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Bear Valley low on glitz, high on great skiing
The center of the skiing universe in California could be in
the Lake Tahoe area or perhaps the big-time ski resort at
Mammoth Mountain, but skiers and snowboarders looking for
slopes a little more on the quiet side will find more than
they imagined at Bear Valley.

While not on a par with Squaw Valley or Heavenly or other
major California ski resorts, the Bear Valley ski area is
still a prime candidate for a weekend or even an extended
skiing vacation. As we discovered in early February, Bear
Valley offers a surprisingly complete ski vacation
experience – no frills, to be sure, but still rewarding and
well worth the trip deep into the Sierra Nevada range.

If designer clothing stores, zillion-dollar condos, and
Hollywood-style glitz are part of your criteria for a ski
vacation, this ski area might not be the best choice. If
wide-open ski runs, no lift lines and plenty of groomed
snow are more important to you, then by all means give Bear
Valley a try.

Coming originally from the Pacific Northwest, we could not
help but compare Bear Valley to one of our favorite ski
areas in Washington state – a place called Mission Ridge in
a town named Wenatchee. Since the population in that area
is small compared to the cities that feed Stevens Pass,
Snoqualmie and Crystal Mountain, Mission Ridge is able to
maintain plenty of wide open space on its ski runs, even on
weekends.

Similarly, Bear Valley is less accessible than the many
larger ski areas in the Lake Tahoe area. Bay area and
Sacramento residents can drive Interstate 80 to the Tahoe
area and find a selection of ski resorts a short distance
off the interstate. To reach this ski area, you have to
drive two-lane roads through the foothills and mountains
for close to 100 miles.

But when you get there, most skiers and snowboarders will
find it’s worth it. Our mid-week skiing was some of the
best we’ve experienced – plenty of groomed intermediate
terrain serviced by a variety of lifts that never seemed to
have lines. It was ski down the run, get right on the chair
and do it all again and again until just a few hours into
our day we were growing exhausted. We probably skied in
four hours what it would take us a full day to do at a
resort with moderate lift lines.

There are no gondolas or high-speed quad chairlifts at Bear
Valley, although there are 10 lifts altogether, mostly
doubles and triples. About 1280 acres are available for
skiing and snowboarding; some 100 acres are in an area
where they can make snow – although at 7,750 feet, it’s
likely Mother Nature will supply all the snow you need.

We mentioned the intermediate skiing because that’s our
favorite – but rest assured this ski area has many black
diamond or expert ski runs for those looking for more of a
challenge.  The day lodge is situated mid-mountain with
lifts going both up the mountain to 8495 feet, and coming
to the lodge from the lower part of the mountain. Most of
the expert runs are located on the lower mountain.

The area’s day lodge also was wide open and easy to
navigate. Instead of masses of people waiting in line to
get their food and find a place to sit, we stepped right up
and got our cooked-to-order Philly cheesesteak sandwiches
in just a few minutes. And there was no shortage of menu
options – lots of different types of food from sandwiches
to Asian cuisine, from soups and salads to major meals.

But the Bear Valley experience is much more than a daytrip
- or at least it should be given the time it takes to get
to the ski area. For our trip we booked lodging at the Bear
Valley Lodge, one of just a few hotel-type facilities near
the mountain. Located about three miles from the mountain,
the Bear Valley Lodge seems to be the hub of activity in
the area and proved to be a good choice for accommodations.
While showing some of its age – it was built in the 60’s -
the lodge proved to be a comfortable, convenient base of
operations. A ski shuttle bus will take you to the
mountain, and you can even ski all the way back to the
lodge.

When we say comfortable, we are not comparing the lodge to
the high-end condos you find at most major ski resorts. The
rooms at Bear Valley Lodge are more like a motel unit with
two double beds a bath area and a TV/entertainment area
that included HBO. But small touches – such as the bay
window looking out onto the snowy landscape or the pine
furniture – helped to make this feel much cozier than a
motel room.

The four floors of rooms at the Bear Valley Lodge look out
onto the Cathedral Lounge, a large open space in the middle
of the lodge that offers guests a place to sit and read and
enjoy the fire in the massive stone fireplace. Photos are
mounted along the walls depicting the history of the lodge
and Bear Valley ski area. Celebrities such as Spider
Savich, Claudine Longet,  Merv Griffin and several others
are shown skiing or otherwise enjoying Bear Valley.

Adjacent to the lounge are several shops including an
old-fashioned general store – with a deli to get quick
sandwiches and soups – and a surprisingly complete ski shop
with all of the latest ski equipment, clothing and
accessories. But keep in mind this is not the type of
resort where you can spend hours shopping when you’re not
on the slopes; your down time here most likely will be
spent in front of the fire reading a good book.

During our brief stay we dined in the lodge’s Grizzly
Lounge – mainly because the other lodge restaurant, the
Creekside Dining Room, was closed Mondays and Tuesdays. The
lounge food was good and included a few menu items from the
Creekside. We did learn that the Creekside has recently
employed a well-educated and accomplished chef that has
proven both creative and popular with guests – so we were
disappointed we didn’t get a chance to sample the Creekside
cuisine.

We also enjoyed a meal down at BaseCamp, a lodge that is
just a short walk from the Bear Valley Lodge and the only
other hotel-style lodging this close to the ski area. The
meal at BaseCamp was well prepared and we especially
enjoyed learning more about Bear Valley from our English
waitress who chose to move here from England because of the
area’s excellent intermediate skiing. The BaseCamp,
incidentally, offers the lowest cost rooms in the area with
“bathroom down the hall.”

There are also condo and cabin rentals available in the
Bear Valley area, as well as the Tamarack Lodge further
west on Highway 4. Prices in general will be less at
BaseCamp, moderate at the Bear Valley Lodge and Tamarack,
and more when you rent an entire vacation home.

While in the area, there are several small towns and
attractions that are worth a stop if you have the time. To
reach Bear Valley in winter, you’ll be traveling through
the historical town of Angel’s Camp and then a similar but
smaller Gold Rush town called Murphys.

But our suggestion would be to allow plenty of time for
skiing. You’ll want to ski or board Bear Valley just as
long as the weather – and your legs – will hold out.

AT A GLANCE

WHERE: Bear Valley Ski Resort is on Highway 4, about 52
miles from the foothills town of Angel’s Camp, and 130
miles from Sacramento.

WHAT: Bear Valley is a throwback to skiing in the ’60’s and
’70’s – no high-speed quads or gondolas but lots of wide
open groomed terrain in a gorgeous setting.

WHEN: Winter gets plenty of snow for skiing and other snow
sports; the area also is a popular summer recreation area
with numerous lakes, hiking trails and a pristine forest.

WHY: It’s refreshing to ski where there are no lift lines
and little pretense – most of the “beautiful people” went
to Colorado; the home-growns stayed here. Economically,
this ski vacation is quite affordable.

HOW: For more information on Bear Valley Ski Resort, phone
(209) 753-2301 or visit www.bearvalley.com.

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