California Ski Resort Installs First New Chair in 30 Years

Originally posted on Powder | By Izzy Lidsky | Last updated Dec 22, 2024 8:15 AM ET

Bear Mountain, a part of the larger Big Bear Mountain Resort, has installed its first new chairlift in three decades.

The new lift, dubbed 'Midway,' is a Leitner-Poma high-speed six seater installed in an effort to allow guests easier access to mid-mountain progression terrain and shorten wait times. Midway replaces Chairs 2 and 5 from the central base area. The lift runs 2,494 feet with an uphill capacity of 1,000 feet/minute or 3,200 people/ hour.

The $10.2 million project was just one investment in a series of enhancements to the greater Big Bear Mountain Resort.

During the 2018/19 season, Big Bear updated its rental and retail spaces, increased ADA accessibility to its parking facilities, remodeled both Snow Summit restaurants, and expanded the beginner skiing area at Bear Mountain.

In 2020, the Bear Mountain base area underwent a $5 million expansion to include more outdoor seating and better ADA access to the base area and ski slopes. The 2023/2024 season saw another $12.7 million of improvement projects to all three ski areas across Big Bear Mountain Resort including USARC facilities for the mountain's adaptive sports program and upgraded accessibility equipment for ski patrol.

One of the closer resort to southern California, Big Bear Mountain Resort has 748 skiable acres with 1,665 vertical feet of drop. Annually they receive 100" of snowfall on average.

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This article first appeared on Powder and was syndicated with permission.

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