Wrightwood, CA – Already the most popular ski and snowboard resort in Southern California, Mountain High has invested more than $1,000,000 this summer in improvements and its infrastructure in preparation for an anticipated half a million guests this winter season.  New are a 50-foot Bagjump lading pad, increased snowmaking capacities with reduced water and power use, Los Angeles-based terrain park features, a new Bison X Park Cat, a Zaugg Pipe Monster, expanded night lighting, the Foggy Goggle Lounge, free apps for iPhones and Androids and a new state-of-the-art rental system.

“Mountain High’s substantial array of upgrades for the 2011-2012 season will deliver an enhanced experience to everyone that visits Southern California’s favorite winter resort,” said Karl Kapuscinski, President and CEO, Mountain High. “We listen to our guests and these upgrades are being made in direct response to their feedback.”

Built for practicing new tricks, Mountain High is introducing Southern California’s first Grande Bagjump, a 50 foot air-filled cushion that lets snowboarders and skiers perfect their moves with less fear of injury. The Bagjump has proven to be popular with athletes of all levels from beginners who are just getting started to professionals gearing up for competitions such as the X-games or the Olympics. Bagjump tickets will be $5 for a single jump, $10 for three jumps, or $15 for five.  Season passes to the Bagjump are also available for $100.

Mountain High is Southern California’s hot spot for freestyle snowboarding and skiing.  This year they are launching a series of new features that replicate iconic Southern California landmarks such as the legendary Hollywood sign, the world-famous Wedge surfing spot in Newport Beach, and the giant stair rails at the Staples Center and Walt Disney Concert Hall.  These are not Mickey Mouse features, though, and they’ll be built with the latest in park equipment including a new 18-foot Zaugg, Swiss-made Pipe Monster, and a new Bison X Park Cat from Prinoth.  The Zaugg pipe cutter earned its credentials at events like the US Open of Snowboarding Championships, the ESPN Winter X-Games and the World Cup. The Bison X represents the latest in technology delivering massive results while being relatively stingy on fuel.   Its centrally located driver’s seat optimizes visibility, while advanced, joystick-control of its front blade and rear tiller provide the resort with improved park shaping ability – even when it’s steep.

Mountain High officials have invested $100,000 this season in new snowboards by Burton for its rental fleet.  Plus, riders will be strapping in faster than ever thanks to the area’s new rental system.  From RTP, resort staffers say that the new process will eradicate congestion and greatly shorten lines with highly efficient fittings and quick-capture of the renter’s needs and preferences.  The new system holds the users information so visitors no longer need to remember their binding settings or equipment size from previous visits.  Rental information can also be entered online at mthigh.com as part of the resort’s new online reservation system, saving even more time once at the resort.

Mountain High will be able to make more snow in 2011-12 than in seasons past, and its retrofitted snowmaking equipment will reduce water use by five percent.  The resort is also phasing out its use of diesel fuel reflecting its “green” commitment.  This combination of conservation and increased snowmaking capacity augments the resort’s addition of a new 4400 CFM electric compressor and several automated snowmaking fan guns than can turn themselves on and off in response to changes in meteorological data.  On a good night, the Wrightwood Resort can make enough snow to cover a one mile stretch of the 405 with a foot of new snow  – now they can do it with less water and less fuel.

The Foggy Goggle Lounge is the new home of après ski at Mountain High.  Located within 20 yards of the Roadrunner and Coyote lifts, guests can stop for a quick break or linger and enjoy table service featuring seven different beers on tap and weekly microbrew specials. They can also order burgers (including veggie burgers), pulled pork sandwiches, and quarter-pound brats hot off the grill.  The new lounge will be supplemented by a deck with relaxed seating, open-air fireplaces, and a white canopy set against a backdrop of towering pines.  Toasty heaters will keep guests warm as will frequent performances by live bands and DJs.

Mountain High is the only local area to offer night skiing and riding five nights a week.  This year they increased lighting throughout the West Resort and in the Playground Jib Arena for nocturnal visitors.

New in Mountain High’s free apps for both iPhone and Android operating systems this season are GPS tracking capabilities that allow guests to pinpoint themselves and locate their friends on the mountain.  Season Pass and Express Pass users can also track their days ridden, runs per day, vertical feet, and more.  There will be realtime on-mountain conditions, terrain park updates, snowmaking overviews, custom weather forecasting, and the latest photos, videos and live cam images. The new app’s social media features include quick links to Mountain High’s Forum, Facebook, and Twitter pages, and guests can upload photos from the mountain directly to their sites. The app can be downloaded at www.mthigh.com, the Apple App Store, and the Android Market beginning in November.