How to Plan your first ski trip to Big Bear Mountain.

How to Plan your first ski trip to Big Bear Mountain.

Snow Summit or Bear mountain.

My heart goes to Snow Summit. Common opinion here among my friends and coworkers is that Bear Mountain is more popular among snowboarders. The  main reason why I prefer snow summit is number of trails and ability to ski upper lifts without  getting to the base of the mountain. You can find comparison of two mountains here.

Buy Tickets in advance.

I used to buy lift tickets in Costco. Unfortunately, Costco ticket prices went up compared to last year, but their prices are still about 25% lower compared to window ticket prices. I always check Liftopia where you can find really good deals on tickets especially at the end of the season. Also, I suggest using military discount tickets if you have access to those (currently the cheapest option). If none of the above works, at least buy tickets on Big Bear Mountain Resort website in advance, this will save you at least 20% of the window price.

Download Big Bear Mountain Resort App.

It has a lot of useful information such as trail map, snow report, trail conditions, road conditions ticket prices and availability and dining information. It also has a cool “Tracking” feature that allows to track number of runs, distance, etc.

Weekend trips.

The main tip here is to skip Saturday if you can.  Saturday is the most crowded day of the week to ski, especially during high season. If you need to go Saturday, the best time to ski is first hour or so after opening and after 1.30pm-2pm, the rest of the time lifts are super crowded.

Check the weather forecast.

I know, I know it is obvious, but… just saying. I’m guilty of not doing it many times myself. Also, keep in mind, mountain is usually overcrowded during snowfall. You would think less people will be willing to be covered by snow during their lift ride, but it is not the case for Big Bear. We are in Southern California after all and we love snow here.

Pack extra snacks and drinks for your road trip.

Again, obvious, but still worth mentioning. Traffic situation might change instantaneously and, just like me two weeks ago, you will find yourself a little hungry but not wanting to stop for food when following Google maps back road detour.

Pack chains.

You never know if/when weather conditions will change. The last thing you want to happen is to desperately look for chains around Big Bear Lake. If you find yourself in this situation, majority of convenience store sell chains in Big Bear.

Ski/snowboard rental.

If you need ski/snowboard rental, find rental place prior to your visit. There are a lot of rental places on the way to the ski resorts, but it’s a good idea to do a research prior to your trip and have a plan. This will save time and potentially money. It is usually much cheaper to use rentals located outside of the resort.

Enjoy your first ski trip to Big Bear Mountain. Happy skiing!