Resort Info:
When it came to the very first chair lift placement in the region, the founders of Sugar Bowl Ski Resort had their choice of spectacular locations. And among those visionaries? Walt Disney himself. The group of intrepid forward-thinkers chose a stunning spot near Donner Summit filled with steep chutes, expansive bowls and towering peaks, an area that boasts more snow than just about anywhere else in the region. Sugar Bowl receives an average annual snowfall of more than 500 inches and is still easily accessed right off Interstate 80 by thousands of visitors every year. In fact, the 2009-2010 season marks the 70th anniversary of this beloved resort, and Sugar Bowl is celebrating in style with lavish events and mountain-wide improvements. The resort is opening its Backcountry Adventure Center in the Village, bursting with backcountry rental gear, survival training seminars and guided outings, as well as crafting a skier cross/boarder X track that mimics the one to be built for the 2010 Olympic Games in Vancouver. A new chairlift will zoom skiers and boarders to the tippy top of the Judah Bowl, while the newly remodeled Judah Lounge will be just the place to relax after the run down.
Sugar Bowl stretches 1,500 acres across four grand peaks, making for a vertical rise of 1,500 feet from a base elevation of 6,883 feet. More than 10 lifts, including five high-speed express quads, two fixed grip quads, three fixed grip doubles and one gondola offers access to the 84 trails found at Sugar Bowl. The mountain offers a great mix of runs for skiers and snowboarders of all skill levels, with 17 percent of trails listed as beginner, 45 percent as intermediate and 38 percent ranking as advanced. Two exciting terrain parks, a family park and a 450-foot Superpipe can also be found.
With its wide-open learning areas at the base of Mt. Disney and Mt. Judah, Sugar Bowl Ski Resort makes learning or perfecting skills a pleasure. The resort’s Mountain Sports Learning Center is the quickest, easiest way to gear up and hit the mountain with customized instruction. The center offers a dedicated kids center as well.
As incredible as the action is on the slopes, there’s more to do at Sugar Bowl than ski and snowboard. The resort offers a family-friendly snowplay area as well as unforgettable dog sled rides. Historic snowshoe tours of the mountain and the surrounding area are also available.
