Mountain High is riding high after holiday rush of snowboarders, skiers

A staggering economy, apparently, is not preventing snowboarders and skiers from venturing to the local slopes.

Mountain High Resort in Wrightwood experienced a record holiday season. Visitation increased more than 40% over last year for the two-week Christmas break.

The resort did not mention specific numbers but said the holiday figures also marked a 36% increase over the resort's 12-year average during the holiday period, and it cited "strong early-season advertising, trade-down vacation scenarios due to the weakened economy, and 4 1/2 feet of natural snow the week prior to Christmas."

Trade-down vacation scenarios pertain to people canceling destination trips in favor of cheaper local trips.

Karl Kapuscinski, president and chief executive, labeled all of this "the perfect storm."

Mountain High’s North Pole Tubing Park, which I visited during the holidays with my niece, Kasey, and her friend, Emma, experienced a 50% visitation increase during the same period.

Presumably, all local resorts fared well because of the same factors. Now all they need is another major storm. Unfortunately, there are none in the short-term forecast.

--Pete Thomas

Photo credit: Mountain High