Aspen It’s Not, but It Is Nearby

WRIGHTWOOD —  This ski town isn’t exactly Aspen, but then, it’s about 1,000 miles closer to Los Angeles. In fact, it’s only 80 miles from downtown, and the driving is usually easy.

This winter, unlike last, is a good time to go skiing in the mountains of Southern California, and the two ski areas near this unpretentious little village currently are offering some excellent sports.

Mountain High, a couple of miles west of town, had two-to-four feet of snow on its slopes Tuesday, with 10 chairlifts in operation. Ski Sunrise, just across Highway 2, reported three-to-five feet and was running its one quad chair and four surface lifts.

“The skiing and the crowds are 100% better than last season,” a Mountain High spokesman said. “There’s no comparison.”

The winter of 1983-84 went down as one of the worst in Southland skiing history. Only six inches of natural snow fell from September to April. Mountain High was open for much of the season, using its extensive snowmaking capacity, but operations were limited, and skier turnout was minimal.

Business in town also has improved this winter, but unlike Big Bear Lake, the Southland’s other major ski town, things are always somewhat on the quiet side in Wrightwood.

This, of course, is one of its charms. If you want a swinging night after a day of skiing, go to Big Bear. If you want a quiet dinner at, say, the Blue Ridge Inn or the Mountain Inn or even in the deli at Papa’s Pantry, followed by an evening around the fireplace, then come to Wrightwood.

Fireplaces are not all that common in the limited public accommodations here, but some of the many modest cabins frequently are available for rental. Otherwise, you have a choice of three motels in town or 10 units next to the lift at Mountain High West.

Condoville, this isn’t--and that’s a refreshing change from most American ski resorts.

Of course, there is a certain amount of apres-ski merriment available at the Bullwheel Saloon, at Mountain High West (where there is also night skiing) and at the Yodeler and the Raccoon Saloon in town. But in the main, this is a place for semi-serious skiers.

Mountain High is actually two ski areas--Mountain High East, which was the old Holiday Hill, and Mountain High West. They’re only about a mile apart, but as of now, there are no connecting lifts. Shuttle buses provide transportation so that you can ski both mountains with the same lift-ticket. With a top elevation of 8,200 feet, Mountain High offers advanced skiers a 1,600-foot vertical descent, but it also has several comfortable runs for the less skilled.

Ski Sunrise is smaller than its neighbor, with a cozy, rustic day lodge plus both a steep hill for experts, served by a pomalift and a 3/4-mile-long beginner’s run off the quad chair. All runs afford spectacular views of the Antelope Valley and the Mojave Desert to the north.

Cross-country skiing also is popular here, especially on the Blue Ridge Trail. The U.S. Forest Service’s Big Pines Ranger Station can provide current information on ski-touring routes.

Wrightwood is only 17 miles off Interstate 15 via Highways 138 and 2, and the climb is gradual, from desert scrub brush to snow-covered pine trees in a matter of minutes. Highway 2, the main thoroughfare in the San Gabriel Mountains, is closed in the winter between Big Pines and the Kratka Ridge/Mt. Waterman region to the west. There’s also a back way here via Highway 138 from Palmdale, only 40 miles away. Either way, it’s about an hour and a half--and a world apart--from L.A.

Skiing Notes

All 10 Southland ski areas are in full operation, with up to six feet of snow. . . . In the Sierra, Mammoth Mountain and June Mountain both have a midway base of about five feet. . . . The World Cup alpine scene is split this weekend. The men are at Wengen, Switzerland, for the Lauberhorn downhill and slalom, while the women are in France for a downhill at Chamonix Saturday, a super giant slalom at Megeve Sunday, and a giant slalom at St. Gervais Monday. . . . World Cup freestylers, meanwhile, will be competing at Lake Placid, N.Y., in the third of their 11 scheduled meets this season. . . . The Peugeot Grand Prix men’s pro ski racing tour will be at Waterville Valley, N.H., Friday through Sunday. . . . The annual John Denver Celebrity ski race originally set for Feb. 23-24 at Heavenly Valley has been canceled due to what was termed as “an unforeseen conflict in John Denver’s schedule.” A Heavenly Valley spokesman said that the event will be held again next season.