Big Bear Lake was named for the grizzles that used to roam its woods, but now the peaks are populated by different kinds of visitors – couples, families, and lots of kids, enjoying outdoor activities, especially snow sports.
Los Angeles and Orange County residents make up the bulk of vacationers to the nearby alpine resorts of Bear Mountain and Snow Summit, (http://www.bigbearmountainresorts.com/index_winter.php but plenty of folks come from across Southern California and beyond to experience some of the best snowboarding and skiing the state has to offer.
Though the region has gotten little natural snow this season, the resorts have been pumping out mountains of it at night when temperatures dip below freezing, making for excellent conditions on the slopes. Beside
s the deep pack of manmade “real snow†that the Big Bear Mountain Resorts are famous for, they are also renowned as a great family friendly place for kids to learn to ski and snow board.
Location, Location, Vacation
Many Angelenos make Bear Mountain a day trip. When roads are clear, it’s an easy drive of less than two hours. To truly enjoy the area’s many offerings though, it’s best to stay over at least one night. Visitors can find lodging to suit every taste from private rental homes to rural cabins at the website for Big Bear Mountain Resorts and the Big Bear Lake Resort Association (http://www.bigbear.com). A find for our family was the family owned Mountain Vista Resort (http://www.mountainvistaresort.net) on Club View Drive, directly across from Bear Mountain.
>Our spacious three-bedroom, two-story condo was just steps away from the resort with a balcony overlooking the slopes. The rooms were basically furnished, which suited us fine, along with a flat screen TV in each room and free wi fi. My son was thrilled that we had not one, but two real fireplaces. We bought two bundles of logs for $5 each from the lodge’s friendly front desk staff, and we kept the fires burning all night. It was a wonderfully rustic experience for a city boy.
Economy travelers like us made all our meals in the adequately equipped kitchen of our cabin-away-from-home. It had a fridge, range oven, microwave, dishwasher and basic dishware and pots and pans. We brought our own hot cocoa mix, fruit, snacks, oatmeal and chili. We went to the local grocery for frozen pizzas and salad kits, and we were set for the weekend.
One thing we didn’t bring but wished we had was more bottled water, as the water supply on the mountain has an iodine taste. To keep hydrated at the 7,000-feet elevation, it’s a good idea to drink plenty of water, so visitors should come prepared.
It’s all Downhill from Here
The kid’s ski and snowboard lessons at Big Bear are reputed as the best around, and after my four-year-old son had just a single lesson, I could see why. After a three-hour class, my son was amazingly transformed from an awkward, shuffling and bumbling newbie to a confident downhill ace. He became one of those poleless wonders you marvel at as they zip by you on the slopes in perfect form, and more importantly, loving every moment of it. Another great thing about Big Bear Mountain Resorts is that there are plenty of beginner and intermediate runs for learners, including a Family Park at Snow Summit that offers slower runs for every ability.
The lesson not only put my son on the path of being the next Shaun White – though on expert advice we will wait until age 7 or so before he gets on a snowboard – the few hours he was in the able care of his instructor allowed me to get in a few awesome runs of my own. It’s not hype; it’s absolutely true that despite the lack of snowfall this season the snow pack is ample and the skiing is fabulous.
The resorts are also reasonably priced. An adult lift ticket is $56 during the week and $69 on weekends. Passes for children 7 to 12 are $25 for weekdays and $32 for weekends. Young children under 6 are free with a paying adult. Rentals are $30 for a complete adult package or $25 for kids. For a slightly higher cost high-performance packages are available. There are also discounted half-day and night rates for lift tickets and rentals. A convenient feature is that the lift passes are interchangeable for both resorts, and rental returns are accepted at either location.
WeTube
For more family fun, Big Bear Snow Play (http://www.bigbearsnowplay.com/directions.html) is just down the road from Bear Mountain. The tubing park features about a half-dozen side-by-side runs, some steeper and with more woo-dee-doos than others. There’s no skill involved; just grab a vinyl-covered inner tube and ride up the Magic Carpet conveyer belt to the top of the runs. How you ride is up to you. Belly first or bottom-in-the-hole. Younger kids can ride on your lap. When we visited, a huge group of about 15 kids, teens and adults of all ages latched their inner tubes together by joining arms and legs for a thrilling, screaming-all-the-way down joy ride. An all-day pass is $25 per person for ages 7 and up, and children 2 to 6 are free with a paying adult.
When to Go
Obviously, peak weekends in the middle of the season are the most crowded at any mountain resort, so if you want to avoid long lines and busy slopes, plan to go during the week, and aim for dates early or late in the season in November and December or March or later. If the weather cooperates, the season can until late April. Visitors can check the Big Bear Mountain Resorts site for conditions and a list of peak dates.
As far as what hours to hit the slopes, it’s a matter of timing. There’s usually a rush when the slopes open around 9 am to rent equipment, but then there’s a lull around 10:30 or 11 am. Of course, you will get in fewer runs and the rental shop may run out of your size boots if you get a late start to your day, so you have to weigh the pros and cons.
Getting There
The official sponsor car of Big Bear is KIA (http://socal.kiadealers.com), and fittingly, we drove up in one. My Dad used to say, “You get more car for your money when you buy American,†but the sleek KIA Sorento proves that Father may have known best back in the day, but this Korean-made SUV rocks. Its features rival those of today’s hottest-selling imports, at domestic prices, with a total MSRP of $30,6000 for a loaded-to-the-hilt version.
Along with GPS navigation system, Sirius satellite radio, Bluetooth connectivity, heated front seats and power everything, the Sorento features Downhill Brake Control, a Traction Control System and Electronic Stability Control – essentials for confident mountain driving.
The convertible third-row seating in the back is a great feature for family vacations. With the seat down, we were able to pack in three large suitcases, two coolers, my son’s portable Trunki toy chest, along with our skis and other gear with room to spare. For extra passengers, having two back seats is very handy. Using a transitional child car seat like the Evenflo Big Back High Back Booster ($29.50 at Walmart) my son was comfy using the full seat for the long ride to and from the mountain, but then for short jaunts around town we used just the booster seat bottom portion which made access to the third row seats easier.
The Sorento got exceptionally good gas mileage, and we made it to Big Bear and back burning less than three quarters of a tank of gas.
Round Up
A perk of the light snowfall this year is that the roads are clear, which means no tire chains, which are usually required. Also, the mild temperatures, in the 50s by midday, are perfect for enjoying “I’m cold†-whine-free days on the slopes with the kids. Though we are thrilled to have Big Bear Mountain Resorts so close to home for snow sports, we are equally excited about coming back to the mountain in spring. After all, with fishing, zipline tours, biking and hiking trails, horseback riding, parasailing and other warmer weather outdoor activities, snow adventures are just the tip of the iceberg at Big Bear.
