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3.6-mile race up Squaw returns for 37th year

This year's Squaw Mountain Run will include a $150 prize for the first man and woman to cross the finish line.
Courtesy of Keith Facchino |

The Squaw Mountain Run will return on Saturday, July 29 for its 37th year, taking participants on a 2,000-foot climb from the valley floor to the finish line at Squaw Valley Alpine Meadow’s High Camp.

Proceeds from the event goes toward the Gene Upshaw Memorial Cancer Center and the Auburn Ski Club Training Center programs.

The race regularly draws about 500 participants to the mountain each year. This year’s event is on track to reach that number, according to Race Director Megan Seifert, with over 300 people signed up as a of Wednesday, July 26, and more expected as race day nears.



“We’re expecting over 500,” Seifert said. “A lot of people register the last day or two. We even get a massive amount of morning registrations (on race day).”

Registration for the race costs $50 for adults and $35 for children. On race day the price increases by $15. The race is scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. at the Village at Squaw Valley.



The event originally started as a fundraiser put on for the benefit of the Tahoe Forest Health System, running through the 1980s and 90s, with Auburn Ski Club Training Center providing support for the event for a number of years in the 2000s.

Then in 2007, the club took control of the event as race organizers. From there, Seifert said the event has grown into something that attracts several hundred people to the mountain each year with 20 percent of the money raised going to support the Gene Upshaw Memorial Cancer Center. The remaining proceeds go toward Auburn Ski Club’s Nordic and biathlon programs.

The course will feature a 2,000-foot increase in elevation as runners make their way from the valley floor on a 3.6-mile trail run to the resort’s High Camp where prizes, drinks, and music await.

New this year will be a $150 prize for the first man and woman to cross the finish line. The top three finishers also get a custom mug along with other prizes.

Several local favorites are expected to vie for the first-place titles of King and Queen of the Mountain, according to Seifert, but will have to contend with members of some collegiate Nordic ski teams, who recently signed up for the race.

For those not looking to run up Squaw, there will also be a nature walk put on by the Tahoe Institute of Natural Science (TINS). The cost of the Wildflower Hike at High Camp is the same as the race, and will take place at High Camp. The walk is guided by the institute’s Michelle Witte, according to information from TINS, and will focus primarily on local wildflowers, but may also include observations of birds, insects, and mammals. The tour is scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. at the bottom of Squaw’s Aerial Tram.

For more information or to register for the event visit auburnskiclub.com/summer-fun-runs/squaw-valley-mountain-run.


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