
Mountain High
290 acres across 3 mountains, 59 runs, night skiing 7 nights weekly. Just 90 minutes from LA in California's San Gabriel Mountains.
Mountain High operates across 290 acres in the San Gabriel Mountains, spanning elevations from 2012 to 2499 metres with 487 metres of vertical drop. The resort comprises 59 runs across three distinct areas – East, West, and North – with terrain split 25 percent beginner, 40 percent intermediate, 30 percent advanced, and 5 percent expert. Goldrush, the 2.6-kilometre run at East Resort, holds the distinction of being Southern California's longest trail. Snowmaking covers more than 80 percent of terrain, supplementing an annual average of 3 metres of natural snowfall, whilst the resort claims consistent early-season opening as the first Southern California area to operate each winter.
West Resort dominates with terrain parks featuring obstacles like the Slayer Box and Paradox, plus The Reef glade zone when snow depth allows. East Resort delivers a contrasting alpine character with long groomed runs, Olympic Bowl mogul field, and sweeping views across the Mojave Desert. North Resort, formerly Ski Sunrise, offers 70 acres of beginner-intermediate terrain and Southern California's largest tubing park with up to 12 lanes, operating Fridays through Sundays during peak season. The Discovery Chairlift at East Resort summit provides access to 20 acres of beginner terrain at 2499 metres elevation.
Night skiing operates seven nights weekly during peak season until 10pm, primarily at West Resort with more than 85 percent of terrain illuminated. Free shuttles run every five to ten minutes between East and West bases, with single tickets valid across all three mountains. The Bullwheel Bar and Grill anchors West Resort's lively base scene with live music and events, whilst Grand View Bistro at East summit serves sit-down dining at 2499 metres. Wrightwood, 5 kilometres east, provides overnight accommodation from budget cabins to multi-bedroom rentals, though the resort itself offers no lodging.
Mountain High participates in the Powder Alliance, granting passholders three free days at 14 partner resorts worldwide. The Cali Pass delivers unlimited access here plus Bear Valley, Dodge Ridge, and China Peak. Season passes start at $399 USD, with daily tickets ranging $69-89 USD depending on date, whilst night sessions run $45-55 USD. The resort suits Los Angeles day-trippers seeking accessible terrain variety, terrain park riders drawn to West Resort's features, and families attracted to North Resort's dedicated learning zones and California's value-driven pricing structure.
Mountain High covers about 290 acres (117 hectares) of the San Gabriel Mountains above Wrightwood, spread over East, West and North areas with 59 runs between them. The base sits near 6,600 ft (2,012 m) and the top reaches 8,200 ft (2,499 m), a vertical of 1,600 ft (487 m). Intermediates take 40% of the terrain, advanced runs 30%, beginners 25% and experts 5%. It is a compact mountain by Sierra standards, though the mix of quads, doubles, triples and surface lifts keeps laps quick and queues manageable on most days.
East Resort holds Goldrush, a 1.6-mile run billed as the longest in Southern California, plus the double black Olympic Bowl, the mountain's best mogul field. West Resort leans toward terrain parks and lit night sessions, while North Resort is mostly gentle slopes for first-timers. Expert skiers will run out of challenge within a day, because steep pitches are limited. Mountain High suits Los Angeles day-trippers, families starting out and park riders after a quick session, with enough cruising variety to keep intermediates entertained across all three areas.
Mountain High operates from late November through mid-March, with the 2025-26 season running 28 November 2025 to 15 March 2026. West Resort typically opens first in Southern California due to higher base elevation at 2133 metres and extensive snowmaking infrastructure, often operating before Thanksgiving. The season spans approximately 108 days, shorter than northern counterparts but reliable given comprehensive snowmaking coverage. Night skiing runs Wednesday through Sunday during peak periods, extending operational hours seven nights weekly when conditions allow.
The resort receives an average 3 metres of natural snowfall annually, with February historically delivering peak accumulation around week four of the month averaging 12 centimetres per snowfall event. Snowmaking covers more than 80 percent of terrain, enabling operations despite Southern California's Mediterranean climate and lower natural snow totals compared to Sierra Nevada resorts. The 2025-26 season recorded 112 centimetres of total snowfall by March. Elevation advantage at East and West summits approaching 2500 metres helps retain snow quality, whilst North Resort's reliance on natural snow limits operational days.
January through February offers optimal powder conditions following storm cycles tracking across Southern California, whilst March delivers spring corn snow and warmer temperatures. Weekday visits avoid weekend crowds that swell from Los Angeles and Orange County, with Thursday attracting locals for fresh snow before weekend tracking. December holiday periods from 20 December through 4 January rank as busiest, alongside Martin Luther King weekend and Presidents' Day weekend mid-February. Early-season November conditions depend entirely on snowmaking, with natural terrain limited until late December.
Oktoberfest runs weekends 4-19 October at West Resort, attracting thousands annually as Wrightwood's largest festival. Terrain park competitions including rail jams and freestyle events punctuate the calendar, whilst family programming features Easter egg hunts hiding $5,000 in prizes and discounts. The H2O Winter Surf/Snow Classic and various USASA sanctioned events draw competitive riders. Summer operations include disc golf on three nine-hole courses at North Resort, plus camping, events, and seasonal festivals, though mountain biking has paused as of 2026.
Mountain High sits in the San Gabriel Mountains within Angeles National Forest in Los Angeles County, California, despite proximity to the San Bernardino County line near Wrightwood. The three resort areas stretch along State Route 2 west of Wrightwood township, with base elevations ranging 2012-2194 metres and summit reaching 2499 metres at East Resort. The San Gabriel range forms a dramatic transition between the Los Angeles Basin to the south and the Mojave Desert stretching north and east, with resort terrain offering desert vistas rare for ski areas.
Wrightwood, population 4,525, sits 5 kilometres east at 1809 metres elevation, providing the nearest services, dining, and overnight lodging for visitors. The mountain town operates year-round as a recreation gateway, with the resort located along State Route 2 approximately 5 kilometres past Wrightwood when approaching from Highway 138. Los Angeles lies 145 kilometres southwest, whilst San Diego sits 3.5 hours south via Interstate 15. Orange County communities including Anaheim reach the resort in 75 minutes. The Antelope Valley cities of Palmdale and Lancaster lie close enough that West Resort's night lighting remains visible from the desert floor.
State Route 2, known as Angeles Crest Highway through this section, provides primary access from Los Angeles via Interstate 210 in La Cañada Flintridge, climbing 66 kilometres through the San Gabriel Mountains with no mountain driving chains required under normal conditions. From the Inland Empire and desert approaches, Interstate 15 North to Highway 138 West connects to State Route 2, delivering visitors in 90 minutes from downtown Los Angeles. The Highway 138 junction sits 20 minutes from Interstate 15. No petrol stations operate along the 90-kilometre stretch between La Cañada and Wrightwood.
Ontario International Airport lies 63 kilometres south, requiring approximately 45 minutes driving time, making it the closest commercial service. Los Angeles International Airport sits 90 minutes southwest, whilst John Wayne Airport in Orange County and Hollywood Burbank Airport both fall within 90-minute range. Rally shuttle service operates regular runs from Los Angeles area, whilst most visitors drive personal vehicles. No rail service reaches Wrightwood, and public transport options from airports require multiple transfers exceeding five hours, making rental cars or shuttles essential for airport arrivals.
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A large avalanche struck near Laguna del Inca adjacent to Ski Portillo on Saturday afternoon, killing four people and injuring four others. The group were day visitors mountaineering in the backcountry after reportedly being warned about elevated avalanche risk by resort staff.

Europe’s ski season is open, technically. After a record-warm summer, glaciers in Austria, Switzerland and Italy are running a few pistes apiece, Sölden, Stubai and Kitzsteinhorn started late, Titlis has pushed back to 24 October, and Zermatt reopens a few lifts on 14 October after more than two months shut. Finland’s Levi and Ruka are skiing on stored snow. Here is what is open, and what you actually get at each.

Zermatt is having another crack at a World Cup downhill, and this time nobody has to cross a border. Around 13 million Swiss francs is going into rebuilding the Gornergrat piste, including a jump fed by a roughly 300-metre in-run across the roof of the Gornergrat Railway gallery, with the Matterhorn lined up behind it for the TV cameras. First men’s race is pencilled in for March 2028, pending FIS homologation.

Lake Tahoe’s highest base elevation is paying off early: Mt. Rose has started making snow for 2026-27 after the first flurries and a cold snap. The Nevada resort is backing it with nearly US$2 million in upgrades, including a replacement snowmaking main line, a new PistenBully groomer and restraint bars on every lift. Opening day is yet to be confirmed, though Heavenly and Northstar are already eyeing 20 November.

Utah is still building flat out. For 2026-27, Powder Mountain opens a steep new Skytrac chair into more than 1,000 acres of advanced terrain, Deer Valley adds 200 acres on Hail Peak, Sundance gets a new quad and Park City adds a gondola from its new parking structure. Snowmaking is expanding almost everywhere, Eagle Point stays closed after the Cottonwood Fire, and the 2034 Games are setting the pace. Here’s what’s new, resort by resort.

Mt Hutt is getting busier, and its base lodge is about to catch up. NZ$12 million goes into a heated sun deck roughly three times the current size (430 m² to 1,300 m²), plus a new toilet block, heated steps down to snow level, extra storage and a new food and beverage outlet. Building starts after the 2026 season, with everything due for winter 2027.

Vermont's season is slow to take shape. Stratton is tentatively targeting 18 November and Sugarbush 21 November, while Pico has Friday 11 December on the calendar. Killington never sets a date and opens when the snowmaking allows, and Vail Resorts has yet to name days for Stowe, Okemo and Mount Snow. The forecasts disagree about snow, and the main El Niño worry for the Green Mountains is warmth.

Less than four months out from the Crans-Montana 2027 World Championships, the man running the organising committee has stepped down. Claude-Alain Schmidhalter resigned as Swiss-Ski vice president and OC president after being indicted over a business dispute unrelated to skiing. He denies the allegations and faces court on October 27. Interim leaders are in place for the February 1-14 event.
More Mountain High intelligence: snow report, lift system, webcams, resort overview.