If someone told you they had just spent a fun-filled weekend at a popular southern California resort called Yuhaviat, you probably wouldn't know what they were talking about. Yuhaviat is a Serrano Indian word that means "Pine Place," and it is the name Big Bear had for more than a thousand years.
Big Bear is no longer called Yuhaviat, because back in 1845, Benjamin Davis Wilson rode into Yuhaviat Valley with a posse of 20 men. They were chasing Indians who had been raiding their ranches in Riverside. As they entered the valley, they found it swarming with bear.
Wilson divided his men into two-man teams. Each team went out, roped a bear and brought it back to camp. They had eleven bear at the camp all at the same time. This prompted Wilson to come up with the name Big Bear Lake. However, it should be noted that Big Bear Lake is a man-made lake that didn't exist in 1845. The lake Wilson named Big Bear was actually the natural lake at the east end of the valley, now known as Baldwin Lake.
Ben Wilson is not only remembered for giving Big Bear its name, but he went on to become an important figure in Southern California history. Among his accomplishments, he is remembered as the first mayor of Los Angeles. He was also a two term California state senator, and he built the first railroad between Los Angeles and San Diego. Wilson died on March 11, 1878, but before he died, he donated land and buildings for the construction of a college. This new college eventually became the University of Southern California.
Wilson's energy and leadership qualities were passed down through his children to his grandchildren. One of those grandchildren was famous World War II General, George S. Patton.Our own trip started as a conversation on Thursday evening December 27 over dinner. We wanted to see some snow and get out of greater Los Angeles even just for a day. We gas-up and packed our day-trip supplies including snow gloves, winter clothes and boots, food and wine, the always ready "survival bag" (just in case of an earthquake, or maybe a wrong turn on the mountain?) which included a 72 hour kit for six persons. The trip from Pasadena started around noon on Friday December 28 and one hour and forty-five minutes later, we were greeted at Big Bear with a pleasant and cool 35 degrees with 20 percent chance of rain. Snow was on the ground and all the ski lifts were open.
Snow Ball fights ensued in between the different stops between Snow Summit and Big Bear lake. I started drifting out of civililization to take photos of the beautiful pine all around including the spiky Jeffrey Pine and the Western Juniper pine. The Christmas tree like Pinon Pine is also plentiful and lends into the experience which just made me wonder how it was like during the 1800s. Live Oaks which are green in color contrasts sharply with black oak which has a dead leafy light yellow brown color but are still alive.
Encountering countless skiers in their eskimo outfits along the way, we drove to the other side of the lake to the Big Bear Discovery Center where I found the three Forest Rangers busy answering visitor questions as well as the never ending phone inquiries. Inside you can find the different taxidermied example specie of birds, wildcats, the American bald eagle, as well as the famous Grizzly Bear which once shared the Eastern lake with the Serrano Indians. 
Big Bear Discovery Center showing the Forest Rangers at work
It was a fun-filled day trip to the mountain resort. Just another good reason of living in California. You can indeed go up and ski in the morning and head down and surfboard in the afternoon. Weather permitting though.
Happy Holidays.
(Text and Photo by Jay Fermin ppp-usa)