Mt. Baldy beckons to skiers

Looking up into the mountains ringing the San Gabriel Valley, the peaks are capped with snow. Hard to believe it's 80 down here, but frosty up there. Very pretty.

Makes me think about our closest ski resort, Mt. Baldy. The little resort offers all levels of skiing and boarding, with more than two dozen trails over three mountains. It covers more than 800 acres with 2,100 feet of vertical.

The resort is reporting all lifts and runs in operation. The runs are machine groomed with pack powder base of three to five feet.

From wide open slopes to glade skiing, Mt. Baldy offers groomed runs as well as bowls and moguls. It has been developing its own terrain park.

Mt. Baldy is open weekdays from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on weekends and holidays.

It's fairly easy to get to, follow Mt. Baldy Road for 7 miles to the Village and another 3 miles up to ski resort. The road ends at the ski area parking lot, where parking is free for skiers.

The ticket office and rest rooms are the only facilities at the parking lot. Skiers have to ride the first chair to the main part of the ski area, where they will find the rental equipment, lessons, rest rooms, restaurant, basket check, first aid and tubing park

Remember to fill your gas tank before driving up, there are no gas stations in Mt Baldy.