I found out in September. I'm the newest and first "Alpine Ski Guide" at Alpine Meadows Ski Area in North Lake Tahoe, California. In the footsteps of Jackson Hole and Kirkwood, Alpine Meadows is starting a front- and side-country ski guide service for its guests.
A lot of my Lake Tahoe acquaintances have called Alpine Meadows, "Squaw Valley's backcountry." Fat skis and randonee bindings are as common as not on the lift lines. And the backcountry skiing is impressive on all four sides of the area, especially the terrain between Alpine and its sister resort, Homewood. In fact I just spent two hours today planning a 13-mile Alpine-Homewood ski tour, which will include ascents and descents of Twin Peaks (8880') and Ellis Peak (8740').
For my clients, this means they have a great opportunity to be introduced into backcountry skiing the most gentle way possible - by riding a chair up most of the elevation gain! We'll also be able to ski in-bounds when the avalanche conditions close down the OB. But this is California, one of the sunniest (and stable-est) places to ski!
Like the Ski Guide Services at Jackson Hole and Kirkwood, Alpine's is starting from within the Ski School, and so days that I'm not requested to guide I'll be teaching adult skiing classes and working on my PSIA Level I and Level II Certifications. Backcountry Ski Camps and AIARE Level I Avalanche Awareness classes are also in the works. Keep an eye on this blog and Alpine Meadows' website for more information as the fall crawls on. Alpine Meadows expects to be open by 26 November.
