Sugar Bowl’s New Gondola Won’t Be Ready for Opening Day, but Skiers Won’t Have To Wait Long To Ride It

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Sugar Bowl Resort, located on Donner Summit near Lake Tahoe, California, will have a new lift for the winter 26/27 season, but it won’t be ready for opening day, according to a social media post on November 10, 2026.

“We’re getting closer to the first ride on our new eight-passenger Village Gondola,” wrote Sugar Bowl in the post. “We’re targeting a January opening. In the meantime, Opening Day is set for Friday, November 27, conditions permitting. Until the gondola opens, all resort access will be through the Main Lodge, with convenient curbside drop-off and additional parking lot shuttles.”

The gondola, which was an old four-seater until the major renovation and overhaul this summer, connects Sugar Bowl’s Village Gondola Parking Lot on Donner Pass Road (Old Route 40) to the Village and Disney Express chairlifts.

Sugar Bowl has large parking lots near the Judah Base Lodge and the Jerome Hill Express, but many day skiers park at the Village Gondola Parking Lot for its convenience. They’ll have to wait until January to utilize the new gondola, according to the recent update.

Check out a selection of photos of the new gondola from Sugar Bowl below. Keep reading for more.

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Sugar Bowl has confirmed that the following milestones have been accomplished in building the new Village Gondola:

• All eight towers have been installed.

• The haul rope has been strung.

• The first eight-person gondola car has been placed on the cable for maintenance and testing.

• Both terminals have been assembled, but work continues on the structures surrounding them.

• The resort has confirmed that cabins from the 1954, 1958, and 1983 versions of the gondola will be on display at the Route 40 (Donner Pass Rd.) terminal.

A storm is brewing that could kick winter into high gear at Sugar Bowl.

The resort could see more than four feet of snow before opening day, according to OpenSnow. Freezing levels will be finicky, but Sugar Bowl’s base elevation of 6,883 ft. should lead to more snow than rain.

Sugar Bowl plans to open for the winter 26/27 season on Friday, November 27, 2026, conditions permitting.

Stay tuned for more updates on the Village Gondola right here at POWDER.

The 2026/27 print issue of POWDER Magazine is here. Click here to have a copy shipped to your front door. Copies can also be found on newsstands at major retailers like Barnes & Noble, Target, Walmart, and more.

Related: Driving Three Hours for Mammoth’s Opening Weekend Was More Than Worth It

This story was originally published by POWDER on Nov 11, 2026, where it first appeared in the News section. Add POWDER as a Preferred Source by clicking here.