Mountain High in Wrightwood

by Nick Anis

Wrightwood, CA – December 8, 1999 – High in the San Gabriel Mountains, about 30 minutes from Diamond Bar and Walnut Mountain High rests quite different from that of the Big Bear Resorts. Wrightwood is a magical place were you are in the desert one minute with sandstone cliffs and caves, cacti, and other desert flora and then suddenly you are in the forest in mountains. In 1932, the world discovered this winter wonderland area when it 1932, when it was slated to host the Winter Olympic.

Now as the new millennium approaches, the resort still offers a winter experience that can be found no where else. “From snowfall to terrain to resort amenities, the winters at Mountain High are unique,” says Brad Wilson, Assistant General Manager. “But people rarely understand how different they are.”

According to Wilson, "Season after season, Mountain High receives more snow than the Big Bear resorts." The resort has enjoyed several good seasons with lots of cold weather and either snowfall or favorable conditions for making snow.

Located Northwest of the San Bernardino mountains, the area is on the leading edge of most winter storms where the heaviest amount of moisture falls. States Wilson, “The greatest amount of precipitation occurs during a storm’s initial uplifting as it strikes the first mountain range.” Additionally, Southern California’s snowstorms have a tendency to funnel up the East San Gabriel Canyon between Mount Baldy and Mount Baden Powell. Mountain High’s peak is located at 8,200 feet on the back ridgeline of this canyon where storms usually collect and stall. Despite its high elevation and extensive snowfalls, the drive to Mountain High is the easiest of all the local resorts and chains are rarely required. Where half the drive to Big Bear is spent on steep, windy roads, the trip to Mountain High is smooth and easy, on well-maintained state highways. Located three miles above the town of Wrightwood, Mountain High is by far the closest of the Southern California Ski areas from most of Orange and Los Angeles counties.

Instead of one resort, Mountain High consists of two separate areas with entirely different terrain. The East Resort offers 1,600 vertical feet of uninterrupted corduroy plus exciting steeps like the Olympic Bowl, Southern California’s longest, steepest bump run. Located at the top of the East Resort is the Grand View Bistro, the mountain’s gourmet restaurant, which is surrounded by 40 acres of fantastic beginner terrain. The West Resort is the site of the new Blue Ridge Express, high-speed quad, which speeds guests to the top in under four minutes. Once there, they have their choice of groomed runs, gladed tree areas or natural terrain ideal for freestyle skiing and snowboarding. The signature Palmer BoarderCross course, a competition halfpipe and a wide variety of black diamond trails make West great for aggressive riders as well. Both mountains are home to the new FaultLine Terrain Parks designed by former World Champion and 1999 X-Games winner, Jimi Scott. His innovative ideas have broken the mold of traditional parks and created terrain that is fun for all ages and abilities.

Mountain High uses a state-of-the-art Electronic Access ticketing system that seem to work quite well. Instead of restrictive all-day or half day afternoon passes, Mountain High offers tickets by the hour or by the run. The Flex Ticket is available in 4, 8 or 14-hour blocks of time to fit any schedule. The Point Ticket allows customers to choose their number of runs per day and is the most convenient of all the ticket options. It is sold in blocks of 200, 600 and 1,000 points, and, like a debit card, points are electronically deducted with each lift ride. The Point Ticket is fully transferable and unused points carry over throughout the season. In addition to the Flex and Point Ticket, the resort also offers a special Night Ticket which is good from 5pm to 10pm.

Another nicety is that Mountain High is the only local resort open seven nights a week so guests can ski, snowboard or sit back and enjoy the social scene with music, movies and parties every evening. Unfortunately, it can get cold evenings -- especially when they are blowing snow. But for die heart skiers like me it's still loads of fun. Eighty-five percent of the West Resort is lit including two terrain parks, one halfpipe and the signature Palmer BoarderCross track. Unlike other local resorts, these ticket options are available seven days a week with no weekend or holiday price increases. For ski reports, information, and lift tickets call 760-249-5808 or point your browser to: http://www.mthigh.com/.

Nick Anis is a food, wine, and travel writer with 24 books in print. Nick’s beats include snow and water sports, and vacation destinations. Nick can be reached by email at: nickanis@aol.com.