| You've heard about the skiing at Lake Tahoe or | | | | take you to the mountain, and you can even ski all |
| Mammoth, but one of the best ski or snowboard | | | | the way back to the lodge. |
| experiences you'll ever have awaits you at Bear | | | | When we say comfortable, we are not comparing |
| Valley, where the crowds are few, but the thrills are | | | | the lodge to the high-end condos you find at most |
| many. | | | | major ski resorts. The rooms at Bear Valley Lodge |
| While not on a par with Squaw Valley or Heavenly or | | | | are more like a motel unit with two double beds a |
| other major California ski resorts, the Bear Valley ski | | | | bath area and a TV/entertainment area that included |
| area is still a prime candidate for a weekend or even | | | | HBO. But small touches - such as the bay window |
| an extended skiing vacation. As we discovered in | | | | looking out onto the snowy landscape or the pine |
| early February, Bear Valley offers a surprisingly | | | | furniture - helped to make this feel much cozier than |
| complete ski vacation experience - no frills, to be | | | | a motel room. |
| sure, but still rewarding and well worth the trip deep | | | | The four floors of rooms at the Bear Valley Lodge |
| into the Sierra Nevada range. | | | | look out onto the Cathedral Lounge, a large open |
| If designer clothing stores, zillion-dollar condos, and | | | | space in the middle of the lodge that offers guests a |
| Hollywood-style glitz are part of your criteria for a ski | | | | place to sit and read and enjoy the fire in the |
| vacation, this ski area might not be the best choice. | | | | massive stone fireplace. Photos are mounted along |
| If wide-open ski runs, no lift lines and plenty of | | | | the walls depicting the history of the lodge and Bear |
| groomed snow are more important to you, then by | | | | Valley ski area. Celebrities such as Spider Savich, |
| all means give Bear Valley a try. | | | | Claudine Longet, Merv Griffin and several others are |
| Coming originally from the Pacific Northwest, we | | | | shown skiing or otherwise enjoying Bear Valley. |
| could not help but compare Bear Valley to one of our | | | | Adjacent to the lounge are several shops including an |
| favorite ski areas in Washington state - a place called | | | | old-fashioned general store - with a deli to get quick |
| Mission Ridge in a town named Wenatchee. The | | | | sandwiches and soups - and a surprisingly complete |
| population in that part of the state is sparse | | | | ski shop with all of the latest ski equipment, clothing |
| compared with the big ski areas near Seattle, so | | | | and accessories. But keep in mind this is not the type |
| Mission Ridge is able to offer wide-open skiing runs | | | | of resort where you can spend hours shopping when |
| most days of the week. | | | | you're not on the slopes; your down time here most |
| Similarly, Bear Valley is less accessible than the many | | | | likely will be spent in front of the fire reading a good |
| larger ski areas in the Lake Tahoe area. Bay area and | | | | book. |
| Sacramento residents can drive Interstate 80 to the | | | | During our brief stay we dined in the lodge's Grizzly |
| Tahoe area and find a selection of ski resorts a short | | | | Lounge - mainly because the other lodge restaurant, |
| distance off the interstate. To reach this ski area, | | | | the Creekside Dining Room, was closed Mondays and |
| you have to drive two-lane roads through the | | | | Tuesdays. The lounge food was good and included a |
| foothills and mountains for close to 100 miles. | | | | few menu items from the Creekside. We did learn |
| But when you get there, most skiers and | | | | that the Creekside has recently employed a |
| snowboarders will find it's worth it. Our mid-week | | | | well-educated and accomplished chef that has proven |
| skiing was some of the best we've experienced - | | | | both creative and popular with guests - so we were |
| plenty of wide-open, groomed terrain perfect for | | | | disappointed we didn't get a chance to sample the |
| intermediates and serviced by a number of lifts | | | | Creekside cuisine. |
| where there seemed to never be lines. It was ski | | | | We also enjoyed a meal down at BaseCamp, a lodge |
| down the run, get right on the chair and do it all again | | | | that is just a short walk from the Bear Valley Lodge |
| and again until just a few hours into our day we | | | | and the only other hotel-style lodging this close to |
| were growing exhausted. We probably skied in four | | | | the ski area. We enjoyed our meal at BaseCamp |
| hours what it would take us a full day to do at a | | | | where we got to know an English waitress who had |
| resort with moderate lift lines. | | | | come to Bear Valley simply because the skiing is so |
| There are no gondolas or high-speed quad chairlifts at | | | | good. The BaseCamp, incidentally, offers the lowest |
| Bear Valley, although there are 10 lifts altogether, | | | | cost rooms in the area with "bathroom down the |
| mostly doubles and triples. About 1280 acres are | | | | hall." |
| available for skiing and snowboarding; some 100 acres | | | | There are also condo and cabin rentals available in the |
| are in an area where they can make snow - although | | | | Bear Valley area, as well as the Tamarack Lodge |
| at 7,750 feet, it's likely Mother Nature will supply all | | | | further west on Highway 4. Prices in general will be |
| the snow you need. | | | | less at BaseCamp, moderate at the Bear Valley |
| We mentioned the intermediate skiing because that's | | | | Lodge and Tamarack, and more when you rent an |
| our favorite - but rest assured this ski area has many | | | | entire vacation home. |
| black diamond or expert ski runs for those looking | | | | While in the area, there are several small towns and |
| for more of a challenge. The day lodge is situated | | | | attractions that are worth a stop if you have the |
| mid-mountain with lifts going both up the mountain to | | | | time. To reach Bear Valley in winter, you'll be traveling |
| 8495 feet, and coming to the lodge from the lower | | | | through the historical town of Angel's Camp and then |
| part of the mountain. Most of the expert runs are | | | | a similar but smaller Gold Rush town called Murphys. |
| located on the lower mountain. | | | | But our suggestion would be to allow plenty of time |
| The area's day lodge also was wide open and easy | | | | for skiing. You'll want to ski or board Bear Valley just |
| to navigate. Instead of masses of people waiting in | | | | as long as the weather - and your legs - will hold out. |
| line to get their food and find a place to sit, we | | | | AT A GLANCE |
| stepped right up and got our cooked-to-order Philly | | | | WHERE: Bear Valley Ski Resort is on Highway 4, |
| cheesesteak sandwiches in just a few minutes. And | | | | about 52 miles from the foothills town of Angel's |
| there was no shortage of menu options - lots of | | | | Camp, and 130 miles from Sacramento. |
| different types of food from sandwiches to Asian | | | | WHAT: Bear Valley is a throwback to skiing in the |
| cuisine, from soups and salads to major meals. | | | | '60's and '70's - no high-speed quads or gondolas but |
| But the Bear Valley experience is much more than a | | | | lots of wide open groomed terrain in a gorgeous |
| daytrip - or at least it should be given the time it | | | | setting. |
| takes to get to the ski area. For our trip we booked | | | | WHEN: Winter always means where is lots of snow |
| lodging at the Bear Valley Lodge, one of just a few | | | | for skiing as well as many other snow sports; the |
| hotel-type facilities near the mountain. Located about | | | | area also is a popular summer recreation area with |
| three miles from the mountain, the Bear Valley Lodge | | | | numerous lakes, hiking trails and a pristine forest. |
| seems to be the hub of activity in the area and | | | | WHY: It's refreshing to ski where there are no lift |
| proved to be a good choice for accommodations. | | | | lines and little pretense - most of the "beautiful |
| While showing some of its age - it was built in the | | | | people" went to Colorado; the home-growns stayed |
| 60's - the lodge proved to be a comfortable, | | | | here. Economically, this ski vacation is quite affordable. |
| convenient base of operations. A ski shuttle bus will | | | | |