San Francisco Chronicle - (Sunday)
ON THE HUNT FOR SNOW NEAR THE BAY AREA.
You could leave right now and in a matter of hours find yourself throwing a snowball, sailing down a ski run, tubing on a hill or cruising on cross-country skis on a route in a national forest.
The snow country is this close: Dodge Ridge, 160 miles from the San Francisco Peninsula, is the closest ski area to the Bay Area. On Highway 108, Sonora is the gateway to Stanislaus National Forest, Dodge Ridge Ski Area and destinations for cross country and snow play.
In addition, if you’re not comfortable driving in snow country or your vehicle is not equipped for it, rides on a ski bus are available for the final 30 miles from Sonora (1,800 feet elevation) to Dodge Ridge (6,600 feet). Tuolumne County Transit is providing the Dodge Ridge Ski Bus, $10 round trip per person, or a $25 family fourpack, on weekends and holidays through March.
Dodge Ridge is near Pinecrest in the heart of the central Sierra. The pretty drive up takes you through Manteca and Oakdale in the San Joaquin Valley and then up through the foothills past Sonora to the west flank of the Sierra. You pass little towns like Mi-Wuk Village, Sierra Village and Pinecrest.
Here’s what you’ll find:
Dodge Ridge Ski Area
For many, Dodge Ridge feels “just right.” Not too big, not too small. Not too crowded, not too expensive. At the lifts, if you need a little extra time to get your seat, the attendant won’t use a cattle prod on you to speed it up. Dodge has 12 lifts, 67 trails and 1,600 feet of vertical, and a layout where the beginner runs are well separated from intermediate and advanced runs higher on the hill. Dodge has no snow making, no lake view and no nightlife, so many bypass it. Yet this past week, snowfall hit 300 inches for the season, 130 percent of average.
Intermediate skiers should take the Canyon Quad to the top of the ridge at 8,200 feet. Just off to your left, take the Graceland Run, a 2-mile-long intermediate run, great for cruisers.
There’s a cafe and a free ski or board check when you take a break at the lodge.
I’ve been coming here a long time and have never had a bad trip. One year, what looked like a Volkswagen with hair was spotted sliding down one of the ski runs. It was a black bear.
If you go: Current base depths 74 to 106 inches. Lift tickets: $78 for full day, discounts for half day, seniors, youth, active military, free for those over 82 or 5 and under, with advance ticket vouchers at Save Mart or Lucky. Rentals: Adult ski or snowboard package $43, Nordic $25, snowshoes $20. Contacts: Dodge Ridge, snow phone, 209-536-5300; guest relations, 209-9653474; www.DodgeRidge. com.
Cross-country ski
Near Highway 108 and Dodge Ridge, Stanislaus National Forest operates two free trailheads, Crabtree and Gooseberry, for access to a network of cross-country ski trails. It’s free, yet you are not on your own. At the trailhead, cross-country ski
trail maps are available. On weekends and holidays, and on occasional weekdays, members of the Pinecrest Nordic Ski Patrol roam the terrain and have your back. Rentals available at Dodge Ridge. Info: Trail map, www.pinecrestnordic.org.
Leland Snow Play
Leland Snow Play is the largest stand-alone, developed snow play site in Northern California. This is a 12-acre hill with lift tows and groomed lanes, equipment provided. Older kids can sail down the fast lanes at a higher speed. Small youngsters can can ride double or triple with their parents in the slower lanes. Warming lodge available. It is 7 miles east of Strawberry, elevation 6,300 feet. Rates vary according to size (under/over 40 inches), $22 to $30, all day. Info: Leland Snow Play, 209-965-4719, www.snowplay.com.
Highway 108 Sno-Park
A Sno-Park is at the winter closure gate on Highway 108, east of Strawberry. Near the gate, visitors have snowball fights, with a small hill nearby for sledding. It is also a launch spot for crosscountry skiing and to a lesser extent snowmobiling and dog sledding. Parking is good. Day permits, $5 (buy in advance). Info, link to purchase permits: California State Parks, OHV program, http://ohv.parks.ca.gov — click on winter recreation.
Cabins at Strawberry
To turn the trip into an overnighter, the most popular choice is to book lodging at the Cabins at Strawberry or rent a vacation cabin at Mi-Wuk Village through www.airbnb.com or similar rental services. The rates for vacation cabins at Mi-Wuk are low compared to many other regions, where $75 to $125 per night is common. At the Cabins at Strawberry, rates are higher, an average of $269 per night, but the location and setting are gorgeous. Info: AirBnb at www.airbnb.com; Cabins at Strawberry, info at (209) 965-0885, reservations at 888-965-0885; www.cabinsat strawberry.com.
Tom Stienstra is The San Francisco Chronicle’s outdoors writer. Email: tstienstra@sfchronicle.com. Twitter: @StienstraTom. Facebook: www.facebook.com/tomstienstraoutdoors.