Photo: Mountain High
Mountain High ski resort became the center of a trending story during the Bridge fire earlier this week when footage showed the blaze reaching its lifts. The timing of the webcam stream seen from the small resort played a big role as people were left to believe the fire was assured to spread throughout the rest of the resort overnight. Los Angeles, Orange, and Riverside County skiers and snowboarders who make the short drive to Wrightwood each winter assumed they’d wake up Wednesday morning with little to nothing left of the 290 acre resort, its lodge, and 14 lifts.
Things took a surprising turn Wednesday morning when it was discovered the blaze had dodged most of the resort, leaving minimal damages relative to what had been expected. Employees had turned Mountain High’s snow-making machines on and fire officials believed that move played a role in saving it. Still, with the fire burning more than 50,000 acres by Thursday morning, there was no guarantee Mountain High was completely in the clear.
The resort did share a positive update on Thursday, nonetheless, that “the base facilities at all three resorts (East, West, & North) remain intact.”
Mountain High credited L.A. County firefighters stationed at the West Resort with defending the property, ensuring the restaurant at the top of the East Resort survived.
“We are grateful beyond words for the swift and courageous actions of Los Angeles County Fire Department Division 5 and all the first responders working tirelessly to protect our resort and community,” said John McColly, Vice President of Sales & Marketing for the California Mountain Resort Co. “We stand in solidarity with everyone affected by the Bridge Fire and other fires burning throughout the state. We are committed to supporting our community and plan to come out of this tragedy stronger than ever.”
Incredibly, Mountain High says they still plan to open on time for this upcoming winter. There’s no opening date set just yet, but opening day is typically anytime after November 1.
“This is still an active fire and the situation could change. Mountain High continues to work closely with the Unified Command, which includes CAL FIRE, Los Angeles County Fire, and the San Bernardino County Fire, among others. The safety of staff, guests, and the surrounding community remains the top priority.”
