Starbucks Opens First Ski-Through Store

Squaw Valley Location Sits At 8,000 Feet

POSTED: 6:59 am PST February 21, 2012

UPDATED: 7:07 am PST February 21, 2012

We've all heard of drive-through coffee shops. But now Starbucks has opened the first ski-through store at the Squaw Valley Ski Resort in, where else, California.

The mountaintop Starbucks allows skiers to grab a latte without removing skis, at an altitude of almost 8,000 feet, as they traverse the area made famous by hosting the 1960 Winter Olympics, USA Today reported.

"Nowhere else in the world can skiers enjoy a delicious Starbucks coffee without missing a beat on the slopes," Squaw Valley president and CEO Andy Wirth told the Huffington Post.

The ski-in, ski-out location will be open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. throughout the winter season. Non-skiers can grab some high-altitude brew by using the Funitel gondola.

According to the Huffington Post, the idea was the brainchild of BASE jumper JT Holmes, who often skied at Squaw Valley with a cup of coffee in his hand.

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