Hey, a little winter never hurt anyone

Like the fog in Carl Sandburg’s San Francisco, winter comes to Los Angeles on little cat feet, settling in so quietly you barely know it’s there. Amid the palms and oleander only a few trees shake themselves bare, and the temperature drops just enough to make shorts and bare midriffs not the first choice.

This is the glory of life in Southern California. No snow tires or cinders or need to scrape the windshields; no trail of dripping boots and damp mittens in the foyer; no icy sidewalks or hazardous road conditions or mornings so cold your eyes tear and then the tears freeze.

But sometimes we yearn for winter, even those of us who never really experienced it firsthand. Sometimes it’s just weird that you can run out barefoot to get the paper on Thanksgiving; that wool sweaters make you sweat and itch at noon in December; that give or take 5 degrees, the first day of Hanukkah could just as well be in April or even June.

Sometimes, we need a little winter. Real roses-in-your-cheeks, thigh-numbing, finger-tingling, lung-scouring, snow-filled-and-somnolent skies winter. The sort some of us actually remember and others of us have repeatedly read about.

Fortunately, we live in a state where just about anything is possible -- through topography, geography and that old Hollywood magic. You want real snow? We’ve got real snow. You want fake snow? We’ve got fake snow. You want snow that is sort of real and sort of fake? We’ve got that too.

Southern California offers ice skating, ice hockey, ice sculptures and the Ice Age. We’ve got reindeer and dog sleds and fireside, red-plaid coziness. It all depends on how far you are prepared to drive and how much you are prepared to spend.

Grab your skis or snowshoes or sleds and pick your drive time -- Yosemite is six hours away; Mammoth Lakes, five; Idyllwild, three; Big Bear and Arrowhead, a little over two; and Wrightwood just over an hour away.

The presence of ski mountains in most of these locations practically guarantees snow during the months of November through March or April. If it hasn’t fallen, the folks at the ski resorts will make it, and although it might not be the same thing to purists, tobogganing down the fake stuff is just as fun (and frankly, it makes better snowballs).

Yosemite

Every Californian should visit Yosemite National Park at least once in the winter when its beauty and serenity -- no mobs of tourists, no lines at the communal showers -- defy description. For the hale of heart and limb, the park offers ranger-guided snowshoe and cross-country ski treks in the moonlight, as well as snow-tubing and skiing at Badger Pass ski area. (If you’re planning to take a class, you should make advance reservations, but non-holiday weekends are usually not too crowded.) Or you can just stroll the paths and small trails open on the valley floor. When they’re covered in ice and snow this can be cardio-adventure enough.

It’s worth it to stay at one of the hotels or condos in the park so you don’t have to do so much driving. Instead, spend your time watching the light and shadows chase each other through the trees, across the faces of Half Dome and El Capitan. Even if it gets really cold (temperatures can dip to the single digits at night), linger as the sun goes down and the mist rises lavender over the snow.

Although some of the valley businesses are closed in the winter, there are still plenty of places to eat -- from the five-star Ahwahnee Dining Room to Degnan’s Deli. The General Store is open year-round and sells groceries and sundries among the tchotchkes. For weekends or holidays, even in the winter, book early and before you leave, call the park to check for any weather-related road or entrance closures.

Mammoth Lakes

In Mammoth Lakes, if you can tear yourself away from the pecan pull-away bread and coffee cake in Schat’s Bakery, you can ride on a genuine dog sled, go snowmobiling, sledding, ice skating and, of course, skiing and snowboarding at Mammoth Mountain’s three lodges: the Main Lodge, Canyon Lodge and Eagle Lodge. Even if you aren’t into snow sports, riding the gondolas up to Canyon Lodge from Mammoth Village or to the top of Mammoth Mountain from the Adventure Center at the Main Lodge is worth it for the Alpine view.

You even might want to consider renting cross-country skis at the Ski Center next to the hotel and cabins of Tamarack Lodge and then have a gourmet dinner -- medallions of elk! Reputable wine cellar! Killer creme brulee! -- at the Lakefront Restaurant in the lodge (but book early -- like, weeks early -- even if you are staying in the lodge or its cabins).

Local mountains

Idyllwild, in the San Jacinto Mountains, is also a good winter-weekend bet. There is no ski lodge, but you can stay at some truly cozy inns or rent a picturesque mountain cabin; some establishments, like the Silver Pines Lodge, offer both. Antiquing is the local sport, though there is often snow and sledding in Humber Park. Even without the white stuff, you are pretty much guaranteed nights so cold you can see your breath (a thrill for some Southern Californians unaccustomed to temperatures below, say, 50).

Almost all the restaurants in Idyllwild’s small town square have a charm -- Jan’s Red Kettle is popular for breakfast, and the Hidden Village serves Chinese food that is perfect for that late-night, just-got-in dinner.

Big Bear, Arrowhead and Wrightwood are close enough for a day trip; with ski slopes and sledding galore and with many of the hiking trails groomed for cross-country skiing, it really is like having snow in your own backyard. You might even want to consider spending the night because there’s nothing like a nighttime snowfall to remind you of the transient nature of things.

In Wrightwood, there are only a few motels but plenty of B&Bs; and cabin rentals; Big Bear and Arrowhead are bursting with accommodations, as is Green Valley, which is nestled on an icy lake in between.

If you stay at the Lake Arrowhead Lodge, you can steep in a hot tub while the steam crystallizes in the air around you. Just remember to bring warm shoes because you need to hoof it back indoors pretty quickly. Also, when packing for trips to any snowy place, it’s good to remember that snow is frozen water -- which means at least one set of clothes a day will get very wet.

Angeles National Forest

If you’re just looking for a winter’s afternoon with the kids, check the weather (or, if it’s a clear day, the mountaintops) and head up into the Angeles National Forest along Route 39. (But don’t forget your Wilderness Pass, available at the ranger station on Route 39, and get there early -- on weekends rangers have been known to “close the snow” because of parking problems.)

You are likely to encounter a wild assortment of city folks hurtling down the hills on Hefty bags and cafeteria trays and sleds made out of plastic pickle barrels. In little snow camps, Latino men oversee the grilling of carne asada while the more WASPish in the crowd chew on their trail mix and wish they had thought of bringing the grill.

(When traveling to any of the above locations, remember two words: Carry chains. Under some conditions they are required, and you will be amazed at the number of 4-wheel-drive SUVs you will see in the snow-covered ditches should the weather take a turn.)

Winter close to home

For residents of the foothill communities, snow occasionally comes unbidden -- La Canada Flintridge, La Crescenta, Altadena, Sierra Madre and their neighbors all get dusted every so often. In Sierra Madre, locals embrace the possibility of winter with the annual Christmas Eve appearance of Frosty, a larger-than-life snowman constructed of real snow, either imported or man-made.

From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Feb. 5, Glendale Parks and Recreation will turn Brand Park into a winter wonderland with 50 tons of man-made snow.

If you are so inclined, you can import snow into your own yard. Chazon and Associates in Encino puts together private snow parties for $170 a ton, with a five-ton minimum (this fills up a 10-foot-by-10-foot area.)

Snow falls twice a day until Jan. 1 at the Grove at Farmers Market, where lines begin practically at dawn for a visit to Santa and his workshop, and a chance to hear the singing fountain’s seasonal airs.

And Disneyland has loads of completely fake snow and winter. The Matterhorn, with its howling winds and Abominable Snowman, is one big luge ride; Snow White now has a new “enchanting” musical show; and every night until Jan. 2 “snow flakes” waft over specific parts of the park just after the fireworks finale. Don’t catch it on your tongue, though; it may look like magic, but it’s chemically closer to soap.

Ice skating

If you can’t do snow, there’s always ice. The Los Angeles Kings and the rest of the NHL may be benched for the time being, but there are a number of ice skating rinks in Los Angeles, including temporary outdoor rinks at downtown’s Pershing Square and Universal City Walk that are open through early January.

There is something reality-altering about ice skating in the middle of downtown L.A. -- the men in their business suits attempting figure eights, the gypsy band of homeless people. It ain’t Rockefeller Center, but then, it is possible to skate in shirt sleeves. At Universal CityWalk, the rink is as crowded as you might imagine, and in the “Blade Runner” blaze of neon eye candy, it seems as normal as anything else.

At the indoor rinks all over Southern California -- Pasadena, Burbank, Culver City, Aliso Viejo, Anaheim, Westminster and so on -- there is much more of a hometown feel, like an old-fashioned roller rink, with ice. Parents ease wobbly toddlers onto the ice, men smile at their companions and congratulate themselves on figuring out a really good second date, and gangs of middle- and high-school kids congregate in breathless, eye-catching groups.

Suggestions of winter

If you are an Angeleno of the true beach bunny variety and even ice skating sounds too chilly, cruise a few websites of local ice sculptors -- socalice.com and northhollywoodice.com have some truly breathtaking images. Or visit the Page Museum at the La Brea Tar Pits and contemplate life in the time of the Woolly Mammoth.

If you’d rather do festive, visit some of the local establishments that specialize in cozy. At the Tam O’Shanter Inn in Atwater Village, for example, there’s a yuletide feel year-round with its winter village and famous hall of Christmas trees. Stats Floral Supply in Pasadena is as close as you’re going to get to the North Pole without passage on an ice-cutter. Santa’s reindeer, or their distant cousins, visit the L.A. Zoo through Jan. 2, and if you go before Dec. 30 and hang out till after sunset, you can take a walk through the Festival of Lights. Look at enough blinking snowflakes and you will eventually believe it’s really winter. Or a post-’60s flashback.

The best thing about all this “real winter” is that it’s completely temporary -- you don’t have to dig out the car to get to work or worry about a blizzard ruining New Year’s. And the truth is that most transplants don’t really miss winter, they just feel nostalgic for it.

Nostalgia is seductive because it’s mostly imaginary; in your mind’s eye, the evergreens are frosted with snow, the sound of children’s laughter tumbles over the drifts and the clean and silent gray skies seem weighted with all the best moments of our lives.

Which lasts about 24 hours, maybe 48. After that, baby, it’s just plain darn cold outside.

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Winter far and near

Visiting winter is a lovely concept, but it does require a bit of planning. In addition to the overnight getaway basics -- food and shelter -- you also have to actually consider the weather (something Southern Californians are not in the habit of doing). Not only should you carry chains, you should also familiarize yourself with how to put them on and -- this is very important -- how to take them off.

Many winter havens will have conveniently placed garages or enterprising roadside souls to help the chain-challenged, but you shouldn’t count on it. And bring a flashlight if there’s even a tiny chance you will be traveling at night. And gloves. Not mittens. Gloves.

What follows is a list of contacts for Southern Californians who want to plan an excursion to winter.

Yosemite

For starters, travelers should check on weather and closures at www.nps.gov/yose/now/conditions.htm. And, for a place to stay in the park, see www.nationalparkreservations.com/yosemite.htm. Also:

Yosemite’s Four Seasons Vacation Rentals, 7519 Henness Circle, Yosemite National Park, CA 95389; (800) 669-9300, www.yosemitelodging.com.

Ahwahnee Hotel, 1 Ahwahnee Road, Yosemite National Park, CA 95389; (559) 252-4848, www.yosemitepark.com. (The Ahwahnee’s dining room is open for breakfast, lunch, dinner and Sunday brunch; reservations are recommended for dinner and brunch.)

Yosemite Lodge, Yosemite National Park; (559) 252-4848, www.yosemitepark.com.

Curry Village, Yosemite National Park; (559) 252-4848, www.yosemitepark.com. This is the largest lodging facility in the valley, with a motel, cabins (with and without bathrooms) and canvas tent cabins without plumbing.

Degnan’s Deli, Yosemite National Park; (209) 372-8454.

Mammoth Lakes

You can check on weather and road conditions and find cabin rentals and hotel information at www.visitmammoth.com or mammothmountain.com, where you will find almost everything else you need to know about visiting the area.

For ski school reservations and other information for the mountain lodges, call (800) MAMMOTH. www.mammothmountain.com.

Schat’s Bakery, 3305 Main St.; (760) 934-6055.

Tamarack Lodge Resort, 1 Twin Lakes Road, (760) 934-2442 or (800) 237-6879, www.tamaracklodge.com.

The Lakefront Restaurant, 1 Twin Lakes Road; (760) 934-3534.

Idyllwild

For more information and accommodations, visit www.idyllwild.com.

Jan’s Red Kettle, 54220 N. Circle Drive; (951) 659-4063.

The Hidden Village, 25840 Cedar St.; (951) 659-2712

Silver Pines Lodge, 25955 Cedar St.; (951) 659-4335; www.silverpineslodge.com.

Big Bear, Lake Arrowhead

Check www.bigbear.com, www.lakearrowhead.net or www.wrightwoodcalif.com for updates on weather and road conditions as well as accommodations, which run from cabins to B&Bs; to resorts, and local restaurants.

If you’re just taking a drive to the snow, check on road conditions in the Angeles National Forest, or anywhere in California, via www.dot.ca.gov/hq/roadinfo or by calling (800) 427-ROAD.

Local

Tam O’Shanter Inn, 2980 Los Feliz Blvd., Los Angeles; (323) 664-0228.

For information about Glendale’s Winter Wonderland at Brand Park, 1601 W. Mountain Ave., on Feb. 5, call (818) 548-3792.

Ice skating

Pershing Square, Downtown on Ice, 532 S. Olive St., Los Angeles; Mon.-Thu., noon- 9 p.m.; Fri.-Sun., 10 a.m.-10 p.m.; (818) 243-6488; www.laparks.org.

Universal City Walk, 100 Universal City Plaza, Mon.-Thu.,

5 p.m.-10 p.m.; Fri., 3-10 p.m.; Sat., 10 a.m.-1 a.m.; Sun.,

10 a.m.-11 p.m.; (818) 622-9527; www.citywalkhollywood.com.