Write a plan for a road trip to ski resorts in California that are available on the Ikon pass, with stops at three different resorts. The plan should depart and end at San Francisco, include a budget, timeline, and short description of each resort.


Answer: On day 1, start from San Francisco and drive to Palisades Tahoe, which is a roughly 200mi drive which will take around 3 hours. Palisades Tahoe, which once hosted the 1960 winter Olympics, offers two expansive mountains with a variety of beginner to advanced terrain. Finish off day 1 by driving 176mi or around 4 hours to a hotel nearby the next resort, Mammoth Mountain.

On day 2, spend the day skiing at Mammoth Mountain, which boasts high snowfalls, is home to the highest elevation lift in California, and has some of the greatest views of the Sierra Nevada mountains. Finish off day 2 by driving 314mi or around 5.5 hours to a hotel nearby the last resort, Big Bear Mountain.

On day 3, you will ski Big Bear Mountain Resort comprised of Bear Mountain, with its park-heavy terrain, and Snow Summit, with its many beginner-friendly trails. Big Bear Mountain Resort is not far from Los Angeles and San Bernardino, so additional days could be spent exploring those metro areas. Spend the night around Big Bear Mountain Resort.

On the last day, make the nearly 500mi or 7-8 hour drive back to San Francisco. Across this 4 day trip, you can expect to spend around $800 on gas costs and around $600-$800 on lodging with 1 night around Mammoth Mountain and 2 nights around Big Bear Mountain Resort.