Santa hasn’t come through for the skiers and other folks at Mt. Baldy this year and there will be no lifts open for the traditional Christmas holiday.
On Thursday, Dec. 19, Brent Baker, president of The Mt. Baldy Companies, announced that, while they do intend to open this season, they will not be able to fund and complete maintenance and certifications on the lifts in time.
“We have been working ceaselessly to overcome the challenges immediately before us in order to get open for the season,” Baker said in a release posted to their website (skibaldy.com).
“We continue to work on our financing and while we can’t guarantee it, we expect to be open in January and will operate, conditions permitting, into April. We have not conducted a season pass campaign to date, as we do not wish to take any money from anyone until we see a clear and reliable path to enabling operation through to the end of the season.
“We have been amazed at and remain eternally grateful for the support and goodwill that everyone has shown for the ski area. This has been a difficult time for everyone from day skiers, to cabin owners, to staff and shareholders. However, if we all hold on to a positive attitude, we believe it will just make the sliding all the more enjoyable once the bull wheels start turning!”
The release went on to state that, when they do open, rates will be set based on the date of opening and how much of the mountain is opened.
The ski hill operators ask that snowmobilers respect their license and stay off of the ski runs. “While the ski area is on Crown land, it is the responsibility potential liability of Mount Baldy Ski Corp,” said the release. “If unmanaged access becomes an issue, our insurer will require more controls to be put in place to prevent it or they can pull the insurance package, further diminishing our chance of opening, and jeopardizing our ability to get insurance in the future.”