Operations Update, February 1, 2017
Lots of questions on Silverado, but there is not much to share, unfortunately due to the ongoing investigation from last week. Our patrol team and mountain operations teams are working to get back into their normal routine after the loss of our dear friend, Joe Zuiches. We ask that you are patient with our teams as we get back to normalcy.
What we can tell you is if our teams have stockpiled materials in Silverado in order to be prepared to reset boundaries, perform control work and mark hazards after this storm cycle that is moving in today and through the weekend. The Oregon Trail will also need to be recut (see below how this is the key to Silverado), so we believe Silverado will be on the schedule early of next week. We can’t put a specific date on it just yet, but we can tell you we are prepared to get this coveted terrain open as soon as weather and conditions allow.
Oregon Trail is the Key to Unlocking Silverado
Oregon Trail is essential to opening Silverado terrain. Just like every lift at Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows, we need access to construct a road to the lower terminal that permits snowcat access for medical emergencies. Only a few team members can cut this road due to the complexity of navigating this difficult terrain. First off, we have to wait until there is sufficient snow depth and density, before the road can be built over this extremely rocky area for the snow to settle otherwise it has no consistency. It’s been sitting for a while and we knew this was our chance to get in there start building the road and have. Second, the path beneath the Iron Curtain, and between the Creek and the lower terminal, are very steep, exposed, rocky and prone to avalanches. After the road is built, and a ramp is constructed at the lower terminal in order to allow loading and lift use, Patrol can complete control work, then begin setting up boundaries and marking hazards off. This set up typically takes a day due to extreme terrain and vastness of this zone.
