Progression Session & Jib Jam 2007

G'Day All,
What are you up to this weekend? If you are like us here at Bear, you never stop thinking about the mountains, snow, and the next progression you would like to take with your skiing or riding. So why don't you come up and join us for Bear Valley's 1'st Progression Session & Jib Jam?

Have you ever wanted to slide the rails, or do you have a new trick you'd like to learn, but are not too sure ho to attempt it, or the progression to get there? This Saturday (Feb 3), BV instructors will be teaching free rail clinics in the cub park. Whether it's introducing you to rails, or guiding you to adding to your bag of tricks.

We would love to see guys & girls of all ages and abilities ripping it up, as long as you come with a helmet on your head and a mile on your dial! Learn with friends or make new ones as we encourage each other toward stomping each new trick. Along with learning new progressions and new tricks, we will cover park etiquette and smart style.

Then once you're warmed up and stomping rails, you'll be primed to join in the Jib Jam at 1:30pm. We want skiers & boarders of all ages and abilities to join in the Jib Jam at the Cub Terrain Park. Beginner through to advance rails will be there for your enjoyment, with the progression only left up to your imagination. All entries for the Progression Session and Jib Jam have a chance to win awesome prizes in our raffle, including a new video iPod!.

Look forward to seeing you show some flare at Bear!

Deano
"Indecision is the key to flexibility."

ONE LESS THING TO WORRY ABOUT...

That's what Resort Charge has given me as a Bear Valley season pass holder this winter! I love it... my kids, age 13, 11 and nearly 6 are all dialed in through our customer profile management system to enjoy Resort Charge at Bear Valley. This means no more coming to me, or their dad during the day to ask for cash, or a credit card, so they can head to the Hungry Bear Cafe or Espresso Bar in search of a hearty lunch, hot cocoa and perhaps even the late afternoon Skittles snack to keep the energy up during the last hours of the day... Resort Charge is a payment method guests and employees can enjoy. All it takes is to complete an authorization form in our main office and we basically turn your season pass into the credit card of your choice. Leave the wallet in the locker and enjoy the ease and convenience of charging purchases with your season pass at any of our on-Mountain sales locations. It works for food, drinks, retail, repair service, tickets, lessons and more!

Of course, before activating Resort Charge on their passes, I engaged in serious discussion with my kids on the point that with great privilege comes great responsibility, as I do believe giving them access to resort charge is a great benefit (for them and me!) a perk I want them to respect. So, of course they have rules to follow about their spending at the Mountain. It's been three weeks since I hooked them up and so far, so good... as I have not seen any charges for Burton clothing or Spy goggles come through from Reba Sports, although my youngest did treat his mom to one of Melissa's top shelf Margaritas at the Monte Wolfe Saloon.

Stop by our main office to learn more about Resort Charge and put the power in your season pass for the 06/07 season.

Safety Week Comes to an End... With one more Safety Tip!

Know how to use the lift safely

Before loading a chair lift you must be instructed on the proper technique. BVMR has four different lifts including a revolving carpet. Each one is slightly different and requires instruction. Ask the lift attendant, ski patrol or a ski instructor before getting on.

Safety Responsibility Code #6

Know how to use the lift safely

Before loading a chair lift you must be instructed on the proper technique. BVMR has four different lifts including a revolving carpet. Each one is slightly different and requires instruction. Ask the lift attendant, ski patrol or a ski instructor before getting on.

Safety Responsibility Code #5

Observe Signs and Warnings, and Keep Off Closed Trails

Bear Valley is full of great terrain. While most of it is a lot of fun to ski and snowboard, some areas are very dangerous. The signs and boundaries you’ll find all over the mountain are there to help you steer clear of those treacherous areas and the cliffs, rivers, avalanches, and other hazards found in them. Most closed areas aren’t served by lifts, so if you duck a ribbon, it’ll be a long hike back out. And if that isn’t enough, it’s actually against the law here to ignore boundaries and closures. So be safe and fight crime - Observe the signs!

Responsibility Code #4

WHENEVER STARTING DOWNHILL OR MERGING, LOOK UPHILL AND YIELD

A ski run is much like a one way street. When you are stopped you are basically parked. In order to join the flow of traffic you need to wait for a good time when you won't cut someone off or cause a collision. Moreover, when trails come together make sure you slow down and look up the trail that you are merging into so it’s a smooth transition.

Safety Tip of the DAy

STOP IN A SAFE PLACE FOR YOU AND OTHERS

Here at BEAR VALLEY MT. RESORT we have runs over a mile long and amazing views in all directions. It is only natural to stop and rest or take in the view. When stopping on a run make your way to one side gradually. Avoid sudden stops, drop offs and narrow spots to avoid collisions. When resuming skiing / boarding look up slope first to avoid others. Have a great day!

Responsibility Code #2

PEOPLE AHEAD OF YOU HAVE THE RIGHT OF WAY

You have the responsibility of not harming other skiers and snowboarders. Skiers and boarders downhill from you have the right of way because they can only see what lies ahead of them. If people had eyes in the back of their heads perhaps the case would be different. Until that evolutionary leap, do your best to respect and protect others by giving them plenty of room. You never know when another person may take an unexpected tumble or turn so be sure to leave enough space. If you are going to pass - anticipate everything. Ski and ride safely and have FUN!

National Safety Week January 13-19, 2007

We're celebrating National Safety Week here in Bear Valley, and have week-long activities to help keep you informed about Snow Safety! (View Activities) We'll take each day this week to help explain the Responsibilty Code and what it means it real-world terms.

ALWAYS STAY IN CONTROL

Whether you are ripping or just cruising you must always stay in control. You must be able to stop, turn, slow down and avoid other skiers and borders or hazards on the slope. Have a great time, watch your speed, keep within your limits and always stay in control so you are not a danger to yourself or others.

Picking up from my last blog...

To step right into where my first blog left off... "taking your input & what I have learned from last year, and apply it to this season to make it better..."

So you are all wondering what the heck happened - did he not learn anything!!

As many of you might have been with us the Friday before New Year's Eve - this blog is mostly for you. I'm pretty sure, had you made it into my office that day (after waiting in yet another line outside my door) I think I have a good idea of what might have been on your mind, (and if I don't cover it here, I'm sure you will let me know).

First let me set the scene. It was a day that the stars, moon, sun, wind & snow all converged to create one of those record setting days.

It was one of those days when everybody decided to come to Bear Valley Mountain Resort... all on the same day! I may be from Colorado, but I get it. We were closed the day before (December 28^th), thanks to the high winds - so sure, everyone was more then ready...makes sense! All this, resulted in a day that was nearly twice as busy as it should have been for that particular Friday.

Not to mention that our business is just a bit weather dependant too. So, if the weather is good & schools are out, and it's during a holiday - good chance you're walking into the busiest day of the season. It starts the minute you pull in, where you might have difficulty finding a place to park. Then it's the long lines every where you look and no place to sit and eat. So I'm sure the question on your mind is - "why don't you build the ski area to handle the biggest day of the season???" Great question... hopefully I can shed some light on this topic.

Well, probably for the same reason that "churches aren't built for Easter Sunday." The reality is that there are going to be a few days every season when we just plain fill up and reach our capacity - busting at the seams. And if you come to Bear Valley Mountain Resort on the busiest day of the season, it is very possible that you may have some challenging experiences.

And then there's the question about the lift lines - "why in the world does he not open up more lifts??" Again - great question! It's called balancing the skier densities on the lifts and trails. Bear with me here and consider this...

If all the lifts are operating, true, the lines may be shorter. But now all those people who would be standing in line are now skiing on the trails, so then the calls come in about the trails being too crowded (it's a lose/lose situation). So the challenge remains to balance the quality of the ski experience with the wait time in the lift lines. Hence, Pooh did not operate because West World and Big John are still closed and the new Polar Express (2400people/hr) moves as many people as old Hiber (800people/hr) and Pooh (1500people/hr) combined.

The moral of the story...

- if you happen to come to BVMR on the busiest day of the season, we will be happy to see you, and we will do everything we can to make it a fun day, despite the fact that you are rubbin' shoulders with crowds everywhere you go. I know there is still a chance that some of you will feel we didn't meet your expectations... not even close! I get it, and I wish I had a better solution, but I'm sure most GM's that service customers over the holiday's wish they had the answer for this one. For now, here are some tips for the future that might help your day, slightly, if you happen to visit on the busiest days of the season, (no promises - just some suggestions):

1. Arrive early - You'll get a better parking spot & will hopefully find fewer lines (by or before 8am)

2. Be flexible with the buses- We'll do our best to keep to a schedule, but with crowded parking lots, the bus route gets a little thinner and the loading and unloading is a little longer as well, so sticking to a tight schedule is tough - but we will keep them rolling.

3. Take advantage of BV Express & our off-site ticket outlets: Avoid standing in multiple lines to purchase different products. With BV Express you can buy multiple products at one location - check the web it should have details - and if it doesn’t have enough - let me know!!

Ticket Outlets: And if you buy your ticket from one of our out of area ticket outlets - you won't have to stand in line - they are DIRECT TO LIFT. Just put on a wicket (those little metal wires) and get on the mountain! Not to mention it's a better price.

4. Take an early or late lunch (before 11:15 or after 1:45). And this might be a good place to mention - PLEASE DON'T SAVE TABLES! Most people just want a place to put down their food for a few minutes and eat... PLEASE BE COURTEOUS to your fellow winter enthusiasts!! Everyone will be much happier and maybe you'll make a new friend or two.

5. Be aware that some lifts may not be open in order to avoid over-crowding on the slopes.

In closing - Please feel free to call ahead and ask how busy we think we might be. Although we cannot always predict the busiest day of the season, we may be able to give you an indication of how busy it MIGHT be. Plan accordingly - typically - one or two days between Christmas and New Years is always a near record day. MLK Saturday is always very busy. President's weekend is busy as it's usually the kick off to "ski week." (NOTE - If one of these days is a bad weather day, the trend is that you will come the following day if the weather is good - it's the same idea everyone else has too!)

Drive Safe, we look forward to seeing you, and yes - please feel free to keep sending in your suggestions or stopping me in the hallway - I'm ready!!