Slope

As a kid born and raised in Southern California, the idea of autumn leaves and winter snow were novelties. Though just a three-hour drive from my family’s town, the wooded San Bernardino Mountains felt like another world, so much so that when a mountain guide once asked 10-year-old me where I was from, I told him “California,” as if we’d left the state entirely.

Cascading ponderosa pines and Douglas fir trees sweep the Transverse Ranges toward Big Bear Lake, which sits in a valley that the Indigenous Yuhaaviatam called Yuhaaviat, Place of the Pines. Big Bear’s tourism story starts in the 1860s, when a short-lived gold rush in Holcomb Valley left behind roads, cabins and a frontier myth that later drew tourists. In 1884, a dam built for irrigation flooded the valley and created the alpine lake that still defines the region.

Angelenos have been making the drive to Big Bear for more than a century, chasing cooler air in summer and snow in winter. As early as 1912, day-trippers and film crews in Model-Ts wound up the mountain roads, using Big Bear’s forests as both a quick escape and a Hollywood back lot.

By the 1920s Pine Knot, now known as Big Bear Village, was filled with lodges and storefronts to greet Los Angeles motorists escaping summer heat. The region’s first ski lift arrived in 1938, while post-World War II highways, film shoots, and the Hollywood set turned the once-remote valley into a four-season resort through the 1960s. To this day, Big Bear maintains its small-town feel with a population of just 5,000 even though it sees more than 7 million visitors a year.

For my parents, who loved to ski, Big Bear was more affordable and closer than Tahoe (meaning less time in the car with two squirmy kids) and had just enough amenities to keep us warm, fed and happy. Over the years, locals have held tight to its character, resisting abject luxury development while defending the habitats of local wildlife. Thanks to those efforts, the place still carries a bit of Howard Johnson-era Americana charm.

Whether traveling solo or with friends and family, a weekend in Big Bear makes for a quaint but restorative winter getaway, whether or not you hit the slopes. Pack your sweaters and boots and be careful taking the curves of Highway 18.

The UK’s longest indoor ski slope is set to be built after councillors approved plans for the resort which will also include a water park, up to 418 hotel rooms and woodland lodges.

One UK town is poised to become home to the longest indoor snow centre after plans were given the green light. The bold proposal for a new indoor ski slope and leisure complex in Merthyr Tydfil has been approved by councillors following the Welsh Government’s decision not to step in.

This means the Rhydycar West development can now move forward. The scheme, situated south west of the A470/A4102 roundabout, includes an indoor ski slope, water park, indoor and outdoor activity centres, up to 418 hotel rooms, as many as 30 woodland lodge units, and up to 830 car parking spaces.

The facility is expected to serve as the official training base for the GB and Welsh national, Olympic and Paralympic snow sports teams. The project took a significant step forward when it received backing from Merthyr Tydfil Council’s planning committee on Wednesday, January 7.

Councillor Andrew Barry stressed that their main priority is the wellbeing of local residents. He told council that to tackle deprivation in Merthyr “we need positive economic solutions”, reports Wales Online.

He argued that growth could be delivered through developments of this magnitude. Cllr Barry underscored the potential for small business creation and inspiring ambition among locals.

He also emphasised the advantages to the supply chain from the development, as well as the boost to the local economy and wider region. He declared: “We have the opportunity to change the whole socio-economic dynamic of Merthyr here.”

Cllr Brent Carter hailed this project as “ground breaking” and a “complete game changer for Merthyr Tydfil”. He voiced his immense support and enthusiasm for the project, asserting it would “massively support and boost our economy in Merthyr Tydfil”.

He saw it as a prime opportunity to position Merthyr Tydfil as a “world class destination of choice”, adding: “Merthyr Tydfil needs Rhydycar West.”

Cllr Julia Jenkins expressed that they’ve been overlooked for too long and that Bike Park Wales has contributed greatly to the area. She predicted a surge of visitors and implored: “We must grab this opportunity with both hands.”

The Welsh Government had previously directed the council not to approve planning permission for the application, pending further consideration as to whether the application should be referred to the Welsh ministers for their decision.

In March 2025, the planning committee voted against officer recommendations to reject the application. In November 2025, the council was notified by the Welsh Government that the application would not be called in by Welsh ministers.

The Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Energy and Planning concluded that while there are conflicts with national policy, they are of a scale and complexity that she is comfortable for the local planning authority to handle.

The committee’s report on 7 January indicates that the Welsh Government has acknowledged conflicts with national planning policy. However, the original recommendation to the committee remains unaltered.

The report further highlighted that since members have chosen not to accept the officer’s recommendation, it now falls to them to approve the application subject to conditions and the terms of a Section 106 agreement.

The proposed development also encompasses associated earthworks, access routes, drainage systems, service and utility connections, and infrastructure.