A pair of women lugging snow tubes, a mountain dog or two and workers packing freshly made snow greeted the opening of snow play season at Mt. Baldy early Friday, Dec. 1.
In the sunny but brisk morning, workers set up netting around the snow play area that Mt. Baldy operators hope will see more natural powder soon. Snow-making efforts are helping Mt. Baldy and other Southern California mountain resorts welcome skiers, snowboarders and others after record snowfall last winter.
Hopes for another strong season are high among resort operators thanks to a forecasted El Niño expected to bring more precipitation this winter, meaning more natural snow on the slopes.
Mt. Baldy and Mountain High in the San Gabriel Mountains and Bear Mountain Resorts in the San Bernardino Mountains have worked in the off-season to prep for the winter, implementing improvements and some new features.
The snow play season opened Friday, Dec 1, at Mt. Baldy, with sledding and snow tubing available. Snowmaking aided the opening, operators said, and the resort will continue snowmaking efforts on the trails for skiing and snowboarding in lieu of snow.
Mt. Baldy snow play tickets are available online and on-site starting at $69. Snow play tickets include access to the snow play park and a round-trip ticket on the chairlift. There are morning and afternoon time slots available for snow play on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.
At this time, Mt. Baldy has not opened for skiing and snowboarding but is continuing to make efforts to prepare for the upcoming season and will announce the opening via its social media and website. According to Tommy Ellingson, a Mt. Baldy representative, the resort plans to open one of its runs next weekend.
Ellingson also stated in an interview that the resort is adding more features to its runs with new bars made from refurbished towers, rainbow bars, and others.
Mountain High opened its west resort Thursday, Nov. 30, for skiing and snowboarding for pass holders. Hours are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday, and 8:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
Mountain High also has several events planned for the season, including its Santa Sunday on Dec. 16. Guests can receive a free lift ticket if they dress in complete Santa costume and make a $25 toy donation. More information can be found online.
Lift tickets for Mountain High’s West resort start at $109 and are available for purchase online or on-site. The East and North resorts are not open for skiing or snowboarding just yet.
Yeti Snow Play at Mountain High opens Saturday, Dec. 2, and operates 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday through the season. Tickets start at $30 on-site, with additional options available for purchase online. Parking for Yeti Snow Play is $20 and can be purchased on-site.
Big Bear Resorts has opened Bear Mountain and Snow Summit, with Snow Valley expected to open on Dec. 8. Snow play will be available at Snow Valley, and snow tubing can be found at both Snow Valley and Snow Summit on operational days.
This season, Big Bear boasts $12.7 million of improvements across its three resorts, according to its website. Some improvements include a revamp and additional magic carpet lifts, new high-efficiency snow guns, and updated dining.
Adult lift tickets valid for all three Big Bear resorts start at $105 and are available for purchase online or on-site.
IF YOU GO
Mt. Baldy
Address: 8401 Mt. Baldy Road, Mt. Baldy
Hours: 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Friday through Sunday
Tickets: mtbaldyresort.com
Mountain High
Address: 24510 Highway 2, Wrightwood
Hours: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday through Sunday. Subject to change.
Tickets: mthigh.com
Bear Mountain
Address: 43101 Goldmine Drive, Big Bear Lake
Hours: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday through Sunday. Subject to change.
Tickets: bigbearmountainresort.com
Snow Summit
Address: 880 Summit Blvd., Big Bear Lake
Hours: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday through Sunday. Subject to change.
Tickets: bigbearmountainresort.com
Snow Valley
Address: 35100 Highway 18, Running Springs
Hours: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday beginning Dec. 8, 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday through Sunday. Subject to change.
Tickets: bigbearmountainresort.com
