The winter 2020-21 snow season is quickly approaching. Although skiing and snowboarding are naturally socially distant activities, the social experiences that come with the snow community — such as striking up a conversation while congregating in line to wait for a lift, or grabbing a well-earned apres-ski drink after a long day on the mountain — are shaping up to look different this year. 

As if the skiing and riding wasn’t sweet enough for Sugar Bowl Resort at Donner Summit in the California High Sierra, resort officials announced it was investing $20 million in upgrades to Sugar Bowl and Royal Gorge, the adjacent cross country ski area it manages.