Hundreds of skiers and snowboarders were delighted over the weekend as fresh powder blanketed the mountains after a powerful winter storm moved its way through Southern California during the week.
It’s great news for winter sports enthusiasts, and for local businesses in mountain communities like Wrightwood whose economy has been hit hard by the pandemic.
But the fresh pow lines were not so easily accessible by many who couldn’t wait to shred the gnar.
Angelina Khaourdajian, a resident of Glendale, said she and her friends were stuck in traffic for five hours trying to get to the Mountain High Resort in Wrightwood.
“I was so excited. I’ve been in my snow gear since the morning,” Khaourdajian said. “But they closed the roads 0.4 miles before we got there. So we had to turn around and now we’re in two more hours of traffic.”
While the slopes are open at Mountain High, the traffic is a nightmare. Icy, narrow roads were just some of the hazards.
Some people were so fed up with the traffic that they pulled over and walked the last mile or so to the base of the mountain.
Roy Whitney, an Oak Hills resident, said it didn’t matter once he was on the mountain.
“It was good! We haven’t seen powder all year,” Whitney said. “Yes we saw a little bit in the beginning but they’ve been blowing snow ever since.”
More snow is expected to hit Southern California Tuesday into Wednesday. That’s good news for the slopes, which will be open.