It’s no easy feat to tackle this novelty ski run that only shows up on Saddleback Mountain when conditions are just right.
Just the right storm needs to hit, with snow levels low enough and producing enough powder to blanket the rocks and trails. And, the grueling hike to the region’s highest peaks is no easy trek, with steep inclines that get tougher as the elevation inclines.
But a few adventure seekers looking to check skiing and snowboarding in Orange County off their bucket list made the exhilarating journey following the latest storms, scouting out unexpected slopes not so far from home.
Ryan Lawler, a boat captain for Newport Coastal Adventure who usually spends his days on the ocean, trekked up to Saddleback Mountain on March 2, armed with skis, his e-bike and camera gear to capture the unusual ski session.
“It’s totally novelty skiing,” he said. “I’ve been waiting for this for years.”
Most years, snow levels don’t reach lower elevations to dump enough fluffy, fun snow on the trails within Orange County. But this year, Mother Nature delivered a coating onto Modjeska Peak, the second-tallest of the Santa Ana Mountain range with an elevation of 5,499 feet.
The trek wasn’t done on a whim and it wasn’t Lawler’s first time shredding Saddleback.
He first did it in 2011 and then again in 2013, “when I was a much younger buck,” he said with a chuckle.
“I thought I needed to prove to myself I could still do this,” he said. “I’ve executed it on a mediocre level in years past. This year, I saw everything line up perfectly. I was like, ‘I have to go for it.’”
The last time Lawler tried to ski the local mountain, there was so little snow he damaged his skis on rocks, he said. So this time, he wanted to make sure there was enough coverage, constantly checking a webcam at the top of the mountain to see how much snow fell as storms hit last week.
“This time, there was a full foot of snow with the first storm, and the second…
Read the full article here
