Hello to all Bear Valley Snow Enthusiasts,
It’s now been just over one month since I have been named CEO of Bear Valley Resort Group and I can tell you that my enthusiasm and excitement about the coming ski season and what we can jointly create in Bear Valley is increasing daily and weekly.
I want to use this blog to learn about YOU, our guest and customer, communicate information, discuss issues and/or make observations. I invite all of you to ask questions, post comments and observations, let us know when we are doing well and when we are missing the mark. I will use this blog as an important element in understanding changes we need to make to reach our vision of being the premier or ultimate family resort in the Northern Sierras, serving snow enthusiasts of all levels and abilities.
As I mentioned in my press release, I believe that we have all the ingredients to be this special place where you want to spend your time with family and friends, enjoy the outdoors and experience our services, be it skiing or snowboarding, cross country skiing, snowmobiling, hiking, biking or simply having a nice and cozy meal at one of our restaurants. Having said this, I also want to acknowledge that change will not always please everybody and is at times difficult to understand or accept. I hope this blog will help clarify the "what" and "why's" of changes and provide a forum to air questions.
As many of you know, the Bear Valley Mountain Resort owners purchased Base Camp, or as remembered by most The Red Dog. The facility is being converted to much needed employee housing. This will allow us to house all of our international seasonal team members in, or around Bear Valley. I believe this will add a lot to Bear Valley’s character and personality, having around 60 additional residents in town for the season.
This change is not happening without some hardship however (especially for locals and some of us long time weekend residents). The restaurant and bar at the Red Dog has been closed as we could not find a feasible way to keep a bar and restaurant operating in an employee building. We are working with Bear Valley business owners to create additional venues.
The fall is slowly giving way to winter in Bear Valley. We saw the first natural snow flakes and snow making has started. As you all know we are dependent on Mother Nature to firm up an opening day, as we need cold weather to make snow and the natural stuff to have some powder fun. So get your boards and boots ready and visit this site often for the latest updates on weather conditions and opening day.
I look forward to welcoming you in Bear Valley.
Martin
56 Comments:
Hi Martin- Any plans on adding an addt'l high speed quad? Love the Polar Express, one on the front would be cool. Thanks & Ski Bear, MikeAmerica.
Mr. Martin,
Make it snow soon pretty please!!
Hi Mr. Wegenstein,
I am a Bay Area resident and college student and have a few questions for you. Will there be discounted lift tickets at retailers in my area again this season? Also i can buy a lift ticket from various retailers for 51$ to northstar at tahoe(a much larger snowboarding area with more yearly snowfall)and this season daily rates at bear valley are 49$ for adults(not to mention i believe the season pass rate has gone up by 100$ but i could be wrong). I would urge bear valley mountain resort to remember that many of us in the bay area go to bear valley for the better value and shorter drive(as opposed to lake tahoe). I hope the polar express costs arent being passed on to riders too quickly. Thanks and see you on the mountain.
Hi Martin- i also am loving the polar express and am very much hoping for a high speed quad on the front....is that in the mix of the mountain renovation? It would also be great if you could make the snow fall :) got my first season pass this year and am hoping for an early snow season!
thanks
Hi Martin,
As many of us who live in Bear Valley know, the closing of the Red Dog is just Wrong.
Can you please explain what you mean, when you say that operating a restaurant in an employee housing facility is not feasable. I was an employee, living in the Red Dog in 1967, and it appeared completely feasable to me, because I did it. You have somehow corrupted my experience, by trying to explain this decision as something that is not feasable. I would suspect, that the subject is something your organization is not capable of doing, but it is surely feasable.
Good Luck,
Phil
Mr Martin; as a Bear Valley skier since '68, I have seen many changes at Bear Valley.I do enjoy the Polar Express,however I like to ski West World, and Shady Grove,and like to take the Pooh Chair back up. I hope the Pooh chair will operate this year. Taking the long flat ride to the Polar Express from West World is not skiing, but commuting.
Thanks
Martin
Wonderful to see your fresh approach to Bear Valley. We look forward to seeing the changes.
Will Headwaters be open over Thanksgiving?
When will it snow?
Hello Martin,
Let me start by saying, my family loves Bear. We have been snowboarding there exclusively for the past 10 years or so. We love the family atmosphere, and mostly we have enjoyed the cheaper prices. It is only a 2 hour drive for us from Brentwood, so that sweetens the experience even more. Both of my kids learned to snowboard there and they love it too. With that said, I hope that with the new management and all the changes, there will not be an increase in prices to match.
Are you going to have the 2 for 1 midweek deals this year? Also as a previous person asked, are there going to be discount tickets anywhere?
Thanx for listening, and we look forward to a good snowy season this year. Let it snow!!!
-Lala
Thanks to all who took the time to read my blog and post questions. Let me try to provide some answers:
1. Yes we are working on the long range strategy and plan to replace some of the older chair lifts with modern, customer friendly and higher capacity equipment (high speed, detachable). This is part of the overall improvement plan which includes not only new lifts but improvements to our facilities and infrastructure as well. This plan will tie into the village development plans.
At This point I am not ready yet to talk about specifics but will keep you informed as details emerge. Please visit our website for updates.
One item to note is that we are in the environmental study stage for the village lift. The line is already marked and you can take a beautiful hike along the markers, starting in the village (by the dumpsters).
2. As to ticked prices, you can purchase direct-to-lift (DTL) tickets at retailers in the bay area for $46-$47 (adult). For details on locations see http://www.bearvalley.com/tickets_passes/shops.asp. I believe this is a very good value proposition.
The full price season pass has gone up $50 but the preseason pass pricing was the exact same as for the 06/07 season ($349).
3. Let me also clarify the two key points why we did not see it feasible to keep the restaurant and bar at Base Camp while operating it as employee housing.
a) Employee housing means that Base Camp represents home to our employees for several months. We would have to do significant improvements (walls, insulation, etc.) to assure that our guests can enjoy their dining experience while our employees have their privacy to feel home.
b) A large portion of our seasonal employees are under age. We do not believe that having a hard liquor bar in an employee home where a large portion of employees are underage fits with our vision of being the premier family resort for Northern California.
4. As to average snowfall, the statistics indicate 360 inches average cumulative snowfall for Bear Valley and 350 inches for North Star.
5. I checked with the owner of Headwater and yes they will be open Thanksgiving for breakfast and lunch, starting Friday 11/ 23.
6. I have very little (actually none whatsoever) control over the weather, so I will not predict the first major snowfall. However I invite all of you to THINK SNOW.
I too am curious if there are going to be any midweek specials this year. I'm thinking of heading up with a few of my friends to take advantage of the lesser-crowded weekdays. BTW, Village lift? Sounds amazing!
Welcome aboard Martin. My family and I have been skiing Bear since 1991 and a cabin owner in the area since 1988. We like a lot of the recent improvements and hope they continue. The Polar Express is awesome but I think the triple should be open as well on the backside.
Every year I get extremely frustrated by not being able to find a table at lunch to eat at and long lines at the ticket window or equipment rental. Most of us get season passes but we usually have friends or family members that don't that we have to wait for.
It has become much worse in recent years for some reason and we have seriously considered selling our cabin and moving close to different ski resort.
We like the area and like Bear but I have to say that Bear is so outdated that it is starting to drive people like us away. Good luck in your new role and I hope you are extremely successful.
John Jennings
Hi!
i am very incredibly disappointed about the loss of base camp. i stayed there last year and it (and great snow shoeing) was the top reason i was planning on a return 3-4 day trip 2 or 3 times this winter. it is likely i will not return as a result of its sale and sad conversion. it was a peak experience and very community like.
so sorry for its loss.
hi, with the new web site I could not find the weather report or even see the webcam working. It would be great to have those usability issues fixed.
Thanks
Hi Martin,
1) There has been a lot of speculation in town as to what your role is. Can you clarify what you will doing as CEO? Is Jim Gently still around?
2) My family & I live here year round and we are sad to see Base Camp Lodge restaurant close. I do not know if it is in your realm, but do you forsee a family restaurant opening anywhere in town?
3) We love Polar Express! We look forward to seeing where Bear Valley Ski Area goes!
Stephanie Bowen
At first I did not see why it was not feasible to keep the downstairs of the Red Dog open when the upstairs is employee housing. The upstairs bunk rooms of the Red Dog have little living areas. The employees probably need the downstairs restaurant area and stuff for living areas. So it is more of a dorm style kind of housing.
Hello Martin,
I would like to know if there are any plans for building a half pipe for the 07/08 season? Not even making a minimal attempt at having such a feature is truly a disappointment.
Before closing, I would like to remind you that when kids, and adults, tune into the X games this year they will be looking to see their favorite skiers and snowboarders showcase their half pipe skills.
Martin,
My wife and I have been skiing Bear for 10+ years. One feature we really enjoy is the half-pipe. All last season the half-pipe was not groomed and rideable. Please fix the half-pipe for your customers this 2007-2008 season.
Thanks!
Hi Mr. Wegenstein
My family and I have been frequenting Bear Valley for almost 20 years. We're excited for all the changes that are in store. We have a place in Arnold and for years we've always thought that a Bear Valley Shuttle would be a great incentive that would pick people up in Murphy's/Arnold and drive them directly to the resort. This would eliminate the hassle of driving, putting on chains, if necessary, and provide a relaxing end to a ski-filled day. Has anything like this ever been discussed? Thanks.
I hope you can address a problem I have struggled with for the past few years: my son learned to snowboard at your resort and is very happy when it snows. My husband and I do not ski (I even took some private lessons from one of your excellent instructors, but it just wouldn't work for me). Since my son is under 18, my husband and I take turns sitting in the resort cafeteria for the entire day, while he and his friends snowboard. This is because if he is injured, we can be right on the premises -- and it is my understanding that this is required (and I have no problem with that). There are other non-ski parents in the same position -- I see them there! We are kind of "stuck" sitting the same place all day until our child comes in for lunch or a break. If you get up and walk around, your things could be stolen or moved by staff or other patrons looking for a spot in your chronically overcrowded eating facility. Could you maybe designate a "family lounge" for a fee where we could sit in a more comfortable chair and have secure storage? Lots of non-skiing parents and grandparents fork out for lift tickets for the family and then are made to feel unwelcome in the facility. Give it some throught.....
you should add better terrain parks....like on the back side
Hi Martin
I am really saddened to hear about the closing of the Red Dog {Base Camp} Wondering what kind of experiance this will be for visitors to Bear Valley who plan to stay for a few days, closing one of the few Bars and Restaurants in town, will sure make for a boring experiance. Maybe their next ski trip will be to another ski town.
I leased and ran the Red Dog in the mid seventies and had several employees living in the hotel, we gave them meal vouchers, and I don't believe the noise was a problem, as for under age employees it was also a restaurant open to all ages.
In my younger days I also lived in several ski area lodge employee housing, with bars down the hall???
So I don' see the problem.
Thanks for hearing me out.
Old time Bear Valleyite
Urban Gomes
Welcome to Bear Valley. I am sure your job as CEO will be challenging and rewarding. The updated website looks great and I am looking forward to the upcoming season and praying for snow all the time!
Martin,
Welcome! We've had a place in Blue Lake Springs and skied Bear since 1994. Polar Express is a great addition, but with Pooh closed, the wait can be worse than it was when the Hibernation Chair was there. Please try to find a way to keep all the lifts open so the crowds are dispersed on busy days. Thanks and best wishes for success in your new role.
Martin,
Welcome! We've had a place in Blue Lake Springs and skied Bear since 1994. Polar Express is a GREAT addition to the mountain. With Pooh closed, the wait there can be longer than it was when the Hibernation Chair was there. Please try to find a way to keep all the lifts open to disperse the crowds on busy days. Thanks!
Best wishes for success in your new role.
I also think a shuttle running from Murphys/Arnold area would be a wonderful idea.
Martin,
I for one hate Polar Express. There are some nice little stashes over there that are now being tracked out. I didn't mind the longer ride to get away from the crowds. But I undestand you need to upgrade. And you guys do need to open Pooh Chair more often. Seems funny to have the new high speed lift over there, but you have to wait twice as long to get on it because every skier on the backside is forced to take it back up.
I can't wait for the Village lift. Staying in the village and being able to ski right from there will be great for the village.
How about openening the little ticket booth up by Koala? I park up there so I can ski to my truck at the end of the day. Friends I go with always have to walk or ski down to get tickets. Also, there used to be a porta potty up there. I hate urinating in the lot, but no way I'm walking all the way down to the lodge. Bring back the porta potty!
I appriciate you doing this blog. These things usually bring more negative comments than positve. I'm glad you willing listen to your customers!
I am looking forward to meeting you on the mountain. As an avid and passionate skier, long time season pass holder, past employee and Arnold full time local, I embrace and look forward to progressive change! Your blog is an indication of things to come? Have a great year!
Hi Martin,
My son (7) and I were in the area last weekend, and man, was it bone dry! We're all thinking good thoughts.
I want to address what I think has been a deteriorating customer service experience on the mountain over the past number of years. We have a place in Arnold, so BV is our natural place to ski. Just this year, we got my son on skis, and he was just crazy about it. But I have to say, I found the chair lift personnel remarkably callous and inexperienced in recognizing that young kids need just a little more patience, a softer voice when giving instructions, and a keen eye toward a botched chair load. Our problem was the Koala lift, which does attract a lot of kids, and they still run it pretty fast. The operator rushed us on, and my son missed the load (poles in the wrong hand). When I yelled "stop!" he waited so long that we were 10-15 feet out, with me hanging on to his coat. There was no way I could hold him, but there was NO one coming to help us either. I was just stunned. I had to drop him...it scared the crap out of me. He was fine. Later that day, some other chair personnel on the back quad lift yelled at us for not sitting in the middle of the chair! Those chairs can handle a lot of weight distribution, I really don't know what their problem was. It was not a good day.
I hope to hear that you are committed to improving communication, friendliness and competence amongst the folks who work on the mountain. I have been skiing for 33 years, and I have come to trust that they are well-trained and helpful. I don't think BV lives up to that standard often enough.
Big Snow In Forcast For Dec. 3, 4, 5 Hopefully enough to open. whaa hooo.
martin,
we're coming out from Ohio over Xmas and are planning on skiing on Dec. 27th and 28th. will you be starting to make snow soon? your webcam looks pretty "green". it seems like the nights are cold enough for snow making.
thanx,
rick smith
No Base Camp??? Nothing better than their dorm rooms - meeting new people. I'm a mom. My son and I made great on-the-mountain friends meeting people there. Would be really nice if that kind of lodging could be replicated somewhere else in Bear Valley.
Hi Martin,
Thank you for your thoughts and for listening to input from Customers. Being in sales and customer service for more that twenty years has re-enforced the importance of listening to one's customers. Unfortunately, It seems the mountain plans are going full steam ahead without reacting to a very important part of BV customer base - The teens and twenty-something riders and skiers. Specifically, the request for improved snowpark and terrain features like the Half Pipe. I saw that the Cub snowpark will be moving to where the Half pipe USED TO BE! This implies no Half Pipe!
Martin, You and I grew up in a differant era. I love to ski, I'm not into terrain features but with this GEN-X set, This is the future of our sport. To alienate them is to not invest in BV's future. I am a BV regular because back in the seventies BV was a swinging place. It fit the lifestyle of the era. As a result of those memories, I have made BV my home for my skiing family. I think the same thought has to go into thinking about the current trends and who will be the customers in another ten, fifteen or twenty years. Invest a little in getting GEN-X and the payoff will be longterm. Thanks for hearing me out.
Bob R.
Hello Martin and welcome as Bear Valley's new CEO.
My comment corresponds with Phil Davis's comments. Closing the Red Dog is wrong. Why didn't they buy Tamarack for employee housing??? Do they realize they've taken an affordable vacation get away for many families that can't afford the Lodge or renting condos! It's a sad day for Bear Valley.. They have made the village too exclusive and will probably be the downfall of the mountain. We will miss all the family fun at Base Camp and of course the wonderful dinners by the fireplace.
Sadly, Angela Amarante
Martin, congrats on your new position. By opening this blog, you opened Pandora's box! Perhaps all of the negativity I am reading is due to frustration waiting for SNOW. I for one have been very pleased at Bear for the last six years and do not look forward to skiing anywhere else in Northern California. I would much prefer to face a crowded lunchroom (try tailgating instead) than crowded slopes. Keep up the good work.
Hello Martin,
I was in the museum today and met Merri who said I should leave you a comment. For many years we were weekenders but in 1999 we got a local residence down the hill and moved up here for a semi retirement. We enjoyed the Tuesday/Wednesday "2 for 1" lift tickets. Being more local we liked the idea of being able to zip up the hill for a ski bargain if the weather was nice. Since there have not been any mid week specials we have not been downhill skiing the last few years. (Lodging specials don't interest us as we live here!) It would sure be great if you would bring back those "2 for 1" specials. I'm sure alot of retirees or limited income folk or even bay area skiiers
planning a ski week would consider it a real plus.
It could help put a few more bodies in empty chairs mid week. And as we age just a few hours on the slopes is enough! As you age it's hard to get your money's worth by staying out all day!!
Thanks for any consideration of a mid week price break and bringing back the "2 for 1".
Susan
PS We are not old enough for the 65 year discount!
Dear new CEO.
Over the last 5 years, I have seen Bear Valley's rates ski-rocketed! It's almost the same price as going to Tahoe. If you look at the price for Heavenly and what you get out of it, you will see that the value is much better at Heavenly! Bear Valley was a popular resort because it is close to the Bay and relatively a good value. What ever happened to that? It's not like you have to compete with other resorts, I believe the closest one is more then 2 hours away.
You should go back to the drawing board and really look at what made Bear Valley successful in the past. I believe that if you reduce your rates, you will get a much better turnout then if you keep increasing them by a couple of dollars every season.
PS At this point, I am considering going to Dodge Ridge, I can get a lift ticket for $39!!!!
Dear friends of Bear Valley,
Again thanks to all of you for visiting the Bear Valley web site and reading my blog. I appreciate every one of your comments, suggestions and questions.
I am sure you understand that I am not able to answer every single question or comment but I will continue to reply to common questions and themes. Also be assured that your input is very important to us in putting our improvement actions, plans and strategies together.
So here are a few additional answers:
1. There are a couple of ways to take advantage of mid-week deals. First we will be offering our Stay & Ski Free packages with the Bear Valley Lodge and Bear Valley Vacation Rentals. Also in honor of our 40th anniversary, we will be celebrating with “Thanks for 40!” mid-week deals. This will comprise different surprise gifts and specials (including possibly some 2 for 1 tickets mid-week!). These 40th anniversary specials will be announced via our online newsletter. Suscribe to our eClub
2. The new Polar Express high speed quad has about the same capacity as the Pooh and old Hibernation chair combined. We will operate the Pooh chair (triple) on peak days, adding over 60 % capacity on the backside.
3. Similar to last year there will be a ski bus on weekends and during the week of December 25. The bus is operated by Calaveras Transit and will run from San Andreas to Bear Valley Mountain Resort with stops along the way. The bus is operated by Calaveras Transit (CALL SKI-4450 to reserve a ride). In addition there are many bus trips scheduled from various locations in the Central Valley and the Bay Area through partners. Check our Website for details on location and dates. Check out Calaveras Transit Ski Bus or Bay Area Bus Trips.
4. Lunch lines and lunch seating capacity is a big concern of ours. We are working to improve the lunch line infrastructure, bringing back some old favorites such as the fresh salad bar and Mexican fair. In addition we have created an area in the new Black Bear Bungalow to keep coolers and other belongings so tables will be free for the eating guests. The "cubby holes" in the Black Bear Bungalow will also provide non-skiing family members an alternative to store some belongings (in addition to the small lockers and the new ski-check).
5. We are planning to build and operate at least 4 terrain parks with different features, and geared towards different levels of abilities. 2 of the parks will be very close to, and in view of the day lodge. We will not have a dedicated half pipe but will incorporate the half pipe land features near Ego Alley in an exciting terrain park. Obviously the building and opening of terrain parks is dependent on snow fall and snow conditions. Visit our website for updates.
Over Thanksgiving we completely updated our website. While there was a glitch in the transition (I apologize to all) resulting in some links, most notably the webcam, not operating, the issues have been resolved and I hope you agree with me that it looks terrific. We will add further changes such as easier weather forecast, etc. Please visit the website often to get the latest updates on opening day and other news about Bear Valley.
And don’t forget to “Think Snow”.
Martin
Martin-
The blog looks fantastic! I am personally and professionally thrilled to see you addressing concerns and undually excited to see you putting the best foot forward.
Thanks for your efforts! Cheers to a bright future.
Kira
Martin,
I too say BOOOO!!! to the closing of THE DOG. I have many childhood memories, plus as an adult. My children have many memories at "Base Camp" but know it as the "DOG" also. Bear Valley needed and needs a place for casual dining and spirits. Twice when I worked on my house all day and went to eat at Creek Side I was turned away told they were out of food. Yea right, they just didn't like my grubbies that I was wearing. The "Dog" didn't pass jugement because of the way I looked. Just welcomed me in and served up a great steak and spirits. By the way, after a shower and a change of cloths Creek Side amazingly had food. Go figure.
You have many options to house employee's in the village. Many rental cabins and what about the Bear Valley lodge????
Looks like the snow dances are working, as I sit here it's snowing lightly and the web came shows the snow making in full force.
OPEN UP THE RED DOG!!!!
Hi martin, i have a question regarding the lockers. the price of the lockers keeps going up, why is this so because there is no improvements being done, the price of the locker for 1 year is very expensive, $400. Whistler has lockers for only C$269. The lockers in the resort are a great for families and they should be more affordable. the idea that the ski area is moving towards being the premier family resort for northern California is going down hill, the best family restaurant in town "Base camp" was closed just because the ski area management didn't want to put in the extra effort to keep the base camp running. i am curious if the bar and restaurant area in the base camp is going to stay as it is, and if not what is going to happen to the bar because there is a lot of history in that wood. The half pipe is another area where the ski area management needs to step up and either get your staff to do the work required and if they cant get new staff. congratulations on hiring a company capable of snow making, now you need to just put that initiative into the rest of the resort and it will be the premier resort of northern california.
hi martin i was just wondering are you guys opening on the 8th for sure or just hopin to? tryin to make plans for next weekend and hopin to get first turns of the season in,
Thnx
hi martin-
if you do open on this sat. wt run will be open and what terain features will be available
could you post some pics of the snowmaking process on your website?
what will early season lift ticket prices be?
Please make the parks better!! Dodge ridge is getting better parks and they still have a ways to go but your parks "suck" when compared to theirs. Reconsider the halfpipe!! If dodge has a good pipe this year you will not see me and my buds at B.V.!!
O.K., sorry for being harsh:(...It looks to me like you are really trying but I hope you understand that generation-x is your future.
Hey Geoffrey (11/29 post) - if you think Heavenly or Dodge is a better deal, go for it -- while you're waiting in line at Heavenly or looking for decent terrain at Dodge, we'll be lapping Grizz without lift lines.
wow if you guys want to try and negotiate the price of your lift ticket why don't you go skiing in a third world country it's a season pass for crying out loud you could pay 80 less and go to dodge there there's your value. similar to skiing in the Mcdonalds play house kind of value. I htink that it makes perfect sense to not run pooh it doesn't cost you any loss of skiing and it doesn't use the electricity to run it GLOBAL WARMING RIGHT! not to mention the money that is saved in not running that lift has got to be substantial if it costs 80 bucks a month to power your house then what is it a day to run a lift. Wouldn't you rather they spend that money on a study to have more quads on the hill. Think about this people this is a bisness not a public ski hill it has to make money to be able to furnish the service that we want from this AMAZING hill. I am proud to call BV my home hill. I would even go as far as to say that I don't want to move from the area for the sole reason of loosing BV as my hill. Peace guys and don't forget your snow dance before you go to bed we need it I have a bad case of SNOW fever!, Shannon
Hey Martin,
I never visited the Red Dog and I won't miss it :-)
Hi Martin,
2 things:
1) Why not add another webcam? Most resorts have at least one!
2) Why not add a restaurant at the top of polar express. There are 4 lifts that meet up there. It would be nice to have more then 1 option as far as eating. Especially for those that only ski the back mountain
Martin; If you wish to be efficient capitol wise, a chair from the valley to the mountain is an extreme waste of assets.The Calaveras Transit bus is not enough for the needs of the skiing public . The Polar Express chair is not friendly for those who ski West World, Shady Grove etc,especially in warm weather, as the ski becomes a wet slog. The closing of the Red Dog was ill advised, the purchasing of the Tamarack Lodge makes sense.The vision of the purchasers of the village, and the Mountain concession is not in line with Bear Valley's past, and niche in the ski market.The people have spoken, it's up to you to listen, or as some have voiced, they will move to another ski area.Realistic visions for Bear Valley, and the mountain are needed, as Bear Valley is not a destination resort, it is a day trip family ski area predominately.For Bear Valley to succeed in this constricting economy it must do what Bear Valley did in the past; provide a great snow experience at a reasonable cost.Thanks
Hi Martin - I just heard the sad news about BaseCamp. The well-crafted organic menu at the restaurant, the comfortable bar, and the affordable lodging lured me up from the Central Valley to Bear Valley several times over the past couple of summers. I had been looking forward to sampling BV in winter and buying some lift tickets, but now I will not be coming back. That is, not unless a restaurant, bar, and dormitory open up to replace it. Regards, Peter in Sacramento
Martin,
Can you help me understand the locker situation? I tried to get one a few years ago and was placed on a list behind several hundred. Do I need to make my request each year? Even with price increase it seems there is a huge demand. Any chance of increasing lockers?
Lisa
Martin
After years of brownbagging it, I sampled the new gyros last weekend - to my pleasant surprise, they were quite good and a nice alternative to carrying in our own stuff.
TomD
Martin,
This is not starting out too well.
I am planing to ski Saturday. I live in Modesto and usually ski Bear or Dodge (as I suspect many valley residents do). This morning I logged onto your website to see if last night's storm opened up more terrain and appears the answer is no. Still only three lifts and very limited terrain. I then try to call the phone number listed- no answer. Then I see that you are going to charge full price for a ticket! For what? To ski Moke West all day?! I don't think so. And if you are planning to open more terrain, why not say that so skiers know what to expect? What does "We've got limited terrain, but will open more as conditions permit" mean? The storm is gone. Do you guys not know yet if the back side got any snow? Can't you just honestly post what you will have open for the weekend instead of being vague?
I then log onto Dodge's web site. 90% of terrain and nearly every lift in operation.
It is a widely held belief by local skiers that operations have been a week at BV. This is proving to still be true.
Even though it's not as good of a mountain, I will be at Dodge Saturday.
Hay Martin, the Got ta Have the Data Guy here =) The Sam'nSutter video is outstanding! I rode the Polar Express with Sam Yesterday, he didn't see the vid yet, a shame, as both did one heck of a job, videographer too! Sutter is a invaluable asset to the Mt.An avalanche dog is much quicker at finding buried skiers than long poles and a human nose. Great Video!Thanks
Its a nice place...
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