How to get Big Bear ski resort ?

[Andrew.V]

I've got a business trip to Los-Angeles on 10th of December and I do hope there will be a snow in Big Bear. Unfortunately I'm not able to get a car for a rent. And rideshare page on Big Bear web-site seems not to be working.

Any ideas I can get there ? Probably rideshare, or something ? Are there any kind a local forums/chats where I can find someone to ride with ?

PS I'm staying in Pasadena, but it is also fine if you can tell how to get there from San Bernardino Metrolink station.

[KingCrimson]

Rideshare is always an option, but beware of SoCal ridesharing, generally going to be 18-25 year olds without the best driving habits. Not sure I'd want to be on the road to Big Bear with one of them at the wheel. Tough one without your own car. If a bomber is willing to pick you up, that's a viable option.

Also, nothing says Big Bear or any other resort down here will be open by the 10th. It's hot and there's no snow!

All I've got are silly ideas, like...taking a cab.

[Terryw]

:( Snow Summit (no) snow report:

Report last updated: December 2nd @ 8:30 a.m.

SNOWGUNS STANDING BY

Hello faithful snow friends! While we are just as eager to open our resorts as you are to hit the snow, the recent weather pattern has not given us a window of snowmaking opportunity. We are waiting for colder temperatures and lower humidity levels. Once the conditions are right, we can be open from top-to-bottom in as little as two to three days! Our snowmaking team and world-class snowmaking system are ready and standing by for cold, dry weather. Stay tuned, we will announce our expected open date when we begin snowmaking. Hang in there, we'll make it happen!

Believe me, as soon as there is any snow up there we will all be there. There are several riders here in so cal that frequent Big Bear. I am thinking that there might be some one either close to you, or passing by you on their way up the hill. If you can get as far as San Bernardino, you cold probably ride up the hill with oldvolvosrule and me. I have an Excursion with lots of room! Pray for snow.

[carvingchef]

Hi Terry

nice to see you, I'm also praying for snow, I am going to Mammoth this weekend they seem to have some snow and I talked to Aaron a couple of hours ago to see if maybe he was going too, maybe you are thinking of going as well, by the way nice picture in your avatar, it reminds me of this one

[AaronG]

Andrew, like Terryw said, there is no snow currently. I did talk to my buddy who works at Summit and he said that there would be a chance to fire up the snow guns the latter part of this week. We need some cold temps and dry air and they can get moving pretty quick.

As for transportation, Metrolink would be the best choice, once your here in San Bernardino there is a shuttle that runs from the valley up to the mtn communities. The name of the service is MARTA( Mountain Area Regional Transit Authority). They do make two trips up and down the hill daily to the Metrolink station. Here is the link: http://www.marta.cc/commuter.html

Not sure of the times that the buses run, a simple phone call could take care of that.

Give us a heads up and let us know your intentions, maybe something can be worked out with one of us local folk.

Where are you traveling from to get here??

On another note, Does Terry have a new avatar pic??? Nice hand position in the larger pic:)

[Andrew.V]

Thank you guys for a quick response.

For now my plan (if no one else is coming) is to get San Bernardino by Metrolink and take a cab... but I wonder how much the bill would be ? There are still ~50 miles to go. Something round $100?

MARTA is an option, but is has a bad connection to Metrolink, I'll have to get up too early and wait for a bus about hour and a half.

On a way back just find someone at the place to take me to San Bernardino or any Metro station along 210. Don't know if I can make this plan any better.

oldvolvosrule, as you could've noticed due to my bad English I'm even not from US :)

I'm travelling from Moscow, Russia, and I coming to the Jet Propulsion Laboratory to support testing of our instrument for the next NASA's Mars Rover. There are a lot of foreign instruments. Check this out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-RB9eSgvIA

10th of December is the only possible date for me. It's a small margin we keep for a case if flight is delayed or cancelled, but if things are going right we'll get one day off after over than 15hrs of flight and 11hrs jet lag.

I'm praying for a snow with you, but twice harder than you do (for Moscow and Big Bear) :)

Here, in Moscow we still got no snow too. The only option to ride without leaving the area is to go to the thing we call "refrigerator". It's a all-weather and all-seasonal place to ride. They constantly keep -6C temperature inside, even if it's +25C outside. Length of this thing is about 300 meters... better than nothing (in a summer time), but it's nothing compared to the real mountains :)

[Terryw]

Hey Andrea, hey Aaron!

You know, I have been contemplating Mammoth. I have never been there in the winter, and I have no idea where to stay or how much it usually costs. Is it crazy busy on the weekends up there like it is here?

And thanks again for all of the photos Andrea. Using a nice camera sure makes a difference. Sure would like to get together with every one again. I feel like I am getting desperate for some snow.

[Sinecure]

I'd recommend going to Mammoth instead of any of the other SoCal spots. You'll probably have better luck looking for a rideshare over on Epic or TGR since those sites get way more traffic than BOL.

www.tetongravity.com/forums

www.forums.epicski.com

Good luck.

Oh, did they start commercial air service into Mammoth yet? I know they were expanding the airport and planning commercial service for this fall. Might be worth looking into. You could hitchhike from the airport to the town.

[nekdut]

Air service starts next weekend! Daily flights.

You can look for ride shares to Mammoth on their forums:

http://forums.mammothmountain.com

There is a ride share specific forum towards the bottom of the main page.

[KingCrimson]

Air service starts next weekend! Daily flights.

You can look for ride shares to Mammoth on their forums:

http://forums.mammothmountain.com

There is a ride share specific forum towards the bottom of the main page.

Damn, good thing the resorts down here aren't going to open till 2009! :lol:

If southwest flew that way, mammoth would be dirt cheap to ride in the spring when Baldy, Bear, and High are closed.

[Terryw]

Report last updated: December 4th @ 8:10 a.m.

WE'RE MAKING SNOW!

We made snow last night for about 7 hours in the beginner areas at Snow Summit and Bear Mountain! We are confident we will be able to continue making snow in those areas over the next few nights with the goal of having the beginner chairlifts open first. The resorts are experiencing an inversion layer, where the temperature increases with elevation and cold air settles at the base areas. Once the conditions are right and the inversion layer subsides, we can be open top-to-bottom in as little as a few days! Keep in touch with our website for opening day announcement.

Hope springs eternal.

[KingCrimson]

Don't go to any of these opening days. They are opening beginner runs with loads of jibs.

You can do the meat n steel slalom, but that's about it. High is doing the exact same thing.

[AaronG]

Don't go to any of these opening days. They are opening beginner runs with loads of jibs.

You can do the meat n steel slalom, but that's about it. High is doing the exact same thing.

King, I have no desire to go to any SoCal resort on opening day. There are way too many idiots on the slope at that time. Give me a few days to let the "beginning of the season sliders" to fulfill their boarding fix and then I will venture up there.

[KingCrimson]

King, I have no desire to go to any SoCal resort on opening day. There are way too many idiots on the slope at that time. Give me a few days to let the "beginning of the season sliders" to fulfill their boarding fix and then I will venture up there.

Best time for lawsuits, of course! You know, the Burton does feel a little short sometiems.

[KingCrimson]

Mountain High..

MOUNTAIN HIGH IS NOW OPEN!

-$25 Early Season Tickets.

-Open 8am to 4pm.

-First Tracks is open at the base of East with five to six features including rails, boxes, bazooka tubes and the new "Podium."

[Bullwings]

weather is supposed to warm up by like 10-15 degrees on wednesday or thursday... all that snow making go bye bye :(

I figure mid January is when i'll realistically see the slopes. Maybe this is the way that those unseen greater forces/super natural being/beings keep me safe until my brother's wedding in January...

Maybe i should start thinking mammoth.

Or, since my new subsonic longboard came in, i'll just have to make due with asphalt and concrete. I just gotta dodge the cops and security. They don't like me.

This is really sad, I've had my 192 tanker since July waiting for snow...

[AaronG]

As of 8:30 pm, 12/08/08.The temps at Snow Summit are well below freezing all over the entire resort. The guns are blowing white stuff, the pumps are currently sending water up the hill. Hopefully we can get this season started soon.

[AaronG]

6:30 am, 12/9/08. Snow Summit continues to make snow this morning. The water flow going up the mtn is at 5200+ gallons per minute to make the white stuff. This number is at the peak of their pumping ability so I would think most of the snow guns on the entire mtn are in operation. Hopefully, with the cooler temps remaining in the mtns Snow Summit will be open for biz this weekend

[KingCrimson]

Baldy's 18 on the wet bulb.. And actually making snow!

You know it's good when Baldy pumps snow.

[Bullwings]

maybe things are finally looking up. they've been blowing snow like mad non-stop since last night.

They're still blowing snow right now at summit.

looks like the weather has changed and maybe some rain coming at the end of the week/beginning of next.

[gdboytyler]

Is the So Cal season about to get a jumpstart???

http://www.owsweather.com/pr120808a.html

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA - December 8, 2008 (OWSweather.com) Rare 50 year Arctic Blast Sets Sights On Southern California.

Possible historical cold air mass...

With a week away, and a sure sign of things to come, OWSweather.com is making preparations on the server to handle the traffic from this next event. UJEAS is in line with the majority if not all the other models in keeping a near historical arctic air mass into the Southern California region.

With a warm November, Southern California is finally ready for cold storms to make their way in. Resort level snow will be likely next week, and in pretty hefty amounts if things stay on track. OWSweather.com Meteorologist Kevin Martin predicts a 50 year event. While Martin is usually conservative on these events, the pattern highly favors it.

"We are in a pre-1950 type pattern, "said Martin. "We know we are due for a winter storm sometime this year. The type we may be dealing with will be ranked up there with the known years before 1950, which set record low daytime temperatures into the forecast region. With this, may come low elevation snow."

Forecaster Cameron Venable is seeing very cold temperatures in the Los Angeles areas as well. Torrance is not usually known for winter weather, thus making this an interesting event for Venable to track.

"Temperatures in Siberia, Russia will be -81 degrees this week, "said Martin. "With those type of temperatures the arctic air mass has to spill somewhere. Our answer of the exact track will become more clear this week. All residents in the mountain communities should prepare this week for very cold, winter weather, with snow."

Indications are a second, colder storm could hit near the 18th-22nd time-frame. The details on that will have to be sorted out.

OWSweather.com staff

More information: www.OWSweather.com

Contact Kevin Martin by Clicking Here

OWSweather Issues SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA weather watches by email. Click here to be added to the service. It's free.

UJEAS December 2008 Forecast

Click to view

[Bullwings]

hate to be a nay sayer, so i'm not gonna be... haha

but, in any case, i'll believe it when i see it. all too often, i've been disappointed by the weather, so, we'll see.

i hope they're right, because we're definitely off to a slow start here, and there's quite a bit of making up that needs to be done.

[Terryw]

Sure hope this guy is right. I am so tired of waiting for snow. Irwin, is this guy credible? I have never heard of him.

[Bullwings]

Both Bear and Summit will be openning tomorrow.

I'm itching to go up, but i'm probably gonna wait a little bit. Everyone else that's been Jonesing to go up is gonna be there, and I expect it to be packed.

I'd rather not damage my gear just yet. I'm a gear abuser in good uncrowded conditions, early season crowded conditions is just asking for it.

[AaronG]

Yea right!! I truely believe that this is some kind of sick humor perpetrated by Irwin. April Fools day is still a ways off buddy, nice try!!! I'll see it when it comes or I'll believe it when it happens, until then, I ain't buying. That is a pretty good article for a chemical engineer to type up. You had me going for a bit.

When we goin' ridin??