Bear Valley – Bruce Orvis

susi — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 04:00:00 +0000

In 1952, the Orvis family of Farmington purchased 480 acres of property in Bear Valley from the Bishop Company. William and Grace Orvis built a large log cabin and lived in Bear Valley during summer months while their cattle grazed on the lush meadow, an activity that occurs still today. The holdings were logged out in the late 1950s not only to produce revenue but also to protect the area from fire danger and open the tree stands for increased grass production.

The first development occurred in 1955 when the Orvis family subdivided 20 acres on the north side of Highway 4 into 60 lots with roads and water supply. Residential progress largely happened due to the demand by friends and family of the Orvis’.

Bruce Orvis Sr., son of William and Grace, always envisioned a winter sports complex for the area. In 1963 he acquired 400 acres of Forest Service land to the north of the Orvis property through a land exchange. He then put together a ski area package for Mt. Reba under Forest Service permit and promoted a new highway from Camp Connell to the ski area. After years of convincing, road construction began on Highway 4 to access Bear Valley the same year. After he acquired title to the land north of the Highway he developed the 400+ lot subdivision, the Bear Valley Lodge and other installations as we now know them.

At the time, Lodges, condominiums, parking areas, tennis courts and air strip, sewer system and water system, etc. were also developed along with the Mt. Reba Ski Bowl complex. The area opened its lifts to winter visitors in the winter of 1967-1968. By January 1968, there were 125 winter-summer homes in the subdivision and several thousand skiers visited on weekends.

Ebbetts Pass Historical Association » History

Bear Valley – Bruce Orvis