Stories that capture the heart and soul of Bear Valley.
Bear Valley Enthusiasts,
My name is Susan Carroll, a longtime skier at the Bear Valley Adventure Company (formerly Bear Valley Cross Country). If you are like me, you have fond memories of the resort and some stories that need telling. My husband and I started cross country skiing as new parents. We were desperate to ski and be out-of-doors with our two young boys. Backcountry skiing was no longer an option, and we wanted to avoid the hustle and bustle at the downhill resort. The Bear Valley Cross Country Center and the Warming Hut answered our sleep-deprived prayers.
Twenty years later, I invite you to embark with me on a journey I call “Project Warming Hut”. The goal of “Project Warming Hut” is to give back to the community by publishing a book of stories that capture the heart and soul of a place we hold dear. I’d like to hear more about the architect who designed the Warming Hut, its move from a real estate office to a place of refuge, what it was like to live there, more about the people who worked there, ski lessons, and hot chocolate, and so much more. I tend to focus on the Warming Hut because it sparked the idea for the book, but feel free to slide, stride, and glide further afield. There's no resort without the store, the trailhead, the snowplay, the snowcats, the groomers, and everyone who makes the magic happen. My hope is that the book not only provides a shared personal history but will help sustain the future. All proceeds will go to support the Trailblazers program for young skiers.
Please submit your stories of 1000 to 2000 words to project@bvadventures.com. We hope to start publishing individual stories in the BVAC Adventure Blog when the snow falls in November 2024, culminating in a book a year or so.
I appreciate you embarking on this adventure with me.
Susan Carroll
PROJECT UPDATES:
Story #1 (12/4/24) - We are excited to share the first installment by William Orvis recalling the Bear Valley community “barn raising” an A-Frame.
Story #2 (12/20/24) - A second installment shares the trials and tribulations of living at the Warming Hut (aka Reba’s Toll House Cafe.
Story #3 (1/19/25) - Follow a new homeowner’s adventures in the meadow and beyond.
Story #4 (1/24/25) - I first discovered Bear Valley Cross Country in the early 1970s. We used Bonna wooden skis and bamboo poles, and always avoided using a klister wax!
Story #5 (2/28/25) - A young families adventures while raising and teaching their children to ski in Bear Valley.
Story #6 (3/28/25) - The tale of a young mother’s skiing injury on an empty stomach and the unsung heroes who helped her along the way.
