The end of October brought the first signs of snow. This time of year is always exciting, with fall colors accenting the landscape while big and small creatures make final preparations before the arrival of winter. On the big creature list, construction contractors in the village are busy wrapping up summer projects. Gone are the long, warm days, replaced by crisp mornings and early sunsets.
This past summer was one of the finest in recent memory, with most trails and lakes opening by Memorial Day Weekend. The Bear Valley Trail Stewardship actively cleared and enhanced trails, and their work has made a noticeable difference on our local hiking and biking trails. It was a warm and dry summer, but knock on wood, no wildfires or smoke dampened our ability to get out and enjoy the High Sierra. We hope many of you visited and recreated in Bear Valley this summer.
One recreation group we saw significantly increase this summer was motorcyclists outfitted for dirt and pavement adventures. Bear Valley was included on a newly published "backcountry discovery route" (www.ridebdr.com) for Northern California. This route starts in Mammoth Lakes and continues to the Oregon border, mostly on unpaved roads. These riders regularly pulled into Bear Valley, expressed how beautiful our area was, and looked forward to returning for more adventures in the future. We always like to hear these comments.
So, while winter is knocking on the door, we are putting the finishing touches on packing up summer and look forward to welcoming back ou
