Squaw Valley & Alpine Meadows 70th Anniversary Edition

Tales From Two Valleys

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Sherwood (Woody) Stockwell, Architect, Planner, Writer

Comment by Sherwood (Woody) Stockwell, Architect, Planner, Writer, for Squaw Valley and Alpine Meadows: Tales from Two Valleys by Eddy Starr Ancinas | Photo of Estelle Bowl Alpine Meadows by Eddy Starr Ancinas

Dear Eddy, I opened a package from Henrik last week and was so pleased to find that it contained a copy of your new book. After all these years and thousands of skiers, you have no reason to remember us; but the Stockwells lived through all those years and events that you describe. Therefore it was hard not to open the book and harder to put it down until I’d read every word and poured over the photographs of friends and mountains. Your words took me back to the wonderful days in the Sierras.

—Sherwood (Woody) Stockwell, Architect, Planner, Writer

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Ray Garland

Comment by Ray Garland for Squaw Valley and Alpine Meadows: Tales from Two Valleys by Eddy Starr Ancinas | Photo of Estelle Bowl Alpine Meadows by Eddy Starr Ancinas

I took the past two nights to read Eddy’s book which I purchased from you yesterday afternoon. I think it is an important, delightful read. She has insights I haven’t found in some of the other books I’ve read about skiing in this region…and I have read almost all the books in her bibliography. Very well done and very enjoyable.

—Ray Garland

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Trinkie Watson

Comment by Trinkie Watson for Squaw Valley and Alpine Meadows: Tales from Two Valleys by Eddy Starr Ancinas | Photo of Estelle Bowl Alpine Meadows by Eddy Starr Ancinas
Comment by Trinkie Watson for Squaw Valley and Alpine Meadows: Tales from Two Valleys by Eddy Starr Ancinas | Photo of Estelle Bowl Alpine Meadows by Eddy Starr Ancinas

Have not quite finished the book, but am loving it! Great memories.
I have to tell you that my 9 years in SV were most impressionable and memorable. I still feel very connected to those beginning links to my life experience at Lake Tahoe. One of my best memories was walking my dogs along the meadow late afternoon after the sun set and watching all the horses run from one end of the Valley to the other. Truly special.

—Trinkie Watson, Truckee, CA

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Phil Carville, Developer-Olympic Village Inn

Comment by Phil Carville | Developer of Olympic Valley Inn for Squaw Valley and Alpine Meadows: Tales from Two Valleys by Eddy Starr Ancinas | Photo of Estelle Bowl Alpine Meadows by Eddy Starr Ancinas

I picked up the book in Truckee a couple of weeks ago and finally got time to sit down a fully read it. (of course when I first got it I looked to see the chapter on How to Buy an Olympic Village). I really enjoyed finding out so much more about the history of both areas. I knew some of the principal players via some contact, but it was so interesting to learn, for example, about Peter Klaussen’s history with both areas, I knew Peter and Joan but never knew the details that you brought out in your book. Great fun to read.

—Phil Carville, Nevada City, CA (Developer-Olympic Village Inn)

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Henrik Bull, Architect

Comment by Henrik Bull, Architect for Squaw Valley and Alpine Meadows: Tales from Two Valleys by Eddy Starr Ancinas | Photo of Estelle Bowl Alpine Meadows by Eddy Starr Ancina

It was a great pleasure to read your fine Squaw and Alpine book – a real page turner. I was amazed how complete and balanced you were able to be. You seemed to have avoided getting opinions in the way of history.

There are many stories about the collapse of the Arena, most claiming a conspiracy. I know your account is correct. The Olympic buildings were designed for 60 pounds per square foot, being ‘temporary.” The code at the time was 100#, over 200# per square foot now. The arena design was very clever with the waste heat from the ice making causing the roof to be slick. My guess is that the weight of snow when it collapsed was over 6,000,000 pounds, 3000 tons. Any machine would have been a small percentage of this, but maneuvering around the cables would have been tricky.

—Henrik Bull, Architect

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Tom Corcoran, Member 1958 and 1960 U.S. Olympic Ski Team and U.S. Ski Hall of Fame

Comment by Tom Corcoran, Member 1958 & 1960 U.S. Olympic Ski Team, U.S. Ski Hall of Fame, for Squaw Valley and Alpine Meadows: Tales from Two Valleys by Eddy Starr Ancinas | Photo of Estelle Bowl Alpine Meadows by Eddy Starr Ancinas

The book, Eddy, is a great piece of writing that chronicles an extraordinary story about bigger-than-life, over-the-top movers and shakers in your two valleys. I knew some of the personae, but not all, and most of the events described were new to me.

So it was a great read, full of success and failure, dreams achieved and smashed, elation and tears. And the story is not over, but the period you covered will probably be the most exciting, because it was a virginal landscape, with many strong-willed would-be players with different, opposing visions on what should be drawn on the unmarked palette.

I’ve read a number of mountain resort histories, and yours is the best by far.

—Tom Corcoran, Member 1958 and 1960 U.S. Olympic Ski Team, member of the United States Ski Hall of Fame, former president of the Eastern Ski Areas Association, and chairman of the National Ski Areas Association.

Tom Corcoran, Member 1958 and 1960 U.S. Olympic Ski Team and U.S. Ski Hall of FameRead More