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Maggie aka "The Turninator"

This week, our year-round employees joined forces to carry out another successful “green up” event at Sugar Bowl. Our Human Resources Director, Diane Binder, led the charge to remove trash from the resort and nearby roadways. Diane explains the green team’s mission:

“Every few weeks in the spring and summer we set aside two hours for all employees to step away from their regular work assignment and come together to grab a trash bag, gloves, and a picker and go out to “green up” a section of Sugar Bowl’s grounds.”

“Sugar Bowl’s Core Value #1 is to love and respect nature and the outdoors. Our employees care deeply about the environment and take pride in our mountain being a responsible organization in terms of environmental and sustainability goals. These “green up” events are just one small part of our overall sustainability efforts and great reminder that everyone, regardless of department or job, plays a role in helping to make a positive impact in our community.”

How much trash did the team remove? 

“This past “green up” was a huge success. Our team members found a lot of really large and heavy items (rolls of carpet, wooden boards, sheets of metal, etc.) We had three full loads in the back of a pick-up truck of items that were picked up disposed of properly.”

Is participating in a green up event fun, gross, tiring or all three? 

“FUN! Our employees enjoy switching up their day to do something different, challenging, and fun. It also helps foster a sense of community and teamwork. Temperatures were in the high 80’s at the “green up” so aside from fun, it was really warm and a bit exhausting due to the heavy items but the team embraced the challenge!”

What was the funniest or most interesting item of trash found? 

“My personal favorite at this “green up” was a plush navy blue office chair with wheels that was rolled out from a ditch. However It was a little too gross for anyone to sit on.”

How can other people find out more information about hosting their own “green up” events? 

‘It truly doesn’t take much effort aside from coordinating a day, time, and location. Once you have some clean up supplies which are relatively cheap and a few drinks and snacks as refreshments for the teams’ hard work you are good to go. The most important thing is just to make the effort to prioritize these types of events.”

Thanks to our team members who participated in this event. A friendly reminder to all — reduce waste wherever possible and be sure to place refuse into the appropriate recycle/trash container.

Posted By:

Maggie aka "The Turninator"

The mighty forests stretching across the Sierra Nevada shape Sugar Bowl’s iconic landscape, but amidst the grandeur, wildfire danger looms.

The risk is evidenced by last summer’s Caldor Fire which tore through Sierra at Tahoe and threatened the town of South Lake Tahoe. Even more recently, a 12-acre fire ignited within the city limits of the Town of Truckee, bringing the threat very close to home. As members of this community, we are all responsible for mitigating the risk of wildfire.  

To mitigate the risk of wildfire at Sugar Bowl, our team has been taking three steps over the past few years. 

1. The first has been to reduce low limbs, shrubbery, and other ladder fuels, which could allow an on-site fire to climb from the forest floor to the canopy developing into a crown fire. 
2. Next is reducing fuels in wooded terrain around the resort, so if a fire does occur in a neighboring forest, we are as prepared as possible to stop the fire from advancing.
3. Finally, improving defensible space is necessary as a final line of defense around all homes and buildings in our base area.

What’s Happening Around the Mountain?

Currently, Sugar Bowl is running a team of nine Trail Crew Sawyers focused on removing fuels around buildings and lifts, creating the necessary defensible space required as a last line of defense. A noticeable impact from their efforts can already be seen throughout the resort, where many trees and heavy vegetation have been removed.

This summer, we have begun thinning, laddering, and removing ground fuels in 72 acres west of the resort on our private property boarding the PG&E fire break to our west. 

What’s Next? 

In 2023, we will thin out an additional 40 acres of forest west of the resort. We also plan to begin developing a “Shaded Fuel Break” towards Crow’s Peak. A Shaded Fuel Break is a defensible space where fuels are significantly reduced to avoid a canopy fire, but not a clear-cut of all vegetation and trees. Fire suppression resources can utilize this location to suppress wildland fires due to the modification of fuels which may increase the probability of success during fire suppression activities. 

The Challenge Ahead

As you can tell, we have significant work ahead of us, but the team is up to the challenge. We’re proud of what our team has already accomplished and we’re looking forward to working as a community to continue to build on our efforts.

Tips for Improving Your Defensible Space

Are you feeling motivated to improve the defensible space around your home? Check out this handy guide for the best practices to follow for protecting your home and our community.

Posted By:

Maggie aka "The Turninator"

Join us in welcoming our new Director of Mountain Operations Greg Bretz. Greg just started at Sugar Bowl this summer but his ski industry experience already spans more than 25 years between stints at Mammoth and Doppelmayr. 

Greg’s illustrious career in the ski industry began by chance in 1996, while he was backpacking through the southern Sierra with his young son. While passing through Mammoth, a friend mentioned that there was a job opening for a welder at the mountain. Greg applied and the detour became permanent. He raised his son quite literally on the mountain, who would grow up to become an Olympic halfpipe rider in the 2014 games in Sochi. 

From the moment he stepped into his first ski area job, Greg dedicated himself to mastering just about every behind-the-scenes skill that makes any mountain run. We are so excited to add Greg’s expertise and passion to our team. If you’re keen to get to know Greg a little better, check out the interview below:

Q: Can you start by introducing yourself?

“Hi I’m Greg Bret, I’m the Director of Mountain Operations at Sugar Bowl. I’ve been in the ski business since ’96. I’ve worked at Mammoth and Doppelmeyer and I’ve ended up here at Sugar Bowl this summer.”

Q: What’s your approach to managing a mountain? 

“I’m kind of a hands-on manager. I love to get out there and work. I’d never ask anybody to do something I wouldn’t do myself.”

Q: What work needs to get done this summer before the snow flies?

“Each lift has state requirements that we have to meet–  so there’s line work, motor room work, grip work. Each lift takes about 2,000 man hours of lift maintenance and we try to get it done by November 1. Currently, we’re about to start a big job on the Judah lift and we’re also in the middle of servicing the drive motor on Lincoln.

Q: Can you give us a play-by-play of your current project on Lincoln?

Each year we plan specific maintenance on different drive motors that are on our lifts. This year we did the drive motor on Lincoln. We brought in a crane to remove the motor then we sent it down to a rebuilder in Modesto. When we get it back we’ll put it back in with a crane and load test the lift to make sure everything is working properly and safely.

We’re doing this in the off-season because it would get a little tougher, to say the least, if something were to go wrong in the middle of the ski season. It can take about 3 weeks to rebuild, so we do this planned maintenance to make sure the motor doesn’t fail in the middle of the season.”

Q: What’s the hardest part of your job?

“I’m in charge of planning the day’s events for everybody. I work across a lot of departments– vehicle maintenance, snowmaking, trail crew, lift maintenance, and patrol. During the summer months there are several projects around the mountain that need to be completed, like the weather station at the top of Lincoln and RFID gates over at Royal Gorge. It’s a challenge to plan a schedule that keeps everyone busy and makes sure that our projects get done. The hardest part of the job is tying it all together.”

Q: What’s the most rewarding part of your job?

“I’m new to the mountain manger world, mostly I’ve been the Director of Lift Operations and I started as a technician, so I think this year is all about getting everything together. Between plowing the snow, clearing the parking lots, grooming, opening the lifts, and avalanche control, it takes a lot to get the mountain open. I’m excited to get that all rolling and see how well we can do. When everything comes together and the product is perfect for the guest, that’s the most rewarding part of the job.”

Q: What do you love about working in the ski & ride industry?

“Well, the nice thing is, in the positions I’ve had, you pretty much get to ski every day. The opportunity for my son to grow up snowboarding was huge. We had a great time when he was a little kid and he went on to a career in competitive snowboarding, eventually competing in the 2014 Sochi Olympics. If I wasn’t in the ski industry, and mountain wasn’t his babysitter, that would have never happened.”

Q: What’s special about working at Sugar Bowl?

“Being with Dopplemeyer, I’ve done a lot of work at Sugar Bowl over the years and gotten to know the people and the terrain. It’s an incredible mountain with a great atmosphere. Compared to a lot of other resorts in the area, it has a more laid back vibe and doesn’t feel so crowded. I love being a part of the management team and trying to make the experience better for our guests every day.”