Monday, November 15, 2010

Skiing and Snowboarding in Southern California

Bear Mountain
From Blog

Big Bear is the biggest and most well developed mountain that is reachable for a day trip. Bear has the best park system in Southern California, and maybe the whole nation. The park is the main reason to go to Bear. The terrain itself lacks series steeps, but it does have some nice canyons for stashed powder. Being a Southern Californian mountain usually means a lack of snow, but Bear has 100% snowmaking capabilities, meaning that all runs on the mountain can be blanketed by snow guns overnight.


Mountain High
From Blog
Mountain High is the easiest to get to out of all of the Southern Californian resorts. From Webb, it should only take 30-45 minutes, and the drive lacks the steep turns and switchbacks found on the way to Bear and Baldy. Mountain High has a decent amount of terrain, although it can get crowded. The terrain park should be able to suit all but the most experienced snowboarders.


Mt. Baldy
From Blog
The closest mountain to us, Mt. Baldy offers the best steeps and difficult terrain in true Southern California. Baldy has only four lifts, which are all ancient tow seaters that bow and dip in the wind. There is little beginner terrain, but the untracked tree runs off of chair three should be able to satiate anyone’s needs for steeps and powder.


Mammoth Mountain
From Blog

Easily the biggest and most varied mountain on the list, Mammoth is the hardest to get to because it is not reachable for a day trip. However, Mammoth does offer the largest amount of terrain and types of terrain. The park is mostly fueled by larger jumps and pipes, and the steeps off of the top are some of the steepest lift-accessed runs in the nation. Mammoth is the best mountain in Southern California, but its distance, and highly priced lift tickets (one day adult $92), can make Mammoth a problem for some visitors. However, Mammoth receives an average of 400” of snow per year, and a Mammoth powder day can easily define a snowboarder’s career.


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