Cycle
Industry News
For the first time in its history, Big Bear Mountain Resort gave guests the chance to ski and mountain bike on the same weekend—a rare and uniquely Southern California feat. As the snow continued to melt under warm spring sunshine, the resort kept its ski operations running at Bear Mountain while launching the mountain bike season early at Snow Valley last weekend. The result: one mountain, two sports, and an experience that thrilled outdoor enthusiasts.
“It’s all coming together: a little moisture today followed by sunny skies throughout the weekend,” Justin Kanton said on Friday, Advertising and PR Director for Big Bear Mountain Resort. “Should be perfect to send the winter season out at Bear with a bang, and kickoff the mountain bike season at Snow Valley. Our trail crew has put in long hours and we’re now looking at most of the trails at the Valley Bike Park being ready to go. Gonna need a big trunk for all the gear this weekend.”
The combination of an extended ski season and an early mountain biking start created a rare crossover. While snowboarders and skiers carved the soft, slushy spring snow—what many fondly refer to as “mashed potatoes”—riders loaded up their bikes and hit the dirt just a few miles away.
This unique opportunity followed a season of unusual conditions. Despite a slower-than-usual start and below-average snowfall overall, a surge in March storms helped extend the ski season into mid-April. The warm-up that followed accelerated trail preparation at lower elevations, paving the way for an early opening of Snow Valley’s bike park.
Guests made the most of the weather window. Some even managed a SoCal “triple threat”: ski, surf, and skate in the same day, CBS Los Angeles reports. From carving turns on the slopes in the morning, to skating parks in Tustin, to catching waves in Newport Beach—Southern California’s climate offered it all.
The ski season at Bear Mountain wrapped up on Sunday after 150 days of operations, but this closing weekend will be remembered less for the numbers and more for the novelty. Ski boots in the morning, bike helmets by afternoon—it was a weekend that perfectly captured the crossover season in the San Bernardino Mountains. With sunny skies and spring energy, Big Bear delivered a first-of-its-kind doubleheader and left riders and skiers alike looking ahead to next year’s possibilities.
