Big Bear Blog

Christmas Day has come and gone but the Holiday vibe is still here in Big Bear. In fact, we’re still in those 12 days of Christmas, right?  So, I got a little creative and took some liberty with a popular Christmas tune. Let’s just rename it “12 Days in Big Bear.” Ahhh-hem, here goes…

12 Groomers Grooming
11 inches of fresh pow with more coming
10 Instructors teaching
9 Patroller’s ‘Trollin’
8 Snowboarder’s Grinding
7 Skiers Shreddin’
6 Little Bear Kids laughing
5 APRES’ SKI ROUNDS
4 Families smiling
3 Canyon’s Open
2 Resort’s for Riding and
1 Awe-some New Year!

Happy 2010 & see you on the slopes!
Glade Girl

While Holidays in Big Bear are super fun and action packed, sometimes you just need to schedule in a non-slope day. Not saying you should back it off; just suggesting penciling into your schedule time away from carving and shredding corduroy, hitting boxes and grinding rails. A day dedicated to a quieter scene. A day for exploring the forest on foot, climbing to perches offering stellar views. A day spent snowshoeing with friends.

After a long week, I decided I needed some quality time and a quick snowshoe up Snowforest’s slopes was definitely in order. Access was easy and there was plenty of parking at the top of Pineknot Avenue. Leaving the parking lot we dodged sledders testing their saucers on runs that rocketed over downed trees. It didn’t take us long to ascend to the top of the open slope above the Village. Here we lingered over a long lunch, enjoyed amazing views of the Lake and the Valley’s northern ridge. Even picked out some of Big Bear’s seven summits and scheduled a few dates for winter summits of these fantastic peaks.

It was a fun afternoon and while we didn’t sit idle, the cool air and our efforts refreshed me for the week ahead! Happy Holidays!

Earning my turns,
Glade Girl

This past Holiday weekend - during a feel-good, giving thanks-type of conversation - a friend posed this question, “What takes your breath away?” I was quick to answer: The power of a winter storm. Perhaps it was the glass of chardonnay I was holding at the time or the engaging topic but I was sincere. I find winter’s fury remarkable.

We were sitting around a cozy campfire in Joshua Tree National Park, tucked under a sagging awning watching it rain and enjoying leftovers from our Turkey-day feast. At that same moment I suspected Big Bear was receiving its first dose of winter. Rain in Southern California flatlands means snow in the mountains, right? While I was content in the desert, I really wanted to be in the snow. Feel the excitement of the first significant snowfall of the 2009-2010 Season and be a part of the celebration.

I fired off a quick text to a friend I knew was riding Bear Mountain. She answered in kind with a single, perfect image – it said it all and conditions looked awesome. As I enjoyed the last day of our holiday, I was happy to spot white-capped peaks as we drove through Johnson Valley. We climbed the 18 from Lucerne, encountering the first evidence of winter at 5,000 feet. It felt as if we were driving in the wake of the storm’s fury. Cresting into the Big Bear Valley’s east end, in the growing darkness of dusk my eyes traced Baldwin Lake’s broad sweep west and settled on slopes now white with winter – in that moment I was thankful there is more than one thing in this world that steals my breath. It was good to be home!

Earning my turns,
Glade Girl