SweetLeaf Adventures

Bertha Peak – One of Seven

This Saturday was the first in a series of seven hikes that were organized by Ted and Heather from Power My Health/Big Bear Outdoor Adventures.

 

Compared to last years hike along the PCT this boasted a much larger group of roughly 40 people. Because I'm more of a lone wolf when it comes to hiking and biking, I have to say initially it was such an odd feeling to hike with a large cartel. But as I motored along I found myself having interesting conversational vignettes during my ascent. Ultimately, I had the chance to meet new people and re-meet people I've had little opportunity to talk to in the past. 

 

Beyond the conversation I was astonished by the pace most of the group kept. Because most of us live in Big Bear, we were all acclimatized to the altitude and ready to kick ass – which, invariably, we all did. Seven miles of ass kicking, I might add.

 

I am looking forward to the next hike and getting to know the people as these hikes unfold. Alternately, If anyone wants to meet up for mountain bike rides on the weekends – send me an email and let's make it happen. Untll we all meet again...

 

Over and out!

 

Photo Courtesty of Heather at Power My Health 

In Bloom

The flowers are blooming, the sun is shining and we are emerging from the snowmelt invigorated and recharged. This weekend is the first of seven big hikes this year. Come join us for the Seven Summits of Big Bear! I know you may be wondering what else we do in Big Bear and we do stuff like this.

 

There's still plenty of snow on the mountain to play in too. Considering they'll probably close both Snow Summit and Bear Mtn within a couple weeks, it's wise to get your skiing or boarding in while you can.

 

A couple weeks ago while reading either Popular Science or Popular Mechanics, I stumbled upon an article about self experimentation. There was a guy named Seth Roberts who underwent lots of different self experimentation and one of them was about diet. The result of the self experimentation is the Shangri-La diet. It deals with how the human diet has evolved over thousands of years – from the hunter gather ingrained into our DNA to the fast food culture of today. Not being a big fan of crazy diets, I decided to open myself to this information. I highly recommend keeping an open mind and checking out the info for yourself. There are lots of MP3 interviews on the Seth Roberts website you can listen to just in case you don't have time to reasearch. I've been waiting for my book to arrive so I can read up on the the specifics of this regimen even though I've been following the basics of the diet at the beginning this week. Taking in calories without flavor and resetting your appetite back to zero is a fascinating concept to me. Basically, you fool your body into feeling full without having to consume lots of calories. I'm curious to see if this, combined with excersise, will accelerate the development of lean tissue and fat loss. I'll let you know how it goes... 

A World Away...

This week has been a roller coaster for people who live in Big Bear. With weather reports, touting two to three feet of snow, we received about 4-6 inches instead. This is why I never listen to the reports. One day they'll report 1-2 inches and we'll get a foot of powder, another day they'll report a foot of powder and we'll get an inch. But this is how we roll in the upper elevations. 

 

During the months of December - February I have taken my place off the rental market for a couple reasons that need no explanation. But we are back beginning March 3rd. With more demand to rent my place than ever, I have no other choice but to concede. One of my main traffic sources have been from Big Bear Lake Vacation Rentals and I thank you. Starting Feb 1st I will be taking reservations again. To those whom I've had to turn away, I apologize. To those who want to book, check back on Saturday February 1st and we'll make it happen. 

 

I wish you all a very happy and prosperous 2008!

 

Over and out!  

No Way José

Well last night brought us lots of dramatic weather but no snow. There was a snow/rain mix this morning but nothing worth reporting. Even Snow Summit and Bear Mountain shut down today because of the high winds and rain. What a anti-climactic ending to such a massive build up by the weather services. This is why I try and never listen to them. TRY being the operative word. 

 

There's supposed to be snow tonight but I won't count on it. I'll believe it when my deck is stacked with snow and I have to use my snowboard to get down the stairs. But I'll keep you posted regardless.

 

Over and Out!  

Weekend Snow Forecast

Last weekend brought us some marginal snow conditions that weren't really worth mentioning even though I tried to update the site but was thwarted due to my poor wireless signal. 

 

So what's the deal with this weekend? Well, tonight we're supposed to get anywhere from 1-3 inches of snow. This always varies but it looks promising with it's 80% chance. I mean look at that photo and tell me we don't have SOMETHING in store. 

 

Tomorrow is going to bring us another projected 1-3 inches, bringing the total projected snowfall between 2-6 inches. This is super exciting as it's our first big snow of the season and the slopes already have a nice base laid down, which only means more runs will open this weekend. 

 

If you're looking to reserve The Sweetleaf, I'm sorry to say that we are no longer taking reservations at this time. The website will still be updated and completely functional. We are just undergoing a major change at this time. 

 

That's it for now... I'll be reporting on the scene as it happens this weekend. 

 

Over and out! 

Let there be Snow!

It's noon and it's currently raining up here in the Bear. Nothing serious just yet but I'm hearing that we are expecting snow. I pulled up the infared satellite map of the Southwestern states to give you an idea of what is coming.

 

 

Notice that cold swath of precipitation heading toward the San Bernardinos? I'm hoping by sunset after the temps drop, we'll be recieving the first snow of the season.

 

Check back often because I'm on the scene reporting the action.

 

Over and Out!! 

 

Snow Summit and Bear Mountain are Now Open!

That's right! Both mountains are open and ready for business! Here's the situation...

 

SNOW SUMMIT 

• Snow Summit- Chair 1, Miracle Mile is open top-to-bottom!
• Snow Summit- Chair 1, Summit run is now open!
• Snow Summit- Chair 8, Bear Bottom beginners area.
• Snow Summit- MC#3-on stand-by, Bear Bottom beginners area.
• Snow Summit- Snow Summit night sessions begin tomorrow Saturday, December 1st. 

BEAR MOUNTAIN

• Bear Mountain- Chair 7, Inspiration run is open for beginners.
• Bear Mountain- Chair 5, Central Park is open with numerous terrain features available for all levels.
• Bear Mountain Park- 30 features and counting!
• Bear Mountain- Chair 9 High Speed Quad, The Park Run is now open! 
• BBMR- Special early season lift ticket prices!

 

CONDTIONS

Surface- Surface- Mostly machine groomed medium pack with a soft subsurface.
Conditions- Good, with nearly full width runs- please use caution near the run edges.
Depth- 12"- 24" base
Natural Snow- No
Snowmaking- No
Grooming- 100% of open runs 

New Years Weekend Booked... Christmas Still Available!

For those of you who want to rent this December holiday I suggest you to reserve now! With my ad in Craigslist running for less than 24 hours, the much coveted New Years weekend has already been snagged up and booked.

 

Christmas Week is Still Available! 

The winter holidays are next month and ski and snowboarding season will be in full swing here in Big Bear. Imagine coming home after a hard day of snowboarding or skiing, kicking off your shoes, and defrosting by a nice fire and then whipping up a gourmet meal in our fully-equipped kitchen. Or how about taking in a gorgeous mountain-view sunset? Sounds like a little slice of heaven doesn't it? 

 

After these peak holidays are booked, that's it, no more second chances. Reserve now and have the peace of mind your vacation holiday is taken care of with no last minute headaches. Avoid being pushed into a smaller, more expensive cabin by the bigger rental agencies because you waited until the last minute. Feel free to email us for any additional questions.

 

Thanks and we look forward to you choosing us for your Big Bear vacation getaway!

Big Bear welcomes The Trail Teams Invitational

On November 17th and 18th the Trials Teams Invitational will be taking over Big Bear. If you haven't heard of this yet you should check it out.

 

Go to their website

or

Register online 

 

Also, Sweetleaf Adventures is offereing those involved with this event discount lodging on your stay. Let me know after you book your stay and I will credit you with $100. Take advantage before it booked for that weekend...

 

Over and out! 

Cold! Cold! Cold!

 

This is just crazy... First the fires and now this! This morning I woke to frost on my railings and this gorgeous, yet massive cloud creeping through the valley. According to snowforecast.com we are expecting a 30% chance of snow with rain/snow showers tomorrow. I'm hoping this is a positive precurser for a great winter to come! I'll keep you all posted...

 

Check out the Snow Summit Live Streaming Cam!  

 

 

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