The History of Squaw Valley USA

Squaw Valley is a special place, difficult to experience without falling under its spell. It is as if, by its very nature, the valley commands a relationship with those who set foot here. One can travel the world hiking, skiing, climbing, and exploring; Squaw Valley's beauty will still impress. Those who have been involved as team members, visitors, or "locals" proudly attest to an inexplic-able connection with the valley. Many have contributed to Squaw's founding and growth.

In 1946, Squaw Valley worked its magic on a young man named Alexander Cushing, who had traveled with friends to the Sierra Nevada on a four day train ride from the East Coast. Cushing, then a lawyer on Wall Street, had served in the Navy and was ready for a change. "The war turns the world upside down and I was having a hard time adjusting" he recalls. The strain of duty left him with solid impressions of life's fragility, and of the importance of living life to the fullest.

So, as many have before and since, Cushing headed west. On his first day skiing at Sugar Bowl, Cushing did the "unmentionable" and broke his ankle. As the fourth at Bridge, his friends demanded he stay. Always optimistic, Cushing contented himself relaxing on the sundeck and watching other skiers. While there, he heard a young man named Wayne Poulsen speak of a nearby place with the best skiing in the country. Intrigued by Poulsen's statement, Cushing asked to see this place, and soon found himself on crutches, watching from the meadow while his friends hiked and schussed the glorious peaks of Squaw Valley.

Returning to New York a few days later, Cushing could not forget about what he had seen. "I realized that being a lawyer was all right, but you get into something that you really like, and well, I saw how interesting work could really be." With a powerful dream, $400,000 that he managed to gather from his own pocket, and the investments of a few friends, he set about the task that would change the history of California and of the ski industry.

On November 24, 1949, less than three years after his first visit, Alex Cushing opened the Squaw Valley Development Company. Skiers could ride the world's largest double chairlift, Squaw One, and a choice of two rope tows, including one known as "Little KT." At day's end, an unfinished Squaw Valley Lodge (designed by Sandy McIlvaine of the Delano Aldrich architecture firm) offered respite for those too weary to brave the rough-hewn roads. "When we opened on Thanksgiving Day, the building was only 90% done" says Cushing. "It didn't have any water for example. Well, it is very hard to run a restaurant without water." Four days after the grand opening, a flood closed the resort's doors. In what would become typical fashion for the company, Cushing and his close-knit crew worked 17 and 18 hours each day to reopen in time for Christmas. Cushing recalls his 1949 Christmas gift: his accountant, Harold Dittmore, told him "you know, you are absolutely flat broke." Cushing's reply? "We'll manage." After parting ways with Poulsen, Cushing was left with the mountain and six acres at the base with which to forge his dream.

Squaw Valley's first winter season proved that building a world-class resort would require tremendous commitment and loyalty from many strong and dedicated people. First among these was John Buchman. Cushing recalls that Buchman started at Squaw Valley on May 1, 1949, as the company's first employee "at the business end of a shovel." In the evenings, Buchman noticed Cushing and the engineers working on plans, and though he had been working all day, he offered his services gratis. Less than two weeks later, Cushing appointed the young man (who just months before had been driving a taxi in Morristown, New Jersey), to the position of Manager of the Squaw Valley Development Company. From that point on, Buchman devoted his life to Squaw Valley and over a period of 45 years became General Manager, President, and a Director of the Company.

Just prior to opening day, at Cushing's request, Pascal "Pete" Heuga joined the Squaw Valley family selling lift tickets, working lift lines, and cutting trails. Heuga recalls "there was always something to do." During the 1960 Olympics, he oversaw operation of the ice arenas. In 1968 Heuga, whose son Jimmy won a silver medal in the 1964 Olympics, retired from Squaw Valley USA, only to return several days later to run the tram for 17 more years. A notoriously strict ticket checker, Pete Heuga's presence was known all over the mountain, and his smile continues to be a familiar sight in the valley today.

In 1969, after boot-packing for the World Cup, Tom Anderson went for a job interview halfway up the mountain road. "You hiked all the way up this hill to get a job?" said Mountain Manager Dick Reuter, "well then, you're hired! I'll put you on as a lift mechanic." From shoveling, lift maintenance, ski patrol, and government relations, to mountain management and a stint on the Board of Directors, Tom was an icon of loyalty and relentless pursuit of the job at hand. He retired in 1998 after 29 years at Squaw Valley.

Squaw Valley's spirit has been tested more than once. Squaw One was destroyed by avalanche each year for its first three years. The fourth year of operations there was a devastating flood, and during the fifth year, the lodge burned down. For many, these setbacks would have signalled the time to sell out; instead, Alex surprised millions by securing Squaw Valley as the site for the 1960 VIII Olympic Winter Games, beating out internationally regarded resorts such as Innsbruck, Austria, St. Moritz, Switzerland and Garmisch-Partenkirschen, Germany. The Olympics brought Lake Tahoe international publicity and sparked interest in winter sports and California skiing.

Following the Olympics, Squaw Valley raced to meet the growing demand for skiing. The resort became a social mecca, entertaining guests and celebrities from around the globe. "Employees went to Bar One once a week for the Thursday Night Follies" recalls long-time ski patroller Wes Schimmelpfennig, who began working at Squaw in 1962. "We would put on skits to entertain the guests." Celebrities like Gene Kelly, Bing Crosby and Sophia Loren added to the resort's glamour and glitz. Meanwhile, daredevil athletes were drawn to the Valley for its challenging terrain. Skiers and adventurers like Joe Marillac, Emile Allais, and Joe Aukenthaller broke new ground in skiing technique, often competing to be the first to try a new run. Roger Maché and Dick "Madman" Buek both laid claim to the first "schuss" of Headwall. Today, internationally celebrated athletes continue to bud, grow, and thrive on Squaw Valley's terrain.

Alex Cushing grew up in a family where dreams guided the way. His father, Howard, and sister, Lily, both artists, had received international acclaim for their paintings. Alex chose the mountain peaks of Squaw Valley as his medium. "It's like being a sculptor," says Cushing. "It's your life, and it takes everything you've got."

Yet nothing would have been developed without the Squaw Valley teams' vision, determination, and perseverance. Squaw Valley USA is a breeding ground for innovation. "We're in the uphill transportation business," says Cushing, and the resort's commitment to providing the newest and best in lift technology is evidenced by the most technologically advanced transportation network in the world. Featuring the Funitel, Cable Car, Pulse, two six-passenger high-speed detachable chairs, five quad chairs, and an assortment of fixed grip lifts, Squaw Valley's lift system totals 31 in all.

Cushing credits the "Squaw Valley Family" with making his dreams come true. In his 1999 letter to season passholders, he wrote "my luck continues, because I am a member in good standing of the Squaw Valley Family. I admire and owe a debt of thanks to so many of our family members for their loyal support. Without them, I have nothing. I am loathe to single out any individual, with two exceptions: one is Hans Burkhart and the other is my wife, Nan." Indeed, these two remarkable individuals have helped guide Squaw Valley's growth and success.

Hans Burkhart came to Squaw Valley in 1961. Cushing needed someone to oversee construction and maintenance of the first gondola, and when asked for advice, the manufacturer pointed up the hill to Burkhart, who was hanging upside down over a cliff with a drill in his hand. Thus began a relationship that continues today. Cushing and Burkhart both stand well over six feet tall, speak with distinguished accents and enter a room with intention and authority. Their demeanors reflect the strength required to persevere. In 1968 the two brought another dream to fruition by completing what was the largest aerial tramway in the world, the High Camp Cable Car. Today, as General Manager and head of every construction project, Burkhart's work is visible everywhere.

The early 80's witnessed the start of a myriad of changes. Tom Richardson, former head of the Aspen Skiing Co., filled in as President of Squaw Valley Ski Corporation, overseeing the first of many improvements in uphill access and capacity. Soon after, Jim Mott, a former ski patroller, took the helm, leading the way for significant changes in both facilities and services. Double chairlifts were replaced by triples and then high-speed detachable "quads." By 1990, Squaw Valley's lift network had grown to over thirty lifts.

 

 

Ski Corporation President Nancy Wendt infused new life into the resort in the 80's through the acquisition of 150 acres at the base of the mountain. Arrangements were made to get the 250 room Squaw Valley Lodge up and running and funding was sought for the 400 room, four star Resort at Squaw Creek. The Opera House was acquired and revamped, and the 12,000 square foot Children's Centerwas finished. Wendt and Cushing commissioned four top architects to design conceptual plans for the base area and today, with the help of Intrawest, these plans are beginning to take shape. Their focus was on expanding the lodging at el. 6200' and the facilities at el. 8200'. In 1985 the Oasis Restaurant and Bar opened at Gold Coast with exotic decor by architect Henrik Bull. New shops, restaurants, and entertainment venues have opened each year, bringing today's total to over fifty. In 1990, the installation of a new snowmaking system greatly improved early season skiing, and permanent lighting along the 3.2 mile Mountain Run extended the fun into the night. High Camp continued to expand with the addition of tennis courts, the Olympic Ice Pavilion, restaurants, bars and the Swimming Lagoon and Spa. The High Camp Bath and Tennis Club, el. 8200', is now a year-round center of activity, with breathtaking views of Lake Tahoe and the surrounding Sierra Nevada.

On December 19th, 1998, following eighteen months of painstaking construction, Squaw Valley celebrated the grand opening of North America's first Funitel. The Funicular Telepherique, which can operate in 75 mph winds, is a key step toward Alex's goal of making Squaw Valley's terrain safely accessible in any type of weather. In considering plans for two new wind-resistant detachable six-passenger lifts to be completed for the 1999-2000 season, Cushing proclaimed "we won't tell people when they can and can't ski, they'll tell us!"

Alexander Cushing's vision and determination, combined with the hard work of his exceptional team, have forged Squaw Valley USA into an internationally famous mountain resort. Behind it all, the valley's magic continues to work its spell. Cushing acknowledges that his success is due to Squaw Valley's natural resources-alpine mountains with wonderful snow-and he continues to dream of tomorrow.