Driving distance between high and low altitudes:
From Big Bear Lake
Southwest on State Rte 18 12 miles to State Rte 330
Southwest on State Rte 330 10 miles to State Rte 30
Northwest on State Rte 30 7 miles to State Rte 259
South on State Rte 259 1 mile to San Bernardino
Total distance - 30 miles
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NOTE: it is important to know that there is a town called Big Bear Lake and a town called Big Bear City. They are about 7 miles apart, and either one is great (but try to live as high as you can).
Closest major airport:
Ontario airport - 58 miles from Big Bear Lake
From San Bernardino, south on I-215 4 miles to I-10, west on I-10 22 miles
to the Euclid Blvd / Ontario airport exit.
Advantages of this location
This location offers training at the lowest altitude of all the sites listed. Big Bear Lake is very scenic, and there are numerous condos for rent and campgrounds in the surrounding area. Big Bear Lake and Big Bear City have all the modern convienences of a resort town, and the nearby Los Angeles area has everything.
Disadvantages of this location
Although the drive to low altitude is only 30 miles, it can take up to 60 minutes with traffic. Big Bear Lake is a "trendy" area, so it may be on the expensive side (as most mountain resort areas are). Although there are accomodations available, summer is a busy time, and it will take some effort to secure lodging above 7,000ft. Some days in the summer, the smog can be rough in San Bernardino. An alternative is to drive to opposite direction down to the Apple Valley or Victorville area at 2,700 ft, however, this area is very hot in the summer.
Training sites at low altitude:
Too many to list here... not a problem finding great places to train.
Links to general pages about the area
For more information on where to live and where to train in the Big Bear / San Bernardino area, e-mail chapmar@wpmail.phscare.org