The young Squaw Valley resort near Lake Tahoe in California ushered in a new Olympic era under the direction of Alex Cushing. No bobsled run was built but the skiing was memorable. In cross country, Squaw Valley introduced the initial machine-set tracks; everything had been walked or skied in before Squaw Valley but – with Al Merrill and Chummy Broomhall setting the tone as chief of competition and chief of course, respectively – snow machines were used to help groom Nordic courses for the first time.