- California Enduro Series Announces 2024 Schedule - 11/19/2023
- ASHLAND MOUNTAIN CHALLENGE 2023 – CES RACE REPORT - 10/04/2023
- China Peak Enduro 2023 – CES Race Report - 09/04/2023
Squaw valley to host 100% carbon neutral women’s alpine carbon neutral world cup skiing in march
For the first time in nearly 50 years, World Cup ski racing will return to Squaw Valley March 9 – 12, 2017. The Audi FIS Women’s Alpine World Cup at Squaw Valley will bring Olympic champions like Mikaela Shiffrin and Squaw Valley’s own Julia Mancuso to the legendary Red Dog run with the competition consisting of a women’s giant slalom on Friday, March 10 and a women’s slalom on Saturday, March 11.
Both races will be held on Red Dog run, the same course as the women’s slalom and giant slalom events of the 1960 Winter Olympics and the 1969 World Cup. With over 1,200 feet of vertical drop in the giant slalom and nearly 700 feet in the slalom, Red Dog run is full of excitement and challenges, including fall-away pitches, side hills and bank turns, and is expected to be one of the more difficult courses on the tour.
A 100% Carbon Neutral Event
“In keeping with our longstanding ski racing legacy here at Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows we are honored to be chosen to host an Audi FIS Women’s Alpine World Cup event. An equally critical piece of our legacy is the way we operate as stewards of these legendary mountains. It is in that light that we are proud to announce that the World Cup events held at Squaw Valley this March will be entirely carbon neutral,” said Andy Wirth, President and CEO of Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows. “Environmental stewardship is core to our mission here at Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows, and we will continue that mission by both materially reducing and offsetting emissions directly related to the World Cup event.”
This carbon footprint analysis includes all mountain operations (snowmaking, lifts and grooming), travel emissions of the athletes, coaches, and World Cup staff to and during the event as well as their accommodations and meals. The carbon footprint of the World Cup will be offset through the purchase of certified carbon credits as well as through a clean-energy project benefitting the local community.
Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows is dedicated to preserving California winters and the alpine environment for current and future generations. The resort has pledged to continue to reduce its carbon footprint, remain an early-adopter of sustainable technologies, and to work within the community to encourage peers and partners to do the same. Many of the initiatives Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows have ingrained in the culture at the resort will play contributing roles in the Audi FIS Women’s Alpine World Cup in March 2017 including:
Toyota Mirai
Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows will be utilizing a 2016 Toyota Mirai, the 2016 World Green Car of the Year as its company vehicle this season; the first of its kind in the Lake Tahoe region. With the assistance of The California Fuel Cell Partnership, a new hydrogen refuel station has been built in Truckee, CA. The acquisition of the 2016 Toyota Mirai represents the next step in the resort’s commitment to being early adopters of sustainable technologies.
Composting Program
Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows composts all kitchen food scraps and organic waste generated at the resort to divert from landfills. This program falls in line with the new law AB 1826, and supports California’s statewide goal to recycle more and reduce greenhouse gas emissions from landfills. The resort has installed composting containers at all dining facilities for sorting food scraps and compostable paper products.
Drink Mountain Tap / Eco Responsible Food & Beverage Stations
In the 2015-16 season, Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows became the first domestic ski resort to discontinue the sale of disposable water bottles with the implementation of Drink Mountain Tap, a program focused on reducing single-use water bottle usage. The resort installed over 20 water refill stations across both Squaw Valley and Alpine Meadows during the 2015-16 season and will continue to offer visitors reusable water bottles for purchase at the same price point as disposable bottles. Single use serving items will also be removed—replaced with reusable cups, dishes and silverware to reduce waste and involve guests in the resort’s commitment to sustainability and reducing waste resort-wide.
POW Parking: Free Premium Parking for Carpools
Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows has partnered with Protect Our Winters (POW) to offer free premium parking to guests who carpool to the resort with four or more passengers in the vehicle. Protect Our Winters, founded by professional snowboarder and Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows athlete Jeremy Jones, is a non-profit whose mission is to engage and mobilize the winter sports community to lead the fight against climate change. The POW Parking program aligns with the resort’s mission to reduce its carbon footprint, raise awareness about how transportation contributes to climate change and promote carpooling and efficient transportation within the region.
Eco-Friendly Transportation Options
Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows has always supported regional transportation solutions, working in collaboration with Placer County, local law enforcement and regional transit agencies in order to fund and implement ideas that will improve transportation as well as reduce its carbon footprint. In addition to POW parking the resort has installed four electric car charging stations at the base of Squaw Valley, operates the Squaw Alpine shuttle between the two mountains (with an estimated savings of 38,400 one way trips annually) provides employee shuttles to and from Reno during the winter season, and provides complimentary employee access to Tahoe Area Regional Transit (TART) bus passes. Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows will encourage World Cup guests to utilize the Squaw Alpine shuttle, Tahoe Area Regional Transit Bus and POW parking.
For more information about the 2017 Audi FIS Ski World Cup at Squaw Valley, visit WorldCupSquaw.com.
About Squaw Valley | Alpine Meadows
Voted 2016 ‘Best Ski Resort’ in North America by USA Today and 10Best Readers’ Choice, Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows is an internationally renowned mountain resort in North Lake Tahoe that spans over 6,000 skiable acres. The resort features slopeside lodging at The Village at Squaw Valley®, which bustles year round with nonstop events and nearly 60 bars, restaurants and boutiques. With an annual average of 450 inches of snowfall and 300 sunny days, Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows is known as the spring skiing capital as it provides one of the longest ski and snowboard seasons in Lake Tahoe. Skiers and riders of all ability levels are welcomed by over 65 percent beginner and intermediate terrain, 14 easy-to-navigate mountain zones and a custom app to make the most of every visit. Visit squawalpine.com or call 1.800.403.0206 to learn more.
***
Read other backpacking & hiking posts here.
