Bear Creek vs. Other NE PA Mountains

[Damien]

Hey All -

 

I've never ridden Bear Creek before, but was thinking about buying a season pass before 10/31 to get the discount. Camelback has been my home mountain for years, but I've recently moved and was thinking about trying Bear Creek, as it seems to be the closest "major" mountain to West Chester.

 

If someone could compare/contrast directly with Camelback, that would be awesome. However, any info at all that could be provided (challenge, snowfall/snowmaking, grooming, general conditions, local scene, etc.) would be much appreciated. I plan on driving out to have a look sometime soon, but clearly it's hard to get the whole picture without any snow.

 

Thanks for your help,

 

Damien

[Gurp]

Bear Creek is a small mountain with an INSANE terrain park. So if your into the whole freestyle scene then bear creeks the way to go. It has a few good trails, but nothing to hard.

[skifreak]

Well its smaller than cb, but if you like the park I hear it definetly makes up its lack of vert by its park. As for snowmaking and snowfall, its in the Lehigh Valley on the border of Berks County so the Poconos could be making snow while BC can't. Or it could be raining at Bear and snowing in the Poconos. I haven't been there last year when they redid the lodge, but from what I hear at school its nice looking.

 

BTW,

[train36]

Bear Creek is a great resort to go to if you are into the park, if you like to cruise than definiley go with Blue. I am getting another pass to Bear this year b/c I love their park and its closest to me so I can get up there on weekdays. If you want longer runs and and a nice high speed quad go with Blue, although it would be more expensive and their park is terrible. If you are into the park and want a cheaper pass go to Bear. I like getting the cheap pass to Bear to play around in the park and just to get on the snow fast when I want to. If I fell like freeriding I'll go to other resorts like Blue or Elk.

[skidude]

WELCOME!

 

And If you like park go to bear, if you like to ski more of a mountain, look at CB or Blue if you really don't want to drive as far.

[VTmark]

bear for park and boardercross outher then that its pretty much ussels.

[Damien]

Thanks guys...those were some quick responses.

 

Yeah, that's pretty much the impression that I got of the place - small mountain, but makes up for it with a sick park. I'm more of a freerider (love riding fast and aggressive), but I've been wanting to get into park riding for years...Guess that's what it's gonna come down to then - shorter drive with some weeknight riding at a sweet park or a longer drive and better freeriding at Blue.

 

Looks like I've got some soul-searching to do. Thanks again for the feedback - it's a huge help.

 

Actually, one more thing - how crowded is the park at Bear during a typical weekend and is it mostly kids (I'm 26 - don't want to feel too out of place)?

 

Thanks!

[poconoceancity]

Blues only about a half hour farther north and much worth the ride if your into freeriding.

[Papasteeze]

Hi Damien and Welcome to PASR!!

 

My family has a season pass at Camelback for weekend skiing and will be getting a weekday night pass at Bear. CB has the vert and a racing team that my sons are members of and Bear will be for some gate training on the Nastar Course Tuesday and wednesday nights. My older boy get 3 hours of uninterupted use of the park on those evenings. If you are looking ot get into the park and can overlook the fact that there is a little more than half the vertical of CB then I would get a Bear pass.

 

The lodge, bar and restaraunt is truly comfortable on a weekday night. I only have been there twice on a weekend, once was at the end of the season and the other time was before the new lodge was open, the lifts are slow but there was never really much of a line.

 

The PASR staff and members will be there for its Fall festival on the 29th and 30th of this month if you want to come out and really get a feel for the place. CB on the other hand, well they have more ticket sales than any other mountain for a reason. At least I belive they lead PA mountains in sales. Not 100% positive about that.

[BC Iron Works]

Bears big park is hardly ever crowded, lift lines are almost always short, and the scene goes off, Im the TP manager there and i gotta say this season will take everyones image of bear from great to spectacular, and age wise, most of our scene is getting to be older guys know, ill be 22 in winter and alot of others are in the 20s, youll prolly feel ryte at home, not to mention come up when it dumps at bear, its incredible how it always snows so much on the mtn even if its only calling for a lil bit, i guess its the whole bowl idea, its always deep and if you follow tracks off trail, mostly triple side and near sasquatch theres some tech lines and snow just gets deep in there! Eitherway, theres a ton of good times to be had at Bear, if anything id say avoid blue for ice and lift lines from hell but thats just me, either way GO BC CREW lol

[Justo8484]

we're getting old, huh andy? we've been in this whole freeride game for quite some time now.i'm 21 now, this is my 18th year on snow, close to half of those trying to hurl myself off jumps in the park. i'll be back and forth between blue and bear this year, so i'll probably catch you whichever mtn you decide on. both are fun places to ride and both have their ups and downs. if you know where to look, blue has some really fun trees when we get snow.

[BC Iron Works]

unfortunitely, every morning i get up and feel old lol, my past 18 years of racing and jibbing not even mentioning all the biking has taken a toll, lol were not old were young at heart, but were getting up there in Freeskiing scene lol

Edited October 21, 2005 by BCparkstaff

[Damien]

Thanks again for all of the feedback...I've all but made up my mind to go with BC. Plan on stopping by this weekend to get a feel for the place before I pull the trigger, but it seems like it'll be the way to go for me.

 

I see the mountain has slopestyle and halfpipe comps, but didn't see anything about boardercross races (looks like there's a course though)...are there any?

[Nipples]

Thanks again for all of the feedback...I've all but made up my mind to go with BC. Plan on stopping by this weekend to get a feel for the place before I pull the trigger, but it seems like it'll be the way to go for me.

 

I see the mountain has slopestyle and halfpipe comps, but didn't see anything about boardercross races (looks like there's a course though)...are there any?

 

Stop by the PASR table this weekend and pick up some stickers!

[VTmark]

no boarderx races somthing to do with insurance.

[Nipples]

Hey this is NIPPLES that last post was made by my dad.

 

Bear Creek has a park better than anything other PA resort.

Camel back dosen't has the worst park.

So bear is better park wise.

 

Bear has 600 feet of vert.

CB has want 1000.

So CB won vert wise

 

Grooming is the same at both.

 

Loge is so much better than CB. Because they just bult a new one.

 

Staff are so much nicer at bear.

 

Bear dose alot of want the riders want to happend to.

 

Lines the most I've waited in a line at BC umm 5 min. at CB like 40 min.

 

 

I can keep going on about how BC is better. So I think you are making the rigth chose BC is where you should go.

[LineSki]

you have waited 40 minutes in line at cb? longest I have ever waited was like 7 on a holiday. On a weekend its usually like an average of 3 mins

Edited October 27, 2005 by LineSki

[skidude]

you have waited 40 minutes in line at cb? longest I have ever waited was like 7 on a holiday. On a weekend its usually like an average of 3 mins

 

 

[Nipples]

I don't think I've ever waited in line at CB 7 min sep for the day I ziped down to the far end quad.

[poconoceancity]

I don't think BC has a 600 ft vert...more like 400?

[VTmark]

550feet i think. its somthing like that.

[ThinkSnow]

510, from their site.

[skifreak]

Yeah, when I've been to cb I haven't waited in line long. They have 12 lifts and even if others are busy you can find short ones like the Marc Anthony and Cleo (I think those are the ones, haven't been there in 5 years).

[Damien]

40 minutes definitely isn't a regular occurrence, but I've come close during holiday weekends. It can get pretty damn long (15-20 mins) on any given weekend though...been riding there since '97 and was a lifty during winter breaks in college. On average I'd say it's definitely under 10 though.

 

The mountain itself is pretty decent and you can't beat having two high speed quads, but the park sucks and there's no real scene...it's ultra-touristy. I'm hoping BC will be a departure from that (I know that the park will be - hoping there's a cooler vibe overall as well).

 

Too bad about the boardercross - always wanted to try that.

 

Stop by the PASR table this weekend and pick up some stickers!

 

Will do - thanks again!

[Papasteeze]

It may have seemed like 40 minutes but I will concur, we started splitting up becasue the waits were getting over 15 minutes. Singles line baby!!

 

You will be happy with Bear. The last trail is a boarder cross trail.. Blue has boardercrosss comps. BC's park is really notching it up again this year. Stop on out this weekend. the Park managers will be there, you probably can get some sneak peaks of thier new stuff. BTW the BC Park Mgr is a member here on PASR.

 

 

 

40 minutes definitely isn't a regular occurrence, but I've come close during holiday weekends. It can get pretty damn long (15-20 mins) on any given weekend though...been riding there since '97 and was a lifty during winter breaks in college. On average I'd say it's definitely under 10 though.

 

The mountain itself is pretty decent and you can't beat having two high speed quads, but the park sucks and there's no real scene...it's ultra-touristy. I'm hoping BC will be a departure from that (I know that the park will be - hoping there's a cooler vibe overall as well).

 

Too bad about the boardercross - always wanted to try that.

Will do - thanks again!