Squaw Valley USA - check

So Saturday I clicked off something on my list. I've always wanted to snowboard at Squaw Valley USA, which was home to the 1960 Winter Olympics. There is some history here, right inside the Lake Tahoe region. I've actually hiked up the mountains at Squaw in the summer, a few years back when the Iguanas H3 came through and held a hash weekend at South Lake Tahoe. heh. Exxcess happened to be there too. One of the best Iguana Hashes ever. I managed to lay trail with Two Guys Fcking straight up the mountain at Heavenly...along the gondola path. 3,000 ft elevation change (from 5,900 ft to almost 9k feet elevation), was hungover, no sleep, carrying an alice pack with a 12 pack of Tecate, with 2.9 mile distance, just in the climb. We then made them run another 5 miles down the mountain. :D but that is another story for another time. It was awesome.

Anyway, I've always wanted to go here and snow board. Chris said they had night boarding, so we decided to make it up around 4pm and kill two birds with one stone. hours are 4pm to 9pm. Bought some tickets ($22.00) after standing in line forever. Called my buddy Alan, who is an instructor up here, and he met us, with beer in hand after he was done with work. hahaha perfect.

After getting squared away, we took the obligatory photos with the name in the back before going out and absolutely bansaiing down the mountain. I realized a little later that it's been 2 years since I was on the board. WAYYYY to long. And well worth getting back on it. Chris and I ready to go.
The only downside to night boarding on a weekend, was the large amount of people. half of them are just going to the top of the mountain to get dinner. Anyway, one gondola is running, and it only takes 86 people. so they pile you in like cattle into a waiting area, then they move you onto a giant elevator, then it goes to the second floor, then you pile out to a waiting area, as the gondola arrives, and unloads, you pile in and it takes about 10 min to the top of the mountain. Kind of lengthy and we were cooling off in the process. We grabbed some shots at the top.
Alan and myself.
We took the smaller lifts at the top, so as to not have to come down the mountain right away.

After making our run, and feeling good about it. We realized we'd missed the gondola, so Chris ran to the car for our beer, and Alan ran to the instructors locker room for his beer. haha so then we stood in line while everyone else envied us as we pounded beer before getting to the top of the mountain.
One last shot at the top.
We decided to go about half way down, and Alan said to pick a spot, and we'd pull over and finish the other beers. He managed to carry quite a few. Well, after attempting some sick ass jumps in front of the video camera, and failing miserably...hahahaha, he waited for us with beer on ice. :D
After brushing off the excess snow off myself, from eating it face first....(hence the helmet) we finished up the rest of the beers, sitting on the side of the mountain overlooking the valley lights below that are Squaw Valley USA. Very cool.

Two crappy shots I took with my phone camera. But that is the village below.This one is a little better. A little closer to the bottom. :)

Enjoy. I can't wait to get back up there to do some more snow boarding. Might head up a few days earlier than my sisters reception and go ride.