Introducing: The Station Camp. True to our deep-deep roots, this is a great place for church groups needing multiple facets of a weekend.  Meeting space, large cabins, and all-kinds of activities on camp grounds or in the town of Mammoth.

Winter,  is always a feature of Mammoth, but don’t forget the summer goods, too. Ski or Ride Mammoth or June Mountain with your group; yet all the non-riders still have plenty to do day or night.

Click here to see what The Station Camp is all about!

Over the Hump is most Tuesdays through this summer at Irvine Lake, Orange, CA for this summer.

“Challenge yourself and your students at OTH. A phenomenal opportunity to expose to students a stretching and rewarding physical challenge outdoors in God’s beautiful creation. Put down the video games and come play outside!!!”

Eric Williams, Jr. High Pastor Seaside Community Church

-Eric’s been racing Over the Hump with some guys from his church group since last summer, when we launched our first two.

Join Eric and more 350 other racers of all abilities at this summer’s series.

$25 / race if you register online, and for ever 5 racers who register with your group, you’ll get 1 free.

Check out the schedule at http://overthehumpseries.com/race-info/schedule/

Over the Hump Mountain Bike Race Series kicked off our inaugural season in 2009 with 2 races. Both sold out! Back by popular demand, this season there are 12 races.

OTH is designed to be a fun, relaxed event for everyone. Our race course has been designed to challenge all levels of riders, and give you a great place to experience the fun and excitement of mountain bike racing. Our beautiful course offers a variety of scenic terrain with views of Irvine Lake and Santa Ana Mountain Range. Ride through the pine trees above the lake to single track along the cottonwoods. Easily accessible after work from all over Orange County.

Come out and give racing a try, or just enjoy the buzz! Looking forward to seeing you out there with us.

• Everyone is welcome! Beginners to Experienced racers.
• Great first race to try Mountain Bike Racing, and challenging race for the experienced rider.
• Exclusive Mountain Bike Race track available only to Over the Hump racers.
• Fun and Competitive.
• Highly visible track for your personal support team (AKA family and friends)
• Bring the whole family out for the fun! Picnic area, grass, tons of shade, and full restrooms all right at the water.

This just in from Mammoth:

Mammoth Mountain To Open Friday, October 16, 2009 with

Free Skiing and Snowboarding (FRIDAY ONLY)

• Mammoth will open for skiing and snowboarding on Friday, October 16, 2009.
• This marks the second earliest opening in resort history (earliest was 10/8/94).
• All guests will receive free skiing on opening day (10/16/09 only).
• Mammoth has received two feet of snow at Main Lodge (8,900ft) and four to six feet of snow at the summit (11,053ft)

Mammoth Mountain, CA –A powerful storm recently hit the Eastern Sierra dropping at least two feet of snow on Mammoth Mountain and as much as six feet of snow at higher elevations. This massive October storm has prompted resort officials to open Mammoth for skiing and snowboarding on Friday, October 16, 2009.

Adding to the excitement of the second earliest opening day ever for Mammoth Mountain, skiers and snowboarders will be able to ride for free on Friday, October 16, 2009. Broadway Express will open at 8:30 a.m. servicing a base of 16-24 inches of machine groomed natural snow.

“We are so excited to start the season nearly four weeks ahead of schedule and to be able to reward our guests with a free day on the slopes,” said Howard Pickett, Chief Marketing Officer of Mammoth Mountain. “Mammoth’s high elevation will pay off for skiers and snowboarders who have been anxiously awaiting the coming winter.”

Broadway Express will be open from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily providing access to Broadway, Forest Trail, Mambo, St. Moritz, and Main Park with assorted rails and jibs. With the large snowpack at higher elevations on Mammoth Mountain, more chairlifts and terrain will be added as soon as possible. Other services available at Main Lodge include Broadway Marketplace, Tusks Bar, Rental and Retail.

Take advantage of Mammoth’s free ticket this Friday, or if you can’t make it, contact us to get your group’s trip set up for what promises to be our best winter in 7 years.

INDIVIDUALS: BUY YOUR TICKET FOR BEAR MOUNTAIN BIG BEAR BUS DAY TRIP/Orange County:

Sunday, February 28, 2010(Click Here)

Sunday, March 14, 2010 (Coming Soon)

GROUPS: ONE DAY SNOW SUMMIT/BEAR MOUNTAIN PACKAGE- Bus included! Higher Ground Adventures offers all your needs in one easy package. Save time planning, save money, travel safely and comfortably, and all with one phone call.

Big Bear One Day Trip includes:

• 47 passenger deluxe charter  bus (video, bathroom and storage for equipment)
• Experienced snow drivers, so you get there safe.  You rest, we drive.
• 1 lift ticket per participant
• 2 free lift tickets included (based on 42 people)
• Optional discounted lunch vouchers
• On-site rental equipment at Snow Summit and Bear Mountain
• Tickets delivered to your door, no waiting in lift lines

Click here for rates and to make your reservation.

Planning your personal and group adventures can be daunting, if not downright impossible.  Higher Ground Adventures takes the headache out of group travel. Here’s what you can expect when you work with Higher Ground Adventures.

• Higher Ground’s customers are treated well, we care about you.
• Professional and Experienced Adventure consultants will answer your calls and emails.
• We will assess your needs, answer your questions…no question is a bad one!
• After our initial conversation HGA will present you with a great travel fit for your group. Descriptions of your choices, and a breakdown of the options will all be sent your way.
• From the time you decide on the final details, to the time you travel we’re with you every step of the way. We’ll help you budget, schedule, plan, set up promotion, and all-in-all, help you to know exactly what to expect.
• After all, being prepared is what HGA Adventures fun; so you can enjoy the journey.

Let us know how we can help you. If you’d like to know more, visit our “about us” page.

“What makes June Mountain such a great, when I’ve never heard of it?” you ask.  EXACTLY. I don’t like giving away secrets to the best secret ski and snowboard resorts in the Western United States, without a small disclaimer…if everyone reading this article and another 2,000 guests descended on June Mountain during Christmas Break, on a perfect “blue bird knee deep powder day” June might experience a 10 minute lift line.

June Mountain boasts the same Sierra snow as Mammoth Mountain, a short 20 minute drive from June, and in fact is owned by the same company that owns Mammoth.  But what’s even more amazing than the snow is the days and days of fresh tracks after it snows. Mammoth, which dwarfs June’s acreage, will get skied out within an hour of the lifts opening on a powder day. I’ve spent days skiing a week and even two after a snowstorm hit June Mountain and always been able to find fresh tracks through the trees and on the borders of runs.

It’s a fun mountain for everyone. June Mountain is one of the most hospitable and friendly mountain crews we’ve worked with.  They will welcome you when you arrive.

June’s 7 lifts offer a variety of terrain from Beginner Greens to Expert Black Diamonds. Beginners will find a great ski school, and some very gentle green slopes to head down to the main lodge, never being too far from a warming hot chocolate, or another run back up to the top of Chair 2 to get another run in.  June Mountain and Ernie’s Rental Shop in June Lake offer beginner rental packages through demo ski and board packages.

Experienced snowboarders and skiers will want to spend most of their time on Chair 4 or 7 hitting much of the tree and intermediate terrain offered there. June Mountain’s park has been rated top 10 parks in the nation, and offers a full competition length half pipe, jibs, ramps, jumps, and some interesting additions last year of propane tanks and wrecking balls to bounce off in your leisurely fire down the hill.  But don’t forget The Face!

The Face is as steep and challenging as June Mountain gets, and ironically it’s at the bottom of the hill. June Mountain Lodge sits 1000 feet above the parking lot, so it’s only lift accessible.  From the top of Chair 1 right at Main Lodge you can hurl yourself off some steep challenging chutes, carve open powder faces, or pick your challenging tree run lines.  With the Face being the steepest (and in my mind the most fun), I’ve often errored on the side of taking a last face run down to the bus rather than opting for the more gradual cat run down.

It’s close. By bus or car June Mountain is 7 hours from San Diego and 6 hours from Orange County and Los Angeles.  By ski standards, for a great ski mountain that’s close.  It’s an easy Friday night shot out to get two full days of skiing in, before heading back to work or school.  In comparison to a Brian Head, UT on a short weekend it’s a win!

Did I mention no lift lines? (Even on holidays, lift lines are minimal if existent).

Best Value this side of Colorado. June’s 2 day teen lift ticket @ $77 or Adult 2 day @ $102 is simply unbeatable.

Your pick of lodging. Of the lodging properties in June Lake, we have budget motel units,  rustic cabins, very nice owner updated condos, and lake front cabin properties to choose from.  Whether you’re looking for a gathering place for the family, a condo to accommodate 10, or a motel with meeting space on site we have a wide variety of choices.

Meal options: while June Lake is a sleepy little town, Higher Ground Adventures has developed a network of meal providers and options. You can either fix your own meals, or we can have them catered and delivered to your lodging or meeting space.  Grab a continental “grab and go” breakfast along with Pizza to keep the meals simple.  Or if your tastes are a little more glamorous we’ll deliver a hot breakfast, then for dinner a 3 course taco bar, or better yet drop you at the top of Chair 1 for a private banquet complete with a full menu selection and a view of the town lights and lake.

Size of group. June Mountain is perfect for groups of small 10 person trips, to 150 people with lodging and meeting space to accommodate your entire group.

Bottom line. While June Mountain will never compete with the Whistlers of the world for what they have to offer they don’t have to.  Great value, no lift lines and close to Southern California. It’s easy for us to see why it’s hard to pry group leaders away from June Mountain once they’ve seen what it has to offer.

Contact us to reserve your June Mountain Trip today.

Question is: How will El Nino affect Snow in California?

Of course you’ve heard of the infamous “El Nino”. You may even know the winter weather patterns defined as El Nino hit every 7-10 years.  Familiar with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), which offers weather pattern predictions that affect life and commerce in the US?

More notably, if you live in Southern California, you may remember winter of 1997/1998 wreaked havoc on leaky SoCal roofs, and road gutters were turned into road-side Deltas providing a new wakeboard location in your local neighborhood.  I remember that winter all too well, because I had a 1973 Kawasaki motorcycle as my primary transportation. Everyday, it seemed, I had to put on my yellow rain slicker and pack an extra set of dry shoes for my 12 mile commute.

So what about this winter? It’s time for a cold wet, winter.  After 3 dismally dry rain and snow winters, as it pertains to California, we are desperately in need of water: rain! We need it. But, for me, I’m looking for snow. For us planners, adrenaline junkies, group leaders, ski retreaters, or guys who want to pack a quick snowball in the local mountains the question is: Will it snow this year?

Short Answer: yes! (Or at least a very, very, very strong probability).

I can’t guarantee snow, sorry! But here’s the next best thing. Looking back on patterns of previous El Nino years, California mountain resorts have seen above average snowfall years.

Last week, I spoke with Carl Williams, the Director of June Mountain Resort, in June Lake, CA.  Carl said, “El Nino usually means a cold wet winter, with lots of snow.  Should be a good year for us.”  In the 15 years I have been working with Carl he is not one to offer predictions without foundation.  In fact Carl’s confidence in an overdue strong snowfall is back directly from NOAA.

On July 9, 2009 NOAA issued a statement titled: El Niño Arrives; Expected to Persist through Winter 2009-10.  The Press Release stated, “NOAA expects this El Niño to continue developing during the next several months, with further strengthening possible. The event is expected to last through winter 2009-10″.

So now is the time to plan to take advantage of the snow, and of the deals.  Ski Resorts are ready to offer their best.  After battling poor weather, a tough economy, and all the challenges that brings, resorts are gearing up to offer more service and same if not lower prices than last year.  I’m looking forward to getting a great winter under our belt, and enjoying some powdery turns myself at June Mountain, Mammoth, and Big Bear Resorts.

So get ready! Here’s just a couple of packages help you take advantage of what looks to be the best winter, in at least 4 years…if not the decade!

June Mountain- Stay and Ski Package starting at $25/night/person lodging and $77 teen lift tickets or $105 adult lift tickets.

Big Bear Mountain Resorts- One Day Ski Bus Package $75/person includes bus and lift ticket.

More Winter Destinations

Even some of the more techy weather watchers and predictors like Brian Allegretto, in Northern California (Tahoe), though conservative in their predictions remain optimistic.  “Now I’m not advocating an 800 inch year by any means… I believe the odds are finally on our side for an above normal snowfall winter,” said Brian on his blog on snow in Tahoe. And though that’s not Southern or even Central California, it looks like all the California resorts are expecting above average snowfall this winter.

John Russell, Higher Ground Adventures’ founder called me 7 weeks ago and said, “There’s a mountain bike race in Prairie City…all kinds of riders show up. Orange County could use that. Want to try?”

The next day the experiment was off the ground…within a week we had the printed and web material ready to go and within 4 weeks of our first planned August 26, afterwork, Midweek Mountain Bike Race we received our first registration.  3 weeks later we had 100 registrations with a week to the start. It seemed like it all had slowed down, and we weren’t sure what to expect.  Last Wednesday, August 26, was a total mystery at the time.  Then it hit.

Sunday, August 23, we received 65 and the following day another 60 registrations.  Seems to be a need for mountain bike racing in Orange County.  We had planned for 175 originally, thinking these two races this year would be our great kick off for next year’s 10 week series.  Little did we know what would happen next…pro racers, 315 racers in total and another 200-300 spectators came to Irvine Lake, last Wednesday to check out the race at Irvine Lake.

So here we sit on the other side of the first race, and the second race is quickly approaching. I’ll leave it to the “official, professional, unbiased press event coverage” to lay out what happened next; somehow John’s little idea went big, and Higher Ground Adventures has entered the world of mountain bike racing.  Since it’s a passion of mine, personally, I’m thrilled. But even bigger than that Over the Hump Mtn Bike Race Series touched a nerve with the Southern California Mountain Bike Community and gave us all a midweek, family friendly, grassroots, and yet competitive place to visit.  Come race or watch the next one, Irvine Lake, Tuesday Night, September 15, 2009: 6:00pm race start.

Over the Hump Race coverage at Oakley.com and OCRegister.com

Visit http://overthehumpseries.com/news/ for updates and photos.

See you at the races- Matt

You spoke we listened, “more information, pictures, regular updates, Twitter feed, contact information, resources, online forms, and details”. (For those die-hard Higher Ground fans who love a phone call and value our top-notch customer service: don’t worry we still list our phone number, answer it, and love talking to you).

What’s new:

• Specific information on our most frequented destinations and services
• Features” section on the home page: for quick links to specials and offerings
• We’re now on Twitter! Follow us at http://Twitter.com/HigherGroundAdv
• Resources page: for some added bells and whistles like Fundraising, Online Registration, and Coming Soon: Trip Insurance
• Blog section, where you’ll find weekly articles and updates to keep you informed on the latest at Higher Ground Adventures.

I want to personally think all of you, our valued customers who have been our biggest advertisers, and the reason why we thrive. Please keep sharing your experiences with your friends and colleagues. Referrals from friends are the most trusted endorsement known to man!

Lastly, a special thank you to my wife, Charity, for a great graphic presentation on the site, and Jason Loftis http://jloft.com, who made the site come to life. You both worked hard to get the site up and running, and give us a tool we can use everyday. Thank you!

So here’s to no more static pages and the New and Improved Higher Ground Adventures.

Big Adventures,

Matt

June Mountain Stay and Ski: $25/night and $77 teen two day lift or $102 Adult 2 day lift.

Big Bear Resorts Ski Bus: set your group up with an FUN, easy, quick, one day ski day- $75/person includes bus and lift ticket.

Visit our winter destinations page or  drop us a line on the dates, numbers, destination, and we’ll get your planning for winter done now! Click here to begin the easy process.