Mountain High Readies Slopes for Opening

At midweek, it seemed like summer in the small mountain community of Wrightwood. On Friday at 10 a.m., the temperature was 30 degrees. With such a drastic change, Mountain High fired up its snow-making equipment and began preparing for a possible Sunday opener at its West Resort.

“Sunday may be on the early side, but Monday for sure,” resort spokesman John McColly said, adding that Upper and Lower Chisolm, and Cruiser would be the first trails opened.

Mountain High would be the first ski and snowboard area in the San Gabriel Mountains to open in Southern California and perhaps the state. In the Big Bear Lake area, where fires have wreaked havoc but had not damaged lodges or lifts, snow-making will begin as soon as possible, but opening days have not been announced.

Mammoth Mountain in the Eastern Sierra and resorts throughout the Lake Tahoe area were getting natural snowfall Friday. Mammoth has announced Thursday as opening day, and the Tahoe resorts have openings scheduled in the coming weeks.