Snow has been teasing SoCal mountain towns, giving hope that the lifts will soon start running to kick off the ski season.
An early-season storm over the weekend brought winter vibes to popular snow destinations, with several inches of snow blanketing streets and slopes, and cold night-time temperatures allowing operators to blow even more white stuff.
Some popular winter attractions have already opened, including Big Bear Snow Play and Alpine Slide at Magic Mountain for snow tubing. But opening dates for most local ski lifts are still in the planning.
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Southern California resorts Mountain High and Big Bear Mountain Resort – made up of Snow Valley, Snow Summit and Bear Mountain – are all gearing up for the start of the snow season. Mammoth Mountain, which is marking its 71st season, has already started welcoming visitors, becoming the first resort in California to open.
While there’s no concrete day set yet for the nearby local resorts, there’s plenty to look foward to, operators say, including centennial celebrations and Bear Mountain’s first new lift addition in 30 years.
“The big thing is the big, bright, shiny new toy: the six-seat lift at Bear Mountain,” said Big Bear Mountain Resort spokesperson Justin Kanton.
The new Chair 5 will open mid-December and is called “Midway.” It replaces lifts 2 and 5, set in the central base area. It goes about midway to the mountain – hence the name – where many of the snowboarders and skiers go to get to park areas set up on the snow.
The new lift cost about $10 million and has a total length of 2,494 feet. Ride time is about 2.5 minutes and it can take 3,000 riders per hour.
“It will move people pretty quickly,” Kanton said. “It’s long overdue, we’re hoping this is part of a new phase of development.”
Big Bear Mountain Resort also has submitted plans to the U.S. Forest Service for a lift connection between Snow Summit and Bear Mountain, but that concept is still in the early stages, he said.
Other improvements visitors and locals will notice this season are the road repairs leading up to Summit Boulevard, with a new sidewalk, bike lane, drainage repairs and other improvements meant to improve safety leading into Snow Summit resort.
Infrastructure improvements down the hill at Snow Valley, which was sold to parent company Alterra nearly two years ago, were mostly done last year and not much will be different this season. Projects this year had to be put on hold when the Line Fire ripped through the region – the Snow Valley parking lot and property were used as a fire response command center.
The Snow Valley area will celebrate its centennial this year, dating back to when the “Fish Camp” was formed and permitted to allow outdoor recreation, camping and hiking.
While the Snow Valley ski area wasn’t established until 1937, this is a chance to “celebrate the history of the area,” which for a lot of years has been overlooked for how influential and impactful the area was for outdoor recreation and snow sports in the area, Kanton said.
“The hope is to embrace that legacy, the Fish Camp, moving forward,” he said. “We’re still kicking around ideas for this winter, just to get the conversation started and share the history.”
Mountain High in Wrightwood will also be celebrating 100 years of winter sports in the San Gabriel Mountains.
The recreational history there started the summer of 1924, when Big Pines Recreation Park was opened and thousands of Southern Californians began flocking to the mountains to enjoy four seasons of outdoor sports, according to the resort.
Mountain High’s resorts are located in the former Big Pines Park, built and operated by Los Angeles County in 1924, with news reports at the time announcing a “New Mountain Paradise.”
Skiing became popular at Big Pines in the late 1920s, with a professional ski jump facility installed in 1929. The first rope tow for skiers was installed in 1937 at Table Mountain – now Mountain High’s North Resort.
Tips to save
Alterra Mountain Company announced “Kids Ski Free Week” from Dec. 7 through Dec. 13. Kids get up to seven free lift tickets at 15 destinations, including Mammoth Mountain, Big Bear Mountain Resort and Snow Valley. No other purchase is necessary, rentals and lessons are not included.
Mountain High gives free tickets to kids 4 and younger and seniors 75 and older. It also gives free birthday tickets, valid ID is required.
Big Pines Park was turned over to the U.S. Forest Service in 1941, and winter sports in the area continued to grow, with the development of three ski areas within the former park’s boundaries, which later became Mountain High.
The first chair lift in the Big Pines area was installed in 1947 at the Blue Ridge ski resort that would later become Mountain High West. Two years later, the Holiday Hill ski resort opened – that facility became Mountain High East.
On Dec. 7 at Mountain High, a day-long event is planned with music and giveaways, a costume contest and photo opportunities.
The first 100 guests will receive a commemorative neck gaiter and there will be a first chair photo op at 8:30 a.m. at the top of the mountain. Guests dressed in old-timer gear get a discount and there will be a costume contest in the afternoon.
That night, there will be a centennial cocktail party at the Bullwheel from 4 to 8 p.m., with historical ski gear on display, a silent auction, presentations from historical society members, and the viewing of a new 100th anniversary video.
Also, a photo mosaic art piece made from hundreds of historical photos is being placed in the West Base lodge.
Mountain High this September was nearly engulfed in flames, the Bridge Fire coming just to the edge of the resort, destroying some of the equipment and storage facilities.
“It’s really important to take a moment to celebrate this year, because we nearly escaped complete devastation,” said John McColly, vice president of sales and marketing for Mountain High. “It would have been devastating to go up in flames on our 100th anniversary. We are welcoming in the next 100 years here at Mountain High.”
Screenshot from Mountain High resort live camera recording showing the base of Mountain High West before crews turned on the snow machines. Bridge fire flames are in the distance. (Courtesy: Dennis Nadalin)
There’s a good chance the resort could open by Friday, Nov. 22, for passholders and the general public the following day, though a final determination won’t be made until mid-week.
Road update
Caltrans is working on a $9.8 million emergency project on State Route 330 near Running Springs to repair asphalt, slopes, drainage, guardrails, remove damaged trees and address other significant structural damage caused by the Line Fire.
The estimated time of reopening is Dec. 3, but Caltrans hopes by the Thanksgiving holiday will be possible.
If traveling to the local mountain resorts, use State Route 18 or State Route 38.
Remember to always carry chains and check on conditions before you travel.
“We’re ready to go, we’re just waiting for Mother Nature to cooperate,” he said.
It’s hard to know what the winter season will hold for local ski resorts. The 2022-23 season had record-breaking snowfall, with Big Bear Mountain Resort receiving more snow than in the past 20 years – an estimated 210 inches recorded – up from 69 inches the previous year.
La Nina, weather conditions predicted for this winter, typically call for drier conditions. But stats show most years calling for that weather pattern have delivered plentiful, higher-than-average snowfall.
“For us, being in Southern California, we never try to look too far ahead,” Kanton said. “If I could tell you what was going to happen in January, February or March, I’d be a rich man and retired on an island somewhere.”