Mountain High, Bear Mountain open for snowboarding and skiing

The cover isn't anything like that shown in the photo, which was taken last February at Mountain High in Wrightwod.

But despite the lack of natural snow and poor conditions for snowmaking, Mountain High did open over the weekend. So did Bear Mountain in Big Bear Lake.

Both have just enough cover to keep park rats busy until cooler temperatures or actual wintry weather arrive and enable expanded operations.

Mountain High's Easy Rider lift at East Resort provides access to 6-10 inches on a beginner trail and through a "rail garden."

The good news: Snowmaking has expanded some these past few days at Mountain High's West Resort, and an opening with top-to-bottom access appears imminent.

Bear Mountain's Inspiration Run, featuring a dozen jibs, is open, and the forecast might enable substantial snowmaking at Bear and nearby Snow Summit and Snow Valley.

To be sure, resort operators are doing everything in their power to lure snowboarders and skiers to their slopes.

--Pete Thomas

Photo: Snowboarder takes flight at Mountain High in this 2007 photo. Credit: Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times

Comments

[Omond]

The LA Times can't get a current picture of Big Bear? Instead you run a 2007 picture. Maybe the other article stating that the Tribune Group are facing bankruptcy has some relevancy here. Poor quality reporting = falling sales. Here's a tip. Call someone at Big Bear with a digital camera, ask them to go outside and take a picture, then have them email it to you. There, not that tricky was it?

[Pete Thomas]

Omond: I put that item up Sunday night, timed to post at 6:30 Monday morning, to alert people who may not know that both resorts are open. I grabbed a file photo from our database so there'd be some art to go with the item. I don't think I could have asked someone at Big Bear to go take a photo in the dark. Just trying to help.

[Omond]

Sorry Pete, that was a bit harsh. I'm just fed up with media owners cutting down on journos and forcing standards down. Keep up the good fight.