Video: Dave & Ruth Stillman at Big Bear, 01/27/12

Dave & Ruth Stillman at Snow Summit, 01/27/2012

2 days of dodging noobs at Snow Summit

I know that those of you that keep up with my blog expect to see some trail stuff, but dammit, this is ski season! I promise that I'll get some dirt time in the near future, and I've got a different sort of surprise coming next week, so stay tuned.
Ruth and I spent the weekend dodging crowds on the slopes above Big Bear Lake. Having just returned from Big Sky MT, I am having trouble re-adjusting to the masses of people on these runs. At times it felt that there were more people on one tiny Big Bear run than we would see in a whole day in MT. C'est la vie. It goes with the terrain. We had a very good time. I got some good jumps in, and played in the park for a while. It was a fun weekend. Other than that, I don't have a lot to share. I'll be back with some dirt soon.

I kinda like that they've kept this awful poster from the 80's.

This silly logo dates back to the 50's

Some snow would be nice!

First runs of the season, 12/14/11

On the heels of the most recent round of winter weather, Ruth and I got up at 04:30, gased up and sped out to Big Bear for our season's first runs. We enjoyed bluebird skies and a couple inches of fresh stuff on top of the typical bullet-proof hard pack. Both of us were sporting new boots, both of them have the super-sweet BOA lacing system. Never again will I have to help lace down Ruth's boots. Way easier.

Let's see, what else? We owned the mountain, and as you can see, the crowds didn't show up. The weather stayed cold all day and the snow held up until they closed the lifts at 4PM. My Big Bear "rock board" is sporting a new 8 inch gouge that goes to the wood. That's the price for playing in the trees. Not a problem though, I used to repair skis and snowboards when I was in college. 

The whole way home we kept telling each other what a perfect day it had been.A very good way to start the season. 

Big Bear 03/03/11

This is called earning your turns: wake up at 04:00, drive to Big Bear, board the whole day, drive home, wake up and go to work. The tough get going. We had a fun day up at Summit, no crowds, the usual ice>mush>slush syndrome, a worthwhile day. We never had to share a lift chair all day, if that tells you how few people were up there. I spent the day on the boxes and jumps that decorate West Ridge. Ruth had fun in the banked slalom. Cheeseburgers on the deck, sittin' in the sun.

Snow Summit after the storm, 12/23/10

First turns of the new season! About time! I spent all of last week watching the rain park over SoCal, watching the rain wipe out the local resorts, praying for the snow level to drop. Last Tuesday the temps dropped enough to deposit 2 fresh feet of white on Big Bear. Ruth and I got there early and got on the runs while the off-trail tree stuff was untracked. Ruth got to take her shiny new Christmas snowboard/bindings for a spin. Verdict: LOVE.

The weather stayed cool and the snow held up until after closing time. I got alot of time in the trees and the snow was great. I have to admit that we were very surprised by the lack of crowds, considering the overnight snow-fall and the Christmas holiday. Great Day!