Been going to Bear for the last 15 years. It’s only getting better these days. The last two seasons have been absolutely incredible. This place is still a hidden gem in the central Sierra
Your pronunciation of Mokelumne is killing me! I grew up in Dorrington 17 miles down the road from Bear Valley. Fairly accurate review, when the snow is good there is so much awesome terrain, especially if you know where to look. We used to have big 50’ jumps when the terrain park was on the backside (bear west) under the triple chair. It’s an excellent mountain away from the Tahoe crowds.
I might be older than you. But remember when it was Mount Reba, and Bear Valley was the village? I also remember going to dog sled races in the valley. The snow berms were high and falling into them was awesome! Of course, my pops had to fish me out. But it was still fun! 😂
As someone how has been riding Bear for my entire life, you gotta get a better bucket list. It's only fun when it's fresh. They didn't even get a real park built in the 22/23 season even though there was tons of snow. Takes them forever to get terrain open after a big dump. That being said, when it's good, it's really good.
@@wooltron1possibly fixed by being purchased by Cali Pass (the guy who used to run Kirkwood). Like Dodge Ridge and China Peak have not had the issues I've heard locals unhappy about at BV.
@@RD1R The operations seemed a little bit better last year under the new ownership. I was injured though so I only got 2 days in in December. Maybe it improved as the season went on.
Worked here as a lifty last season, best time of my life. (Yo wait that’s me at 5:55 😂 you snuck up on me, I didnt get many visitors down there 😅)Though the runs there aren’t long by any means, they’re still spectacular and even gnarly in some cases, and grizzly bowl/snow valley is something you gotta try for yourself someday. Plus, the village side is immaculate. Employee housing was located in the village, so I loved taking home run all the way to my front door
I’ve only skied Bear Valley six or seven times in my life and have a definite warm spot in my heart for it. But it is SMALL. With limited advanced terrain, unless the lower mountain is open. A great family hill, but not a shredder paradise. It’s good old-school vibe which I love. But it has limited appeal. Tele skiers and backcountry skiers love this area.
@19:45 - I've skied every resort listed except Mount Shasta. I lived/skied/worked in Mammoth for 10yrs (and have to admit, Palisades can exceed). I agree with your evaluations but would flip a depends coin on Bear (wonderful wild area and high school memories great snow) and Sugar Bowl (because of fond memories with older skiers and incredibly deep snow).
Highway 4 is by far the best one on the sierras whether you're skiing, hiking, or just chilling. It's cheap, beautiful, and has no major burn scars and almost no traffic. The drive there from the bay area is 2 ish hours and very beautiful, and it's not even too far from sac. Last time I went was nov '22, stayed in camp connell, there was already like 2ft of snow there and 4ft of so at bear valley and I plan to go again this thanksgiving break
As someone who frequents Bear Valley, laid back is the best way to describe it. After learning to ski at Bear Valley, I took a trip to Tahoe to ski at North Star, and I was blown away at how crowded and large it was.
@@alexbones0001 when I was a lifty we laid the ground work during working hours in the lift line, the bartender on the hill always hooked it up when we would meet up with chicks a little after 4!
I used to ski Bear Valley a lot. Too many power,mechanical and opening issues during the 22-23 season have kept me away. I hope the upgrades happen and they can get this mountain more consistent. Bear Valley is a great place for a group trip on a budget. Many awesome vacation rentals in Arnold and Dorrington, which are an easy 30 to 40 minute drive away.
500 for an Icon pass if you get it early. We have used ours 9 days this season and 2 last season so got our $$$ worth. Haven’t hit Bear yet as my GF is new and I’m trying to get back to my 2010 self. 😂. Mostly been at Dodge.
@marktechsci 9 days is awesome and it's only January, hopefully you get some snow over there this weekend. Season might be done for me, I broke my wrist out in Heavenly two weeks ago, only got 3 days of riding in 🤣
@ crap. Sorry. Yeah. Last time I got season tickets was right before the drought years. 2 adults and 2 children at NorthStar. Zero days on the slope. Ouch!
First of all, thanks for making me homesick! I was born and raised in Murphys (Calaveras County).I'm in Imperial County, Ca, now (SoCal Desert). A little history of "Bear Valley Ski Resort". IDK when the name was changed, but it was originally called Mount Reba. The actual valley has a lot of snow mobile trails and cross country trails. Back in the 60s/70s the valley also hosted dog sled races, when the snow berms were 20+ feet tall. Noce job on the video though. Like I said. Thanks for making me homesick 😂
Heavenly got 226 inches last year Bear Valley got 324. So how do they get more snow? Look at previous years we beat them 90% of the time. It’s only north Tahoe resorts that beat Bear Valley, like Sugar Bowl, or Squaw
Heavenly is east of the crest of the Sierra Nevada, Bear Valley is to the west, and Palisades, Sugar Bowl, Boreal, Sierra-at-Tahoe, and Kirkwood are right on it. The upper west slope and crest of the Sierra are much wetter than the east side because storms usually come from the west and topographic effects increase precipitation on the windward side and decrease it on the leeward side of a mountain/range.
@@beandoggleyou got it. Mammoth, Alpine, Sugar Bowl and Kirkwood sit on the actual crest and the snowfall totals usually show. Look at China Peak, about 20 miles west from Mammoth, but regularly gets similar snowfall totals while being 1500' lower. June is 10 miles away and gets 1/3 less snow cuz it's meaningfully east of the crest.
My home mountain for over 20 years. The Sierra secret. Powder days are amazing when the Mt. is 100% open. Hearing the narrator say "Mokelumne" was painful but otherwise, a pretty good review. Actually, on second thought, this place sucks, go to Tahoe. 😂
Punched my season pass at Ski Bear Valley with the first two days right after Thanksgiving! It's the front side only, but it's great to have snow over Thanksgiving.
During the NA off season you should come to my home ski fields in New Zealand (Queenstown area), it would make you appreciate what you have in the US and Canada a lot more.
Back when I worked for (at the time) mt Reba in the late 80's. Lower part of the terrain mainly for advanced skiiers. There was always an issue with lack of snow.. highway 4 would wnd snow plowing at the old My Reba turnoff.
I know nothing about skiing, I've never been skiing, and I probably never will, but I still enjoy watching all your videos! It's almost like I can travel vicariously through you haha
@@Isaac-nl2et I mean, I’m not against skiing. I just live in Alabama and I don’t know if I’ll ever have the opportunity and means to go skiing. That’s what I mean by “probably never will.”
is bear valley not allowed to add a lift to the village side? it seems it would be a smarter idea to add a lift there instead of upgrading the old slow lifts.
They are planning on that in the future, and have been for years. It seems like the new ownership is focusing on improving the core area before making the huge investment the village side would need.
are you kidding. Driving to Bear Valley is a breeze. But, the mountain is basically crap except on ideal days and because those days are few, only the regulars get the lower mountain in prime conditions.
no idea when its going to happen, but just this past season bear valley redid the unloading area of Grizzly lift in preporation for a larger and faster lift in lower moumtain. I think the plan is to add a non detachable 4 seat lift, but im not positive.
The CALI people have a plan. The plan is a lift from the village to mid-mountain on the backside. I think it will terminate on BV property (not Forest Service land). Then a few years after that they want a lift from that mid-mountain location to Koala Top.
@@davidweaver8506 that would be awesome. Village side on pow days is incredible other than hiking to and waiting for the shuttle. Let's hope it happens while my knees still kind of work.
This mtn's website doesn't include a trail map or elevations. I've ridden just about every moutain in the sierras including Alta Sierra, but never this one. Makes it hard to commit to this drive which is as far as kirkwood for me.
I visited Dodge Ridge last winter for the first time. (Yay CALI Pass!) It is the exact same drive time from my home in the Tri-Valley. Dodge was much more crowded. I did like the mid-mountain lunch place. I liked that I could see the backside of Bear Valley from high up on Dodge Ridge. There seems to be much more vacation housing available at Dodge Ridge. The snow was better at Bear Valley, but not drastically better.
Bear Valley is on Ikon for 24/25 no blackouts. I'm relocating north of Reno, but during the holidays I may have to trek there. Thanks for the tips, I'm a sucker for wide open powder glades so a trip or 2 to the village side is a must if i was to catch a pow day! I got lost in a storm in March at SugarBowl and had to hike back up to the village gondola so I've got the experience, I've got to see for myself whether Bear holds it's own to Sugar.
@@PeakRankings Oh for sure. It’s not a resort by any stretch of the imagination. But I think a lot of the smaller “resorts” on Peakrankings are more “ski areas” than resorts. You should have come skied it this year! Who knows when it’ll open again? Although there’s no reason to write a review for such a local mountain. Nobody outside LA County is going to ski Waterman.
Been going to Bear for the last 15 years. It’s only getting better these days. The last two seasons have been absolutely incredible. This place is still a hidden gem in the central Sierra
I first learned to ski at 4 years old at bear valley and I’ve never stopped coming back!!!
Your pronunciation of Mokelumne is killing me! I grew up in Dorrington 17 miles down the road from Bear Valley. Fairly accurate review, when the snow is good there is so much awesome terrain, especially if you know where to look. We used to have big 50’ jumps when the terrain park was on the backside (bear west) under the triple chair. It’s an excellent mountain away from the Tahoe crowds.
That west world terrain park was insane back in the day.
@ dude it was great! It was even better on Shady Grove with the bigger jumps, 45-50’ cheese wedge jumps with great landers!
I might be older than you. But remember when it was Mount Reba, and Bear Valley was the village? I also remember going to dog sled races in the valley. The snow berms were high and falling into them was awesome! Of course, my pops had to fish me out. But it was still fun! 😂
Bear Valley in the 16-17 season was insane! Had my best and deepest day ever there
I love how Daley Spam and Peak Rankings single handedly put this ski resort I'd barely heard about on my bucket list 😂
@DaleySpam is one of our filmers and writers! You might recognize his skis in some of these clips 😉
no way it’s arjunski!!!!
As someone how has been riding Bear for my entire life, you gotta get a better bucket list. It's only fun when it's fresh. They didn't even get a real park built in the 22/23 season even though there was tons of snow. Takes them forever to get terrain open after a big dump. That being said, when it's good, it's really good.
@@wooltron1possibly fixed by being purchased by Cali Pass (the guy who used to run Kirkwood).
Like Dodge Ridge and China Peak have not had the issues I've heard locals unhappy about at BV.
@@RD1R The operations seemed a little bit better last year under the new ownership. I was injured though so I only got 2 days in in December. Maybe it improved as the season went on.
Worked here as a lifty last season, best time of my life. (Yo wait that’s me at 5:55 😂 you snuck up on me, I didnt get many visitors down there 😅)Though the runs there aren’t long by any means, they’re still spectacular and even gnarly in some cases, and grizzly bowl/snow valley is something you gotta try for yourself someday. Plus, the village side is immaculate. Employee housing was located in the village, so I loved taking home run all the way to my front door
Fun fact: Bear Valley is not far from the place with the official deepest recorded snow depth on Earth, only 9.5 miles away.
What place?
I didn’t know Mt. Ibu-ki was 9.5 miles away from bear valley. How come plane tickets to Japan are so expensive then, if it’s just right there? 😏
@@jordanstclair7380tamarack CA look it up
Tamarack! 😊
Tamarack@@Jorge_maggie
I’ve only skied Bear Valley six or seven times in my life and have a definite warm spot in my heart for it. But it is SMALL. With limited advanced terrain, unless the lower mountain is open. A great family hill, but not a shredder paradise. It’s good old-school vibe which I love. But it has limited appeal. Tele skiers and backcountry skiers love this area.
Looks like a chill place! With just enough cliffs for Daley Spam to throw himself off too. Would be a nice break from the Tahoe resorts I’m sure.
@19:45 - I've skied every resort listed except Mount Shasta. I lived/skied/worked in Mammoth for 10yrs (and have to admit, Palisades can exceed). I agree with your evaluations but would flip a depends coin on Bear (wonderful wild area and high school memories great snow) and Sugar Bowl (because of fond memories with older skiers and incredibly deep snow).
Highway 4 is by far the best one on the sierras whether you're skiing, hiking, or just chilling. It's cheap, beautiful, and has no major burn scars and almost no traffic. The drive there from the bay area is 2 ish hours and very beautiful, and it's not even too far from sac. Last time I went was nov '22, stayed in camp connell, there was already like 2ft of snow there and 4ft of so at bear valley and I plan to go again this thanksgiving break
I agree, but I'm originally from Calaveras County, so I'm biased hahaha
I think you should do a review for all of the Powder Alliance resorts. It would be useful for people considering that pass.
As someone who frequents Bear Valley, laid back is the best way to describe it. After learning to ski at Bear Valley, I took a trip to Tahoe to ski at North Star, and I was blown away at how crowded and large it was.
Look at that. You guys dropped a new video while I was watching previous reviews.
coming from NY where killington and stowe are the big dawgs, I could spend a week at this "tiny" resort. 😄
You gotta hit up the Lube Room in Dorrington if you go to Bear.
Is that Diddy's club?!
@@Natedoc808it’s a grimey ass bar where the lifties go to pick up chicks 😂
@@alexbones0001 oh, so like Diddy’s but for straight dudes, ✅.
@@alexbones0001 when I was a lifty we laid the ground work during working hours in the lift line, the bartender on the hill always hooked it up when we would meet up with chicks a little after 4!
I used to ski Bear Valley a lot. Too many power,mechanical and opening issues during the 22-23 season have kept me away. I hope the upgrades happen and they can get this mountain more consistent. Bear Valley is a great place for a group trip on a budget. Many awesome vacation rentals in Arnold and Dorrington, which are an easy 30 to 40 minute drive away.
I spent most of the 1970’s skiing there. I probably should go back.
There were certainly worse ways to spend the '70s.
I'm over the crowds in Tahoe. Wishing I hadn't gotten an epic pass this year. The trails and lack of crowds at Bear looks like a dream!
500 for an Icon pass if you get it early.
We have used ours 9 days this season and 2 last season so got our $$$ worth.
Haven’t hit Bear yet as my GF is new and I’m trying to get back to my 2010 self. 😂. Mostly been at Dodge.
@marktechsci 9 days is awesome and it's only January, hopefully you get some snow over there this weekend.
Season might be done for me, I broke my wrist out in Heavenly two weeks ago, only got 3 days of riding in 🤣
@ crap. Sorry.
Yeah. Last time I got season tickets was right before the drought years. 2 adults and 2 children at NorthStar. Zero days on the slope. Ouch!
First of all, thanks for making me homesick! I was born and raised in Murphys (Calaveras County).I'm in Imperial County, Ca, now (SoCal Desert). A little history of "Bear Valley Ski Resort". IDK when the name was changed, but it was originally called Mount Reba. The actual valley has a lot of snow mobile trails and cross country trails. Back in the 60s/70s the valley also hosted dog sled races, when the snow berms were 20+ feet tall. Noce job on the video though. Like I said. Thanks for making me homesick 😂
That was a very accurate review. Great mountain when fully open with good snow, but that combination is a total crapshoot.
Heavenly got 226 inches last year Bear Valley got 324. So how do they get more snow? Look at previous years we beat them 90% of the time. It’s only north Tahoe resorts that beat Bear Valley, like Sugar Bowl, or Squaw
Heavenly is east of the crest of the Sierra Nevada, Bear Valley is to the west, and Palisades, Sugar Bowl, Boreal, Sierra-at-Tahoe, and Kirkwood are right on it. The upper west slope and crest of the Sierra are much wetter than the east side because storms usually come from the west and topographic effects increase precipitation on the windward side and decrease it on the leeward side of a mountain/range.
@@beandoggleyou got it. Mammoth, Alpine, Sugar Bowl and Kirkwood sit on the actual crest and the snowfall totals usually show.
Look at China Peak, about 20 miles west from Mammoth, but regularly gets similar snowfall totals while being 1500' lower. June is 10 miles away and gets 1/3 less snow cuz it's meaningfully east of the crest.
Takes a really good season for the snow to last a long time, summers come quick here and before you know it snow will start melting
My home mountain for over 20 years. The Sierra secret. Powder days are amazing when the Mt. is 100% open. Hearing the narrator say "Mokelumne" was painful but otherwise, a pretty good review. Actually, on second thought, this place sucks, go to Tahoe. 😂
low elevation snow fall powder days, at bear, are unequaled!
Punched my season pass at Ski Bear Valley with the first two days right after Thanksgiving! It's the front side only, but it's great to have snow over Thanksgiving.
I have been there on a few epic days and those days compare with any good day at any larger resort!
Ski hibernation one mile run great fun 26 runs in one weekday 70 degrees ten foot base April its really sweet uncrowded cheap!! Gorgeous
During the NA off season you should come to my home ski fields in New Zealand (Queenstown area), it would make you appreciate what you have in the US and Canada a lot more.
Back when I worked for (at the time) mt Reba in the late 80's. Lower part of the terrain mainly for advanced skiiers. There was always an issue with lack of snow.. highway 4 would wnd snow plowing at the old My Reba turnoff.
CAN'T Beat Mt Baldy in Socal when there's enough snow.
you'd be going crazy if u went to baldy in so cal its a crazy place
Its really not they average like 30 inches of snow and have 1 or 2 lifts
I skied the deepest snow of my life at Baldy back in 89. Had to be over 6 feet. y@@saxonski6146
I go to bear valley every year!
I know nothing about skiing, I've never been skiing, and I probably never will, but I still enjoy watching all your videos! It's almost like I can travel vicariously through you haha
You should try, might enjoy it
@@Isaac-nl2et I mean, I’m not against skiing. I just live in Alabama and I don’t know if I’ll ever have the opportunity and means to go skiing. That’s what I mean by “probably never will.”
Good overall breakdown of BV resort:)
thanks peak', so nice! and open' wide in spring',! break away from mamoth masses', peace😄
Yo, he skis moments!!!! LETS GO!
is bear valley not allowed to add a lift to the village side? it seems it would be a smarter idea to add a lift there instead of upgrading the old slow lifts.
They are planning on that in the future, and have been for years. It seems like the new ownership is focusing on improving the core area before making the huge investment the village side would need.
That future has been the future since the 1960s
Home sweet home!
Please don't go to bear valley, jeez it's just so bad..... I mean like I just would never go it's just... Really bad don't do it
Agreed- it’s terrible especially the village side
Yeah it’s horrible no one go
any plans to do Big White?
Yep!
Wait so there's a three way tie for seventh place? What's the tie breaker?
Snow quality and skiable acreage!
Your right tell everyone to stay away from our local resort. You can have the crowds!
The village side does not have any ac work done on it. It is a backcountry zone
Bear valley mentioned😮
Highway 4 after Stockton goes to Two lanes and therefore becomes very slow in the winter, especially during a storm.
are you kidding. Driving to Bear Valley is a breeze. But, the mountain is basically crap except on ideal days and because those days are few, only the regulars get the lower mountain in prime conditions.
Love bear valley
no idea when its going to happen, but just this past season bear valley redid the unloading area of Grizzly lift in preporation for a larger and faster lift in lower moumtain. I think the plan is to add a non detachable 4 seat lift, but im not positive.
I've heard about plans for a pair of lifts to get from the village up to Koala Top. But those are on a five year plan.
Bear valley also had the world pro ski tour fyi
Great video, you didn't mention the soft boundaries. Horse canyon, etc.
Better than non-existent boundaries 9:26
If they would build a lift on the village side it would improve the resort 100x.
The CALI people have a plan. The plan is a lift from the village to mid-mountain on the backside. I think it will terminate on BV property (not Forest Service land). Then a few years after that they want a lift from that mid-mountain location to Koala Top.
@@davidweaver8506 that would be awesome. Village side on pow days is incredible other than hiking to and waiting for the shuttle. Let's hope it happens while my knees still kind of work.
This mtn's website doesn't include a trail map or elevations. I've ridden just about every moutain in the sierras including Alta Sierra, but never this one. Makes it hard to commit to this drive which is as far as kirkwood for me.
Do a video on blue hills ski area MA
welp, now we are about to see a lot more traffic coming through bear valley
What’s the best ski resort in the area?
Dodge ridge for family, Kirkwood for higher elevation steep terrain, Bear valley for uncrowded.
Review cypress mountain in Vancouver,BC
did you get moment skis???
One of our writers now has them!
@@PeakRankingson skibidi?? What’s he think of em and dat triple camber
Dodge ridge blows bear out of the park
Shhh...
😂
Same owners
@@prayers3632 right low elevation and durtdags from Fresno 🥴 ? Blows Dodge ridge sucks just saying
You should rate Como park ski area in St. Paul MN
lol all 50 ft of vert
@@domlonetti4184 50ft is pushing it
I stick to Dodge Ridge
I visited Dodge Ridge last winter for the first time. (Yay CALI Pass!) It is the exact same drive time from my home in the Tri-Valley. Dodge was much more crowded. I did like the mid-mountain lunch place. I liked that I could see the backside of Bear Valley from high up on Dodge Ridge. There seems to be much more vacation housing available at Dodge Ridge. The snow was better at Bear Valley, but not drastically better.
@davidweaver8506 you have to go ride the backside or at least chair 7 and higher. Not as crowded up there.
@@davidweaver8506 the vacation housing near Bear is concentrated in the Arnold area, ~30 mins from the resort
@@c1ique just need to book in advance. Or have a family member who has a house up there
Nice moments
Easy hil 4 movie stars too warm of climate. Gorgous women!
It’s Sierra, not Sierra’s. One mtn range
Not "Sierra's" either, plural not possessive.
Muh-kó-loom-nee...
Bear Valley is on Ikon for 24/25 no blackouts. I'm relocating north of Reno, but during the holidays I may have to trek there. Thanks for the tips, I'm a sucker for wide open powder glades so a trip or 2 to the village side is a must if i was to catch a pow day! I got lost in a storm in March at SugarBowl and had to hike back up to the village gondola so I've got the experience, I've got to see for myself whether Bear holds it's own to Sugar.
Believe you’re thinking of Big Bear in SoCal - Bear Valley is not on Ikon.
@@PeakRankings I think you're right my bad people!
It's on the Callie pass powder Alliance pass I believe
@@marcusfieldfield4069 thanks
Nothing but the Chutes at Mt Rose, Kirkwood cornice and to skiers left of cornice, and the back bowl at Alpine compare to Sugar Bowl.
Ha! California’s got some pretty weird resorts. I think Waterman HAS to take the cake on that one. Or Trinity before 2001.
Might be a stretch to call Mt. Waterman a “resort” 😉
@@PeakRankings Oh for sure. It’s not a resort by any stretch of the imagination. But I think a lot of the smaller “resorts” on Peakrankings are more “ski areas” than resorts. You should have come skied it this year! Who knows when it’ll open again? Although there’s no reason to write a review for such a local mountain. Nobody outside LA County is going to ski Waterman.
The review was good, except for moe-kel-oom-ne
Hey guys, cut him some slack, he probably says "yo-sum- ight" too.
Palisades should be rated with separate categories for Alpine Meadows and Olympic Valley. Just sayin'.
MA-CALL-EM-EE
"MOKE-uh-LOOM-ne" -- haha! Try "mo-KELL-um-nee"
Shhhhhh!
😂 you not a Lower Mountain local are you
I am not joking , too deep one year 12 ft of fresh, streamers on skis ,
Go there to look at the gorgeous women
Muh-column-knee
Muh-kwell-o-me
this place sucks! no one go there