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.
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.
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 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.”
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. 😂
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.
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’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.
@@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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Fun fact: Bear Valley is not far from the place with the official deepest recorded snow depth on Earth, only 9.5 miles away.
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.
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 think you should do a review for all of the Powder Alliance resorts. It would be useful for people considering that pass.
Look at that. You guys dropped a new video while I was watching previous reviews.
You gotta hit up the Lube Room in Dorrington if you go to Bear.
Bear Valley in the 16-17 season was insane! Had my best and deepest day ever there
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.
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.”
I first learned to ski at 4 years old at bear valley and I’ve never stopped coming back!!!
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
you'd be going crazy if u went to baldy in so cal its a crazy place
coming from NY where killington and stowe are the big dawgs, I could spend a week at this "tiny" resort. 😄
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!
I spent most of the 1970’s skiing there. I probably should go back.
There were certainly worse ways to spend the '70s.
That was a very accurate review. Great mountain when fully open with good snow, but that combination is a total crapshoot.
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
Good overall breakdown of BV resort:)
Yo, he skis moments!!!! LETS GO!
Bear valley mentioned😮
any plans to do Big White?
Yep!
Love bear valley
Muh-kó-loom-nee...
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.
Wait so there's a three way tie for seventh place? What's the tie breaker?
Snow quality and skiable acreage!
Dodge ridge blows bear out of the park
Shhh...
Great video, you didn't mention the soft boundaries. Horse canyon, etc.
Better than non-existent boundaries 9:26
Easy hil 4 movie stars too warm of climate. Gorgous women!
Review cypress mountain in Vancouver,BC
Do a video on blue hills ski area MA
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
Nice moments
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.
You should rate Como park ski area in St. Paul MN
lol all 50 ft of vert
@@domlonetti4184 50ft is pushing it
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.
did you get moment skis???
One of our writers now has them!
@@PeakRankingson skibidi?? What’s he think of em and dat triple camber
MA-CALL-EM-EE
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
"MOKE-uh-LOOM-ne" -- haha! Try "mo-KELL-um-nee"
The review was good, except for moe-kel-oom-ne
Palisades should be rated with separate categories for Alpine Meadows and Olympic Valley. Just sayin'.
Shhhhhh!
😂 you not a Lower Mountain local are you
Muh-column-knee
Muh-kwell-o-me