Dec. 14, 2025
185. Big Bear California in Summer and Fall: Alpine Slides and Yellow Hoodies
Experience Big Bear Lake when the snow melts and the mountains open up for summer recreation. Johnny Mac rides the Alpine Slide (and survives the lines), finds the perfect yellow hoodie at the local running store, indulges in ice cream at North Pole Ice Cream & Fudge, and discovers that a simple chicken sandwich at Social Kitchen & Lounge becomes transcendent when accompanied by a two-person band (plus dog) playing Tom Petty covers. Explore how this accessible mountain town delivers genuine alpine escape without Aspen pretension, and why fall's golden aspens make this the best season to visit.
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Callaroga Shark Media. Mountain towns in summer offer a particular
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kind of escape, the promise of cooler temperatures, cleaner air,
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and activities that don't involve crowds on beaches or theme
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park lines. Big Bear Lake delivers on these promises while
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adding its own character to the mountain resort formula. This
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is an Aspen with its champagne tastes or Lake Tahoe
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with its casino distractions. Big Bear is solidly middle class
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California recreation, accessible enough that families from the Inland Empire
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drive up for long weekends, substantial enough that people choose
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to live here year dash round. Dot The village along
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Big Bear Boulevard maintains that deliberate mountaintown aesthetic, log sided buildings,
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pine trees, rustic signage, and enough tourist infrastructure to support
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visitors without overwhelming the place entirely. Summer brings hikers, mountain bikers,
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watersports enthusiasts, and families seeking relief from valley heat. Fall
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adds another dimension, as the aspen change color and the
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air takes on that particular crispness that signals the approaching
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winter season. Big Bear Boulevard runs through the heart of town,
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lined with shops and restaurants that serve the steady flow
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of visitors. The architecture leans heavily into mountain lodge styling
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lots of woodstone accents and pitched roofs designed to shed
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snow even when none is falling. Some buildings are genuinely old,
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dating back decades when Big Bear was less discovered. Others
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are newer constructions that mimic the esthetic with varying degrees
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of success. The Alpine Slide sits on the mountain above
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the village, accessible via the Magic Mountain Chairlift. This attraction
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has been here long enough to achieve a kind of
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classic status among southern California families. Multiple generations have ridden
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this slide, creating memories that involve speed, minor terror, and
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the occasional crash when someone misjudges a turn. The concept
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is simple. Ride a chairlift up the mountain, then pilot
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a small sled down a concrete track that winds its
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way back to the base, controlling your speed with a
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handbrake that works better in theory than practice. The lines
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for the Alpine Slide can be substantial, especially on summer
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weekends and holidays. Families queue up in the sun, kids
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bouncing with anticipation while parents calculate whether the weight time
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is worth the five minute ride down. The line moves steadily,
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but not quickly. Each sled must be spaced appropriately to
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prevent collisions, and occasionally someone ahead wipes out or stops entirely,
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backing up the whole system. The chair lift ride up
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provides views of Big Bear Lake spread below the water,
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reflecting whatever mood the sky is in that day. From
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this height, the development around the lake becomes obvious. Houses
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and cabins clustered along the shoreline, marinas dotting the water's edge.
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The village compact and contained by geography. The surrounding mountains
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rise higher still, their peaks reaching over nine thousand feet,
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reminding you that Big Bear itself sits in a valley,
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albeit a valley at seven thousand feet elevation. To ride
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down the alpine slide rewards the weight. The track curves
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and drops, requiring actual attention to navigate successfully. Go too
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fast and you'll catch air over bumps or slide into
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the banking on curves. Go too slow and you'll hear
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the frustrated size of riders stacked up behind you. Finding
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the right speed, fast enough to feel exciting but controlled
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enough to stay on track creates that sweet spot where
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the ride becomes genuinely fun rather than just an activity.
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Crashes happen regularly enough that there's an art to recovery.
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The sleds are designed to stay on the track even
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when riders lose control, but occasionally someone spins out or
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comes to a complete stop, requiring track attendance to sort
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out the resulting pile up. These incidents are rarely serious,
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but always entertaining for observers, adding an element of schadenfreud
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in to the whole experience. More after this, back in
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the village, the running store offers exactly what Mountaintown running
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stores should, serious gear sold by people who actually use it.
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This isn't a chain sporting goods store with teenagers working
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summer jobs. The staff here run these mountains, know which
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trails are best for different skill levels and can discuss
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the merits of various shoe models with the passion of
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people who care about the subject. The yellow hoodie hangs
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among these stores. Apparel selection bright enough to be visible
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on trails, comfortable enough for actual wear rather than just
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athletic posing. Mountaintown gear often walks the line between functional
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and fashionable, and a good hoodie achieves both warm enough
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for cool mornings, breathable enough for activity, and styled in
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a way that works both on trails and around town.
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The yellow color makes a statement without trying too hard,
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visible without being obnoxious, cheerful without being juvenile. The store
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itself reflects the community it serves. Trail maps cover one wall,
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showing the network of paths that spider through the surrounding forest.
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Bulletin boards post notices for group runs, races, and trail conditions.
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The gear selection focuses on what actually works in these conditions,
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rather than what's currently trending and running magazines. This is
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a store for people who run because they love it,
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not because they're chasing fitness trends or Instagram content. North
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Pole ice Cream and Fudge maintains Big Bear's commitment to
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tourism that doesn't take itself too seriously. The Christmas theme
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in a mountaintown makes a certain kind of sense. Alpine
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environments in winter holidays share esthetic territory. The ice cream
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is good enough that the theme becomes charming rather than cheesy,
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and the fudge demonstrates that when you make something well,
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presentation becomes secondary to quality. The shop stays busy throughout
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the day, lines forming as people make the difficult decisions
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between flavors and debate whether to add fudge to their order.
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The ice cream portions are generous, acknowledging that mountain air
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increases appetite and the tourists expect value for their money.
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The outdoor seating provides space to consume your purchase while
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watching the steady flow of visitors moving along the boulevard.
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Social kitchen and lounge occupies that increasingly common space between
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casual and upscale, nice enough that you feel your dining
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out relax enough that hiking clothes don't feel out of place.
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The menu offers updated comfort food dishes that sound familiar
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but show attention to ingredients and preparation that elevate them
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beyond basic versions. The chicken sandwich arrives properly constructed, good bread,
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quality chicken cooked correctly, toppings that add flavor without overwhelming,
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and the structural integrity to survive being eaten without disintegrating.
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It's the kind of sandwich that becomes the standard against
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which other chicken sandwiches are judged not because it's revolutionary,
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but because it executes the fundamentals so well. But what
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transforms lunch from meal to experience is the live music.
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The two person band with their dogs sets up in
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the corner, and suddenly the restaurant shifts from dining space
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to something closer to a neighborhood gathering. The Tom Petty
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covers feel exactly right for the setting, familiar enough that
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everyone knows the songs, well executed enough that they're pleasant
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to hear, and delivered with the relaxed confidence of musicians
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who've played together long enough that they're not trying to
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impress anyone. The dog adds its own element, lying near
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the band with the patient resignation of an animal that's
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logged significant hours at gigs. This detail matters because it
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signals that this is how things work here. Musicians bring
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their dogs, restaurants accommodate them, and nobody treats it as noteworthy.
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That casual acceptance of the slightly unconventional might be Big
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Bear's best quality. Fall in Big Bear brings transformation without
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the dramatic leaf displays of New England or the Upper Midwest.
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The dominant pines remain green, but the aspen scaut through
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the forest turned golden, creating pockets of color against the
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evergreen backdrop. The change is subtle rather than overwhelming, requiring
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you to notice rather than forcing itself on your tension.
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I'm Johnny Mack and travels back
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