Snow Valley Mountain Resort facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Snow Valley Mountain Resort |
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 Snow Valley Mountain Resort
Location in California
Snow Valley Mountain Resort
Location in the United States
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| Location | Running Springs San Bernardino County, California |
| Nearest city | Running Springs, California |
| Coordinates | 34°13′24″N 117°02′15″W / 34.223375°N 117.037423°W |
| Vertical | 1,041 ft (317 m) |
| Top elevation | 7,841 ft (2,390 m) |
| Base elevation | 6,800 ft (2,100 m) |
| Skiable area | 240 acres (97 ha) |
| Runs | 29 total 14% easiest 45% More difficult 31% Most difficult 10% Experts only |
| Lift system | 13 lifts: 1 Six Person High Speed Detachable, 6 Double, 5 Triple, 1 conveyor |
| Lift capacity | Six Person Detachable - 2,600 riders per hour |
| Terrain parks | The Edge, East Bowl |
| Snowfall | 150 inches (380 cm) |
| Night skiing | Yes |
| Website | www.snow-valley.com/ |
Snow Valley Mountain Resort is a fun place for skiing and snowboarding. It is located in Running Springs, California, in the United States. This resort is special because it is the oldest ski area that has been open non-stop in Southern California. It is also one of four ski resorts found in the beautiful San Bernardino National Forest.
Long ago, in the 1920s, this area was called "Fish Camp" because of a pond nearby. Two brothers, the Swetkowich brothers, turned it into a small resort and a place to cut wood. In the 1930s, another company, Arrowhead Springs Corporation, developed the slopes for sledding and skiing. They gave it the name Snow Valley. This resort was one of the first to have a special overhead cable ski lift to take people up the mountain! In 1940, a famous ski jump champion from Norway, Johnny Elvrum, bought the resort and made it even bigger.
Since 1974, W.R. Sauey and his company, the Nordic Group, have owned and run Snow Valley. The resort operates with a special permit from the United States Forest Service. This means they work together to make sure the resort is run well and safely.
Ski Lifts at Snow Valley
Snow Valley has 12 different lifts to help skiers and snowboarders get up the mountain. These include one very fast six-person chairlift, five double chairlifts, five triple chairlifts, and two surface lifts (like moving carpets).
The main lift is called "Snow Valley Express," also known as Lift 1. It travels a long way, about 4,558 feet, all the way up to Race Peak. This lift can carry up to six people at once! Once you reach Race Peak, there are many different runs you can take down. Some popular ones include 'The Edge' terrain park, Upper/Lower Wine Rock, and Mambo Alley.
There was an older main lift, also called Lift 1, which was 4,701 feet long. It had a stop in the middle right next to a restaurant called "Dear Meadow Grille." From the top of that lift, you could choose from runs that were moderate, advanced, or even for experts. When Lift 1 gets very busy, there's another lift called Lift 2. It goes 3,688 feet and drops skiers off at a smaller hill called Race Peak. From here, you can find one intermediate run and four advanced runs. Sometimes, these advanced runs are closed early or late in the season if there isn't enough natural snow.
