New Years Ski Bus Trip
Bear Valley, CA
Dec 27, 2002 to Jan 1, 2003

This trip was originally scheduled to go to Elk Meadows, Utah. Several weeks before the trip, the ski resort reported that they didn't have enough snow or financing to open this season. We checked the long range forecasts, and California seemed to have much better conditions. My brother still had vacation rentals available, so we switched. I checked after our trip and Elk Meadows did get about 3 feet of snow, but they also asked everyone to stay off of their unattended ski runs.

Northern California did get a huge amount of snow. Bear Valley had 9.5 feet of snow at the beginning of our trip, and 10.5 by the time we left. Looking back from a very warm and dry 3 weeks since the trip, we had a rare experience of super-abundant snow so early in the season. We may not see New Years snow like that for many years.

Our bus left San Diego Friday afternoon with 38 people on board. We had a full bus before we changed the trip, but 8 people chose to drop out when offered a refund. We reached Arnold and our rental houses about midnight. My brother, Don Fry, escorted the bus to the 5 houses and then I tried to help him get the water restored to one of the houses. We were unsuccessful, but a plumber thawed the frozen pipes the next morning.

Saturday morning we began a pick-up pattern that we repeated each day of the trip. I drove my brother's Ford Explorer down to our driver's rental, brought him and the five skiers also staying there up to the parking lot where the bus was parked, and then headed out to the other two remote rentals. Two rentals were close to the bus parking lot, so their skiers walked over. There was about a foot of new snow in Arnold, elevation 4500', and it took a little over an hour to get everybody rounded up. We intended to use my brother's wife's Explorer, but she didn't have studded snow tires like my brother so she couldn't get up the driveway. The following mornings we used both cars and the taxi service took less than 30 minutes.

The bus finally left for Bear Valley and we began our first ski day. I took a beginner group for a day of lessons, a large group bought trail passes for the cross-country track system, a group of intermediate skiers went through the woods to Lake Alpine, and a few bought lift tickets for the downhill area. This was the first ski day of the season for most of the bus, so we all took it easy and tried to remember how to ski. It snowed off and on for most of the day, so we were glad to get on the bus and ride back to Arnold. The storm increased and slowed the traffic on Hwy 4, so it took about 2 hours to get back. We stopped at a supermarket in Arnold and bought groceries for our stay. A few trips of the Fry brothers' taxi service, and everyone was home.

Sunday morning was clear, so I took the advanced group on a long trail known by its trailhead "Cabbage Patch". Our group had skied it in past trips in the opposite direction from Bear Valley, but I had not, and the miles of untracked snow and the possibility of more weather made the reverse route a better idea. If we didn't make it to Bear Valley, we could turn around and follow our tracks back to the highway. It was good that we didn't try it from the other end, because the fresh snow was so deep that we only made 3 of the 9 miles. It took us 4 hours of breaking trail go those 3 miles, and one hour to ski back. It was an incredibly beautiful day. The trees were packed with snow and everything was soft and white. We used our walkie-talkies to tell our bus driver to pick us up back at Cabbage Patch, and we were soon back in Arnold.

Meanwhile Brad and Afra took the least-experienced group for a tour of the cross-country ski area. We trekked up to the ridge-top hut for lunch using tracks laid overnight or that morning in fresh snow. Snow conditions were excellent; we had no need for skins and only occasionally did the group resort to herringbone- or side-stepping. Fresh, deep powder atop the ridge was new for many but too sticky for any to ski; Brad ensured trips behind the nearest tree or log were always in groups of two or more. Gliding back down the ridge was fun; beginners built confidence going downhill and enjoyed themselves. Some of us enjoyed practicing our downhill techniques on a freshly groomed slope but soon tired of the repeated climbing; soon we all met at the warming hut for hot dogs, burgers, and warm drinks to top off a great day.

Monday the beginner and intermediate groups used our tracks at Cabbage Patch to have another beautiful backcountry day, and I took the advanced group on a difficult tour to Mt Reba. We struggled through deep snow and deteriorating weather and although very close, never did make it too Mt Reba. We used a snowmobile trail to ski back to Bear Valley and the bus.

Tuesday Dan and I led a combined beginner and intermediate group down the Spicer Meadow Reservoir Rd. The road goes down from the highway and requires a good snow pack, so this was the year to do it. A snow cat had packed the snow a few days earlier, so packing the trail was easy while skiing downhill. The day started out lightly snowing, but the afternoon was sunny and gorgeous.

Other skiers either toured the cross country area or did their own thing at the downhill area, where Craig hosted a telemark ski lesson. Barbara and Sharon led about six people on the tracks.  The snow was the best Sharon has ever seen it and they were able to ski even the black diamond runs without much effort. A perfect way to end the trip! Unskied powder at the downhill area was particularly light and plentiful in out-of-the-way places.

The bus soon picked us up, and we returned to Arnold and our New Year's Eve party. The general consensus on the bus was that this was one of the best ski days of our lives: intermittent snowy and clear weather with fabulous snow made this day particularly easy to remember.

Our bus driver was able to drop everyone off at their rental houses, but the temperature was dropping and the roads would soon freeze. I played taxi driver again and brought everyone that wanted to the Minzer rental, whose residents had volunteered to host the party. I had to park about a block away and had quite a time slipping and sliding in my running shoes on the frozen roads. It was a great party with a ton of good food. About 25 of us shared a bottle of champagne (not very much per person) and greeted the new year in New York. One last round of taxi service on icy roads, and everyone was safely home.

Wednesday morning was our traveling home day, and it took two taxi trips per rental to get skiers and luggage to the bus. It only took an hour to load the bus, and we were on our way back to San Diego. The weather was fine, the hills were green, and it was a beautiful day. We were home just after dark, about 7 PM.

To me, it was a wonderful trip. It was such a treat to be able to ski in such bountiful snow. This may not be the best El Nino season, but it had a terrific start and we were there!