Dodgers win 4th straight, hit 4 home runs against Phillies

• May 2, 2023

LOS ANGELES ― A year ago, the Dodgers climbed four games above .500 in their eighth game of the season. They never came close to falling back to Earth until October.

For the first time in 2023, the Dodgers (17-13) climbed four games above .500 by beating the Philadelphia Phillies, 13-4, on Monday night.

Inconsistency was the Dodgers’ only consistent hallmark of April. Now, they have four straight wins for the first time this season. With one exception, designated hitter J.D. Martinez, their Opening Day lineup is healthy and active. Their paternity list is vacant.

Could the Dodgers finally be showing a glimpse of the team as it was drawn up in spring training?

“I think we already knew who we were,” said Mookie Betts, who made his fourth start at shortstop and hit one of four Dodger home runs. “It was just a matter of getting us all back. I can’t really help having babies at the same time. We already knew who we were. It was just a matter of putting it into action. Some guys were hitting, some not. Whatever. Fortunately, we put it all together tonight.”

The Dodgers collected a season-high 15 hits and 13 runs in support of starter Tony Gonsolin and three relievers.

Will Smith’s fourth homer of the season drew first blood against Yucaipa’s Taijuan Walker (2-2). A three-run shot by David Peralta in the second inning gave the Dodgers a 4-0 lead. Jason Heyward’s solo shot in the third inning made it 5-0. Betts capped a 3-for-5 performance with his two-run home run in the eighth inning.

Soon after, infielder Kody Clemens was pitching for the Phillies and pitcher Shelby Miller was batting for the Dodgers. The game, never in doubt, had turned into a laugher.

Freddie Freeman also went 3 for 5. Smith, Heyward, Peralta and Michael Busch collected two hits apiece. Busch also struck out looking against Clemens on a 57-mph fastball.

Former Dodgers shortstop Trea Turner received a brief but hearty ovation from the announced crowd of 42,137 at Dodger Stadium in his return with the Phillies. It ended with a relatively uneventful 1-for-4 night at the plate.

Ironically, it was on the day Turner returned to Dodger Stadium that the Dodgers’ once-apparent dearth of shortstops and fear-inducing hitters was not an issue.

“A complete contribution from everyone, one through nine,” Manager Dave Roberts said. “Fun to watch.”

Gonsolin’s second start of the season started with great promise. He did not allow a runner past second base until Kyle Schwarber curled a home run inside the right field foul pole to begin the fourth inning.

The right-hander got two quick outs to begin the fifth inning but could not come up with the third. Two walks and a single loaded the bases; by then Gonsolin was relying almost exclusively on his secondary pitches. His fastball, consistently in the 93-94 mph range last season, has been sitting 91-92 this year after missing most of April recovering from an ankle injury.

“I felt early, commanded the strike zone a lot better than I did the last outing,” Gonsolin said. “The fifth inning, I kind of tried a little too hard and lost the zone a little bit. Overall the boys raked and I got it done.”

Phil Bickford took over with the bases loaded and immediately allowed a pair of runs on a Nick Castellanos single. Both runs were charged to Gonsolin, who allowed five hits and walked two batters in 4⅔ innings.

Victor Gonzalez (1-0) was credited with the win after throwing 1⅓ scoreless innings in relief of Bickford.

Related Articles

Will Smith goes yard! pic.twitter.com/GWIupxewtY

— SportsNet LA (@SportsNetLA) May 2, 2023

.@DPFreightTrain6 keeps it inside the foul pole for a three-run homer. #HereToPlay pic.twitter.com/XPFcRAjvjS

— SportsNet LA (@SportsNetLA) May 2, 2023

An absolute off the bat of J-Hey. pic.twitter.com/rD9pcagLVK

— SportsNet LA (@SportsNetLA) May 2, 2023

𝙈𝙤𝙤𝙠𝙞𝙚 𝙈𝙖𝙜𝙞𝙘

His third hit of the game is a 2-run homer! pic.twitter.com/c261BZqusE

— SportsNet LA (@SportsNetLA) May 2, 2023

​ Orange County Register 

Kentucky Derby favorite Forte draws the No. 15 position

• May 2, 2023

Three local 3-year-olds, all longshots for Saturday’s 149th running of the Kentucky Derby, landed favorable starting positions during Monday’s post-position draw in the Aristides Lounge at Churchill Downs.

Practical Move, winner of the Los Alamitos Futurity, San Felipe Stakes and Santa Anita Derby in his past three starts, drew the No. 10 post and was installed as the co-fourth choice at 10-1 on the morning line. Ramon Vazquez has the mount on the Tim Yakteen-trained son of Practical Joke.

Yakteen will also saddle Reincarnate in the Run for the Roses. The Good Magic colt was previously trained by Bob Baffert but was transferred to Yakteen’s barn to be eligible for the Derby. Baffert is banned from running horses in the Derby until next year. Reincarnate, third in the Rebel Stakes and Arkansas Derby at Oaklawn Park after winning the Sham Stakes at Santa Anita in January, is 50-1 on the morning line and will be ridden by John Velazquez while breaking from post No. 7.

The third Southland-based Derby horse is Skinner, trained by John Shirreffs. He’ll be ridden by Santa Anita’s leading jockey, Juan Hernandez, who will ride in his first Kentucky Derby. He’s 20-1 and drew the No. 9 post. Shirreffs won the 2005 Derby with 50-1 longshot Giacomo. Skinner, a son of two-time Horse of the Year Curlin, finished third in the Santa Anita Derby.

Yakteen was short and sweet when commenting on his duo’s post positions.

“Do I like them? Yes,” he said.

Said Shirreffs of Skinner’s draw: “Thumbs up. It’s a good draw.”

Forte, who has won six of seven races lifetime and is the Derby’s 3-1 morning-line favorite, will start from the No. 15 post position with Irad Ortiz, Jr. aboard. He’ll be looking to give trainer Todd Pletcher his third Derby victory following wins with Super Saver (2010) and Always Dreaming (2017). Pletcher also has the second choice on the morning line, Tapit Trice (Luis Saez, 5-1), and Louisiana Derby winner Kingsbarns (Jose Ortiz, 12-1). Tapit Trice brings a four-race winning streak into the race and will start from post No. 5, and Kingsbarns will break from the No. 6 hole.

“I’m good with all of them,” Pletcher said. “Good draws. We’re very happy with it.”

What’s it going to take for Pletcher to find the winner’s circle?

“Key is the first step, get away cleanly and then establish position,” he said. “Tapit Trice isn’t super quick, but hopefully he can get into the first turn, save some ground, get into a good position.”

Brad Cox, who won his first Derby in 2021 when original winner Medina Spirit was disqualified for testing positive for a banned substance and Mandaloun was declared the official winner, will start four horses Saturday, including Arkansas Derby winner Angel of Empire, the third choice on the morning line at 8-1. The Classic Empire colt also won the Risen Star Stakes at the Fair Grounds and will be ridden by Flavien Prat, who won the 2019 Derby with 65-1 longshot Country House after Maximum Security was disqualified for interference.

Cox’s other starters are all longshots, including Verifying (15-1), Hit Show (30-1) and Jace’s Road (50-1). Hit Show (Manny Franco) was second in the Wood Memorial at Aqueduct, Verifying (Tyler Gaffalione) was second behind Tapit Trice in the Blue Grass Stakes and Jace’s Road was third in the Louisiana Derby.

Of Hit Show drawing the dreaded rail, Cox said, “It’s OK. We’ll live with it. We have to. He’s doing great.”

Post time for the Derby is 3:57 p.m. PT on Saturday.

The Kentucky Derby field from the rail out with odds: Hit Show (30-1); Verifying (15-1); Two Phil’s (12-1); Confidence Game (20-1); Tapit Trice (5-1); Kingsbarns (12-1); Reincarnate (50-1); Mage (15-1); Skinner (20-1); Practical Move (10-1); Disarm (30-1); Jace’s Road (50-1); Sun Thunder (50-1); Angel of Empire (8-1); Forte (3-1); Raise Cain (50-1); Derma Sotogake (10-1); Rocket Can (30-1); Lord Miles (30-1); Continuar (50-1). Also eligible: Cyclone Mischief (30-1); Mandarin Hero (20-1); King Russell (50-1).

Related Articles

​ Orange County Register 

Bodysurfers celebrate start of blackball season at the Wedge

• May 2, 2023

There was no sun and no swell to mark the momentous occasion, but that wouldn’t put a damper on the beach celebration.

A group of bodysurfers showed up under drizzly skies at the Wedge, a world-famous Newport Beach surf break, to celebrate “Blackball Day” on May 1, when a rule kicks in restricting flotation devices from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. through Oct. 31.

This year marked the 30th anniversary since the Wedge Preservation Society, a group of passionate bodysurfers, lobbied City Hall to stiffen the rules against the growing number of board riders who were flooding into the wild surf break, causing chaos in the water.

The Wedge today is a place where often thousands of stunned spectators stand on the sand and watch in awe when a big south swell is on the horizon, cheering on bodysurfers, bodyboarders, skimboarders and surfers all hoping to get their piece of the wild waves that can be produced.

When an area has a blackball flag displayed, that means hard boards are restricted from certain areas, but most allow Boogie Boards. Not at the Wedge, where even blow up toys (yes, those have been ridden at the Wedge) aren’t allowed in the water during a blackball.

Longtime bodysurfer Mel Thoman, now 66, helped spearhead the effort three decades ago in 1993, when the “Boogie invasion was flying high,” he said, referring to the popularity of the Boogie Board.

While a blackball period had already existed, it was only enforced from noon to 4 p.m., and didn’t start until later into summer.

“We tried to ride, but there were so many boogs,” he said. “We knew all the lifeguards and asked, ‘Is there anything we can do about the situation?’”

So the group of passionate bodysurfers rallied a petition drive that highlighted the Wedge’s significant role as a historical bodysurfing spot that was in danger of disappearing if they weren’t allowed set hours to ride.

The Wedge’s wave is unique, created by a rock jetty put in by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to protect the Newport Harbor entrance in 1936. While it destroyed a surf break at Corona del Mar, it created the Wedge, which bounces incoming water off the jetty and refracts it to “wedge up” in size, creating steep-breaking waves in shallow water.

It became a mecca for bodysurfing in the 1950s when Fred Simpson, who later invented Viper Fins, and Roger Goodan bodysurfed the Wedge.

The invention of the swim fin allowed the wave riders even more control in navigating the Wedge’s wicked waters.

In the ’70s and ’80s, the Wedge Crew, as they are known, would spend summers soaking up the sun and riding the beefy waves any time a summer south swell showed.

Related links

The surfer on the air mattress at Newport’s Wedge? Not the 1st time people have pulled crazy stunts on those wild waves
O.C. filmmaker works to capture Wedge’s waves
Newport Beach’s Wedge goes wild with largest swell of summer season
8 toe-curling photos of thrills and spills from Wedge’s wild show
How to surf the Wedge in Newport Beach

They held raging parties and tournaments on the sand, bringing blow-up toys to take on the big waves.

The popularity of the Boogie Board in the ’80s is when the chaos began, changing the lineup and creating tension in the water. Then, the surf spot was featured in surf magazines and it soon became a hot spot drawing crowds on the sand and wave riders who wanted to conquer the beast.

Longtime Wedge rider Bill Sharp, who a few years ago started the Wedge Awards, was one of those who fought against the original blackball rules – a kneeboarder who didn’t want less time in the water.

But on Monday, Sharp celebrated with the Wedge Crew, now understanding the importance of keeping the water open and accessible for everyone.

“In a way, it’s worked out for everyone. It gives everyone their slice of the pie,” he said. “You get up early and the boardriders have their feast. Then at 10 a.m., the bodysurfers who can’t compete with the boards, they have their sanctuary hours.”

Then at 5 p.m., people with boards come back and it’s a “free for all,” Sharp said.

“Everyone understands, it’s just what makes the Wedge unique,” he said. “No one is kicked out of the water – it’s just the boards are kicked out of the water. A lot of the guys who are really good surfers or bodyboarders or kneeboarders, they are watermen and they can bodysurf too.”

The celebration on the sand kicked off with a beach cleanup and Thoman putting up a big blackball flag in the sand near the rock jetty where each summer for decades Wedge Crew bodysurfers have gathered whenever a swell shows up.

Lance Jencks, 75, started bodysurfing here in 1965. As he walked up onto the beach he yelled out: “Happy Wedge Day!”

“I come every year,” he said, noting he retired from bodysurfing in 2020. His longtime love affair with the Wedge is “everything,” he said.

“It lasted longer than my first marriage,” he said with a chuckle. “That’s why we live here.”

Bodysurfer Jason Harney, who followed his older brother down to the Wedge when he was 14 years old in 1986, said there’s been a recent resurgence and appreciation for the break since the “Dirty Old Wedge” was released. The 2016 documentary is being featured at the Dana Point Film Festival on Sunday, May 7.

“There are a couple places known for bodysurfing, this is certainly the preeminent one of those,” he said.  “A lot of people, even if they haven’t been down here to ride waves, they are aware of it. That film, being such a historical homage to the group and the place, allows us people to be more aware.”

As the group gathered for a photo, a few small bumps started forming and as the swell inched closer to shore, the bodysurfers all watched in anticipation, cheering as it bounced off the jetty and formed a small peak.

While it wasn’t surfable on this day, they know they have entire summer ahead – and who knows, maybe this summer Wedge season will be one for the history books.

“The Dirty Old Wedge,” which tells the history of the world-famous surf break, will be featured at 5:30 p.m. on May 7 at the Double Tree, 34402 E Pacific Coast Highway, Dana Point. For tickets, go to  danapointfilmfestival.org.

Related Articles

​ Orange County Register 

California fire chief: Prepare now for height of fire season delayed by record precipitation

• May 2, 2023

Record-setting snow and rain have left vegetation flush with moisture, prompting the state’s fire chief to predict that wildfires will not break out with regularity this year until the middle of June, about 45 days later than normal.

But Cal Fire Director Joe Tyler said at the Prado Helitack Base in Chino during his statewide media tour on Monday, May 1, that now is the time for residents to prepare for the inevitable.

“While this winter has brought historic snowfall and historic rain and these hills are green, they will dry out. And we must remain vigilant in our efforts to reduce wildfires. And we must not let our guard down,” Tyler said.

Tyler was joined by representatives of the San Bernardino County fire and sheriff’s departments, state Office of Emergency Services and U.S. Forest Service, among other agencies.

After some prodding, Tyler gave California residents a grade of B for their preparedness. He said their efforts will help determine the severity of the 2023 year-round fire “season.”

“That is all depending on the proactive steps homeowners take to be able to reduce those light flashy fuels. Some of the grass in some areas of the state is taller than me right now,” said Tyler, who lists himself as 5-foot-10 when he’s not in his firefighter boots. “Once the grass (dies), that light flashing fuel is going to be an easy target for embers.”.

Already, some of the lush landscaping on the distant hills is changing color.

“These hills will turn brown, and they will burn,” county Fire Chief Dan Munsey said. “Make sure you are prepared.”

Statewide, Cal Fire has responded to 640 brush fires this year and 135 alone last week, including the Nob fire near Lytle Creek that has burned 227 acres and was 73% contained Monday. Those figures do not include fires on federal lands.

Officials provided these tips for protecting people and property against wildfires:

• Fill a “go bag” that can be placed near your door that contains a flashlight, radio, batteries, medicine, spare shoes, warm clothing, pet food and face masks, among other items that you might need for a couple of days.

• Create a defensible space around your property of at least 100 feet. This includes removing anything that could help flames jump from brush to your home.

• Install landscaping that is resistant to fire.

• Don’t park in grass that is sure to be overgrown in many areas following the winter rains.

• Be careful not to cause a spark by mowing fields that have rocks or dragging a tow chain on the pavement behind your car.

• Create and practice an evacuation plan.

• Sign up with your local public safety agencies.

•  When you see smoke, monitor social media or your local news media for official information.

•  Evacuate when told to do so. San Bernardino County sheriff’s deputies will blare a “high-low” siren from their patrol cars this summer to warn residents that the fire threat to their homes is imminent. “It is time to leave,” Sheriff Shannon Dicus said.

• Look for other ideas at Readyforwildfire.org

Related Articles

​ Orange County Register 

LAFC has no margin for error in CONCACAF Champions League semifinal with Philadelphia

• May 2, 2023

The Philadelphia Union has not defeated the Los Angeles Football Club once during the half dozen times the MLS clubs have squared off.

However with one exception, a 4-1 victory for LAFC at BMO Stadium back in their expansion season, the teams’ subsequent results have all been draws following 90 minutes, a result that would imperil the Black & Gold’s CONCACAF Champions League run if something similar happened Tuesday night.

After securing 3-0 leads on the road in previous Champions League rounds, returning to L.A. tied one apiece makes the second leg of this semifinal anything but a coronation for Coach Steve Cherundolo’s group.

“We knew before the game in Philly started it would be like this,” said LAFC defender Sergi Palencia, who watched from the bench as the Union dictated terms of the semifinal match.

Effectively at halftime of the home-and-away Champions League format, LAFC players and coaches were satisfied with the intense and competitive result but not their performance.

Hosting the Eastern Conference champions again after the epic MLS Cup final last November, LAFC used additional time and space to prepare by skipping a league match against Houston, which the league postponed from Saturday until mid-June.

Intent on playing the way it wants against the Union’s challenging diamond-shaped midfield, LAFC worked this week on positioning, organization and not forcing transition attacks against the heavy weight of their opponent’s high press and vertical, direct offense.

“That’s always a lot to handle for any team,” Cherundolo said before the opening contest. “I felt we dealt with it pretty well. Most of the goals have come off of set pieces. The run of play, not too many. So it’s nothing we don’t know. But it’s much the same as they do with everybody. They don’t have a special recipe against us.”

The Union will be without physical midfielder Jose Martinez, who pulled up late with a hamstring injury and did not travel to L.A.

With or without a full complement of key pieces, the Union has proven capable of consistently scoring on LAFC, which it must do at least once to get level on the crucial away-goal tiebreaker.

Scenarios for advancing are simple.

If either team wins, it will represent Major League Soccer in the CONCACAF Champions League final.

Thanks to Kellyn Acosta’s late equalizer at Subaru Park last week, holding Philadelphia scoreless would be enough to send LAFC through to compete against Leon or Tigres UANL.

Ending 1-1 conjures the specter of another penalty kick shootout to decide a major moment between two of the best teams in North America over the past five years.

Save for a scoreless match or a 1-1 finish, any draw keeps the teams level on aggregate and shifts the defining away-goal edge to the Union.

Said Philadelphia head coach Jim Curtin: “Anything is possible, especially if we score early in L.A.”

The Union’s urgency should deliver an open game with more rhythm compared to the choppy first leg, giving an LAFC side eager to return home, where it played twice during seven matches in April, opportunities to add to its advantage.

“We feel we are also equipped to beat them but it’s gonna take a very, very good performance,” Cherundolo said.

PHILADELPHIA AT LAFC

What: CONCACAF Champions League semifinal (2nd leg)

When: Tuesday, 7 p.m. PT

Where: BMO Stadium

TV: FS1, TUDN

Related Articles

​ Orange County Register 

Gov. Newsom touts state’s transition to renewable energy in LA facility tour

• May 2, 2023

California Gov. Gavin Newsom touted the progress the state has made toward weaning itself off of fossil fuels and creating jobs for low-income communities during his tour of a renewable fuels facility in Los Angeles on Monday, May 1.

The governor’s trip comes as the state is grappling with the challenges of climate change. Extreme weather has led to prolonged periods of drought, blistering heat waves, and in recent months, severe thunderstorms and flooding. Climate crisis has also disproportionately impacted low-income communities, who are least able to prepare for and recover from extreme weather events due to their limited resources.

During his tour of World Energy Paramount, the original site of a century-old petroleum refinery, Newsom noted the impact that the fossil fuel industry has had on vulnerable communities.

“That impact is real, and that impact is raw for people living in these communities as it relates to not only the air quality, but the manifestation of air quality as it relates to health outcomes, as it relates to chronic disease and the like. And so we are here with a sense of urgency, a sense of intentionality, and a sense of purpose,” he said.

Paramount World Energy, led by CEO Gene Gebolys, is a green energy supplier that specializes in the production of renewable jet, diesel, gasoline and propane fuels. The 63-acre refinery complex was previously owned by Southern California renewable diesel producer AltAir Paramount and was acquired in 2018 by the Boston-based World Energy.

The company announced a $350 million investment over the next two years to convert the facility into “one of the cleanest fuel refineries in the world,” according to a press release at the time. The project would enable the company to process 306 million gallons of renewable fuel annually, and support 100 green economy jobs.

During an interview after the event, Gebolys told the Southern California News Group that there’s “a complete alignment” between the state policies and the company’s initiatives.

“Obviously, the public sector can’t do anything without a private sector response, and the private sector needs the signal from the public sector,” Gebolys said. “So we are honored and grateful that the governor chose to be here and to recognize the alignment between the private sectors and the public sector in the work that World Energy is doing here.”

The California project has paved the way for additional clean energy works that the company is undertaking in other parts of the world, such as a sustainable aviation project in Houston, and a clean hydrogen initiative in Canada, he said.

“Energy transition is gonna be something that drives many trillions of dollars in investments, and California is gonna be at the tip of that spear,” Gebolys said.

Paramount Mayor Isabel Aguayo said the Paramount project is “one shining example” of the city’s commitment in the global fight against climate change.

“Everyone in town has been aware of this 100-year-old refinery and its outdated manufacturing,” she said, noting that the city council carefully studied World Energy’s permit to transform the production to sustainable aviation fuel before giving the company its stamp of approval.

California, known for its ambitious green energy goals, last week became the first jurisdiction in the world to ban the sale of diesel trucks by 2036. The mandate by the California Air Resources Board also requires large trucking companies to convert to electric or hydrogen models by 2042.

During his speech, the governor also noted the work that the state has undertaken to cut tailpipe emissions of passenger vehicles, namely the Advanced Clean Cars II rule, which built a year-by-year roadmap to transition all new cars sold in California to zero-emission vehicles in 2035.

“And you’re seeing the automobile manufacturers all move in that direction. Whether those that argue for the past like it or not, that transition is underway; those signals have been sent; the policy has been an accelerator, and California, proudly, has led,” Newsom said.

Despite “uncertainty nationally and globally”, the state is “standing tall and firmly” in its transition to green energy and it is doing so in a way that creates jobs for people of color, the governor said.

Fifty-five manufacturers in ZEV, or the zero emission vehicle sector, have chosen to build their headquarters in the state, Newsom said. In addition, there are six times more green energy jobs in California than fossil fuels jobs.

“This transition is well underway, but what’s not well understood is the opportunity to think more broadly than just passenger vehicles, more broadly than just what’s happening in your tailpipe as you navigate the I-405 here in Southern California,” the governor said, adding “This is a big deal, and I can say, I can’t be more proud of anything else in the state.”

Related Articles

​ Orange County Register 

Orange County scores and player stats for Monday, May 1

• May 2, 2023

Support our high school sports coverage by becoming a digital subscriber. Subscribe now

Scores and stats from Orange County games on Monday, May 1

Click here for details about sending your team’s scores and stats to the Register.

MONDAY’S SCORES

GIRLS LACROSSE

CIF-SS PLAYOFFS

Wild-Card Round

DIVISION 3

Northwood 16, Paloma Valley 3

Huntington Beach 10, San Marcos 6

BOYS GOLF

SOUTH COAST LEAGUE

San Juan Hills 189, Mission Viejo 208

Co-medalists: Smolinski (SJH) 34, Rasmussen (SJH) 34

NONLEAGUE

Foothill 196, Villa Park 207

​ Orange County Register 

Last lifts mark end of ‘historic’ snow season, Southern California resorts ready for summer

• May 2, 2023

The snow is melting and it’s time to turn attentions to the summer season at Southern California’s mountain resorts.

Mountain High in Wrightwood on Monday, May 1, marked the last day its lifts were running, and a day earlier, Snow Summit in Big Bear had its final runs open following a historic winter that kept snowboarders and skiers stoked through the season.

With temperatures getting into the upper 70s in recent days, the blanket of white stuff was quickly turning to slush and dirt patches were growing as the winter’s snow disappeared. Many riders ditched their snow gear to cruise down the slopes in tank tops and shorts.

Mountain High’s closing day celebration marked the first time in a decade the resort stayed open until May, with 177 inches of snow falling this season.

About 1,500 snowboarders and skiers showed up for their last runs, with a big group ski to mark the final lap, said John McColly, chief marketing officer for Mountain High.

“It was truly an amazing year, not without its highs and lows,” he said. “But the amount of snow we received and the general vibe around the resort – everyone just had the best time ever. Everyone was here having a good time … it was a great year.”

Traditional summer activities kick off May 12, including the opening of its popular disk golf course. Campsites will open soon and, for the first time, the resort will offer mountain biking. Trails will be built in June and will likely open in August, McColly said.

Snow Summit and Bear Mountain reported an estimated 243 inches of snow this winter, far more than the 69 inches the resort tallied last season.

The figure was the most the resort had in its records dating back two decades, the only season coming close was 2019-20, when 168 inches fell but COVID-19 restrictions kept people off the slopes.

“Both in terms of natural snow and operational days and the longest season we have on record, we’re comfortable saying it’s the most successful and historic year in the past 20 years,” said Justin Kanton, spokesperson for Big Bear Mountain Resort, noting that during a 10-day span in February and March, 100 inches fell.

The resort was able to stay open three weeks longer than expected before shutting down Snow Summit on April 30, with Bear Mountain closing earlier in the month.

Despite the plentiful snowfall this season, it’s melting fast, Kanton said.

“Operationally, it was time to flip that switch and get ready for summer,” he said. “All the way around, it was time to make the call and we were glad we were able to go out on a high note.”

Already, heavy machinery was out on Monday moving around snow to dig out mountain biking and hiking trails, he said. “Now, we’re getting ready for summer. All the snow has to make its way down to the lake and that should make for some great summer conditions.”

Also, with Big Bear Mountain Resort’s purchase of Snow Valley this year, the coming months will be spent getting started on renovations and infrastructure updates at that resort, Kanton said.

If you’re not ready for the winter season to end, Mt. Baldy is closed on weekdays but lift tickets are still being sold for May 5-7. And, Mammoth Mountain, about a six-hour drive from Los Angeles and Orange County, expects to stay open for skiing through July.

Related Articles

​ Orange County Register