings. But it's a relatively easy drive. I stayed in Reno a lot during the building - tied the overnight with a Home Depot run. For you, Reno's a bit closer to Mt. Rose which is a fun hill. And Reno can be a fun town.

Have fun,

Eric

So, easier to stay at Squaw and take the drive for one day over to Alpine Meadows (I know, they're close) then to stay in one of the towns on the lake and drive both days, it sound like . . .

And from Squaw, I would suggest considering going around the lake and over Mt. Rose, it is much prettier (not that the drive down 80 is not) and you will avoid the Squaw Sunday exile. How many is in your "we"?

Most likely just the two of us, but it could possibly be four. Won't know that for a while, though, so we're making the plans assuming just us. This way would be through Truckee?

 

[dbostedo]

There's a free shuttle back and forth between Squaw and Alpine Meadows. I stayed at Squaw and took the shuttle for day over to AM. One small note there... I took the first shuttle, on a powder day, and by the time I got to AM there was already a lot of tracks. I think the shuttle leaves just after lifts start, and we left a little late.

 

[Philpug]

Most likely just the two of us, but it could possibly be four. Won't know that for a while, though, so we're making the plans assuming just us. This way would be through Truckee?

Actually it would be around the lake, not back through Truckee..it is just an alternative way back to Reno.

 

[Tony]

Actually it would be around the lake, not back through Truckee..it is just an alternative way back to Reno.

Phil's alternative route is through Tahoe City, Kings Beach and Crystal Bay, then you'd turn onto Mt Rose Highway before Incline Village. With no traffic, it would be 20-30 minutes longer than I-80 and not recommended if it's snowing as it includes 8900' pass.

Staying at Squaw would be more convenient than Reno, but much more expensive. Even Truckee is a lot more expensive than Reno. If you do stay at Squaw, you do not necessarily need a car to ski Alpine as there are free and frequent shuttles. Any chance you can back up your return a day and use Saturday to ski June or Mammoth or as a travel day, then ski Squaw and Alpine on Sunday and Monday when they and your exit from skiing will be less crowded?

I took shuttle from Grand Sierra Resort (GSR) to Squaw in 2011. It made a longish stop near a downtown casino where I think some people were left as it was overbooked. I don't remember if there was a cost. GSR was the first stop on the way up and it dropped you in front of Squaw's tram. I did not ride it back as friend picked me up. I think there was only one or at most two per day and it is probably hard to get good information about shuttle until ski season. This link has distances from GSR to Tahoe ski areas although the mileage to Donner Ski Ranch is wrong as it is across the street from one entrance to Sugar Bowl and only a mile or so less distance aussming you take old highway 40.

Grand Sierra Resort also is close to Reno airport and provides free shuttle to airport. It's a huge hotel casino with ~2,000 rooms, 10 restaurants, bowling, driving range and was formerly MGM Grand Reno, Bally's Reno and Reno Hilton. It has a pool and spa, but hours/season never worked for me. GSR is isolated, about 3 miles from downtown casinos and surrounded by big parking lot so even the WalMart across the street is a long walk.

There are shuttles from some of the big casino hotels to Mt Rose, but they stop running March 12 if you can believe this.

 

[Jenny]

Yes, I believe we did that drive coming back from Mammoth two (?) years ago. Beautiful, but it had snowed heavily and wetly the night before and was indeed interesting.

We are staying in Mammoth until Thursday morning, and can either choose to get up earlier and drive so we can ski on Thursday/Friday, leaving the weekend for some smaller, less crowded places, or take our time and divide up the days between Alpine/squaw on Friday and Sunday, leaving Saturday for somewhere else.

I was leaning toward Squaw on Friday, Alpine Meadows on Saturday, and then something, most likely Mt. Rose, on Sunday. Or Sugar Bowl, even though that's the wrong direction. I liked that place when we were there before.

 

[David Chaus]

Having only been to Tahoe once, but staying in the Zephyr Cove area (closer to South Tahoe), which meant driving everywhere, I would personally do the following:

Drive to Squaw on Thursday and stay there two nights. Like you planned, ski Squaw once day (Friday), Alpine the next (Saturday), then drive to Mt Rose Sunday morning. After skiing Rose, check into any hotel in the Reno area.

 

[Eleeski]

Squaw does a better job of handling crowds than Alpine. I might switch your days around. Alpine has the central focus on Roundhouse and Summit chairs. These can get very busy and you end up going through them a lot. Squaw has so many aspects to the mountain that you can usually find something good and uncrowded on the hill. OK, Shirley is a mess but Granite and Solitude access the same snow. Gold coast, Siberia and Emigrant offer different options for that exposure and usually one of those will not be too busy. KT and Headwall offer huge capacity for the ridiculously steep stuff. If it's really badly crowded, Far East or the resort run (Squaw Creek) will still be ski onto the chair for some quick laps. All bets are off in a storm as EVERY powder skier shows up and only the lower mountain will open - that's where Squaw gets its reputation for crowds. Of course, the powder is gone in an hour or two as are the crowds. Plenty of fun soft bumps in the afternoon without waiting much on those days.

Watch the weather and be a bit flexible. Squaw is a huge mountain with several different microclimates. It's rare that you can't find something good somewhere. (On the other hand, somewhere on the mountain is the worst snow in California. Easy to avoid that.) Look for the lift lines on the sketchy days - that's where the snow is good. Squaw moves lots of people up the hill. The lines aren't more than a couple minutes. Alpine's grooming is better if it's one of "those" days.

Both Squaw and Alpine suffer from busy roads. Squaw's parking fills up on the best Saturdays so get there early (or stay in the Valley). Crowds are a problem in the restaurants as well. I haven't tried Alpine's parking on those days. We often après at the bar at Alpine (they gave out cookies last time!) waiting for a less crowded shuttle and clear roads back to Squaw. A gondola interconnect would be awesome!

Late March gives you a great chance for spring bumps. Squaw's specialty! So get some bump lessons.

Homewood is absolutely beautiful. Worthy of consideration for a day - just for the view. The hill is fun too. I love Sugar Bowl and the drive in the back way is beautiful in good weather. I learned most of my skiing in the Slide side of Rose so I have a fondness there. Heavenly isn't that far from Reno if you base there. You'll have fun.

Eric

+1 on @David Chaus except Friday Alpine and Saturday Squaw.

 

[Jenny]

@Eleeski (or anyone else who knows) - can we walk to lifts from the Olympic Village Inn? It looks kind of far on the map I can find.

 

[dbostedo]

Looks like it's about 1/3 of a mile walk to the Funitel... do-able, but further than I would like to walk very often.

 

[Jenny]

Thanks. I just google mapped it and it said .4 miles. Not in my ski boots, I don't! And their website doesn't say anything about a shuttle, but they do say it's walking distance, so I'm betting there isn't one.

 

[mdf]

It looks like it is a moot point now, but when I check this sort of thing I like to use http://www.hillmap.com/ so I can see how much of a climb is involved.

 

[Eleeski]

The far end of the parking lot is about the same walk as from Olympic Village Inn. We walked it no problem. We did walk in shoes (socks and sandals for me) and stashed our shoes at the lifts. It is an easy flat walk and less than our normal 10 minute walk (normally we cheat and use the wagon from our house on Christy Lane. Sometimes people park at our house as the parking lot can be hell and you can be stuck with a good walk no matter what.). Olympic Village Inn is considered in the Village by most visitors.

There might have been a shuttle but the walk was too easy. Of course, lightweight Goodes make carrying skis easier.

We VRBOed on Squaw Peak road and at Christy Hill lodge and walked easily to the lifts. Even if you stay further down the Valley, you can drive to parking before the crowds.

Squaw ran a free service from Chariots to pick people up throughout the Valley on predicted busy days. i don't know if they will do it again or if your dates will be considered busy.

Eric

 

[KingGrump]

It is very decent walk. I parked in the lot in front of the Inn quite often. Walk over to KT Base to change out.

 

[Philpug]

@Eleeski (or anyone else who knows) - can we walk to lifts from the Olympic Village Inn? It looks kind of far on the map I can find.

Still closer than most of te parking at Northstar...so it has that going for it.