How is the drive to Big Bear from San Diego on the morning of Christmas eve?

[ninaprincess]

Can we get there within 2 hours? Do we need tire chains? I have never been there. Thxn.

[SD Realtor]

You may need chains. Just depends on how recent the snow has been. Usually the roads are fine, and if it has not snowed in the past 48-72 hours it should not be a problem. Investing 30 bucks in a pair of chains is a no brainer. If you have not been there before I would alot a little more then 2 hours. If you wanna be ultra safe you can go up the back way which is a longer freeway drive but less windy road then the front way. the last 45 minutes is nice regardless of the front or back way unless there is traffic up the mountain. Then it sucks.

[ucodegen]

These months, I would recommend you carry tire chains and have practiced on how to install them (properly). It is easier to practice down here, than up there with freezing fingers. I have had to help too many people @ Big Bear, putting on their tire chains. The police can stop you on the mountain and check if you have tire chains in the car(if you are prepared). If you don’t, they can have you turn around. Most newer cars use ‘cables’ instead of ‘chains’ on their tires.

It does take more than two hours. Up to the foot of the mountain takes about 1hour 45 minutes, pushing it. Another 45 minutes plus to get up the mountain. As mentioned by SD Realtor, there are two ways from the south side of the mountain. Highway 330(Running Springs) and Hwy 38(Redlands). (You may need to zoom out after clicking on the link.. When I tested it, it came in right and then automatically zoomed in.. )
http://maps.yahoo.com/#lat=34.187949854182705&lon=-116.81694030761719&zoom=11
Highway 330 is more consistently plowed, but it has a serious weakness just outside of Big Bear. It runs exposed on the south side of a major slope. This is the area that several people got trapped driving home during a snowstorm. Highway 330 is still undergoing repairs from a slide.. so there are areas where there is one-way traffic. Right now, Highway 38 requires chains. This is a good website for current road conditions, the individual highways have links to their CalTrans status(s): http://www.snowsummit.com/ski/snow-report/current-snow-report/#roads

The back way that SD Realtor mentioned, is highway 18 (Lucerne Valley). You will need to take Highway 15 into Victorville to get Highway 18. Mountain traffic tends to affect Highway 330 most, though I have been caught in traffic on 18 when someone decided to drive like an idiot.

Have fun and drive safely.

NOTE: I may have the zoom-in defeated on the map link above. It looks like Yahoo’s interface becomes brain dead when you have the location specified within the URL’s ‘q’ parameter.

[all]

http://www.bigbearweather.com/
It does not look like you will be needing chains, but there will be ice on the road. Take 38. 330/18 is 10-15 minutes shorter (assuming no traffic), but 38 is easier on the driver. And if the traffic sucks (and it most likely will) 330/18 can easily add 1h+.

I go several times/year. I usually leave before 6am and I don’t think I ever managed to get there in two hours or less (even with no traffic).

If your plan is to hit the slopes you will want to be there when the resorts open.

[mike92104]

How long are you staying? Last time I made the drive, it was closer to 3 hours, but that was in my crusty old jeep. I fly up there nowadays. I flew up on xmas eve last year, and it was a beautiful sunny day.

[UCGal]

following up on what ucodegen said… spend the time to learn how to put the tire cables on down here… So you can exchange them if they’re the wrong size.
We had the unfortunate experience of discovering that the cable chains we’d bought for a spring trip to Yosemite and Sequoia had the WRONG size in the box. Actually – only one of the pair was the wrong size.

It snowed while we were in Yosemite – and we had to pay extortion rates to get the proper size so we could leave the park and head to Sequoia. (Pass required chains.)

[Author]

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