Hot Route! – A Guide for Getting to the Mountains

words: Mike Basher

We’ve all been there: you’re up late waxing your board, sharpening your edges, and even checking the screws on your bindings. It’s dumping snow and the next morning is going to be perfect. Your alarm clock shrieks loud enough to wake the dead, but you’re already up, buzzing with excitement. A quick coffee to go, and you’re on the road–because of course, you loaded up the car the night before.

The smell of fresh wax fills the car as you point the car toward the resort. You key up your favorite playlist, the one that’s going to set the tone for this epic day. As you arrive at the base of the mountains, ready to make your way up the grade toward glory, the record screeches.

A few miles past the snow line, and a quiet morning drive has turned into World War III. Sheer chaos. Jerry is in the middle of the right lane, stuck, trying to put on tire chains that he bought with his last car, which is absolutely nothing like his current car. As you watch, a wave of anxiety comes over you and you can’t tell if you’re more angry than he is frustrated, because while Jerry looks strong, you’re confident that he’s not strong enough to stretch another six inches out of the small chains he’s trying to wrestle around his tire. And now it’s your turn to pull over and fit the chains you have in the trunk onto your car.

The truth is: putting on tire chains sucks. The first time you do it, it’s like…the first time you do it. Frustrating. What goes where? How tight is tight enough? And…how fast can I go? In many ways it’s also as awkwardly shameful. Here you are, on the side of the road, your weakness on full display to every passerby. Hunched over, cold fingers, obeying some stupid sign. “Why am I doing this?” you ask yourself. This pull-out area is dry. There’s not a flake of snow on the ground.

Little do you know, it’s you who’s about to get the last laugh and the first turns, because the snow line is only a mile up the road and before you know it, you and the grip of your chained-up tired are picking off all those hyenas who were snickering at your assumed weakness as they slide into ditches, spin out, and have to do the reverse-of-shame back down the mountain to the chain pull-off area. “Who is the sheep now?” you chuckle under your breath as you look at yourself and the disappearing fellow motorists in your rear-view mirror. 

You just won the war.

While this anecdote sounds far-fetched, it’s a true story that plays out on routes to Big Bear Lake every time it snows. I’ve been on both sides of this story, and was on one side of it once–I’ll let you make a guess there. Driving in the San Bernardino Mountains can be tricky, and Caltrans doesn’t really like having to pull stuck cars out of ditches, back up cliffs, or just have mountain highways clogged with motorists who chose pride over common sense.

So, on that next powder day, when you’re trying to get up to Bear Mountain or Snow Summit, be prepared. Since the snow is starting to fly, it’s time to get your situation dialed. So, we’ve put together a checklist to help you get to Big Bear quickly, safely, and efficiently, so that you can make the most of your day on the mountain, because those Bear powder days are always top-notch!

• Check road/snow conditions BEFORE heading to/from mountains. The Scouts call this “being prepared.” It almost always works.
• Have (in your vehicle) proper traction devices (chains, cables, or snow tires) and know how to use them. Practice at home in your driveway. Do it a few times. The more you do it, the better you’ll get at it…just like…yeah.
• Don’t stop in the middle of the road to put chains on or take them off. It’s not safe and this behavior will make you a total of zero friends. Pull ALL the way off the road whenever possible. They put those chain pull-outs in the most perfect of places, almost like they planned it.
• The shortest route isn’t always the fastest. Consider taking Highway 38 through Redlands or Highway 18 through Lucerne Valley to I-15.
• When you get to Big Bear, follow signage and/or staff directions to the resort, not GPS. Sometimes your GPS will lead you through sidestreets that are rarely plowed early when it snows. Signs will direct you to the open roads.
• Add 30 to 45 minutes to your ETA to give yourself enough time to park, gear up, and get to the base area for those first few chairs.
• ALWAYS book in advance. Bear Mountain and Snow Summit have new check-in processes to expedite advance reservations, including lift ticket pickup boxes and reloadable lift tickets. They don’t want you waiting in lines, just as much as you don’t want to wait in lines. Waiters and waiting ruin Yelp reviews.
• Parking is first come, first served in all lots, but you can purchase a spot in advance on exact dates, if you know when you’ve just gotta get on the lift ASAP.
• Have a plan:
  • Know what lifts and runs you want to hit first. While you’re standing in front of the giant trail map, scratching your head, everyone else is getting after it!
  • Navigate to the east and west ends of the resort to avoid heavy traffic and get more laps.
  • Avoid the morning rush and save cash while doing so! Consider midmorning, afternoon, midweek, or Night Sessions. Half-day lift tickets are good 12-4pm, and Night Sessions run 3-8:30pm at Snow Summit.
• Après the traffic away. A mass exodus happens right around the time the lifts close, so either hit the road for home an hour beforehand to beat the rush, or stay until the lots clear out. A stroll through Big Bear Village always hits the spot, and that is a great place to fill your tank before the drive home.