SNOWY MOUNTAIN HIGH IT'S CLOSE TO HOME, AND IT'S FRESH POWDER.Byline: Charles F. Bostwick Staff Writer WRIGHTWOOD - The torrential rains and mudslides caused by the ``pineapple express'' aren't keeping Southern California Southern California, also colloquially known as SoCal, is the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. Centered on the cities of Los Angeles and San Diego, Southern California is home to nearly 24 million people and is the nation's second most populated region, skiers from one of the best seasons in years. Rebounding from heavy rains that closed it for three days earlier this week, Mountain High ski resort is predicting record crowds for the Martin Luther King Jr. Day weekend. Even during the week, snowboarding snowboarding: see under skiing. snowboarding Sport of sliding downhill over snow on a snowboard, a wide ski ridden in a surfing position. Derived from surfing and influenced also by skateboarding as well as skiing, snowboarding began to burgeon college students on winter break, people playing hooky from work and kids whose mothers let them skip school are taking advantage of the ideal conditions. ``Having snow like this here, it's a gold mine,'' said Branko Buha, a 65-year-old Sherman Oaks resident who was a the ski patrol A ski patrol is an organization that provides first aid and rescue services to skiers and participants of other snow sports, either at a ski area or in a backcountry setting. member in his native Yugoslavia and has been skiing weekly this winter on Mountain High's 8,000-foot elevation Blue Ridge Blue Ridge, eastern range of the Appalachian Mts., extending south from S Pa. to N Ga.; highest mountains in the E United States. Mt. Mitchell, 6,684 ft (2,037 m) high, is the tallest peak. Beginning with a narrow ridge in the north, c. . But the best snow doesn't mean no danger: on Friday, a man skiing with his two young sons died when he slipped down an icy ravine. Resort operators said they were told the man fell while trying to descend a canyon that borders the ski area to retrieve a ski that slipped away from one of his sons. Mountain High usually doesn't compare to the powder in Utah or Colorado or their resorts' lengthy, challenging runs, but it possesses an undeniable advantage: It's 90 minutes or less from millions of Southern Californians, who made it one of the state's top five busiest ski areas and among the top 25 in the United States United States, officially United States of America, republic (2005 est. pop. 295,734,000), 3,539,227 sq mi (9,166,598 sq km), North America. The United States is the world's third largest country in population and the fourth largest country in area. . ``It's close,'' said David Aquino, 25, of Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. , who was just back from a trip to Aspen and taking a day off from work as an electronics technician The United States Navy occupational rating of Electronics Technician (abbreviated as ET) is a designation given by the Bureau of Naval Personnel (BUPERS) to enlisted members who satisfactorily complete initial Electronics Technician "A" school training. to ski the local venue. Surveying the slopes from the lodge deck, he said: ``It looks nice.'' Last week, before the latest series of storms, Mountain High operators reported the resort had received 117 to 146 inches of snow, roughly five times normal for the first week in January and more snow than the entire 2003-04 season. But the storms that started last Sunday were so warm, rain - not snow - fell all the way up to the top of Blue Ridge. ``We didn't lose as much snow as we thought. We've still got a solid 3- to 4- to maybe 5-foot base,'' spokesman John McColly said. At Big Bear Lake, the operators of the Snow Summit and Bear Mountain resorts reported a snow base of 3 to 4 feet - the deepest in years - despite the rain storms. But their skiers must contend with damaged roads: Highways 330 and 18 were still closed as of Friday, and as a result Highway 38 from Redlands - a longer route - is expected to be more congested con·gest·ed adj. Affected with or characterized by congestion. congested ENT adjective Referring to a boggy blood-filled tissue. See Nasal congestion. than usual. When Mountain High's western slopes reopened Wednesday for the first time since Sunday's storm arrived, it sold out. Record attendance is expected this Martin Luther King Jr. Day weekend, and McColly recommended making reservations. Mountain High's operators also hope for the first 600,000-visitor season, though storms on usually busy weekends have kept away casual skiers who don't like to ski - or drive - in bad weather. ``If there's any year to break the record, this will be it,'' McColly said. About 80 percent of Mountain High's customers are snowboarders, mostly people in their teens and 20s. They come out to negotiate the jumps, gibs and bonks - obstacles patterned after the snowmaker snow·mak·er n. A machine that makes artificial snow. covers that early snowboarders carommed off - regardless of whether the snow is real or manmade. This season's storms have drawn more traditional alpine skiers, McColly said. ``It's the lure of natural powder,'' McColly said. ``When there's good snow, you get more of everyone.'' Snowboarder Randell Hill, a 22-year-old Chapman University Chapman University is a private, nonprofit university located in the city of Orange in Orange County, California, USA. Mission statement The mission of Chapman University is to provide personalized education of distinction that leads to inquiring, ethical and productive student, has been making the drive from Orange County every other day to use a season pass. ``It's worth it, especially with the snow they've been getting lately,'' Hill said as he waited at the lift line outside the Mountain High lodge. Mountain High operators have been making artificial snow and grooming slopes since the rain ended. But skiers said the surface had an icy crust rather than the previous week's powder. ``It's OK, but the snow is not fresh snow. So you just deal with it,'' snowboarder Alice Choi, 24, of Chino Chino (chē`nō), city (1990 pop. 59,682), San Bernardino co., S Calif.; founded 1887, inc. 1910. It is the business and processing center of a diversified farming (notably dairying) area. Hills said. Skier Michael Duerr, 52, of Redondo Beach Redondo Beach (rĭdŏn`dō), city (1990 pop. 60,167), Los Angeles co., S Calif., on the Pacific Ocean; inc. 1892. Once a commercial port for Los Angeles, it is a residential and resort city with a protected harbor and an excellent marina. , skis at Mammoth Mountain Mammoth Mountain is a large lava dome complex[1] that lies to the west of the town of Mammoth Lakes, California in the Inyo National Forest. Mammoth Mountain is home to the Mammoth Mountain Ski Area which is notable in that it gets an unusually large amount of , Aspen and Squaw Valley Squaw Valley, valley, NE Calif., in the Sierra Nevada Mts., NW of Lake Tahoe. A well-known ski and winter recreational resort, it was the site of the 1960 Winter Olympics. Ski lifts and trails are on Squaw Peak (8,960 ft/2,731 m high). . But he likes Mountain High, too. ``I take skiing seriously,'' he said. ``This is actually real good, real good. ... We did a couple runs this morning on the east side. It was sweet for Mountain High.'' Charles F. Bostwick, (661) 267-5742 chuck.bostwick(at)dailynews.com CAPTION(S): 3 photos Photo: (1 -- color) Skiers and snowboarders ride the high-speed chairlift to the top of the mountain at Mountain High East ski area Thursday. Rain closed the resort earlier this week, but it's back in full operation for the holiday weekend. (2 -- color) Randell Hill from Lake Forrest surveys the scene at the base of the Mountain High West ski area Thursday before joining the crowds in line for the lift. (3 -- color) Enjoying newly fallen fresh powder, skiers head toward the Mountain High East ski lodge Thursday. The slopes are expected to be filled to capacity this weekend. David Crane/Staff Photographer |
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