Mr. M was not as content exchanging our Utah ski trip for hiking the Mayan ruins as I’d been led to belize. (Believe! Believe, I mean.)
Last Wednesday he marched downstairs, sat next to me on the couch, and boldly announced a go-for-broke, last minute ski trip to the nearby mountain resort of Big Bear.
To say a proper goodbye to winter.
Or an aloha-style hello & goodbye rolled into one, as LA’s Winter 2014 has consisted of exactly one rainy weekend. ‘Stormpocalypse,’ said weekend was termed because there’s no other way to imagine one weekend of rain in So Cal without liking it to the end of times. Not exaggerating.
Definitely time for a last hurrah in the snow.
Day #11,655: Only two hours from the beach, Big Bear is the wintery pocket ace of the California tourism board: Angelenos are able to surf and ski- and be hated by the rest of the US- all in the same day. (For the win, Mr. M actually did surf the very next day and gave his California adventure smorgasbord two very exhausted thumbs up.)
While the skiing in Big Bear isn’t the best that California has to offer, it certainly is the closest (and cheapest!). And when you’re a bunny sloper like I (where “shredding gnarly powder” = making it down the beginner run without falling), you can be a bit lax about mogul quality.
Because California opted out of winter this year and somehow tricked the east coast to take its share, the state has been suffering from a historic drought. The Sierra Nevada mountain range has had record low amounts of snow accumulation, which spells an even worse upcoming drought, as snow runoff is where most of our water comes from in the first place.
While ‘ski run status’ is obviously a heckuvalot less important than ‘state water supply,’ I wasn’t sure how much snow would actually be on the mountain in sunshiney 60 degree weather.
It was so warm that people were out in shorts and tank tops. Normal people. People who hadn’t lost bets or been issued triple dog dares.
Our last hurrah to winter was looking a bit… warm-blooded.
Skiing in short sleeve shirts aside, showing up at the tail end of the season definitely had its perks.
There was no angling for a lunch table in the lodge. Never a wait for the ski lifts. Uber-friendly people (because how can you not be uber-friendly when you’re skiing in beach weather?). Cheaper lift tickets. And our après-ski refreshment? Ice cream. Because it was too hot for cocoa.
I may not miss actually living in the snow, but- in a year when winter came to California in calendar name only- I’ve certainly found myself longing for the quiet peace of the season.
The hushed camaraderie that winter storms brought to Manhattan… the frozen stillness of Central Park… the joy of a steamy mug of cocoa when thawing out from a frigid walk.
Honestly, the only redeeming part of missing out on winter is… well… missing out on winter.
It’s complicated.
Winter and I do better when we don’t have to live in such close quarters. Like an amicably separated couple, I think we were meant to be ‘Just Friends’ all along.
And it’s always nice to reconnect with a friend.
You Can Do It, Too!
Unlike many other pricier, better known ski resorts, Big Bear is super casual. It’s the sort of place where nearly every hotel allows dogs and it’s hard- if not impossible- to find a dinner entree over $15. (Although why would you want to? Ski trips are notoriously pricey, and low cost is one of Big Bear’s perks!) Needless to say, you won’t need anything nicer than hiking boots.
There are two ski resorts in Big Bear, Snow Summit (where we went) and Bear Mountain. In case you plan your visit during a winter heatwave, rest assured that both resorts make snow and groom the runs each night.
Wow....it looks like it was a fun day! Although I'm not as excited to play in the snow as you are....we finally have some grass peeking out from our 4 foot snow bank in the front yard...I do remember wanting some "winter" fun when I lived on Vancouver Island. It was green grass all year round...mostly...but the mountains offered plenty of snowball fight fun. I even worked a season at the local ski hill there....which I would recommend sometime as its straight up the coast from you. Mt Washington...its open all year round for various seasonal activities but skiing is fantastic if the snow makes it. Glad that Mr. M got snowballing in. Enjoy your trip south can't wait to read all about it :)
Grass! I'm so glad a little green is finally showing itself where you are! :) I think it's blasphemous for me to put "snow" & "fun" in the same sentence this winter. Thank you for the tip about Mt. Washington! I'd never heard of that ski resort before, but I would LOVE to get back to Vancouver Island, and that sounds like the perfect excuse! We'll definitely look into it next winter. Did you enjoy working at the ski resort? I always think to myself what a fun job it looks like (and the people that work there always seem to be so happy & friendly), but I've never known anyone who's done it! Thank you for the happy trip vibes! I'm at the airport now! :)
I Shouldn't have said anything! Today it's all covered again! Happy First Day of Spring they say...well we got 10cm of snow...thank you very much!! :( Oh well, it's already melting and they are calling for freezing rain...I prefer snow by the way... Oh well...The temps look promising for the rest of the month after the weekend... I loved working at the ski hill. I worked in the mornings and then skied all afternoon...or the other way around depending on when I would start... There was only one staff bus up the hill and one down so on your work days you were there for the whole day. I didn't like skiing very much until they introduced these new "shape" skies. I'm pretty sure that's all the have now...fat and wide on the front and back and narrow in the middle...I didn't have to snow plow to turn anymore...it was great! Because they were new we HAD to demo them every day for the rest of the season so we could up-sell them when people were renting their equipment. I got the most upgrades because I would RAVE about them...they made me actually want to ski so that's a good thing. I learned that kids have almost no fear! They were never given poles in class and when they got off the bunny hill (usually WAY before I ever did) and look like champs on the runs weaving in and around people without a care in the world....it was great! I haven't skied since that season though...I don't like to "play" in snow....however, I might take my kids sometime if we are ever there over Christmas...and I'm sure that will happen in the next couple of years. Another tip...you can rent places right at the ski hill or down in the town of Courtenay (my home town) and the places on the hill are usually available all year round so if you want to check it out in the summer and hike, mountain bike around it's a great little place to do that too :) Just sayin' hahahaha....
Oh my gosh, your time on the ski hill sounds like such fun! "Having" to demo skis isn't such a bad way to spend your days! You've made me even more excited about a future trip to Mt. Washington... possibly even during summer, as I've always wanted to try mountain biking! Have you ever considered a career with the Vancouver Island Tourist Board? ;) You've totally sold me.
haha...hmmm....wheels turning about a possible career change ;) I would love something like that. What can I say...It's an amazing place to visit and live :) I hope you do get a chance to check it out, I don't think you'll be disappointed....welcome back from your trip, hope it was splendid!
Miranda, I love your writing. This post was a pleasure to read. I am originally from the Inland Empire and spent many a day at Bear Mountain and Snow Summit. I think we are at the same skill level of skiing. It was funny to read about your sister. I had about a 20-year gap also between my last two skiing experiences. Staying on my feet as opposed to my bum was a victory! Glad you got some slope time in while you could :)
Carla, you are too sweet! Thank you for those kind words! Yes, "victory" is a subjective term when it comes to the ski slopes! I'm perfectly content maintaining my bunny-sloper status... I figure there's less risk of breaking/spraining/bruising anything. Ego included. ;)
I have a confession: I have never in my life been skiing. I went to a ski-ish resort once (long story - was there for a marketing trip with school club) and opted to snow tube instead. I know *know* I'll fall a billion times if I try to ski, and I didn't want to embarrass myself in front of a bunch of fellow students at the time. Maybe it's also because I basically think snow is the devil? Who knows, haha. This looks like a lot of fun. No crowds, warm weather, ice cream. What's not to love?!
After the winter you've had, I'd think snow was the devil, too! Seriously, I only like snow this year because I no longer get to see it.... it's a 'grass is always greener' sort of thing. Or 'grass is always whiter & more frozen,' perhaps. ;) I've never tried snow tubing, but that sounds like a ton of fun! Your skiing fears remind me of trying to snowboard... when I was 16 or so, I decided to try snowboarding in an effort to be 'cool,' and I spent 90% of my time face-planting into the snow. It was so un-fun, and no one- no one- was mistaking me for 'cool.' At least you got some fun snow tubing out of your school trip!