Sugar Bowl
Sugar Bowl is growing. Gone are the days of the family ski hill. It’s still quaint and charming, but more and more skiers are discovering the fun to be had at Sugar Bowl. Located off of I-80 on Old Highway 40, Sugar Bowl is a closer jaunt for Bay Area drivers. Sugar Bowl boasts a beautiful new lodge, The Mt. Judah Lodge, and offers a plethora of excellent ski programs. Stunning homes dot the mountain-sides and ski-in / ski-out condos sit right at the base of the ski slopes. Prices range from $325K for a cabin to $3 million for a home on the slopes.
The West’s Best Ski Towns: Sunset Magazine
December 28, 2010
Most well-rounded: Truckee, CA
Whether you’re all about the hot toddies, mountain views, Wild West saloons, après-ski eats, or small-town-ness, we’ve got the place for you
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Keeping a low-pro just 13 miles north of Life List–worthy Lake Tahoe is this unritzified ski town—despite the swank Ritz at Northstar up the street. The historic main drag can please teenagers and grandparents alike, with a Blue Bottle Coffee–loving cafe (Elijah Bleu’s), jazz lounge (Moody’s), and a growing number of tasting rooms (the Pour House, Truckee River Winery).
Slopes: The closest of the big guns is blue square–saturated Northstar (check the website for lift prices), but black diamond skiers come for the chutes on its Lookout Mountain. Laid-back powderhounds prefer Alpine Meadows (from $71), while the extreme skier–scenesters stick to Squaw Valley ($86; squaw.com), aka Squallywood. Beginners head to Tahoe Donner ($39) and Soda Springs ($35).
Sleeps: Something for everyone: just-gimme-a-bed at revamped Truckee Tahoe Lodge (from $159); eco-chic-boutique Cedar House Sport Hotel (from $170); and Northstar’s chichi Ritz-Carlton Lake Tahoe (from $399), with 2 outdoor pools, a restaurant by celeb chef Traci Des Jardins, and a concierge who unbuckles your ski boots for crying out loud.
Info: 35 miles from Reno-Tahoe Int’l; truckee.com
