Bear Valley Mountain Resort is a ski area in the western United States, located in the Sierra Nevada of California on Highway 4 between Lake Tahoe and Yosemite National Park—about three hours southeast of Sacramento and one hour from Angels Camp.[1] The alpine ski area and a portion of the real estate in the village of Bear Valley was owned by an investment partnership led by a Canadian company, Dundee Realty, from 2005 to 2014, then by Skyline International acquired Bear Valley through October 31, 2023.[2] On November 1, 2023, California Mountain Resort Company, backed by Invision Capital of Chicago, along with ski industry investors Karl Kapuscinski and Tom Cohen announced that they acquired Bear Valley along with properties in the village of Bear Valley. With the acquisition, Bear Valley joins the "Cali Pass" giving pass holders to access 3 other ski resorts in California, as well as resorts at 19 "Powder Alliance Resorts" world wide. The new owners have made many improvements, such as a new bar, refurbished restaurants and plan on completing 4 different lift upgrade projects over the summer of 2024.
| Bear Valley Mountain Resort | |
|---|---|
 A look down into Grizzly Bowl | |
  Bear Valley Mountain Resort Location in California  Bear Valley Mountain Resort Location in the United States | |
| Location | Alpine County, California, U.S. |
| Nearest major city | Angels Camp |
| Coordinates | 38°29′31″N 120°02′38″W / 38.492°N 120.044°W |
| Vertical | 1,900 ft (580 m) |
| Top elevation | 8,500 ft (2,590 m) |
| Base elevation | 6,600 ft (2,010 m) |
| Skiable area | 1,680 acres (2.6 sq mi; 6.8 km2) |
| Trails | 67 total  25% beginner  40% intermediate  35% advanced |
| Lift system | 9 (1 high speed six pack, 1 high speed quad, 2 triples, 4 doubles, 2 carpet lifts) |
| Snowfall | 359 inches (29.9 ft; 9.1 m) |
| Snowmaking | 100 acres (40 ha) |
| Website | bearvalley.com |
Skiing
editNine lifts provide access to 75+ runs covering 1,680 skiable acres (2.6 sq mi; 6.8 km2). Prior to the 2010–11 season, an additional 400 acres (1.6 km2) of non-lift serviced terrain was opened to the public expanding the resort to 1680 skiable acres, making it the eighth largest in skiable acres in California. The resort is known for its commitment to snow making and snow science expertise, and as a result of snow management, was one of six resorts in California that remained open into mid-spring during the worst droughts in history.
Bear Valley is also known for its rich racing history and one of two resorts in the state that operates a NASTAR course nearly every weekend of the winter season. The Bear Valley Cross Country and Snowshoe Trail System consists of 35 trails covering 3,000 acres (12 km2) of terrain. Bear Valley Cross Country is owned and operated by Paul and Diane Petersen. Paul Petersen is co-author of The Essential Cross Country Skier: A Step By Step Guide and a pioneer in the Nordic skiing industry in California.[3]
Base facilities
editThe base village includes a hotel, spa, cabins, 2 restaurants, 2 full bars, and a pizza parlor. The Lodge at the base facility is known for its majestic granite fireplace and post and beam construction of the atrium style hotel. The hotel's Cathedral Lounge is a desired location for weddings and special events. The village also includes a US Post Office, museum, general store and snowmobile rental center. There is also an Alpine County Sheriff's office and fire station, as well as a County library and K-6 public school. In winter months, there is a shuttle to the ski area in daily operation.
Bear Valley Music Festival
editSince 1969, Bear Valley has hosted the annual Bear Valley Music Festival. The festival, which begins at the end of July and runs for 2 weeks and 3 weekends, includes a variety of music, including contemporary bands and classical concerts featuring a full symphony orchestra conducted by Maestro Alexander Mickelthwate.
Future development plans
editA lift from town has been planned for years, as is a mountain top day lodge and terrain expansion.[4] In early 2013, the partnership that owns the ski area operation and a portion of the real estate in town decided to sell their holdings which now include entitlements for over 300 condominium homes. In September 2013, a deal to sell the ski area operation fell through.[5] In December 2013 a group of Bear Valley property owners announced an initiative to explore community ownership options for both the ski area operation and the village. In February 2014, the Bear Valley Mountain Cooperative was formed with the objective of acquiring and managing those assets on behalf of the community. In 2014, the resort was acquired by Skyline International.
Chairlifts
edit| Name[6] | Type | Years of Operation | Vertical Rise (ft) | Capacity (pph) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mokelumne Express | High Speed Six | 2017- | 730 | 3000 | |
| Grizzly | Double | 1967- | 1267 | 1200 | |
| Koala | Double | 1968-2024 | 500 | 1200 | To be replaced summer 2024 with a quad chair |
| Kuma | Triple | 1981- | 733 | 1900 | Shortened to replace Cub in summer 2024 |
| Polar Express | High Speed Quad | 2006- | 953 | 2400 | |
| Pooh Bear | Triple | 1981- | 735 | 2000 | |
| Super Cub | Double | 1970- | 253 | 1100 | |
| Cub | Double | 1967-2024 | 200 | 1200 | To be retired summer 2024 |
References
edit- ^ Auran, John Henry (February 1969). "The Bear Facts". Skiing. p. 66.
- ^ Skyline Acquires Bear Valley Mountain Resort in Northern California; accessed January 10, 2015.
- ^ Bear Valley Adventure Company Archived 2010-10-27 at the Wayback Machine; accessed August 24, 2014.
- ^ Bear Valley Mountain Resort expansion plans; accessed August 24, 2014.
- ^ "Business deal fall through", calaverasenterprise.com; accessed August 24, 2014.
- ^ "Bear Valley, CA". Lift Blog. 2017-10-15. Retrieved 2024-05-03.