Ski Slope History

To the right, you can see a copy of the trail map brochure from around 1966. There were a few more side trails added that are not shown here ( 7 slopes total not counting some interconnecting "touring" trails). Cliff Lane was along the steep, left side, part of Main Street, about 20 feet wide, with a 90 degree right hand turn at the bottom, usually lots of "fun ice". Fawn Lane (I think was the name) was also added on the top left, to bypass the Steeper top part of Main Street and connected to Rockies Run.
The overall vertical was about 300ft, with a double chair and 3 rope tows.

Main Street and Big Bear slopes were partial black diamonds, with a large beginner area near the Lodge (Beginner's Paradise and Snowball ). Rocky's Run is the longer intermediate trail going off to the left from center of Main Street. Sky Top trail want off of the top right of Big Bear. Shortcut connected Rockies Run to Snowball. If an intermediate skier didn't make the left turn onto Rockies Run from Fawn Lane, they were headed straight down Cliff Lane, not a place to be without a good jump turn and sharp edges. Trying to do a Snowplow or Stem Christy on steep ice to miss an oak tree at the 90 degree turn, might leave a mark or two.... .

Bright mercury/halogen bulbs lit all but Big Bear for night skiing. The snow making system was state of the art for the time. The Hall double chair lift had 64 wood slated chairs (the same number as The Imperial Lift at Hidden Valley).
Used for grooming, the "snow cat" was a 1964 Oliver OC4 wide track with various rakes and roller attachments. Without today's moderen equipment, the face of Main Street was too steep to groom, after moguls starting getting large. This kept it interesting for the advanced skiers when the moguls become half the size of VW Bugs. The snow guns were run to help keep the ice in the troughs down. The side trails and beginners slopes were kept groomed along with the right top, and middle parts of Main Street.
A fully equipped Rental Shop, Ski Shop, Ski School, Ski Patrol, and Rathskeller were located on the first floor of the Lodge.
PA speakers on all of the chair lift polls played music to ski by-about 15 years before anyone else in Westeren Pa started doing this. They sometimes popped and cracked a bit when ice melted on the wire connections....

The Rental Shop had your standard wooden skis, with screwed on metal edges, featuring Northland cable bindings- along with bamboo polls. There was the option, for a buck or two more, to rent HEAD STD skis with Marker step-in bindings, and modern type metal polls. No breaks yet, leather safety straps were the technology of the day- with leather buckle boots. Something like Jean-Claude Killy wore to win all three of the 1968 Olympic Alpine Ski Events at Grenoble.


Although the beautiful rustic Ski Lodge has since burned down in 1986, the main slope is still intact with a few residential homes now enjoying the view that can see as far as Pittsburgh. The slopes closed in 1973, with the hopes of reopening them, but was never realized as expected.

Club:
The Bear Rocks Community Club is still thriving in the rustic Lake Side Lodge on top of the mountain. We have a large Ballroom that can be rented for private functions. We also have the swimming pool , volley ball, ball field, fishing lakes, hiking/cross country ski trails, nearby golf, and our rustic bar lounge to kick back and relax by a fire ( or AC).
Entertainment.
Pool.
For current News Letter, pictures, and events see the new Bear Rocks Community Club website http://www.bearrocks.org

The photo shown below is one of the few still known to exist of the Ski Lodge. Taken around 1974 by Jim Boggs
( Jim Boggs Real Estate) to be used in the real estate marketing campaign. This was the view as seen from slope side of the restaurant ballroom on the left, and the bar area on the right. Under the ballroom, on the first floor, the windows of the Ski Rental Shop can be seen.

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