Fifty years ago this February, Squaw Valley hosted the 1960 Winter Olympics. It was a momentous occasion and opened up the country and the world to great skiing in Northern California.

The first televised Olympics were the 1960 games at Squaw Valley. Walter Cronkite took us there to watch the events pretty much as they happened.

Close you eyes as we transport you back. It's 1946. Squaw Valley works its magic on a young man named Alexander Cushing, who travels with friends to the Sierra Nevada on a four-day train ride from the East Coast. Cushing is a lawyer on Wall Street. He has recently returned from the War and heads west to California to ski Sugar Bowl, the only ski area in Northern California. He breaks his ankle skiing and while recuperating, he sees the beauty of Squaw Valley and he is hooked. He returns to New York and amasses $400,000 to build a ski area. California means warm sunny beaches and palm trees and even in Hollywood, no snow. He has lots of convincing to do to get people interested in skiing California.

On November 24, 1949, less than three years after his first visit, Alex Cushing opens the Squaw Valley Development Company. Skiers can ride the world's largest double chairlift, Squaw One, and have a choice of two rope tows. He builds a lodge on the property. Adversity strikes. An avalanche destroys Squaw One each year during its first three years. The fourth year of operations, there is a devastating flood, and during the fifth year, the lodge burns down. This does not deter Alex Cushing.

It's 1954. Alex reads about the city of Reno, Nevada bidding for the 1960 Winter Games. He enters his resort into the bidding. and surprisingly wins by only one vote. By securing Squaw Valley as the site of the 1960 VIII Olympic Winter Games, he also beats out internationally regarded resorts such as Innsbruck, Austria, St. Moritz, Switzerland and Garmisch- Partenkirschen, Germany.

Obtaining the Olympics is not cheap, even in 1960. The state of California contributes $8,900,000. Nevada hands out $400,000. The Feds put in $3,500,000 and private individuals give $2,500,000. The total cost will eventually total $15,000,000.

Squaw Valley, though, lacks the facilities to host the games and development has to be swift. Facilities must be built at break-neck speed. Somehow, it gets done. The athletes live in a self-contained 600 room dormitory complex.

Walt Disney, the creator of Disneyland, designs the awards stage, the parade of nations, and the cauldron for the Olympic Flame. It’s history in the making.

Figure skating occurs in an open arena. Carol Heiss captures the gold.

This is the first Olympics that features fiberglass skis, and many of the athletes wear sexy stretch pants, particularly the ladies.

The Nordic events take place on the West Shore of Lake Tahoe. I can't believe they take place on the very street where I now have my house. Yes readers, Gray Avenue is the location.

This is the first Olympics that use both manual and electric timers, and the first time a computer is used. The size of it is humongous.

Alex Cushing lived to see most of his dream. He was 92 when he died.

The Olympic torch is a constant reminder of the 1960 Olympics 50 years ago. It stands at the entrance from route 89 to Squaw.