SUGAR BOWL | ROYAL GORGE Authentic. Alpine. Community.
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I’M MORE AT HOME HERE THAN ANY OTHER PLACE. Nancy Bechtle Lifelong Sugar Bowl Skier
California’s first gondola, the original “Magic Carpet” whisked visitors into what is still today America’s only snowbound Village. 2
EST
by friends
1939
for friends
OUR HERITAGE
Sugar Bowl's founders asked one simple question. if we all pitched in and bought a mountain we could ski on together?” What started “ W hat as a fanciful idea amongst friends became the spirit of a village that would come to
pioneer the California ski culture as we know it today. Along the way, a tight-knit community of mountain enthusiasts grew with the shared vision of fostering ski traditions, partaking in highToday, the resort is still family owned alpine adventures, celebrating the snowcapped and operated, and the goals of Villagers lifestyle, and ultimately establishing a unique, remain the same as they did 75 years charming Village for friends and family to enjoy ago: shareholder dividends are paid not for generations to come. Nestled atop historic in dollars but in the experience. Donner Summit where the Sierra Nevada’s first railroad line once stopped, this resort is truly like no other.
The original Lodge at Sugar Bowl: 75 years later it’s still the setting for good times.
Sugar Bowl’s first guests rode the “Snowball Express” from San Francisco to Donner Summit for a high-Sierra escape.
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celebrating
community
KINDRED SPIRITS WELCOME
Respecting the values that have guided us since day one.
A strong sense of community has always been present. Festivities were legendary at The Chalet.
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he pioneer spirit has wrapped itself around this place and held on tight. After 75 years of being family owned and operated, conversations are still more about powder than profits, more about fun than funding, and more about the great outdoors than glitz or glamour. People are proud of maintaining the integrity of this iconic Tahoe resort, upholding what other places may consider to be old-fashioned values, and creating a special place in this busy world where things are a little simpler, and When Villagers are done seeking folks can freely go where their solitude in nature, there’s no sense of adventure takes them. To protect these ideals for shortage of neighborhood future generations, we open gatherings and community events only a limited number of to celebrate the mountain lifestyle. homes to people with kindred spirits and like-minded values.
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WHERE NEIGHBORS BECOME FRIENDS AND FRIENDS BECOME FAMILY. Jessica Galloway, Villager
An evening Villager event at the mountain-top Disney Sundeck.
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Pacific Crest Trail, Judah Loop sugar Bowl resort | Elevation 7,801'
WE FEEL SO LUCKY TO HAVE THIS WORLD-FAMOUS TRAIL WINDING THROUGH OUR BACKYARD. Laurel Hellman, Villager
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Families partake in year-round activities including hiking the famed Pacific Crest Trail, which travels directly through Sugar Bowl.
BOTH
near
&
fa r
NOW ENTERING A NATURAL WONDERLAND Travel back into time, in almost no time at all.
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s it possible to travel back to a simpler time? Ask a Sugar Bowl Villager. They arrive and immediately leave their cars and worries behind as they take a scenic gondola ride to their true home. A home where kids roam freely. A home where each of the four seasons has its own personality and incredible activities to match. A home that’s enveloped by everything nature With unlimited outdoor has to offer. And, because adventures literally right we’re the closest resort to the out the front door, Villagers Bay Area, it’s even easier to are immediately immersed pick up and ease into the good in natural beauty. life here at Sugar Bowl.
Kids of all ages explore freely in our blissfully car-free Village.
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Upper Montgomery, Mount Disney Elevation 7,920' | 14" new snow
SUGAR BOWL IS THE ULTIMATE BIG SKIING EXPERIENCE. THE PEAKS AND BACKCOUNTRY ARE MY PLAYGROUND. Daron Rahlves Olympian, World Champion, Sugar Bowl Resort & Ski Team Ambassador
A SMALL COMMUNIT Y WITH A MOUNTAIN THAT SKIS BIG Villagers love their quick & easy access to Sugar Bowl’s four distinct peaks with 103 trails meandering across 1,700 skiable acres of jaw-dropping terrain, plus the endless backcountry runs beyond the ropes. All of this, generously blanketed in Tahoe’s deepest snowfall with an average of 500� each and every ski season. From gentle and accommodating trails to steep and challenging slopes, Sugar Bowl’s vast and varied terrain both impresses and inspires. 8
L EA ST C ROWD ED S LOPES & LI F T LI N ES
U N R I VA L E D BAC KCO U N T RY
WOR L D CL ASS SKI T EAM
R EN OWNED SKI ACADEMY
Enjoy the shortest lift lines and least crowded slopes in Tahoe. Plus, Villagers have their own VIP Express Lane.
Explore further with an openboundary policy for backcountry access, or go on professionally guided tours through the Backcountry Adventure Center.
A community of passionate young skiers learning to embrace challenge both on and off the mountain with grit, grace and courage.
Accomplished student-athletes growing life skills in the classroom, in the backcountry and on the race course, from America’s only ski-in/ ski-out academy campus. 9
Razorback Ridge, Royal Gorge cross country resort Elevation 7,403'
NORTH AMERICA’S LARGEST CROSS COUNTRY SKI RESORT Royal Gorge is a place where Villagers can hear the wind in the trees, smell the forest in the air and see wildlife on the trails. And thanks to a strategic conservation partnership with the Truckee Donner Land Trust, that won’t change. The Royal Gorge lands are protected in perpetuity with Sugar Bowl as owner/operator. We’re dedicated to keeping the pristine nature of this crown jewel of XC skiing the way that it’s always been, for generations to come. 10
WE’RE OUT HERE IN ROYAL GORGE, BY OURSELVES, GOING AS FAR AS WE WANT TO GO IN THE MOST PRISTINE ENVIRONMENT. IT’S ALL OURS AND IT’S BREATHTAKING. Tom Hale, Villager
ENDL ES S A DV E N TUR E
T R A I L S IDE ACCESS
VIL L AG E STAT ION
XC skaters, striders and snowshoers enjoy more than 200km of groomed trails across 6,000 acres of terrain with six distinct track systems and nine different warming huts, and jaw-dropping high Sierra views.
With groomed XC trails meandering throughout the Village, Sugar Bowl homeowners take advantage of trailside, front door access to the seemingly endless trails of the Royal Gorge lands.
A centrally located headquarters and the perfect place to meet up with fellow Villagers for an XC outing, right in the heart of the Village at Sugar Bowl. Offering rentals, retail, tuning services, lessons and clinics. 11
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S KI
HIKE
SWIM
B IKE
PADDLE
The most snow in Tahoe across 4 distinct peaks with the least crowded slopes and unrivaled backcountry access.
The famed Pacific Crest Trail, the scenic Village Trail system, and endless other trails atop Donner Summit.
The scenic and private Lake Mary complete with kids’ island treehouse, or Donner Lake and West End Beach just down the road.
Extensive networks of singletrack and cross country mountain bike trails including the Donner Rim Trail, plus world-class road rides on Old Highway 40.
On kayaks, stand-up paddleboards and paddle boats at the Lake Mary facility, with a scenic Palisades backdrop.
B OARD
RUN
CL IM B
SKAT E
DISCOVER
Terrain that’s seemingly purpose-built for shredders, including state-of-the-art terrain parks.
Across the Sierra Crest, down to Donner Lake, out to the Van Norden Meadow or up to the peak of Mount Lincoln.
Some of the best rock in the region, with numerous routes ready for all levels of ability.
North America’s largest XC resort with 200km of groomed trails across 6,000 acres of terrain.
The adventures that await when you become a part of this unique, charming trailside community.
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Lake Mary sugar bowl resort | Elevation 6,912'
THIS PLACE IS IDYLLIC, LIKE SOMEONE STOPPED TIME. Maca Huneeus, Villager
GET TO KNOW THE SUNNY SIDE OF THE SIERRA “I came for the winters but stayed for the summers” is an adage the Villagers at Sugar Bowl know well. While gratuitous amounts of snow in the winter beckon die-hard skiers to the slopes, summer in the Sierra is a warm reminder that there’s still lots to do and plenty to enjoy. Summer on the Summit offers hiking and biking on the Village Trail networks and the famed Pacific Crest Trail, while swimming at the private Lake Mary serves up the perfect place to cool down. The popular Villager Adventure Weeks feature Kids Adventure Summer Camps and a calendar filled with Villager events and activities, while the Lake Mary Cabin Dinner Series serves up California cuisine with a view. 14
WE’RE OUT HERE IN ROYAL GORGE, BY OURSELVES, GOING AS FAR AS WE WANT TO GO IN THE MOST PRISTINE ENVIRONMENT. IT’S ALL OURS AND IT’S BREATHTAKING. �Sugar Bowl Homeowner
KIDS A DV E N TUR E SU M M E R C A M P
L A K E MARY CAB IN DIN N ER SER IES
L AKE ACT IVIT IES
Two fun-filled weeks of play-based learning for kids age 4-14, with outings and adventures across the Summit with experienced counselors.
Our dinner series serves up California cuisine with a view, while fellow Villagers swap stories about their guided hikes, mountain bike outings or day on the lake.
A natural playground for activities of all types—biking, hiking, swimming, paddling and climbing—summer rivals winter in many respects. Thankfully, we get to enjoy them both. 15
amenities
a h e a d
BUILT FOR ENDLESS ENJOYMENT Where classic charm meets modern amenities.
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here’s no denying it: the Villagers at Sugar Bowl-Royal Gorge are hearty people. They love rolling up their sleeves (or putting on an extra layer) and exploring the great outdoors, being immersed in the elements, and above all keeping things simple. That’s why we made sure the amenities fit the spirit of the Sugar Bowl Royal Gorge’s place: modest yet modern. Each facility—from the Sporthaus fitness & aquatics center to the unique sense of community private mountaintop Disney Sundeck to the is enhanced with simple, classic Lodge—gives Villagers exactly what they modern amenities designed need to unwind. There’s no opulence, no glitz, no upper crust frills. Because here, it’s not about to feel welcoming and comfortable—like home. impressing one another, it’s about enjoying one another’s company.
Athletic training, fitness, spa & aquatics at the Sporthaus 16
WE HAD AN AMAZING DAY! BUT IT WASN’T UNTIL THE LIFTS CLOSED AT 4 O’CLOCK THAT WE REALLY FELT THE MAGIC OF THE VILLAGE COME ALIVE. Clark Vandeventer, Ski Journalist
Celebrating a great day at the Lodge Dining Room. 17
the Village at Sugar Bowl Winter Trails | Elevation 6,883'
IT’S WHERE OUR KIDS CAN WALK FROM HOUSE TO HOUSE. IT’S AN OLD-SCHOOL TYPE PLACE. THE FAMILIES WHO COME HERE ARE IN LOVE WITH THE OUTDOORS. Ted Peterson, Villager
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welcome
h o m e
EASING INTO ANOTHER WORLD
Village Services makes transitioning to the simple life even simpler.
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s you may have noticed, things at Sugar Bowl-Royal Gorge are a little different. There are no cars in the Village. No stop signs on the roads. No garages. This was all intentionally done to preserve a pristine sense of place. Does this mean you’re roughing it when you arrive? By all means, no. Village Services attends to all of your logistical needs: helping unload gear from your car to the gondola, transporting your family by snowcat to your front door, and helping maintain your home when you’re here and when Village Services makes you’re away. It all creates a feeling that arriving easy. So all you you’re in a special place. And you are. have to do is enjoy the A place where there’s no noise, no experience of leaving it distractions, and no worries beyond choosing the trails you want to explore. all behind. It’s truly a magical experience.
Loading the gondola for a scenic ride into the snowbound Village.
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A u t h e n t i c a l ly
a l p i n e
ADVENTUROUS ARCHITECTURE. INSPIRING SETTING. Villagers explore bold and modern architecture, amongst classic high-alpine homes.
Interior designs range from classic high-end rustic to mountain modern.
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hile the Village features classic homes that have stood proudly through many a Donner Summit winter, new homeowners are exploring more modern designs. These tasteful homes blend seamlessly with the natural surroundings and compliment their more classic high-alpine neighbors. With numerous homes featured in Dwell, Architectural Digest, Marin and 7x7, The Village at Sugar Bowl is fast becoming a desirable location for forwardthinking designers to build contemporary homes in a classic setting. Should you want to stake your own claim here, you The Village features can use your own builders and architects, awe-inspiring architecture or work with a team experienced in building that harmoniously suits on Donner Summit. Either way, we look its natural surroundings. forward to meeting the newest Villagers and welcoming them into the community.
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Classic high-alpine architecture in the Village.
A FAMILY SKI RETREAT THAT’S A WORLD AWAY FROM CARS AND CARES. -Dwell
Bold and modern lines complement the majestic Sierra surroundings. 21
lifetime
memories
TO LIVE IN SUGAR BOWL IS TO BELONG TO A PLACE AND A SPIRIT AS EXTRAORDINARY AND ENDURING AS THE MOUNTAINS THEMSELVES. Jim Harleen, Villager
The village at sugar bowl four peaks panorama | Elevation 6,883' 22
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the lake run sugar Bowl backcountry Elevation 8,238'
PHONE: 530 426 6780 ADDRESS:
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629 Sugar Bowl Road, Norden CA 95724
Photography: Doug Adesko, Grant Barta, Kern Barta, Bruce Damonte, Sky Emerson, Vance Fox, Cathy Howard, Daphne Hougard, Court Leve, Matthew Turley and Kevin Udy