White Wolf Mountain facts for kids
White Wolf Mountain is a private ski area located near Lake Tahoe in California. It covers about 460 acres. This area is special because it connects two well-known ski resorts: Squaw Valley Ski Resort and Alpine Meadows (ski resort). People often talk about how White Wolf Mountain could help create a huge "mega resort" by linking these two areas. The mountain got its name from a large white dog that the owners rescued from a cliff there.
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Where is White Wolf Mountain?
White Wolf Mountain sits right between Squaw Valley, Placer County, California and Alpine Meadows, California. It stretches from the parking lot at Alpine Meadows all the way to Squaw Valley. Part of Squaw Valley, an area called KT-22, is actually leased from White Wolf Mountain.
How is the Mountain Used Today?
Right now, White Wolf Mountain is a private ski area. It has a vertical drop of 1123 feet, which means the difference in height from top to bottom is that much. Skiers usually get around the mountain using special snowcat vehicles. There's also a chairlift being built, though its construction has caused some disagreements with Squaw Valley Ski Resort.
The Story of White Wolf Mountain
Troy Caldwell, the owner of White Wolf Mountain, started working at Alpine Meadows in 1970. He loved freestyle skiing and even joined the US Freestyle team. He met his wife, Susan, who also worked at Alpine Meadows. Troy had studied architecture and built houses in the summer.
Troy and Susan dreamed of opening their own mountain ski lodge. Troy found some land he was interested in and learned it was owned by Southern Pacific Transportation Company. He met with a representative from the company, who said they were selling off their land. When Southern Pacific called Squaw Valley Ski Resort to see if they wanted the land, a Squaw Valley employee mistakenly said no. This was a surprise, as Squaw Valley's owner, Alexander Cushing, had tried to buy the land many times before.
Troy first wanted to buy just 5 acres, but the railroad offered him the entire 460-acre property. In 1989, Troy Caldwell bought the land from Southern Pacific Transportation Company for $450,000. He said, "The section of land that I own borders Alpine Meadows...and rolls over onto KT-22. It is my mountain. I own about 70 acres of Squaw."
After buying the land, the Caldwells built a road and lived there. Alexander Cushing of Squaw Valley was not happy about Troy owning the land. In 1996, Cushing sued Caldwell. Later, Caldwell and Cushing agreed to trade 70 acres of land for ski lift equipment. However, Caldwell later sued Cushing, saying he didn't deliver the ski lift towers as promised.
Troy Caldwell started building his first chairlift, but then he was sued by a local homeowners association. In 2007, Caldwell settled the lawsuit and stopped building his ski lifts. He agreed that the land would only be used as a private ski area, allowing no more than 25 guests at a time.
Since 2014, Andy Wirth from KSL Capital Partners (who own Squaw Valley and Alpine Meadows) and Troy Caldwell have been working together. Their goal is to use White Wolf Mountain to connect Squaw Valley and Alpine Meadows. In 2019, Troy Caldwell mentioned he had spent a lot of money on paperwork for his plans. He also received a response from Placer County about his ideas for building homes, guest units, employee housing, a lodge, and two ski lifts on the property.
Plans for Connecting Ski Resorts
Troy Caldwell's main goal is to use his land to connect the Squaw Valley and Alpine Meadows ski areas. Many people in the community are also interested in seeing these two resorts linked.
In September 2011, Alpine Meadows and Squaw Valley Ski Resort became owned by the same company. While they kept their own names, they were managed by Squaw Valley's parent company, KSL Capital Partners. The new company, Squaw Valley Ski Holdings LLC, has talked about combining the two resorts into one huge area. This would happen by using White Wolf Mountain as a link. Troy Caldwell supports this idea. If connected, the combined ski area would be the second largest in North America, just a bit smaller than Whistler Blackcomb.
In 2011, Caldwell shared his ideas for White Wolf Mountain, which included:
- A small, high-end ski resort
- A gondola and three ski lifts
- A hotel in the middle of the mountain
- A small village with an ice skating rink
In 2015, Squaw Valley Ski Holdings LLC announced their own plan to build a gondola through White Wolf Mountain to connect the resorts.
Working Together
Troy Caldwell has had some legal disagreements with Squaw Valley about installing chairlift towers to connect the resorts. There have been many court cases. In 2000, the California Supreme Court ruled that Caldwell could open his proposed chairlift, but with certain rules.
It seems that Squaw Valley's new owners, KSL Partners, are trying to work with Caldwell and resolve their past differences. In December 2011, KSL even paid for Caldwell to visit other ski resorts in the American West. He visited places like Jackson, Vail, Aspen, and Steamboat. Caldwell said KSL "treated us like kings and queens" on the trip.
White Wolf Subdivision Plans
In 2019, plans for the White Wolf Subdivision were given to the Placer County planning department. These plans included 38 single-family homes, two ski lifts, and other facilities. The idea is to create a private ski area with its own lifts and lodges.
