Winter Trails Day: Enjoy the Wilderness in the Winter!

Big Bear, Ca, January 2, 2012 - This Saturday, celebrate the great outdoors at Winter Trails Day at the Big Bear Discovery Center.  Local organizations, the Big Bear Valley Trails Foundation, Open Air Big Bear, City of Big Bear Lake, Rim Nordic, North Shore Trading Co, and the San Gorgonio Wilderness Association will partner with the National Forest Association and REI to host a day dedicated to Winter Trails, and winter outdoor activities.  The event which will start at 10:00am will feature Snowshoe Demos, a presentation by the City of Big Bear Lake on the Master Plan of Trails Process, a snowshoe hike, animal tracking, a 100 yard Snowshoe Dash, and nature walks.  The event is free to attend, and is great for families.  If you haven’t tried snowshoeing yet, and are interested in finding out more information about the growing sport, this event is the perfect place to find out more information.  Snowshoeing is an excellent form of low-risk, low impact aerobic exercise that can help improve or maintain cardiovascular fitness as well as burn calories. REI will also host “A Leave No Trace Plan Ahead and Prepare” presentation geared for outdoor winter sports; winter backpack campsite demo, and host prizes for games such as “guess the weight of the backpack”.  For more information go to www.NationalForestAssociation.org.

Open Air Big Bear Announces 2012 Conquer The Bear Schedule Of Events

Big Bear Lake, CA, November 11, 2011, noon – Open Air Big Bear is back with the 2012 Conquer the Bear, Conquer the Cub, and the all new Conquer the Grizzly multisport challenges in Big Bear Lake. The series will test athletes on four different disciplines throughout the year – snowshoeing, paddling, cycling, and trail running. The events include Snowshoe the Bear on February 25 – a snowshoe race of 5K for Conquer the Cub and 10K for Conquer the Bear and Conquer the Grizzly; Big Bear PaddleFest on July 8 – paddle races of 5K for Conquer the Cub and 20K for Conquer the Bear and Conquer the Grizzly; Tour de Big Bear on August 4 – NEW bike road races for Conquer the Cub, Conquer the Bear and Conquer the Grizzly; and Endure the Bear on September 9 – a trail run race of 5K for Conquer the Cub and 30K for Conquer the Bear and Conquer the Grizzly. The series offers athletes numerous chances at cash and prizes including $1000 grand prize split between the Conquer the Bear men’s and women’s overall winners, and the individual FRS King of the Mountain awards giving participants the opportunity to win $50 cash at each race. Individual events in the series offer cash prizes to the top finishers, age group awards and additional prizes from sponsors including FRS Healthy Energy, Big Bear Vacations, Cliff Bar, The North Face, and Smith Optics. The 2012 series will include the debut of the Tour de Big Bear Road Race as well as the introduction of Conquer the Grizzly, a master’s category for competitors 50 years and older.  Conquer the Grizzly participants will complete the same courses as the Conquer the Bear competitors but are eligible for different awards. For more information visit www.openairbigbear.com.

Spring in Big Bear

Last week, sunbathing by Big Bear Lake.  This week, more snow and cold temperatures, several inches of powder on the ski slopes.  Big Bear’s four seasons, all in one week!

Snowshoes Paddleboards and More at North Shore Trading

Big Bear, Ca March 18, 2011 5:00 pm – Big Bear is a wonderful place to play outdoors.  Across the lake in Fawnskin is a great place to get your gear for outdoor activities, the North Shore Trading Company.  For winter sports, the store carries both high tech snowshoes and traditional designs, beautiful wooden sleds and antique style toboggans.  When the weather warms up, they have a full line of stand up paddleboards, kayaks, and beautiful, lightweight wooden canoes.  If you need a canoe for your home instead of for the lake, North Shore Trading has classic cedar and mahogany bookcases, coffee tables, and other furniture in a canoe motif.  The store carries boots, jackets, and beautiful sweaters for winter wear, sandals, shorts, and paddle sports clothing for the summer.  Owners Jim and Janet Dooley can set you up for a fly fishing trip with Big Bear Fishing Adventures or for canoe, kayak, or paddleboard lessons on the water.  In July, North Shore Trading Company hosts the Big Bear Paddlefest, 2 days of clinics, races, and a paddle sports expo.  If you’re looking for outdoor clothing or equipment, a fishing, boating, or snowshoe adventure, North Shore Trading Company is a short trip to the north shore of Big Bear Lake.  Call 866-3414 or go to gopaddleacanoe.com for directions and more information.

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Snowshoe The Bear 2011: Photo Essay

 

 

 Big Bear, Ca, February 7, 2011, 11:00pm -Snowshoe the Bear 2011 was a great event enjoyed by all who participated.  Children young and old participated in 5k and 10k snowshoe courses.  77 women and 83 men participated in the 5k snowshoe course, with 31 men and 21 women competing in the 10k course.   The big winners of the day were Jesse Haynes of Vista, Ca, and Heather Devito of Big Bear Lake who won the 10k competitions, and Candace McMullen of Riverside, and Andrew Mayer of Granada Hills who won overall for the 5k course. 10 year old Elle Williams, of Big Bear City placed first for the 5k Junior Women, and 9 year old Trevor Wright of Hesperia placed first in the Junior Mens 5k.  14 year old Evan Williams of Big Bear City placed first in the Junior Men’s 10k and 13 year old Megan McElfish of Big Bear Lake placed 1st for the Junior Women’s 10k.  Heather and Ted Devito, owners of Mountain Fitness Center,  were crowned as the “Fastest Bear’s on the Bear,” which means they were the fastest locals in the race.  George Crezee, Big Bear Local, and big promoter of getting everyone at every age to “Get Off The Couch and Go,” gave two No Excuses awards to locals Martin Lipp and JoAnn Mark for competing in the 5k at the age of 80, and for doing so with big smiles on their faces.  Snowshoe the Bear is the first in the Conquer the Bear series which will continue in May with a Team Big Bear Moutain Bike Race, followed by Paddlefest in July, and Endure the Bear in September.  For more information on Conquer the Bear, go to OpenAirBigBear.com.

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 Photos courtesy of Scott Hoffman Media and Graphics. 

 More Snowshoe the Bear 2011 pictures can be found here.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kids Young & Old Enjoy A Full Moon Snowshoe

Recreation and Park District Offers Student Activities Over Spring Break, Including Field Trips for Teens

Big Bear Lake, CA — Spring Break for students of the Bear Valley Unified School District is just days away, and those staying in town to enjoy the sun and the slopes may want to partake in activities being offered by the Big Bear Valley Recreation and Park District. For three days starting next Tuesday, April 6, Rec and Park offers the Spring Break Ski and Board Program; available to both skiers and snowboarders, grades kindergarten through 12th, the fee to participate is $50 for six hours of instruction at Snow Summit. Sign-ups are currently being taken at the Park District offices on Park Avenue, and 10% discounts are offered for siblings. The district’s Teen Center also offers activities, starting with Monday’s field trip to Newport Beach, available to teens at a cost of $10, which includes transportation and a barbecue lunch. Other activities include next Tuesday’s Spring Break Party at the Teen Center, a trip to Joshua Tree National Park on Wednesday, and a Thursday field trip to Bear Mountain, followed by a movie and pizza party. Teens can participate in all four activities next week for a cost of just $25. For more information, contact the Big Bear Valley Recreation and Park District at 866-9700, or call Andy at the Teen Center at 241-5096.

Over 200 Brave the Elements to Race in the Third Annual Snowshoe the Bear

Big Bear Lake, CA — For the first two rounds of Snowshoe the Bear, the local snowshoeing event launched by Equada Outfitters and Team Sole in 2008, the clouds parted and racers enjoyed fresh snow under sunny skies. Not so for this, the third annual Snowshoe the Bear, which launched from the Village of Big Bear Lake on Saturday, February 6—it was a wet morning and though there was plenty of snow coverage on the street at the starting line thanks to the City’s Public Works crews, conditions were a bit more arduous for the over 200 participants in the 5K and 10K snowshoe races. However, Saturday’s storm provided some snow during the race, at higher elevations where the course ran along trails of the San Bernardino National Forest.
The first snowshoer to cross the finish line was local Jonathan Stiles, who was also the first to cross the finish line in the 5K of September’s Run the Bear. Other top male finishers in the 5K were Steve Blaine and Dale Beeson; top 5K females were Lauren Sullivan and Susan Maya and Lisa Waner, both of Big Bear Lake. In the 10K competition, overall leader was Adam Williams, a Snow Summit ski patroller and resident of Big Bear Lake; Williams was followed by Iggy Rodriques of Argentina (who’s living in Big Bear for the winter) and 15-year-old Casey Willliams (no relation to Adam, and yet his mom Kim was the first female to take the Fastest Bear in the Bear title in 2008). Top female finishers in Saturday’s 10K competition were Theresa Uhrig of Los Angeles, followed by Big Bear Lake residents Kelley Brunson and Karin Parks. As Casey Williams finished third overall in the men’s category, he also took top honors in the juniors 10K, and was followed by Ramon Escobar of Baja Mexico and local Jordan Romero. In the free kids’ race, nine-year-old Carissa Wolcott, a fourth grader at Big Bear Elementary, won, retaining her title from last year.
As in years past, Snowshoe the Bear offers a perpetual trophy (in the form of a wooden bear carving by George Crezee) to the fastest locals in the 10K; this year’s Fastest Bears in the Bear are Adam Williams and Kelley Brunson, joining a list that includes the aforementioned Kim Williams, two-time champion Ted Devito and last year’s female Conquer the Bear winner Heather Devito. The Conquer the Bear series continues this year, and all who participated in Snowshoe the Bear are eligible to continue in the four-event series, which next includes a mountain bike race on June 20. For more information on Conquer the Bear, visit OpenAirBigBear.com.

Wet Storm Brings Rain, Snow; All Roads Free of Chain Requirements as of Monday

Big Bear Valley, CA — Though this weekend’s storm was a wet one, bringing rain to the lower elevations within the Big Bear Valley, atop the resorts (and at higher elevations for Saturday’s Snowshoe the Bear race, which launched from the Village before venturing onto San Bernardino National Forest trails), it is guesstimated that we received roughly eight inches of fresh snowfall. Stormy weather had prompted chain requirements on all local roads and highways over the weekend but, as of this morning [Monday, February 8], CalTrans has lifted all requirements. Though chains are not required on Highways 18, 38 or 330, or on roads within the Big Bear Valley, there may be areas, such as residential streets, where the use of chains may continue to be beneficial. But, officially, chains are not required at this time, though motorists are required to carry chains when traveling in the mountains during the winter months. Highway restrictions for big rigs and buses have also been lifted, per CalTrans. Also, snow conditions do remain in effect, so no parking of vehicles on city streets.

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