It’s official! Big Bear is truly open for business, now that the season’s first snow has fallen. Thanks to a stronger than expected snow storm, four to five inches of powder have blanketed Snow Summit and Bear Mountain. This, in addition to the Big Bear’s snowmaking capabilities, means that skiers and snowboarders can look forward to optimum conditions when they visit.
The snowfall also allows Big Bear to open more lifts and runs in the coming days and weeks. Currently, visitors can hop on any of Big Bear Mountain Resort’s eight lifts, including three runs that go the entire length, up to 1,300 vertical feet from top to bottom.
Rather than open immediately at the start of the season, Bear Mountain kept its doors shut for five days so that the team could build out its world-famous features. For the 2006-2007 season, the Park at Bear Mountain debuts 20 new features, bringing its tally to 100-plus jibs, 150-plus jumps, 50 terrain features, a standard half-pipe, and Southern California’s only Superpipe. With more than 40 jibs and 30 jumps open across the Park run and Progression Alley, Bear Mountain has the most open terrain features of any California resort.
Skiers and snowboarders can now take advantage of Bear Mountain’s two launch boxes, two double-sided tranny wall rides (11 feet high), a single barrel down-flat-down rail (24 feet long), a single-barrel downhill rail (24 feet long), a down-flat-down box (30 feet long), eight Juice boxes (four 20 feet long and four 12 feet long), a runway box (16 feet long, 1.5 feet high, 5 feet wide), a mini double-sided tranny wall ride (6 feet high), a curved box (24 feet long), a mini rainbow box (12 feet long, 2 feet tall, 20 inches wide), and a kinked rail (15 feet long).
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And if you don’t ski or snowboard, Big Bear Snow Play is one of two inner tube areas in Big Bear Lake. Inner tubing in the snow is great winter fun for the whole family. The park is open daily from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. All day passes are $20 that includes inner tube rental and Magic Carpet use. Midweek, non-holiday group discounts are also available for groups of 35 people or more. Big Bear Snow Play now has a new 1,980 sq. ft. heated base lodge complete with restrooms, a snack bar and a two acre paved parking lot just in time for the 2006-2007 season. The lodge will give guests a comfortable place to relax before, after and during inner tubing sessions. This season the lodge will serve guests, hot chocolate, coffee and light snacks.?
Please call 909.585.0075 for more details. To get more information about all winter activities in Big Bear Lake, to book lodging reservations, or to request a Visitors Guide, log on to www.bigbear.com or call 1.800.4.BIG.BEAR (1.800.424.4232).
Christmas shoppers can pick up Big Bear Mountain Resort gift cards for use anywhere at the resorts, whether you’re buying lift tickets or shopping at the resort stores. Looking further ahead, Big Bear will also host an energetic New Year’s Eve party, complete with live music and food.
Early-season lift tickets are $39 for adults (22 and older), $34 for young adults (13 to 21), and $14 for children (7-12); children 6 and younger are free. Early-season rates are subject to change at anytime.
