The winter's holiday season was memorable with great snow and seemingly endless kids, adults, and families returning to the Bear Valley Adventure Company with big smiles, rosy cheeks, and generous "thank yous." They donned skis, snowshoes, sleds, tubes, or simply walked out to the Meadow Café. Good cheer was abundant, and the staff at BVAC enjoyed helping folks experience the winter wonderland of Bear Valley.
Now with ample snow on the ground, the Bear Valley Adventure Company is geared up for a busy winter on the groomed trails and beyond. In early January, the XC Masters Ski Clinics begin each Thursday. The first four weeks start with traditional striding clinics, then after a one-week break, continue with 4 clinics on skate skiing skills.
In January and February, the Bear Valley Adventure Company hits the road to host free evening presentations at select Northern California REI stores. The show is titled "A Slide on the Wild Side" and is designed for both new skiers and experienced athletes looking to learn more about nordic (aka cross country) skiing. Check with your local REI for a presentation near you.
Après Ski continues Thursday, Friday, and Saturday evenings at the Meadow Café and is growing in offerings and popularity. Just last night, Jan. 3, 2020, a new flame table was added to the deck and low and behold some locals showed up with a guitar and harmonica (guess who?) Videos are posted on our Instagram page for your entertainment.
Last but not least, the 47th Annual Bjornloppet XC Ski Race Festival is happening on February 8-9, 2020, which is an earlier date for the event. This weekend is full of challenges, community, and support for all ages and abilities. A new 5K course will be offered on Saturday for those either just getting into the sport or looking for something less daunting than the iconic 10K and 20K courses.
A parting thought … a common response we hear from people is that cross country skiing is too difficult. Sure, this sentiment applies when viewing or emulating the Winter Olympics. But on any given day, we see everything from conditioned athletes testing their fitness to multi-generational families sliding on the trails enjoying the serenity and solitude of cross country skiing. The take-home message is cross country skiing is what you make of it, and at the end of the day, your life will be richer, and your skiing enhanced. We hope to help many of you get a little nordic this winter. Cheers!
This article was submitted for the January 2020 edition of Bear Valley’s Cub Reporter published by Eric Jung.
