Squaw Valley, Lake Tahoe, California

The history of Squaw Valley, Lake Tahoe, California, is as tumultuous as an Olympic downward slalom in the Sierra Mountains. Alex Cushing (1913-2006) founder of Squaw Valley was known as an innovator of the ski industry. He was a Harvard lawyer practicing in NYC when WWII broke out, so he joined, as an officer, the US Navy in the Pacific and South America. After the war in 1946, he returned to his New York firm but was transformed by seeing Squaw Valley, when he went West on a ski trip with a friend. Cushing was undaunted by lack of roads and lack of houses. He had just raw beautiful landscape. He opened the ski area in 1949 with a double chairlift, a rope tow and a fifty room lodge. Today it is one of the world's best known ski resorts.

The strength of spirit was shown by Cushing and his people when the resorts chairlift was destroyed by avalanche each year consecutively for three years. There was a devastating flood in the fourth year, then during the fifth year the lodge burned down. Most would give up but not Alex Cushing, in 1955, he surprised the world and changed the history of skiing. He secured Squaw Valley as the site for the 1960 VIII Olympic Winter Games. Through the power of the idea of the Olympic ideals of simplicity with focus on athleticism and diversity, Cushing succeeded when he declared that "the Olympics belonged to the world. Not just one continent". In February of 1960, 800 athletes and 30 national teams competed in the VIII Olympic Winter Games at Squaw Valley. It was the first televised Olympics, which brought international publicity to the Lake Tahoe region and brought interest to winter sports in general, and California skiing. Growing into a year round destination in the Lake Tahoe region has been explosive. The beautiful Sierra Mountains are used in warmer weather for innumerable events. Sunset hikes to the High Camp, Perseid Meteor Shower Overnight Camp Out and the Tahoe Hospital Foundation Benefit Annual Mountain Run are just some of the events. After rounds of golf or tennis sets, festivals to attend are the 6th Annual Brews, Jazz and Funk Festival. All the boating options, boating rentals, cruises, private boats with captains, abound. Fly-fishing is a sport not to be taken lightly, because in the greater North Lake Tahoe, there are streams trickling in subdued meditation. Mountain biking in the Sierra trails thrills. Horseback riding may be a little slower, but wouldn�t you want it to be? Squaw Valley has a phenomenal history of simplicity, survival, and world-renowned winter game. Your vacation will give you but a taste of this phenomenon that is Squaw Valley, Lake Tahoe, California.