No question that Lake Tahoe has a lot going for it. Northern Lake Tahoe is beautiful, has a laid back vibe and, sporadically, gets epic snowfall (although, be warned, you can also go weeks or even months without a snowflake plus fresh snow turns to concrete pretty quickly here).

Squaw, unfortunately, is way overhyped and overpriced. While it definitely has some steep terrain, anyone who calls this a "big mountain" hasn't skied a big mountain:
- the overall ski area feels pretty small: small compared to Vail and downright tiny compared to most important European ski resorts.
- while some runs and chutes are definitely steep and expert-only, the vertical is way too low to make for a true Alpine feel: Yes, you can jump a cliff, but a "big mountain" to a free rider means 5,000 vertical, hidden itineraries, glaciers... Of course, we all know Squaw doesn't have any of this but what is it with all the hype?
- the lift system is incredibly outdated, there can be bad lift lines and the lift ticket pricing is outrageous! I haven't checked recently but am pretty sure you can ski Zermatt or Chamonix at a cheaper daily rate than Squaw Valley!

Tahoe at its best is beautiful, laid back and non-pretentious. Alpine Meadows used to be a great example: a small area, yes, but a great vibe, beautiful vistas, even an outdoor grill in the back bowl to soak in the sun rays between powder runs. Squaw, on the other hand, sacrificed some of those qualities in a misguided and unsuccessful effort to hype itself as more than it can ever be.

All this said: Skiing in California is a LOT of fun!