Sugar Bowl, CA

Why I love Sugar Bowl- not the closest mountain to me, but definitely the one with the best memories I will never forget! I used to go to school at the University of Arizona in Tucson. I was determined to work at a ski resort- and my friend recommended me to go to Snow Bowl in Northern Arizona. I accidentally applied to Sugar Bowl and received a call a few days later! I was so excited to work for a ski resort- I wanted to start off a good year of snowboarding. I discovered that Sugar Bowl was near Lake Tahoe- and was completely confused. I was in for the adventure though, and I drove through the night all the way to Sugar Bowl.

On my drive it started to storm- it was the first storm of the season, and it was so heavy, that they stopped traffic. After they allowed traffic to pass, I slowly made my way to one of the employee housings they had offered me. I didn’t have a place to stay and stopped at a local bar to ask for directions. They said I was at the Donner Summit Lodge, Bar and Restaurant and although it was employee housing for Sugar Bowl employees, it was not the one I was searching for. Residents there lead me to the general direction I needed to go. I couldn’t find the additional employee housing offered to me through the dark, and after I picked up a hitchhiking employee, I came back to the lodge. They let me stay in one of the rooms for the night, and my adventure continued.

I made so many stupid mistakes while there, but one that I will not regret, is actually going to Sugar Bowl and meeting all the great people there. This was the first year back on the slopes after I dislocated my hip at a different local mountain in Southern California. I had brand new gear (my boot and pants were cut into pieces!). Even though I took it easy out there, I will never forget the amazing powder out there. I have never been so deep in snow- and I know why people get up so early to be the first ones in powder! Sugar Bowl will always have a part of my heart- and it will be my Home Mountain.