Mountain High Resort in Wrightwood is embracing the change of seasons and the return of El Nino, a wet weather phenomenon that traditionally brings huge amounts of snow to the Southwest. Accuweather.com stated in a recent article “Some wet, snowy weather for Southern California. Following a major snow drought in California last year, some good news in store both for the water supply and for skiers in the Golden State.” If this forecast holds true, Mountain High is poised for a terrific winter with another $1,000,000 in improvements including an enhanced family learning center, new “all natural” terrain park, V2 of their mountain-tracking app, and the newly expanded Foggy Goggle Lounge. Read on to see all that is happening at Southern California’s closest winter resort.
Enhanced Family Learning Center
Adults and children alike will take to the snow faster than ever in Mountain High’s new Family Learning Center. On snow devices or “teaching aids” have been integrated to help students understand and initiate basic concepts such as turning, stopping, balancing, and control. These devices include banked platforms, archways, colorful characters, and more. Instructional props are not only fun but effective because they quickly get students gliding up, down, over, and around them feeling the proper movement of their equipment, not just hearing about it.
Once guests have their skills in check, it is time to take a trip through Mountain High’s new Magic Forest filled with fun discoverables such as hidden animals, humorous safety messages, and historic artifacts. They might even catch of glimpse of the Winyetti, Mountain High’s signature abominable snowman. Areas like the Magic Forest are captivating and get students looking up, focusing on the environment and not their equipment for a more natural and interactive learning experience. Children who had trouble grasping the cognitive dynamics of a turn have no trouble turning when there is a playful deer waiting to be petted.
During mid-day breaks or when the lesson is done, families can warm up with a cup of hot coco in the newly remodeled Warming Hut located just steps from the teaching terrain. Children can also burn off extra energy in the new Play Center filled with kid-sized swings, rock walls, ropes, and slides.
Woodworth Gulch Natural Terrain Park / New Park Cat
Before resorts began building monolithic parks with features that resembled staircases and skyscrapers, skiers and snowboarders used the natural terrain to get creative. This season Mountain High is bringing it back to its roots its first “All Natural” terrain park called Woodworth Gulch. Keeping true to the soul of winter sports, this new park is filled top to bottom with features made entirely from natural elements including rainbow rails, flat down logs, tree bonks, and more. Woodworth Gulch caters to most abilities levels and can be found near the bottom of the West Resort. New snowmaking has also been added to ensure this park is open the majority of the season. Probably the only unnatural thing about it.
And what new park wouldn’t be complete without a specialized park cat? To keep the mountain looking its best, Mountain High purchased a state-of-the-art Park Bully 400 snow cat from Kassbohrer. The extreme range of motion of its front blade lets the park builder push, carry, and place snow wherever needed. And, with 370 horsepower, it has more than enough guts to accomplish any task quickly and efficiently. The Park Bully 400 is known for laying down seamless tracks and, because it uses less fuel, it is friendly to the environment as well.
Updated Smart Phone App for iPhone and Android
Version 2 of Mountain High’s free app for iPhone and Android is filled with enhanced tracking features and better power savings tools. Guests can monitor their speed, runs, vertical, and more then view them online and share with family and friends. There are also new challenges based on calories, vertical, distance, and runs. With the phone’s GPS tracking capabilities guests can pinpoint themselves on Mountain High’s trail map and then locate their friends. There are real time conditions such as snow reports, custom weather forecasts, and park updates. The app’s new social media feature includes quick links to Facebook and Twitter pages, and users can upload photos or watch videos directly from their phone. The new Mountain High app will be available November 2012 and can be downloaded at mthigh.com, the Apple APP Store, and the Android Marketing place.
Increased Snowmaking
Mountain High has been Southern California’s first resort to open for the past 15 years and this winter they are able to make more snow even faster with the addition of new fan guns by Techno Alpine and SMI. Gone are the days of huge staff hiking the resort adjusting snow guns with a wrench and prayer. These guns are fully automatic so they adjust themselves based on the conditions. They can be dialed down to make heavier base snow or dialed up to create champagne powder. Some guns can even be activated by remote control. This new technology helps Mountain High make better snow than ever and the energy requirements are less helping the resort do its part to conserve fossil fuels.
Says Ben Smith, General Manager, “These new guns will help us open our teaching terrain a week to two earlier so there’s no excuse not to get in a pre-Christmas lesson.”
Expanded Foggy Goggle Lounge
The Foggy Goggle Lounge has become the new home for après ski at Mountain High’s West Resort. Complete with external heating, upgraded sound system, and glass-top bar, the Foggy Goggle is the perfect place to watch your favorite game or knock the head off one of their weekly microbrews. Located within 20 yards of the Roadrunner and Coyote lifts, guests can stop for a quick break or enjoy one of their juicy burgers (Including veggie burgers), succulent pulled pork sandwiches, or ¼ pound Brats hot off the grill. Live music is a regular occurrence at the Foggy Goggle and the area is lit at night so skiers can relax around the open-air fireplaces and enjoy a warm drink under the stars.
Season Passes good at Stevens Pass, WA, and Sierra At Tahoe, CA
Mountain High’s Anytime Season Pass is now good at both Stevens Pass in Washington and Sierra At Tahoe. That’s three mountains for the price of one. Stevens Pass, located 78 miles east of Seattle, is celebrating its 75th year in operation. The Washington mountain averages 482 inches of snow annually and covers 1,125 acres of skiable terrain including numerous bowls, glades and chutes. Freedom Passes are valid 7 days-a-week all season long with no restrictions. Visit www.stevenspass.com for details about the resort.
Sierra-At-Tahoe is located just 10 miles West of South Lake Tahoe and boasts another 480 inches of annual snowfall plus 2,000 skiable acres including 320 acres of heart-pounding backcountry terrain out the Huckleberry Gates. Their commitment to terrain parks has garnered them the title “Top 10 Overall Resorts In The Nation” by TransWorld Snowboarding. Freedom Passes are valid 7 days-a-week, non-holiday. Limit 10 visits per season. Visit www.SierraAtTahoe.com for holiday dates and more.
Mountain High’s season passes are on sale now through November 6th or when sold out. Regularly $699, prices start at just $299 for Young Adults and pay for themselves in just 5 visits. Click here for more information or to purchase your pass today
Los Angeles, Mountain High’s First Feature-Length Snowboard Film
Mountain High is proud to release its first feature-length snowboard film titled Los Angeles. If you live in the greater LA region whether that be in Venice, Malibu, Beverly Hills, Hollywood, or anywhere in between, Mountain High is in your backyard and it's just a short drive to the snow. This movie follows the new Mountain High pro team during an insanely fun season filled with wild times and proper tricks.
Mountain High's first feature film is directed by Matt Devino, produced by Brad Farmer, and stars Cory Cronk, Kyle Lopiccolo, Spencer Link, Harrison Gordon, Trever Haas, Nick Visconti, Ryan Paul, Marc Frank Montoya, and all of their friends including Trevor Jacob, Scott Blum, Jussi Oksanen, Ian Thorley, Mitch Richmond, Ian Sams, Jager Bailey, and Yale Cousino just to name a few. Click here to watch Los Angeles now.
Forecasters are calling for a light dusting of snow this week so opening day will be here soon. Traditionally Mountain High opens in mid-November but has opened as early as October 27th. For more information on Mountain High’s annual improvements or to schedule an interview please contact Kim Hermon at 760 316 7830 or kim_hermon@mthigh.com.
Mountain High is Southern California’s closest winter resort located just an hour and a half from Los Angeles and Orange County. The area consists of three separate mountains (Mountain High East, West, and North), and offers a wide variety of lifts and trails, a world-class terrain park, an outstanding Winter Sports School, and the region’s largest tubing area. Night skiing & snowboarding is available 5 nights-a-week and snowmaking covers more than 80% of the slopes. Mountain High has been the first resort to open in Southern California for the past 15 years and traditionally operates from mid November to mid April. Get more at mthigh.com.
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