The Daily Aztec’s list of the best places to board within a 10-hour drive

By Sydnee Brooker, Staff Writer

Three hours away from 70-degree autumn weather, people can ride their boards on a surface other than pavement and water. After almost six months, snow has arrived.

Last Saturday, Bear Mountain season pass holders were able to board at the opening day of Snow Summit, the sister resort of Bear Mountain. Those less invested still need to wait a bit longer for Bear to open up, but early season all-day tickets will be $35 for young adults and $40 for those 22 and older.

With 12 lifts, a full freestyle park including a 580-foot in-ground superpipe and a new skill builder park, $35 for some slushy boarding might be worth it.

North of Bear Mountain and Snow Summit, a little more than seven hours from San Diego, lie both of California’s most exciting boarding destinations and one of its best kept secrets. Both resorts ranked among the top 10 in multiple categories of the 2011 TransWorld Snowboarding Resort Poll in this month’s issue. Each resort was also listed as one of the best places to snowboard in North America by World Snowboard Guide.

With 3,500 acres of riding, Mammoth Mountain is the big brother of June Mountain, which encompasses 500 acres. While they are close geographically, they differ in what they represent and offer. With at least a seven-month season, more than 300 days of sunshine and 400 inches of annual snowfall, it would be difficult to have a bad day at Mammoth. There are 150 trails to ride, 28 lifts to catch, 3,100 vertical feet to drop, seven parks to tackle and three pipes to hit. The super duper Olympic-size pipe might have something to do with Mammoth being awarded best terrain park in the nation by

onthesnow.com in March of last year. Although the experience of Mammoth comes with a high price, season passes are available to college students for $299.

It is easy to wonder how June Mountain could compare. It has a shorter season, 250 inches of annual snowfall and only seven lifts, but in this case it’s all about quality, not quantity. According to snowrev.com, this place has one of the world’s first hip cutters and a priceless, smooth vibe that big resorts could never replicate. The three original parks and one 16-foot super pipe are every boarder’s dream.

“While it’s tempting to keep this place a secret, June Mountain is by far my favorite,” public health senior and San Diego State ski and snowboard team captain Monica Thatcher said. “There are no crowds, no attitudes and the terrain park is pristine. This is where you can find all the locals on the weekend when Mammoth is bombarded with gapers and flatlanders.”

For those willing to go the extra 200 miles, Squaw Valley is one of a kind in the Lake Tahoe area. It’s a little more than a 10-hour drive from San Diego, but it provides 4,000 acres of powder, 33 lifts and a 3.2-mile run. Experienced boarders may find themselves at the top of KT-22, a double diamond expert drop. For those non-morning boarders, the Rivera Park and SuperPipe is open until 7 p.m. on the weekdays, and 9 p.m. on the weekends this season. Although this resort is more of a Mammoth than a June, the mountain is not extremely congested, so riders have the flexibility to make their own paths.