December 25, 2008 at 6:57 am
Mt. High has real skiing? Who would have thought?
We left early Tuesday morning and got to the mountain at 8:15. We parked in the East Resort, purchased a 1000 point ticket to split between the three of us and headed up the Mt. High Express lift.
It was about as empty as you could imagine on the day before Christmas eve- no lines and very few people on the trails, especially for Mt. High. The main run got a little crowded around 11, but we headed over to the far right (skier’s right) side of the mountain and were literally alone in machine made powder.
I was also surprised to find moguls on a steep run. They call it a double-black, although I’ve seen my share of double-blacks in Tahoe (how modest), and this wasn’t one of them. Either way, I would definitely compare this to the steepness of runs on KT-22 at Squaw the backside of Northstar (aka Flatstar). It’s a short run, but I’m pretty impressed. I guess Baldy isn’t the only mountain with steeps.
I also have 500 points left on the ticket. The 1000 point ticket was the price of 3 half days, and I got a free day out of it. Score!
Overall, I was very impressed by the mountain and I had a great time. It pays to work on Sundays when you get that kind of experience during the week and I’m guessing that it’s totally empty on non-holidays.
December 19, 2008 at 10:31 pm
Another six inches is expected on Monday. That will bring the total to a workable four feet. I’m not used to this kind of dump in SoCal. Growing up, I remember twenty foot weekends in Tahoe (El Nino, anybody?), but four feet in SoCal is miraculous, like God giving sight to a blind man.
Unfortunately I was unable to get a Mt. Baldy VIP coupon book. I was told to call back the next morning for four mornings in a row before leaving my number with someone, who didn’t know what a VIP pass was and probably won’t call me back.
For those that don’t know, VIP passes go on sale once a year at the local ski expos. It’s a great deal: four anytime tickets, two monday-friday tickets, four 2-for-1 coupons and two learn-to-ski-and-snowboard coupons, all for $60. I got mine last year at SnowJam, but Baldy didn’t setup a booth this year. At least that’s what they told me on the phone before the show. If you attended Ski Dazzle in LA this year, you scored.
So what to do? $180 6-pack at Mt. High? It’s reliable, true. You get man-made snow, sometimes it’s real but rare. No steeps. A well-maintained park. The most crowded ski resort per square inch in America. The secret? Ski weekdays. Can I do that? No.
Next option, pay exorbitant prices for Mt. Baldy, which has steep skiing and no lift lines. Unfortunately, you never know what to expect from Mt. Baldy. I went last year in the Spring, and it was awesome. I went in the early winter and they were charging $50 to walk around on a little patch of snow in front of the lodge. In other words if it’s good, it’s the best in Southern California (Mammoth excluded). If it’s bad, you feel like you lost ten hands straight in blackjack and tipped all the rest of your money to the person who enabled your hangover.
So honestly, I hate to rip on Baldy because I completely understand their situation. See, Mt. Baldy has this real local mountain feel to it. The road getting up there is not easy. The patrol is straight out of a movie; last year they had a sign that said, “Be Careful, it’s hard dick out there.” About as helpful as a snowboarder patrolman who told my friend “Why the f*ck should I know?” when asked if he’d seen his lost camera. Plus, the biggest metropolis this side of the Mississippi is one hour from the base of the mountain. So why not charge the douchey Lakers fans who wear jeans tucked into their ski boots $50 a ticket for 60s style lifts? Gotta protect the mountain somehow. Makes you wonder why they even sell the VIP pass?
So I think this year might be a Mt. High year. I’m going up for a day this coming week and I need a guarantee and a cheap ticket. Hopefully working on Sunday and skiing on the 23rd won’t be as busy as a normal day. And hopefully there’s more to that mountain than what I’ve seen the past ten times I’ve skied there. Not likely as you can see the whole mountain from the parking lot.
December 16, 2008 at 5:10 pm
It’s been pouring for days and it’s frigid, which to me means one thing: snow. The local mountains have received up to 3 feet of new snow, with plenty more in the forecasts for tonight and tomorrow.
I’ve been calling Mt. Baldy daily about purchasing a VIP pass, but they keep telling me to call back the next day. Hopefully I can pick one up soon- it’s too good of a deal to share. If I don’t I might have to consider other options such as the 6 for $180 deal at Mt. High. Mt. High is too LA for me though; I prefer the steeps at Baldy.
Keep snowing, baby. I need something to occupy my time while the HEP-A and e-coli infestation festers at the local surf breaks.