Featured Article
Brought to you by Sugar Bowl Resort
You are headed east on Interstate 80 from San Francisco. As you pass Auburn, your surroundings don’t look very different than the rest of the drive at first, with the road lined by your typical Sierra foothill forests. As you climb higher, jutting rocks and large boulders begin to appear, creating a sudden change in scenery, and as you round the next bend, snow begins to appear on the side of the road. Looking ahead, you are met with an intense mountain landscape. That’s where you are headed- it’s time to go skiing.
With its proximity to San Francisco (3 hours) and Sacramento (1.5 hours), you can be on the slopes before others have even hit the parking lots. Sugar Bowl is at least 20 minutes closer than any other major resort and is an excellent choice for a day-trip, weekend getaway, or week-long vacation with on-site and nearby lodging available.
Sugar Bowl Resort, located on Donner Summit just above Truckee, CA, is the perfect mountain to enjoy all types of terrain, stunning views, and the region’s best snow. You’ll find yourself gazing out at the lake, amazed by the vast panorama and the fact that you have the runs to yourself.
Sugar Bowl Resort sees an annual average of 500 inches of snowfall, one of the highest in the region. The resort is located in a prime snowfall area, atop Donner Summit, at an elevation of 8,383 feet. Storms build up on the west side of the summit, hit the crest (where Sugar Bowl is located), stall out, and dump snow right on Sugar Bowl.
Truckee, just down the road from Sugar Bowl, has become a hotspot for skiing and riding in the Tahoe area. The town offers many restaurants, bars, and lodging options and proximity to Interstate 80 and various resorts. However, with its popularity comes a slew of traffic. Dealing with a longer commute can be easily avoided – stay and ski on the summit!
Sugar Bowl has 12 lifts with terrain spread between 17% beginner, 45% intermediate, and 38% advanced. Fun fact: Sugar Bowl was the first ski area in California to install a chairlift and the first on the west coast to install a gondola.
The resort is ready and waiting for you and your family to come and experience the magic that is Sugar Bowl. Â
Be sure to purchase lift tickets online in advance. Tickets can and do sell-out, especially on weekends and holidays.
