Ski-in ski-out hot tub? Yes, please! Photo: @ShannonReporting
Ever heard of the ski-in Starbucks, where you can literally keep your heels clicked in while trying to remember if a “grande” is the big- or small-sized coffee? Well, Squaw Valley is responsible for that convenient concept. Now, try that same idea with a hot tub (except take off your boots), a perfect way to enjoy spring riding and a pretty rad feature at Squaw Valley Ski Resort, North Lake Tahoe’s premiere destination that sports pretty much everything you could dream of as a snowboarder, which is definitely one of my loves.
Full poolside bar? Check. Breathtaking views? Worth a thousand words. And even a full locker room with private showers to hose off before rebooting and skiing down to the base… You’ve got to be kidding me.
But in my book, Squaw’s High Camp Hot Tub really puts the cherry on top of a snow-covered sundae. Just when you thought snowboarding couldn’t get any better, you find out that, indeed, unlacing your boots and walking into a 104 degree tub might be the fairytale ending you never asked for.
Hot tubs are my vice. They come before pretty much anything else I should be doing with my time. Years of snowboard injuries add up fast, and what used to be a full day of riding when I was a grom has now turned into a couple hours of action followed by a few more hours of complaining about aches and pains. Hell, there’s nothing that soothes my bitching more than a smoking hot bath.
This is probably what it feels like to win the jackpot. Only part I haven’t quite dialed in is how to get back down to the base area in my soggy bikini…
Squaw Valley has extended its season to May 30. The Highcamp Pool and Hot Tub is open from 11am-4pm.
