I'm unbelieveably busy at the moment but I am trying my hardest to return rates, so I apologise for ...
I'm unbelieveably busy at the moment but I am trying my hardest to return rates, so I apologise for the delay! Lauren x
Member since:06.09.2007
Reviews:31
Members who trust:24
A Few Facts Big Bear Mountain is situated in the San Bernardino Mountains in Southern California and is an approximate two hours drive from Los Angeles.
Big Bear Mountain sits 8805 feet above sea level and averages 100 inches of snowfall per year.
I visited Big Bear mountain on a school trip during February 2007. We stayed in a local hotel, The Northwoods Resort which was approximatley a ten minute drive from the mountain.
Big Bear Mountain has a fairly large car park, but please note that during the heavy snowfall months, parking may be difficult.
Bear Mountain offer rentals for all your skiing/snowboarding needs, which can be brought
as a complete package (ie, skis/board and boots for one price, adult and child prices available and the option of only paying for either a whole day or half a day). Or you can just purchase items on their own, such as only the boots or the skis/board.
Prices are as follows: ADULT SKI OR SNOWBOARD RENTAL Complete Package: Day: $30 Half a day: $25 Skis/Board only: Day: $23 Half a day: $18 Boots only: Day: $15 Half a day: $10
CHILDRENS SKI OR SNOWBOARD RENTAL Complete Package: Day $20 Half a day: $15 Skis/Board only: Day $15 Half a day: $12 Boots only: Day: $12 Half a day: $9
To get the prices converted into GBP, if you half the American amount, it will give you a rough estimate or the prices in GBP. Overall, I personally think the the rate for renting out the equipment is very good value for money, as all their stock is the latest named brand.
To be able to use the ski lifts, you will need to buy a lift pass. The price does increase here but the lift pass can also be used on Big Bear's sister mountain, Snow Summit, so it is worth taking this into consideration. You are looking at $51 dollars for an adult 21+ for a full days skiing, but the price decreases the younger that you are. Children under 6 are free. Ski lift prices vary on Holidays and peak season weekends.
What is it like to ski there? I had never skiied before but I had an instructor, who was very patient and knew what she was doing. By the end of the week I had been right to the top of the mountain and had skiied all the way day, in less than 4 days! But, personally, I think what helped was the fact that the mountain wasn't too busy and you were able to ski freely without worrying about knocking into someone. Even though it was mid-season and all the runs were open, the mountain was bustling but not over-packed, it was a nice consistency. You do have to be careful of snowboarders though, as they do have the tendancy to come up behind you with some speed, which isn't good when you are a beginner, as it can knock your confidence!
While I was there, all runs were open and were all perfectly packed and groomed, perfect for skiing and snowboarding. Big Bear has one of the largest snowmaking installations in the country and has over 40 Wizzard Snowmaking fan guns. With a water supply from Big Bear Lake, Big Bear can cover 100% of their developed runs with a fresh blanket of man-made snow - from three to five feet on many runs. Snow making takes place from November through to March.
I always found that the ski lift queues moved very quickly and queing time was no longer than four minutes. The staff that operated the lifts always make sure that you are safe and help you on and off the lifts.
Jumps Big Bear currently features an in-ground superpipe which is 18 feet deep and 580 feet long. They also have an in-ground standard half-pipe which is 12 feet deep and 400 feet long. There are also many jumps for all abilities. These include, rails and boxes, quaterpipes and wall rides.
REFRESHMENTS AND FACILITIES At the bottom of the mountain there is a restaurant which serves snacks and meals and all prices are good value. Also, often during the mid-season, there is a barbeque run by staff during mid-afternoon which is availabe to everyone. I never ate from this so I cannot comment, but it certainly smelt delicious and was always very busy.
Big Bear has a terrace at the foot of the mountain with lots of picnic benches and is a real sun trap on a nice day. This can get very busy around lunch time. There are also tables and chairs inside, but it can get very cramped in there as there is not a lot of distance between the tables.
OTHER INFORMATION You can get a direct flight from Heathrow to Los Angeles and then on road transport would be needed to get to Big Bear.
Other info can be found on there website, which is very handy indeed. It includes all the price information and details on the weather. Booking forms can be downloaded here and also rental forms for booking in advance. They also have live cameras, where you can watch live streaming from the mountain.
Night skiing is available during selected months.
I must also comment on some of the views which can be seen. At the peak of the mountain, you have the desert on one side and a rain forest on the other, spectacular! Also towards the top of some runs, the view over Big Bear Lake looks amaxing, especially on a clear day! Definatley worth taking your camera up the mountain!
Overall, I throughly enjoyed skiing on Big Bear Mountain and would definatley go back there to ski again. All members of staff were very friendly and always available to help, especially the instructors. I liked the fact that the mountain wasn't very busy and the grooming was always nice to ski on, although in some places it can be icy but this cannot be helped. But just watch out for snowboarders, as they don't always look where they are going and can come up behind you with some speed.
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Feb 16th, 2008
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