Iconic Gondola Cabins From California Ski Resort Listed for $10k

Originally posted on Powder | By Ian Greenwood | Last updated May 6, 2026 11:01 AM ET

The time has come for skiers to say farewell to the iconic gondola at Sugar Bowl, California.

Well, not exactly.

This iteration of the gondola, first installed in 1982, transported skiers from the parking lots to the slopes. As part of a multi-million-dollar facelift for the resort, Sugar Bowl is replacing it with a newer model.

As might be expected, though, the classic cabins aren’t going in the trash. Sugar Bowl’s selling a limited number at $10,000 apiece. The funds from the sale will go back to the resort, helping fund the ongoing renovation of the Village Lodge.

“It’s a rare opportunity to take home a piece of Sugar Bowl’s history while contributing to its future. We love the idea that these cabins will continue their story in new and unexpected ways,” Sugar Bowl wrote in a blog post, detailing the sale.

If any gondolas remain, the resort will release them through an auction, selling them off to the highest bidder. For more information, click here.

When Sugar Bowl first opened in 1939, skiers reached the resort by way of a tractor-sled, according to a blog post from the resort.

The ride took about 40 minutes and, in comparison to being whisked through the air, wasn’t particularly glamorous. That changed a few decades later, though, in 1953, when Sugar Bowl installed the Magic Carpet Gondola. It was the first gondola on the West Coast, and the second in North America.

Later, in the 1980s, the gondola was entirely rebuilt by CTEC, a lift manufacturer that, through a series of mergers, eventually became part of Doppelmayr. For another few decades, it held down the fort, developing into a Sugar Bowl fixture.

Tap or click below to watch a brief history of Sugar Bowl's gondola history.

View this post on Instagram

Now, it’s being updated again. The new, planned model will have 8-person cabins and “smoother, more consistent operations.” In an ode to the past, cabins from each of the gondola’s generations will be shown in the new terminal.

But if that isn’t enough nostalgia for you, you could always grab one of the old cabins yourself. The question, then, would be figuring out where to put it. We could think of worse problems to have, though.

This article first appeared on Powder and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: