Thread: Private Lift between Alpine/Squaw nearing completion

I tried to find the link on PowderMag for this article but it's not up yet so I just took a picture

it's in the new Photo Annual edition buried between a bunch of ads

we had a thread up about this last year and it looks like the project is almost complete

such a great story...every skier's dream come true

That's crazy.

Definate props to this guy for making that effort, that's really unbelievable.

Garage built lift towers???
25 peeps per day?
fixed grip triple? (So, he only needs 9 chairs.)

wow. queue it up...
"if i had a million dollars..." (ok maybe not a million).

Props to Caldwell

the terrain back there is sweet, i have poached it a few times by heading all the way our past Estelle, and skiing that area back down to the road, etc. I actually got busted by him a few yrs ago (before the towers were put in), as he watched a bud and i ski down, whoopping it up a few days after a storm, and when he approached us, I thought "oh boy, he's gonna call the sheriff on us", but he was really cool, quizzed us on our avy creds, checked that we were beeping and had probe and shovels, etc, and told us to not do it again....but he smiled and said "you guys picked a nice line, I was watching you the whole time".....very cool.

Anyway, I wanted to volunteer last Nov. for the tower install, but couldn't make it that day, but have 2 friends that did. Still uncertain how he will deem who is "family and friends" and allow to ride the lift once it spins, what, if anything, he will charge, etc. All I know is that every time I hike up to 5 Lakes and go right past those towers (still no cable or chairs on them), I drool....its a playground back there of cliffs and gullies, etc. High avy area though.

South face? not great snow? No snow now!

what's up with this deal?

Last I saw (back in the spring), it was being held up by more litigation between Caldwell and Squaw. I guess Alex Cushing was more or less into helping Caldwell out, so his death could adversely affect the project.

Originally Posted by freshies

the terrain back there is sweet, i have poached it a few times by heading all the way our past Estelle, and skiing that area back down to the road, etc. I actually got busted by him a few yrs ago (before the towers were put in), as he watched a bud and i ski down, whoopping it up a few days after a storm, and when he approached us, I thought "oh boy, he's gonna call the sheriff on us", but he was really cool, quizzed us on our avy creds, checked that we were beeping and had probe and shovels, etc, and told us to not do it again....but he smiled and said "you guys picked a nice line, I was watching you the whole time".....very cool.

Man , Back in the mid 90s I used to hit WW 3-4 times a day. It was by far the best terrain Alpine Meadows had to offer , and I was super into it! You could always get untracked freshies back there , get away from people. Then suddenly one season (2000-2001?) there were closed signs as you approached WW from Cartoon Land. WTF? All of a sudden some buddy was denying access to his land , no more White Wolf for us. Loss of Liberties. I guess it would be cool if someday the two resorts were linked (not really though , cause all the cheapie passholders would have access to squaw) , but I would've preferred never to have met Troy Caldwell.

went for a little trail run with the dog up to five lakes last week, and as ususal, had to stop and drool at those towers and all the schweet terrain they would access if he ever gets this thing off the ground.

i poached the white wolf area a few runs last season, and marvel at what that lift would yield: lap after lap through there would be so much fun.

squaw and alpine should create a bird/alta pass/tix relationship, and buy the land and activate this lift as a connector between the 2 areas, make people hike out to it from estelle @ alpine to get to it, etc and access it off k2 @ squaw, to weed the gapers out...that would be fun.

got to ski that at avy school last year - very fun terrain - they've got a good thing going

one word:

Cartmanland

Originally Posted by guermo

Man , Back in the mid 90s I used to hit WW 3-4 times a day. It was by far the best terrain Alpine Meadows had to offer , and I was super into it! You could always get untracked freshies back there , get away from people. Then suddenly one season (2000-2001?) there were closed signs as you approached WW from Cartoon Land. WTF? All of a sudden some buddy was denying access to his land , no more White Wolf for us. Loss of Liberties. I guess it would be cool if someday the two resorts were linked (not really though , cause all the cheapie passholders would have access to squaw) , but I would've preferred never to have met Troy Caldwell.

IIRC, it's not Caldwell's fault. The deal is, Squaw owns the land under WW, but Caldwell owns KT, and there's a reciprocal lease with conditions.

Been waiting patiently for this to be completed....

Thanks for the update - it's a story I've been watching.

Your own private ski lift is a great way to ensure dinner guests every night of the week! Lucky guy.

Originally Posted by alpinedad

IIRC, it's not Caldwell's fault. The deal is, Squaw owns the land under WW, but Caldwell owns KT, and there's a reciprocal lease with conditions.

Not true , Caldwell owns WW all the way up the the top of KT , which includes the top station only of KT lift.
Caldwell certainly does not own KT, he leases about 100 square yards of his land for the top of the kt lift.