I can remember before I moved to sunny Los Angeles from cold Philadelphia, I would hear how the weather and scenery were so varied that it was possible to surf and ski on the same day.
Here is how I would surf and ski on the same day in Southern California:
Surf
First stop on the surf and ski adventure is a visit to the wide, beautiful beach in Santa Monica. The day should start with an early morning breakfast at Santa Monica’s legendary spot, The Omelette Parlor. Be on the beach by 8 a.m. for a surf lesson and ocean experience. Santa Monica Surf School provides a complete package, including surfboard and wetsuit rental along with a two-hour lesson and surf experience. The cost is $190 per person and can be scheduled anytime.
After a two-hour surf lesson, it’s time to head to the mountains. Allowing time to dry off and change out of the wetsuit, take the 10 Freeway from Santa Monica to the 5 Freeway and head north. Drive a bit to the 210 Freeway, where the journey into the mountains begins. From the 210 East, take Highway 330 toward “mountain resorts,” which connects with the Highway 18, which heads up into the forest. Within an hour of leaving the warm beach of Santa Monica, travelers find themselves in a winter wonderland of huge evergreen trees and mountain and valley views. The drive from getting into the car in Santa Monica to getting out of the car at Big Bear Ski Resort is two hours.
Ski
Now it’s about noon, and we’ve arrived in the mountain community of Big Bear. Big Bear Lake is the center of the local Southern California ski industry. There are several resorts in the area, but I like the Bear Mountain resort. It’s the largest in the area, and I think it provides the best range of terrain, services, and features.
Bear Mountain offers a range of first-timer packages, which include a lesson and a limited lift ticket. For only $59 ($69 on peak weekends), first-timers get a two-hour lesson and a basic lift ticket with access to all the basic and intermediate slopes. Adult rental packages are $30 (boots, skis, poles), and helmet rental is $8.
So, we’ve arrived at Bear Mountain at noon or so and can be on the mountain by 12:30-1 p.m. The mountain closes at 4 p.m., allowing for around three to almost four hours of skiing. The resort has a restaurant at both the top and bottom of the mountain for a lunch break during the day.
After finishing a day of skiing, travelers can be back in Los Angeles by 6 p.m. For non-4WD vehicles, snow chains are sometimes required for the mountain roads. Current weather, ski, and road conditions can be found on Bear Mountain Resort’s website.
Freddy Sherman is a world traveler and editor of the travel blog travel4people.com. You can follow him on Twitter @thefredsherman.
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