Alex Cushing

Call it Silicon Valley versus Squaw Valley: a clash between two octogenarian California entrepreneurs who built their separate empires and disagree over the fate of a fragile Sierra Nevada canyon. On one side is Alex Cushing, the relentless, hard-driving founder of Squaw Valley ski area who is accused of ruthlessly cutting thousands of alpine trees in pursuit of his lifelong dream of making his mountain a world-class resort.

Vancouver-based Intrawest Corp., the biggest snow sports developer in North America, is busy transforming Mammoth Lakes and Squaw Valley into "destination resorts" built around instant villages that attempt to re-create the atmosphere of the European Alps. It's a pattern the Canadian company has followed at dozens of ski areas, in part because European villages are densely built (an economic plus) as well as charming, or at least faux charming. Even in Europe, it turns out, Intrawest is doing the same.

Bob Lochner's profile of Alex Cushing, Squaw Valley USA's owner and developer, painted only half the picture. I grew up in Squaw Valley from the age of 6 in 1971. It was quite a unique place to form your view of the world, and most of the people who lived there realized what a special place it was. Unfortunately, that Squaw Valley is fading away, and if Mr. Cushing has his way, the specialness of Squaw Valley will be gone forever. Mr. Lochner wrote of the many plans and improvements Mr. Cushing has initiated, but left out much of the other side of the coin.

Call it Silicon Valley versus Squaw Valley: a clash between two octogenarian California entrepreneurs who built their separate empires and disagree over the fate of a fragile Sierra Nevada canyon. On one side is Alex Cushing, the relentless, hard-driving founder of Squaw Valley ski area who is accused of ruthlessly cutting thousands of alpine trees in pursuit of his lifelong dream of making his mountain a world-class resort.

Local homeowners and the Sierra Club have joined forces to fight a Squaw Valley Ski Corp. expansion project. They say the cutting of more than 1,800 trees in Shirley Canyon and Tram Bowl to make way for new ski lifts would destroy the valley's last remaining pristine area and damage its watershed. The Sierra Club has filed suit to block the tree-cutting and the Squaw Valley Homeowners Assn. supports the action. A Superior Court ruling, expected in about 60 days, could require a second environmental impact statement or could give the go-ahead for the cutting.

Vancouver-based Intrawest Corp., the biggest snow sports developer in North America, is busy transforming Mammoth Lakes and Squaw Valley into "destination resorts" built around instant villages that attempt to re-create the atmosphere of the European Alps. It's a pattern the Canadian company has followed at dozens of ski areas, in part because European villages are densely built (an economic plus) as well as charming, or at least faux charming. Even in Europe, it turns out, Intrawest is doing the same.

Thirty years ago last month, Alexander Cushing surprised the world by staging a near-perfect Winter Olympics here. But what, skiers soon began asking, have you done for us lately? For a long time, the answer was not much. At one point, Cushing's mountain manager called the ski lifts junk, and his employees acquired a reputation as the rudest individuals this side of New York's taxi drivers.

It's still early, of course, but the U.S. Ski Team appears to be taking a distressingly familiar course on the World Cup circuit. So far, the men are nowhere, and the women are almost totally dependent on one skier, Diann Roffe, who has apparently replaced the retired Tamara McKinney as the only U.S. hope for high placings against the strong Austrian, German and Swiss racers.

Contrary to his image, George Foreman doesn't just sit around eating burgers and fries between fights. He is a very busy man, particularly in the entertainment field. According to W.H. Stickney of the Houston Chronicle, Foremen recently signed a deal with Columbia Pictures to star in a weekly television sitcom. Foreman told Stickney that he will play "a guy like myself" on the show, which will be set in Houston, Foreman's home town, but filmed in Hollywood.

Don't look now, but it's quite possible that spring skiing has arrived in California. At least, the weather has turned sunny. The snow report has taken on the appearance of midwinter--in Antarctica. In the Sierra, for example, four major resorts--Kirkwood, Sugar Bowl, Squaw Valley and Alpine Meadows--have upper depths in excess of 300 inches, which converts to more than 25 feet. And Mammoth Mountain isn't far behind with about 22 feet on top.

Bob Lochner's profile of Alex Cushing, Squaw Valley USA's owner and developer, painted only half the picture. I grew up in Squaw Valley from the age of 6 in 1971. It was quite a unique place to form your view of the world, and most of the people who lived there realized what a special place it was. Unfortunately, that Squaw Valley is fading away, and if Mr. Cushing has his way, the specialness of Squaw Valley will be gone forever. Mr. Lochner wrote of the many plans and improvements Mr. Cushing has initiated, but left out much of the other side of the coin.

Thirty years ago last month, Alexander Cushing surprised the world by staging a near-perfect Winter Olympics here. But what, skiers soon began asking, have you done for us lately? For a long time, the answer was not much. At one point, Cushing's mountain manager called the ski lifts junk, and his employees acquired a reputation as the rudest individuals this side of New York's taxi drivers.

Local homeowners and the Sierra Club have joined forces to fight a Squaw Valley Ski Corp. expansion project. They say the cutting of more than 1,800 trees in Shirley Canyon and Tram Bowl to make way for new ski lifts would destroy the valley's last remaining pristine area and damage its watershed. The Sierra Club has filed suit to block the tree-cutting and the Squaw Valley Homeowners Assn. supports the action. A Superior Court ruling, expected in about 60 days, could require a second environmental impact statement or could give the go-ahead for the cutting.

California ski resorts are up and running again after some of the wildest weather in recent memory. Some high-country roads still have problems, but the cleanup continues at a rapid pace after the heavy snow, rain and high winds that punctuated the holidays.