Mt. Baldy: A Love-Hate Ski Affair 🎿

Ever had a ski day that made you question your life choices—then somehow still made you want to come back for more? That was Mt. Baldy this past Saturday.

Let’s just say… it was an adventure. Buckle up.

Welcome to Mt. Baldy—Now Sign Your Life Away ✍️

We rolled into the Mt. Baldy parking lot at 8:30 AM, feeling smug that we were ahead of the 9 AM opening. Oh, the naivety.

What we didn’t anticipate? The entire mountain requiring an online waiver—and no one knowing about it until they got there. 🤦‍♂️

It was seemingly everyone’s first day of the season going to Mt. Baldy thanks to the recent snowfall, and everyone needed to sign this waiver. The problem? No cell service. The mountain provides Wi-Fi… but only once you reach the ticket window. So the line? Two hours long.

Pro Tip for Next Time:

• Sign the waiver at home before you go. (If only we’d known—along with the others in line…)

• Pre-pay for parking online—it’s $10 vs. $20 if you pay at the lot.

At least we had $20 off from Ski Dazzle, which made the wait slightly less soul-crushing.

The Chairlift to Adventure (and Possibly Your Last Ride) 🎢

If you’ve never been to Mt. Baldy, let me set the scene. The first chairlift is a small, wooden double chair lift. It’s got “character.” You either appreciate the old-school charm or quietly wonder if this is how your story ends.

Once at the top, you’ve got three more lifts and terrain that ranges from:
✅ Green runs (2-3 options)
✅ Blues (4-5 options)
✅ Blacks (4-5 options)

The beauty of Baldy? The terrain is legit. No frills. No nonsense. Just skiing.

And once you actually get up the mountain? The lift lines aren’t bad at all. Turns out, all the chaos is contained down at the bottom.

The Mt. Baldy Vibe: Mayberry in the Hills

One of the employees summed it up perfectly:
"We’re like Mayberry in the hills. Don’t expect anything to go quick."

And that’s really the Baldy experience in a nutshell. It’s the opposite of corporate-run ski resorts. No glossy village. No high-speed quads. No perfectly groomed boulevards.

It’s skiing in its most raw, frustrating, and unexpectedly rewarding form.

Would I go back? Yep.
Would I mentally prepare for it differently? Also yep.

Après-Ski at Mt. Baldy Lodge: Worth the Stop? 🍔🔥

After an eventful day, we headed to Mt. Baldy Lodge for some much-needed food and warmth.

Here’s the vibe:
🔥 Cozy fireplaces
🎱 Pool tables
🍽️ Down-home food

The staff was super cheerful, and it’s clearly a local hotspot. Would I recommend? Absolutely. Perfect way to end a quirky-but-fun ski day.

Final Takeaways: Would I Recommend Mt. Baldy?

✔ If you love old-school, unpolished ski experiences? Yes.
✔ If you don’t mind waiting and rolling with the punches? Yes.
❌ If you’re looking for seamless, high-end resort skiing? Nope.

It’s a place that tests your patience… and then rewards you with solid skiing. And hey, isn’t that part of the adventure?

Moral of the story: Be prepared, embrace the chaos, and maybe pack a snack for the lift line.

Next weekend, I’m going to Mammoth. Talk about different extremes.

Have you skied Mt. Baldy? Share your experience in the comments! Or save this for when you're considering a trip—trust me, you'll want the tips. 🚡

Ski fast, wait slow, and always pack a snack. See you on the slopes! ⛷️❄️

Sasha & the Ski SoCal Insiders

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