Looking For Pacific Gondola ? Then This is Where You Want to Be
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 Tyco Union Pacific HO Scale Gondola Maintenance Freight Car Train $11.95 Time Remaining: 39m Buy It Now for only: $11.95 |
 Funaro FC 6143 MP MISSOURI PACIFIC 45 Panel Side Steel Gondola 1 PIECE BODY $44.99 Time Remaining: 48m Buy It Now for only: $44.99 |
 Bachmann G Scale Train 1203 Low Side Gondolas Pacific Coast 88296 $42.00 (11 Bids) Time Remaining: 1h |
 Mantua Union Pacific UP X159 Gondola HO Scale Used Horn Hook Couplers $1.36 (3 Bids) Time Remaining: 1h 4m |
 Bachmann Union Pacific UP 65263 Gondola HO Scale Used no box Knuckle Couplers $2.60 (3 Bids) Time Remaining: 1h 13m |
 B2 HO AHM Union Pacific gondola $4.75 Time Remaining: 1h 56m Buy It Now for only: $5.95 |
 NIB ROUNDHOUSE HO SOUTHERN PACIFIC HIGH SIDE GONDOLA RAILROAD RR TRAIN CAR 1343 $21.99 Time Remaining: 2h 16m Buy It Now for only: $21.99 |
 HO TYCO UNION PACIFIC CUSHIONED LOAD GONDOLA UP2923 $0.99 Time Remaining: 2h 21m |
 TYCO Ho Scale UNION PACIFIC GONDOLA CAR + 3 CULVERT PIPE 341B MINT IN BOX NR $2.50 Time Remaining: 2h 43m |
 Life Like UP UNION PACIFIC 40 STEEL GONDOLA w COAL LOAD HO SCALE $13.93 Time Remaining: 3h 27m Buy It Now for only: $13.93 |
 Bachmann HO Scale Train 40 Gondola Union Pacific 17201 $5.51 (3 Bids) Time Remaining: 3h 40m |
 IHC HO Southern Pacific OLD TIME Gondola 222 $7.95 Time Remaining: 3h 53m Buy It Now for only: $8.95 |
 WALTHERS 932 3258 SOUTHERN PACIFIC 65 MILL GONDOLA 340025 NIB HO $13.95 Time Remaining: 3h 54m Buy It Now for only: $13.95 |
 WALTHERS SOUTHERN PACIFIC 65 MILL GONDOLA 340025 NIB HO $13.95 Time Remaining: 3h 54m Buy It Now for only: $13.95 |
 HO SCALE TRAINS UNION PACIFIC GONDOLA TRAIN CAR $14.99 Time Remaining: 4h 42m Buy It Now for only: $14.99 |
 VINTAGE AMERICAN FLYER GREEN TEXAS PACIFIC 931 GONDOLA CAR A C GILBERT $7.99 Time Remaining: 5h 11m |
 TANGENT TSM 10724 05 Western Pacific ACF Welded 70 Ton Gondola 6817 $32.95 Time Remaining: 7h 13m Buy It Now for only: $32.95 |
 TANGENT TSM 10722 02 Southern Pacific Gothic ACF Welded 70 Ton Gondola 320089 $30.95 Time Remaining: 7h 13m Buy It Now for only: $30.95 |
 TANGENT TSM 10722 01 Southern Pacific Gothic ACF Welded 70 Ton Gondola 320067 $30.95 Time Remaining: 7h 13m Buy It Now for only: $30.95 |
 TANGENT TSM 10722 03 Southern Pacific Gothic ACF Welded 70 Ton Gondola 320134 $30.95 Time Remaining: 7h 13m Buy It Now for only: $30.95 |
 TANGENT TSM 10724 04 Western Pacific ACF Welded 70 Ton Gondola 6802 $32.95 Time Remaining: 7h 13m Buy It Now for only: $32.95 |
 TANGENT TSM 10724 06 Western Pacific ACF Welded 70 Ton Gondola 6821 $32.95 Time Remaining: 7h 13m Buy It Now for only: $32.95 |
 48549UNION PACIFIC GONDOLA WITH CANISTERS $51.99 Time Remaining: 8h 35m Buy It Now for only: $51.99 |
 HO Scale 42 Union Pacific MOW Gondola With Custom Made Lumber Load $6.95 Time Remaining: 15h 36m |
 K Line by Lionel 6 22559 Union Pacific Die Cast Gondola with Freight Kit $40.00 (1 Bid) Time Remaining: 17h 46m |
 TYCO Gondola Union Pacific 341 B Version 2 $8.95 Time Remaining: 18h 10m |
 TYCO Gondola Union Pacific 341 B Version 3 $7.95 Time Remaining: 18h 10m |
 WALTHERS HO 53 THRALL GONDOLA UNION PACIFIC 32190 $14.99 Time Remaining: 18h 19m |
 Vintage Tyco HO train car Union Pacific gondola boxed L N $2.84 Time Remaining: 19h 20m Buy It Now for only: $2.84 |
 HO Scale PROTO 2000 526 Drop End Gondola Western Pacific w Ductwork WP KIT $25.05 Time Remaining: 19h 52m |
 HO SCALE Thrall 53 14 Post Gondola Union Pacific UP NEW Ready to Run $17.05 Time Remaining: 20h 27m |
 B2 HO Tyco Union Pacific UP X 159 Maintence of way gondola $3.95 Time Remaining: 20h 38m Buy It Now for only: $4.95 |
 Life Like HO Rolling Stock 40 55 Ton Gondola Southern Pacific $3.99 Time Remaining: 20h 41m |
 HO ExactRail SP Southern Pacific Wood Chip Gondola 9 $29.95 Time Remaining: 23h 22m Buy It Now for only: $29.95 |
 Canadian Pacific 50 Steel Side Gondola 340222 $19.99 Time Remaining: 1d 1h 1m |
 HO Scale Lot Of 2 Union Pacific Cars Box Car Gondola $0.99 (1 Bid) Time Remaining: 1d 2h 40m |
 Union Pacific Gondola $0.99 Time Remaining: 1d 3h |
 HO Southern Pacific Snow Plow Weighted Gondola 74071 By IHC NIB $7.95 Time Remaining: 1d 3h 15m |
 VINTAGE AMERICAN FLYER GREEN TEXAS PACIFIC 931 GONDOLA CAR A C GILBERT $20.00 Time Remaining: 1d 3h 23m Buy It Now for only: $20.00 |
 HO Mantua metal frame Union Pacific Gondola Car $1.99 (1 Bid) Time Remaining: 1d 3h 25m |
 LIONEL 6 9821 LNIB SOUTHERN PACIFIC GONDOLA W ROCK LOAD $17.99 Time Remaining: 1d 3h 25m |
 UNION PACIFIC RR GS GONDOLA CAR BY BOWSER TRAINS EXECUTIVE LINE BIG SAVINGS $11.79 Time Remaining: 1d 3h 26m Buy It Now for only: $11.79 |
 Kadee 46090 Southern Pacific Rd 160149 50 Gondola $34.50 Time Remaining: 1d 4h Buy It Now for only: $34.50 |
 Kadee 46099 46090 Southern Pacific Rd 160148 50 Gondola $46.95 Time Remaining: 1d 4h 6m Buy It Now for only: $46.95 |
 341 B TYCO GONDOLA 41 W 3 CULVERTS Union Pacific HO Scale NEW $7.99 Time Remaining: 1d 4h 16m Buy It Now for only: $7.99 |
 HO Athearn 1665 RTR 50 Covered Gondola SOUTHERN PACIFIC RR SP328000 KDs $16.99 Time Remaining: 1d 4h 28m Buy It Now for only: $16.99 |
 Chicago Rock Island Pacific CRIP Wood Side Steel Underframe Hart Gondola Photo $9.98 Time Remaining: 1d 4h 32m Buy It Now for only: $9.98 |
 Metal Union Pacific Gondola HO Scale $7.99 Time Remaining: 1d 4h 40m |
 Lionel 6205 Canadian Pacific CP Long Gondola Tuscan wSilver Cannister Load $39.99 Time Remaining: 1d 4h 49m Buy It Now for only: $39.99 |
 HO Scale Union Pacific Gondola Road Number 65263 By Bachmann With Load $4.99 Time Remaining: 1d 4h 58m |
 TYCO HO Rolling Stock 50 Ton Open Gondola Union Pacific $3.99 Time Remaining: 1d 5h 12m |
 SOUTHERN PACIFIC THRALL 3627 CU FT GONDOLA EXACTRAIL $27.49 Time Remaining: 1d 6h 19m Buy It Now for only: $27.49 |
 4 MISC GONDOLA CARS WITH LOADS ALL UNION PACIFIC HO $7.50 Time Remaining: 1d 6h 36m |
 HO Scale PROTO 2000 Drop End Gondola Western Pacific w Large Gears WP KIT $25.05 Time Remaining: 1d 9h 18m |
 CANADIAN PACIFIC 65 MILL GONDOLA BY ExactRail SHARP $32.99 Time Remaining: 1d 10h 4m Buy It Now for only: $32.99 |
 Marklin Z 8641Gondola Union Pacific RR new boxed $36.00 Time Remaining: 1d 17h 57m Buy It Now for only: $36.00 |
 Walthers 3805 HO 40 Gondola Southern Pacific SP 53112 $9.99 Time Remaining: 1d 20h 18m |
 Life Like SP Southern Pacific 392086 Gondola Car HO Scale Used $2.51 (2 Bids) Time Remaining: 1d 21h 37m |
 Micro Trains MTL 46350 50 Gondola UP Union Pacific $7.99 Time Remaining: 1d 22h 56m |
 Lionel Train Union Pacific Animated Cop W Hobo Gondola $52.95 Time Remaining: 2d 30m Buy It Now for only: $52.95 |
 Tyco Union Pacific Railroad HO Scale Gondola Freight Car Train $10.95 Time Remaining: 2d 1h Buy It Now for only: $10.95 |
 Scientific G Gauge Union Pacific Gondola $4.99 Time Remaining: 2d 4h 12m |
 Original slide Union Pacific shiny new cushioned gondola 1969 $3.50 Time Remaining: 2d 4h 21m |
 AHM HO Rolling Stock 50 Outside Braced Gondola Union Pacific 2 $3.99 Time Remaining: 2d 4h 26m |
 TYCO HO Rolling Stock 50 Ton Open Gondola Union Pacific $3.99 Time Remaining: 2d 4h 30m |
 SOUTHERN PACIFIC THRALL 3564 CU FT GONDOLA EXACTRAIL $27.49 Time Remaining: 2d 4h 45m Buy It Now for only: $27.49 |
 HO SCALE LIFE LIKE UNION PACIFIC 40 GONDOLA NEW NO BOX $3.99 Time Remaining: 2d 4h 47m Buy It Now for only: $3.99 |
 DTD HO SCALE MDC ROUNDHOUSE SP 160754 HIGH SIDE GONDOLA CAR SOUTHERN PACIFIC $9.99 Time Remaining: 2d 5h 16m |
 1970S TYCO HO SCALE UNION PACIFIC GONDOLA CAR WITH PIPE LOADX159 MIB UN USED $7.99 Time Remaining: 2d 5h 34m |
 HO MANTUA METAL KIT RL 306 BRASS GONDOLA TEXAS PACIFIC 17839 $14.99 Time Remaining: 2d 5h 35m |
 VINTAGE HO BACHMANN UNION PACIFIC GONDOLA CAR 65263 $7.99 Time Remaining: 2d 5h 35m |
 UNION PACIFIC 50 GONDOLA METAL WHEELS NIB WALTERS TRAINLINE HO $11.96 Time Remaining: 2d 5h 45m Buy It Now for only: $11.96 |
Want to Avoid Crowds? Try Skiing at Bear Valley
You've heard about the skiing at Lake Tahoe or Mammoth, but one of the best ski or snowboard experiences you'll ever have awaits you at Bear Valley, where the crowds are few, but the thrills are many.
While not on a par with Squaw Valley or Heavenly or other major California ski resorts, the Bear Valley ski area is still a prime candidate for a weekend or even an extended skiing vacation. As we discovered in early February, Bear Valley offers a surprisingly complete ski vacation experience - no frills, to be sure, but still rewarding and well worth the trip deep into the Sierra Nevada range.
If designer clothing stores, zillion-dollar condos, and Hollywood-style glitz are part of your criteria for a ski vacation, this ski area might not be the best choice. If wide-open ski runs, no lift lines and plenty of groomed snow are more important to you, then by all means give Bear Valley a try.
Coming originally from the Pacific Northwest, we could not help but compare Bear Valley to one of our favorite ski areas in Washington state - a place called Mission Ridge in a town named Wenatchee. The population in that part of the state is sparse compared with the big ski areas near Seattle, so Mission Ridge is able to offer wide-open skiing runs most days of the week.
Similarly, Bear Valley is less accessible than the many larger ski areas in the Lake Tahoe area. Bay area and Sacramento residents can drive Interstate 80 to the Tahoe area and find a selection of ski resorts a short distance off the interstate. To reach this ski area, you have to drive two-lane roads through the foothills and mountains for close to 100 miles.
But when you get there, most skiers and snowboarders will find it's worth it. Our mid-week skiing was some of the best we've experienced - plenty of wide-open, groomed terrain perfect for intermediates and serviced by a number of lifts where there seemed to never be lines. It was ski down the run, get right on the chair and do it all again and again until just a few hours into our day we were growing exhausted. We probably skied in four hours what it would take us a full day to do at a resort with moderate lift lines.
There are no gondolas or high-speed quad chairlifts at Bear Valley, although there are 10 lifts altogether, mostly doubles and triples. About 1280 acres are available for skiing and snowboarding; some 100 acres are in an area where they can make snow - although at 7,750 feet, it's likely Mother Nature will supply all the snow you need.
We mentioned the intermediate skiing because that's our favorite - but rest assured this ski area has many black diamond or expert ski runs for those looking for more of a challenge. The day lodge is situated mid-mountain with lifts going both up the mountain to 8495 feet, and coming to the lodge from the lower part of the mountain. Most of the expert runs are located on the lower mountain.
The area's day lodge also was wide open and easy to navigate. Instead of masses of people waiting in line to get their food and find a place to sit, we stepped right up and got our cooked-to-order Philly cheesesteak sandwiches in just a few minutes. And there was no shortage of menu options - lots of different types of food from sandwiches to Asian cuisine, from soups and salads to major meals.
But the Bear Valley experience is much more than a daytrip - or at least it should be given the time it takes to get to the ski area. For our trip we booked lodging at the Bear Valley Lodge, one of just a few hotel-type facilities near the mountain. Located about three miles from the mountain, the Bear Valley Lodge seems to be the hub of activity in the area and proved to be a good choice for accommodations. While showing some of its age - it was built in the 60's - the lodge proved to be a comfortable, convenient base of operations. A ski shuttle bus will take you to the mountain, and you can even ski all the way back to the lodge.
When we say comfortable, we are not comparing the lodge to the high-end condos you find at most major ski resorts. The rooms at Bear Valley Lodge are more like a motel unit with two double beds a bath area and a TV/entertainment area that included HBO. But small touches - such as the bay window looking out onto the snowy landscape or the pine furniture - helped to make this feel much cozier than a motel room.
The four floors of rooms at the Bear Valley Lodge look out onto the Cathedral Lounge, a large open space in the middle of the lodge that offers guests a place to sit and read and enjoy the fire in the massive stone fireplace. Photos are mounted along the walls depicting the history of the lodge and Bear Valley ski area. Celebrities such as Spider Savich, Claudine Longet, Merv Griffin and several others are shown skiing or otherwise enjoying Bear Valley.
Adjacent to the lounge are several shops including an old-fashioned general store - with a deli to get quick sandwiches and soups - and a surprisingly complete ski shop with all of the latest ski equipment, clothing and accessories. But keep in mind this is not the type of resort where you can spend hours shopping when you're not on the slopes; your down time here most likely will be spent in front of the fire reading a good book.
During our brief stay we dined in the lodge's Grizzly Lounge - mainly because the other lodge restaurant, the Creekside Dining Room, was closed Mondays and Tuesdays. The lounge food was good and included a few menu items from the Creekside. We did learn that the Creekside has recently employed a well-educated and accomplished chef that has proven both creative and popular with guests - so we were disappointed we didn't get a chance to sample the Creekside cuisine.
We also enjoyed a meal down at BaseCamp, a lodge that is just a short walk from the Bear Valley Lodge and the only other hotel-style lodging this close to the ski area. We enjoyed our meal at BaseCamp where we got to know an English waitress who had come to Bear Valley simply because the skiing is so good. The BaseCamp, incidentally, offers the lowest cost rooms in the area with "bathroom down the hall."
There are also condo and cabin rentals available in the Bear Valley area, as well as the Tamarack Lodge further west on Highway 4. Prices in general will be less at BaseCamp, moderate at the Bear Valley Lodge and Tamarack, and more when you rent an entire vacation home.
While in the area, there are several small towns and attractions that are worth a stop if you have the time. To reach Bear Valley in winter, you'll be traveling through the historical town of Angel's Camp and then a similar but smaller Gold Rush town called Murphys.
But our suggestion would be to allow plenty of time for skiing. You'll want to ski or board Bear Valley just as long as the weather - and your legs - will hold out.
AT A GLANCE
WHERE: Bear Valley Ski Resort is on Highway 4, about 52 miles from the foothills town of Angel's Camp, and 130 miles from Sacramento.
WHAT: Bear Valley is a throwback to skiing in the '60's and '70's - no high-speed quads or gondolas but lots of wide open groomed terrain in a gorgeous setting.
WHEN: Winter always means where is lots of snow for skiing as well as many other snow sports; the area also is a popular summer recreation area with numerous lakes, hiking trails and a pristine forest.
WHY: It's refreshing to ski where there are no lift lines and little pretense - most of the "beautiful people" went to Colorado; the home-growns stayed here. Economically, this ski vacation is quite affordable.
HOW: For more information on Bear Valley Ski Resort, phone (209) 753-2301 or visit www.bearvalley.com. For more information on Bear Valley Lodge, phone (209) 753-2325 or visit www.bearvalleylodge.com.
About the Author
Cary Ordway is a syndicated travel writer and president of Getaway Media Corp, which publishes websites focused on regional getaway travel. Among the sites currently offered by GMC are http://www.californiaweekend.com , covering California spa vacations and other Golden State destinations, and http://www.northwesttraveladvisor.com , covering Washington vacation ideas as well as other Pacific Northwest travel destinations.