Bear mountain parking

[wgo]

Looking at some past threads, seems like one piece of advice is to park at Bear mountain. Is that mostly something that is advisable for the weekend, or should I expect the upper lots to fill up on thursdays and Fridays as well?

[Mister Moose]

Thursdays - not usually an issue
Fridays KBL and lower Snowshed will fill up, rest pretty available.
Saturdays everything fills up except upper Snowshed. Bear was open early last year on Saturdays only at 730am running the SPE, I think that's supposed to happen again this year.

[rogman]

The Bear lot rarely fills, and the walk to the lift is level. It’s also a nice place to start your day because, like Snowdon, it faces east and catches the morning sun. The 7:30 Saturday open will be an added bonus, although you’ll not be permitted to leave that part of the mountain until the rest opens.

[newpylong1]

If you're coming from the East it's a no brainer, assuming Skyeship isn't open yet.

[skiadikt]

bear peak days (now consider friday a peak day). do not like the k1 parking sh*t show w folks double row center parking. bear lift access is very easy and at the bell way fewer people. and yeah sunny & warm - an absolutely terrible way to start your ski day ...

once they start running the SRQ on tues & thurs - another reason to park there - easy access to the front w/o the schlep.

[snoloco]

I come from the west, so I only park at Bear when they open it at 7:30. I don't park at K1 except early and late season. I found there's a lot less competition for close spots at Ramshead and Snowshed, and it's totally easy to get to the rest of the mountain from either.

[MrsG]

Vale lot for the win! Even if Rams has a last minute late start, you can schlep through tunnel to Snowshed. Let's you get a run in before you even ride a lift …. and you practically ski to your car when ending the day!

[Bubba]

Vale lot for the win! Even if Rams has a last minute late start, you can schlep through tunnel to Snowshed. Let's you get a run in before you even ride a lift …. and you practically ski to your car when ending the day!

Shhh....Don't tell anyone.

[Southside_Bobby]

Thursdays and Fridays are two very different days at K.

Thursday is, without a doubt, the least crowded day of the week. I call it "Pico Thursday at K". Powder Thursday at Pico, after it being closed for two days, is the worst kept secret in town. Thursdays with the SRQ are going to be sweet.

On a Thursday you can really take your pick of where to park. I wouldn't necessarily park at Bear just for the easy parking. You will find that everywhere.

I don't like getting stranded at Bear. It's even worse when it happens at Stage 1 (and it happens more and more frequently), but even at Bear it isn't like they fire up the BMQ the moment the SPQ goes down.

Vale is pretty high on my "ski on/ski off" list of parking. But if I want to go back to my car more than once during the ski day, K1 gives me more options of where to go when I click back in.

Park at K1 or Superstar and you have the Gondi, S6, S3, Rams, Snowshed and Supe all available to you. And if you want to start your runs at Bear you will get to the top of the SPQ, if you take the Superstar chair, at about the same time as if you take the SPQ itself.

I will still park at Stage 1 sometimes, partially because I like ending the day with that final peak to creek run. But it has become increasingly risky to do so.

[wgo]

Thanks for the info, all.

[Pedro]

and it just has a cool vibe. I used to park there all the time before we had kids

[wgo]

Hey sorry for all the noob questions and for the thread hijack (tho I guess it is my own thread I am hijacking), but how often do wind holds on the upper mountain lifts occur? I am seeing wind gusts of 50 or 60 mph predicted for later in the week.

[skiadikt]

Hey sorry for all the noob questions and for the thread hijack (tho I guess it is my own thread I am hijacking), but how often do wind holds on the upper mountain lifts occur? I am seeing wind gusts of 50 or 60 mph predicted for later in the week.

not often. sorry but i'm not seeing high winds forecasted at this moment but yeah if they're that high could be lift issues.

[Stormchaser]

Upper mountain forecast doesn't look like anything the mountain can't handle...

https://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.p ... 6718551205

[180]

depends on the direction