Skiing Big Bear CA. over Xmas good or bad idea?

scottmandue · 05-28-2014, 08:00 AM

20 year old daughter is off for Christmas holiday, her and my wife want to go skiing.
I do not ski, never have never will so I know nothing.

Is Big Bear a possibility/good place to do this?

Is Big Bear in December even doable (for skiing)?

Thanks in advance

Joe Bob · Joe Bob's Garage

Iffy.....better Tahoe or Mammoth

Craig T · 05-28-2014, 08:23 AM

Serious skiers always trash Big Bear, but Bear Mountain or Snow Summit are great one-day skiing options from San Pedro. I've been taking my daughter and friends there on one-day trips for 20 years. They always have a blast.

Bear and Summit usually start making snow right after Thanksgiving and by Christmas most of the runs are open. There may be nothing natural, but the main runs and snowboard parks will be covered and groomed.

I would avoid Snow Valley and Mountain High unless we get significant natural snowfall in December.

Sure Mammoth is better, but its five hours away at best. Get them up and out the door at 6:30, they'll be skiing by 9:00 and home again for dinner.

scottmandue · 05-28-2014, 08:26 AM

Yeah but here is the dealeo... we can drive up to big bear, get a room for an night or three... then come back home saving a bunch of $$$.

Daughter goes to college in Oregon (go Ducks!) so the other skiing option id Portland area... but that is airfare/room/food for three people for a week ($$$$$).

So as a money saver it would be nice to stay in SoCal.

JavaBrewer · JavaBrewer's Garage

Craig pretty much nailed it. Bear Mtn and Snow Summit will start making snow so there will be runs open - as long as it's not raining. Natural snow in December is unpredictable and not to be expected in my experience.

Mammoth Mtn is many levels better than all of the Big Bear area but then you have the drive there. If you are planning on staying the night anyway then MM is by far the best experience.

Geary · 05-28-2014, 09:09 AM

If you're willing to drive as far as Mammoth, don't ignore June Mountain. FAR less crowded during Christmas vacation.

In Oregon, I've never found a more fun place than Mt. Bachelor .. and the rooms in Bend are a LOT less expensive than in CA. Inn-on-the-7th Mountain is the closest to the ski area ..

Cajundaddy · Cajundaddy's Garage

In a former life I was a local SoCal ski Nazi. Big bear will be great for a family ski adventure with plenty of manmade snow for beginner/intermediate skiers. Expect long lift lines at the bottom though. If you want to hit the double diamond ridges and chutes, you will need to go to Mammoth, Tahoe or Utah.

Current forecast is for a moderate El Nino next winter which usually brings plenty of natural snow to SoCal mountains. Will it be here in time for Christmas? Who knows.

slodave · slodave's Garage

You can fly to Mammoth these days. Not that it saves time over driving, but...

scottmandue · 05-28-2014, 09:55 AM

What would be a cost comparison of Mammoth Vs Tahoe? Skiing + room?

I would presume skiing in Oregon is less expensive, however that means two airfares for my wife and I plus cost of rooms the whole time we are up there.

Wife hasn't skied in years and daughter is super athletic but only gets out to ski once every few years so I think we are looking a bunny runs and absolutely no double diamond runs!

More importantly is someplace that has a pub with a nice view for me to kick back in while the girls are out skiing!

scottmandue · 05-28-2014, 10:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Craig T

Serious skiers always trash Big Bear, but Bear Mountain or Snow Summit are great one-day skiing options from San Pedro. I've been taking my daughter and friends there on one-day trips for 20 years. They always have a blast.

Bear and Summit usually start making snow right after Thanksgiving and by Christmas most of the runs are open. There may be nothing natural, but the main runs and snowboard parks will be covered and groomed.

I would avoid Snow Valley and Mountain High unless we get significant natural snowfall in December.

Sure Mammoth is better, but its five hours away at best. Get them up and out the door at 6:30, they'll be skiing by 9:00 and home again for dinner.

I will check into Bear Mountain and Snow summit...

If (big if) we would do Mammoth anyone know where how to get good deal on a package for room plus skiing?

Same with Tahoe, any able to hook me up with a package air/room/ski... that would be way more $$$ but I might have a casino to play in while the girls spend the day on the slopes.

Thanks again,

BeyGon · 05-28-2014, 10:33 AM

For the time and effort, if you are going for a few days Mammoth is by far the better place to go.
Salt Lake City, ski Alta, stay in SL. Great place.

If you are going on the trip and don't ski what will you do in Big Bear. At least Mammoth or Salt Lake have something to do.

scottmandue · 05-28-2014, 10:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BeyGon

For the time and effort, if you are going for a few days Mammoth is by far the better place to go.
Salt Lake City, ski Alta, stay in SL. Great place.

If you are going on the trip and don't ski what will you do in Big Bear. At least Mammoth or Salt Lake have something to do.

Interesting... didn't even consider SL (did I mention I don't ski?).

If I drive five hours to Mammoth I will want to stay for a day or two... not sure of the best place to stay up that way. Trying to find a ski/hotel package, any tips on that would be appreciated.

Airfair to Reno/Tahoe is $400 each, not going to happen

slodave · slodave's Garage

Look at mammothmountain.com they usually offer package deals.

look 171 · 05-28-2014, 04:15 PM

Big bear is ok for skiing, but close to home and its 1+ hour away. Traffic might make you want to shoot somebody on the way up and down the mts. There are plenty to do, and many of places to eat. Arrowhead is 20 min away and have many great restaurants. Mammoth is great, but you will spend 8 hours round trip. Skiing is great up that way. If skiing is all you want, then go up to Mammoth (plenty of places to eat and goof off up there too. Lots of upscale places, which is not for me) If this is a place you want to hang out, and ski little bit here and there, then Big Bear is the place for me. driving 4 hours (5 for you) is a drag for just a couple of nights.

slodave · slodave's Garage

With the way the winter weather has been, if there is snow, you can dress light!

Okay, this was taken a couple of weeks ago.

scottmandue · 05-28-2014, 04:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by look 171

Big bear is ok for skiing, but close to home and its 1+ hour away. Traffic might make you want to shoot somebody on the way up and down the mts. There are plenty to do, and many of places to eat. Arrowhead is 20 min away and have many great restaurants. Mammoth is great, but you will spend 8 hours round trip. Skiing is great up that way. If skiing is all you want, then go up to Mammoth (plenty of places to eat and goof off up there too. Lots of upscale places, which is not for me) If this is a place you want to hang out, and ski little bit here and there, then Big Bear is the place for me. driving 4 hours (5 for you) is a drag for just a couple of nights.

Yeah... the more I think about it the better BB sounds... I have never skied and am not starting with my brittle old bones... wife and daughter are not huge skiing fans so we don't need world class skiing. BB has a brewery and that should be enough to amuse me the two days the ladies are out on the slopes. I have been up to Arrow head more times than I can count so fully aware of how sucky the drive up the mountain is, however preferable to the 5 hour drive up to Mammoth.

If money were no object (but unfortunately it seems it always is with me) Tahoe sounds cool, I could hit the casino (my kind of sporting) while the girls ski.

Maybe next year...

BeyGon · 05-28-2014, 05:31 PM

I am sure you and the girls will have fun in BB, I always have, I just like other places better.

look 171 · 05-28-2014, 05:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by scottmandue

Yeah... the more I think about it the better BB sounds... I have never skied and am not starting with my brittle old bones... wife and daughter are not huge skiing fans so we don't need world class skiing. BB has a brewery and that should be enough to amuse me the two days the ladies are out on the slopes. I have been up to Arrow head more times than I can count so fully aware of how sucky the drive up the mountain is, however preferable to the 5 hour drive up to Mammoth.

If money were no object (but unfortunately it seems it always is with me) Tahoe sounds cool, I could hit the casino (my kind of sporting) while the girls ski.

Maybe next year...

Tahoe is the place to be. We love it up there.

When I was a young man, we had part time jobs and leave LA at 4 and be up in Big Bear by 5pm. Enjoy a half day of night skiing (many time it was man made snow), be home by 11. Those were the days without crazy traffic on the 10 or 210.

You will need chains or cables going up because the CHP will stop you if its snowing, even if its very little snow. Have fun up there.

porwolf · 05-28-2014, 05:57 PM

I vote for Mammoth Mountain. I have done a few Christmases there. Snow is usually legendary, except for last winter. Normally could be 10 feet easily. Upper ski slopes are all above the timber line. Fantastic vistas. Reminds me of prime Swiss places. And it is cold enough that the snow does not melt during the day and be ice runs the next day, like in SoCal. Before and during the Christmas holidays the slopes are empty, because most people want to celebrate at home. The day after Christmas it is still empty because that is when everybody is on the road from SoCal to Mammoth. From December 27 on the crowds rule the slopes. Best to leave then.

scottmandue · 05-29-2014, 08:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by look 171

Tahoe is the place to be. We love it up there.

When I was a young man, we had part time jobs and leave LA at 4 and be up in Big Bear by 5pm. Enjoy a half day of night skiing (many time it was man made snow), be home by 11. Those were the days without crazy traffic on the 10 or 210.

You will need chains or cables going up because the CHP will stop you if its snowing, even if its very little snow. Have fun up there.

For future reference, how does the Tahoe thing work? As in if I want to be at a casino to hang out because I don't ski, I see they have casinos as far as the state line like on the way into Vegas. How far of a drive is it from the state line to the skiing area? Are the state line casinos as sucky as the ones on I-15 into Vegas?