Sugar Bowl Academy

Sugar Bowl Academy (HM1JSA)

Location: Truckee, CA 96161 Nevada County
Buy California State flags at Flagstore.com!
Country: United States of America
Buy United States of America flags at Flagstore.com!

N 39° 19.001', W 120° 19.574'

  • 0 likes
  • 0 check ins
  • 0 favorites
  • 586 views
Inscription

Hwy 40 Scenic Bypass

History
The current building at the head of Donner Pass on Old 40 was built for the Division of Highways in 1931 to serve as a dormitory for highway workers. That was the first winter the road was plowed and on-call workers needed accommodations. The idea to plow the road had been pursued by the Auburn Ski Club. When they finally took a train load of legislators to the snow the need was seen and the State began plowing the road. The building went up for auction in 1965 when Cal Trans moved to I-80 at Kingvale and became the Donner Spitz Inn with dormitory, bar, and a restaurant. By the early 70's the inn became the Alpine Skills Institute, a center for telemark ski instruction. Now it is the Sugar Bowl Academy a private school. Pictured here: the building (1930's) and its octagonal garage (collapsed by snow in 1983), the very first snow removal equipment (except trains) on Donner Summit, and signs at the top of Donner Summit (1930's).


A Good Story
"Skiing on the 4th of July... the... average snow depth around Donner Pass that 1937-38 winter was 29 feet above the ground. I took a girl from San Francisco skiing - for her first time on skis - on part of the rope tow slope - by moonlight on the Fourth of July, 1938." Johnny Ellis (built first rope tow on Donner Summit on the mountain behind the Sugar Bowl Academy building)

Things to do right here
The Pacific Crest Trail takes off for the south a couple of hundred yards down the dirt road to the side of Sugar Bowl Academy. Hike up the trail to the first left hand turn and follow the trail to the saddle between Donner Peak and Mt. Judah. Then scramble over the granite that takes you to the top of Donner Lake. It's only a mile or so - uphill but then its all down hill on the way back. If you are hiking before August you will probably come across some snowfields on the north side of Judah - great for sliding on, making snow cones with, or using to cool off.
Details
HM NumberHM1JSA
Series This marker is part of the series, and the series.
Tags
Marker Number26
Placed ByDonner Summit Historical Society
Marker ConditionNo reports yet
Date Added Saturday, March 28th, 2015 at 1:06pm PDT -07:00
Pictures
Sorry, but we don't have a picture of this historical marker yet. If you have a picture, please share it with us. It's simple to do. 1) Become a member. 2) Adopt this historical marker listing. 3) Upload the picture.
Locationbig map
UTM (WGS84 Datum)10S E 730507 N 4355329
Decimal Degrees39.31668333, -120.32623333
Degrees and Decimal MinutesN 39° 19.001', W 120° 19.574'
Degrees, Minutes and Seconds39° 19' 0.0600000000001" N, 120° 19' 34.44" W
Driving DirectionsGoogle Maps
Area Code(s)530, 775, 415
Which side of the road?Marker is on the right when traveling East
Closest Postal AddressAt or near 19215-19219 US-30, Truckee CA 96161, US
Alternative Maps Google Maps, MapQuest, Bing Maps, Yahoo Maps, MSR Maps, OpenCycleMap, MyTopo Maps, OpenStreetMap

Is this marker missing? Are the coordinates wrong? Do you have additional information that you would like to share with us? If so, check in.

Nearby Markersshow on map
Check Ins  check in   |    all

Have you seen this marker? If so, check in and tell us about it.

Comments 0 comments

Maintenance Issues
  1. What historical period does the marker represent?
  2. What historical place does the marker represent?
  3. What type of marker is it?
  4. What class is the marker?
  5. What style is the marker?
  6. What year was the marker erected?
  7. This marker needs at least one picture.
  8. Can this marker be seen from the road?
  9. Is the marker in the median?