Snowboarders hoofed it after Angeles Crest Highway was closed Saturday. (Los Angeles Times / January 23, 2010) |
LOS ANGELES -- Roads to Mountain High in Wrightwood and Big Bear's ski resorts have reopened after many people were stranded and turned away over the weekend.
Highways 18 and 38 and 330 are now open to traffic, however, chains are required.
More than 20 visitors were stuck at an emergency shelter in the Big Bear Valley after being unable to fill-up at tapped-out gas stations in the area over the weekend.
Last week's successive storms made road conditions poor enough that supplying the Big Bear area with gas and groceries was difficult, exacerbating the conditions for visitors trying to get home. So authorities shut off access Sunday to more visitors.
"The gas stations are running out of gas and the grocery stores are running out of food," said San Bernardino County spokesman David Wert.
The closure was a tough move for Big Bear's ski resorts, which experienced high demand after 5-to-6 feet of powder piled up last week.
Highway 38 was closed from Redlands and Yucaipa into Big Bear to all vehicles except emergency vehicles and trucks delivering food and fuel. Access to Highway 18 east of Snow Valley was restricted to residents only. Access to Big Bear Valley on Highway 18 from Lucerne Valley was also closed off.
Only residents, supply trucks and emergency crews were being let through.
Earlier Sunday, there was heavy traffic from people hoping to get up to the Big Bear mountain resorts. Cal Trans had reopened all the highways, but they were quickly so clogged that some people had to be turned away.
Most ski lifts had sold out of lift tickets.
Authorities on Saturday closed off traffic on Angeles Crest Highway north of Los Angeles -- the main route to the popular Mountain High Ski Resort -- because of damage from last week's storms.
As a result, traffic was jammed on the other major route to the resort, Highway 138, prompting the California Highway Patrol to shut off access from the north side of the resort.
On Sunday, Highway 138 was open, but chains were being required on all vehicles except 4-wheel drive vehicles with snow tires on all four wheels from the Los Angeles/San Bernardino County line to the junction of SR 138.
Angeles Crest Highway was reopened Sunday, with chains required from five miles west of Big Pines to the junction of Highway 138.
Highway 18 was also open again Sunday, with chains required from Lucerne Valley.
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Check highway conditions: http://www.dot.ca.gov/cgi-bin/roads.cgi
Big Bear Mountain Resorts: http://www.bigbearmountainresorts.com/index_winter.php
Mountain High Ski Resort: http://www.mthigh.com/
Highways 18 and 38 and 330 are now open to traffic, however, chains are required.
More than 20 visitors were stuck at an emergency shelter in the Big Bear Valley after being unable to fill-up at tapped-out gas stations in the area over the weekend.
Last week's successive storms made road conditions poor enough that supplying the Big Bear area with gas and groceries was difficult, exacerbating the conditions for visitors trying to get home. So authorities shut off access Sunday to more visitors.
"The gas stations are running out of gas and the grocery stores are running out of food," said San Bernardino County spokesman David Wert.
The closure was a tough move for Big Bear's ski resorts, which experienced high demand after 5-to-6 feet of powder piled up last week.
Highway 38 was closed from Redlands and Yucaipa into Big Bear to all vehicles except emergency vehicles and trucks delivering food and fuel. Access to Highway 18 east of Snow Valley was restricted to residents only. Access to Big Bear Valley on Highway 18 from Lucerne Valley was also closed off.
Only residents, supply trucks and emergency crews were being let through.
Earlier Sunday, there was heavy traffic from people hoping to get up to the Big Bear mountain resorts. Cal Trans had reopened all the highways, but they were quickly so clogged that some people had to be turned away.
Most ski lifts had sold out of lift tickets.
Authorities on Saturday closed off traffic on Angeles Crest Highway north of Los Angeles -- the main route to the popular Mountain High Ski Resort -- because of damage from last week's storms.
As a result, traffic was jammed on the other major route to the resort, Highway 138, prompting the California Highway Patrol to shut off access from the north side of the resort.
On Sunday, Highway 138 was open, but chains were being required on all vehicles except 4-wheel drive vehicles with snow tires on all four wheels from the Los Angeles/San Bernardino County line to the junction of SR 138.
Angeles Crest Highway was reopened Sunday, with chains required from five miles west of Big Pines to the junction of Highway 138.
Highway 18 was also open again Sunday, with chains required from Lucerne Valley.
---
Check highway conditions: http://www.dot.ca.gov/cgi-bin/roads.cgi
Big Bear Mountain Resorts: http://www.bigbearmountainresorts.com/index_winter.php
Mountain High Ski Resort: http://www.mthigh.com/
