Adult Group Snowboarding Lesson at Mountain High Resort

My snowboarding lessons at Mountain High offered personalized instruction and a small student-to-teacher ratio, ensuring a fun and effective learning experience

Mountain High was always that ski destination I knew about growing up but never considered visiting. However, during my indoor snowboarding lesson at Virtual Snow LA, my coach suggested I take a class on the slopes to apply what I was learning in our one-on-one session. Intrigued, I looked into it and discovered that Mountain High was more accessible than Big Bear and other higher-elevation resorts. Their adult group snowboarding class, including rentals and a pass, was better priced than returning to Mammoth Mountain. With an upcoming snowfall, it felt like the perfect opportunity to try it out.

After convincing my adventurous friend Johann to join me, we booked our lessons – mine for snowboarding and his for skiing – and were ready to go.

The Day Apple Maps Nearly Led Me to Disaster

On a rainy weekend morning, I drove from Los Angeles to Mountain High. While Apple Maps is usually reliable, I learned the hard way that it’s not infallible. On a snow day, Apple Maps directed me to take Largo Vista Road to Mountain High—a decision I strongly advise against.

A mile from the resort, I got stuck in icy snow. I pulled over to let another car pass, but when I tried to move forward, my tires spun, and I started sliding backward. The terror of being on the side of a mountain in icy conditions was unlike anything I’d experienced, even compared to driving through a blizzard in Denver. Thankfully, three kind strangers stopped to help me push and guide my SUV back onto the road. I was overwhelmed with gratitude.

As I drove down, I noticed other cars stuck in the snow. Let me reiterate: do not take Largo Vista Road to Mountain High on a snow day. There’s no cell service, the road isn’t well-cleaned, and it’s dangerously icy. This road is for locals and Nissan Altima drivers that DGAF only.

After safely returning to Pearblossom Highway, I stopped at an AutoZone in Phelan to buy snow chains. The staff was incredibly helpful, and I left with an easy-to-install set.

Then, I took the 138 to the 2, passing through Wrightwood, and finally arrived at Mountain High without further issues.

My Experience in the Snowboarding Class at Mountain High

Snowboarding has always intrigued me more than skiing. While I’ve skied at Mammoth and Vail, snowboarding feels more rewarding. As someone over 30, my motivation wasn’t just about looking cool—it was about challenging myself, embracing vulnerability, and learning something new. I wanted to prove to myself that falling isn’t failing. Truly, it is part of the process of finding balance and improving.

After a previous lesson at Mammoth, I invested in all of my Burton snowboarding gear. So, I was damn well determined to make progress – no matter what.

Parking close to the entrance of Mountain High cost $25. Which, for not needing to park off site and take a shuttle was well worth it.

After gearing up, I met up with Johann, took the magic carpet up to the rental area and checked in for my snowboarding class.

Edwin, the lesson supervisor assigning classes, was warm and welcoming, assessing each student’s skill level. I immediately appreciated Mountain High’s small student-to-teacher ratio. Instead of one instructor managing five students, it was one instructor for one or two students.

Johann had his own instructor, while I was initially paired with Jose, who was friendly and insightful. I felt immediately at ease and ready to learn.

However, due to an issue with another student’s rental board, I was reassigned to a different instructor.

This is where self-awareness became crucial. With the new teacher, I realized I was still very much a beginner and still associating falling with failure. I realized I was still fully struggling with the sensation of weight distribution on the board.

My newly paired to instructor was already working with a more advanced student, and I simply felt out of place. We took the Snowflake gondola up to the top of the slope (my first time) – and the gondola operator at the bottom made a backhanded comment that I needed to move faster.

My anxiety spiked at the top of the slope, and I couldn’t get up with my feet strapped in, fearing I’d slide uncontrollably. The instructor’s frustration grew as he focused more on the intermediate student, leaving me feeling neglected. I became frustrated as well, as I didn’t pay for a lesson to watch another person practice.

Eventually, I scooted down the Snowflake run on my butt until I felt safe enough to walk. I returned to the check in yurt and found Edwin once more. After explaining the situation, Edwin noticed my frustration and offered to work with me for the remaining hour.

Edwin was patient and kind, meeting me where I was. He didn’t push me beyond my limits but instead guided me step by step. When I was afraid to carve with both feet strapped in, he had me start with one foot out, gradually building my confidence. He also helped me tune into my fears and taught me to connect with my board, my body, and the snow.

There were times when I wanted to stop in self frustration. I remember one point when I looked at my watch and thought, “I still have 30 more minutes of this – come on body. I know you’re tired but come on, we can do this.” But Edwin was kind, patient, and met me where I was. He didn’t push me too hard for his ego. When I was afraid to carve with both feet strapped in, he guided me first with one foot out, then encouraged me to try with both.

He also helped me tune into what terrified me about being on the snowboard. When he noticed my nervousness and anxiety and how it was affecting me, he kindly but firmly said: “Relax.”

At once, I was immediately conscious of my tension, my own fears of imperfection and the fact that this was HARD. As I relaxed my shoulders, hips, and breath, I began to improve my mind body connection. Edwin’s encouragement made the lesson enjoyable—I felt supported rather than criticized.

A good teacher meets their student where they are and encourages incremental progress. Edwin also taught me to look where I wanted to go, letting the board guide me. It was kind of a metaphor for life. Truly, snowboarding is a delicate dance of movement and balance. Yes, I fell, just like many others on the green lift. But what mattered was that I kept getting up, congratulating myself, and trying again.

Snowboarding has taught me self-mastery and shown me that I don’t need to rely on others’ opinions as my own. Yes, I have friends who have had great experiences on their boards. And, I know of people who have had shitty experiences snowboarding. But, instead of continuing to internalize them and operate from fear of not wanting that to happen to me. I’m learning to have my own experiences instead.  Through that, I am expanding my understanding of who I am.

In snowboarding, it doesn’t matter when you start, as long as you start. It doesn’t matter what gear you have, as long as you use it. It doesn’t matter about the instructor’s experience as much as how they meet you and guide you one step further than where you began. What everyone needs is someone cheering them on when they think they can’t do it. I truly appreciate Edwin doing that for me.

By the end, I wasn’t jumping or doing anything fancy. But, I did feel a spark of connection between my board, my body, and my mind. With every fall, I got back up and figured out what worked best for me. Instead of the typical “froggy” stance, Edwin coached me to get up in a way that felt better and safer for my body: butt in the air and then balancing vs focusing on my arms. I’m very bottom heavy so that worked for me. I also learned snap out of my bindings, stand up and put them back on without shame, embracing what worked for me.

I’m not learning snowboarding to “bro out.”  I’m learning to have fun and challenge myself. The lessons I’m learning, in my lessons, are so, so worth it. There is no shame in starting something new. Because, no matter what happens – at least I did it.

By the end of my two hours, I was exhausted and didn’t want to do anything else. Johann finished his lesson early, had relaxed a bit and was ready to do another ski run. So I relaxed and waited for him to finish, before we walked to the parking lot together and parted ways.

As I drove down the mountain, I felt accomplished, knew what I needed to add to my snow day arsenal – namely a snow bib – and was already talking about planning my next adventure back Mountain High.

The next morning, I woke up with a few tender spots on my body. But the bruises were nothing compared to the rush of empowerment I felt.

Sure, snowboarding had knocked me down a few times. But, I had separated the idea that falling was failing.  It’s not about how many times you fall; it’s about getting back up and trying again.

A few weeks later, I returned for another morning class on the mountain.

For this session, I worked with Bryan St. Germain, another incredible instructor – who was actually Edwin’s teacher.

During class, he worked with me so I learned how to step over the board confidently; turning on my snowboard; how to do a heel stop with one foot out; how to adjust my stance on the board and find my center; toe stops; and how to do a J stop. It was absolutely invigorating.

Through the course of this class, I trusted Bryan enough to lead me through the baby steps – which was the fundamental basics that I needed. Bryan had this incredible way of breaking everything down into baby steps, helping me build a solid foundation—literally from the snow up. By the end of class, I felt like I was starting to get it.

The following week, I texted both Bryan and Edwin to see if I could snag Bryan for an all-day class consisting of a morning and afternoon sessions. Lucky for me, when I showed up, Bryan was ready to go. We revisited the basics from our previous session, and then he took me to the next level: heel stopping down steeper inclines, using my hips to maneuver the board, board jumps, and crucially – how to get on and off the gondola safely.

Bryan dropped some serious wisdom on me during our sessions, including this gem: “This sport is given to no one—you have to earn it.” He also taught me the importance of feeling a concept and thinking about it before executing it. This was a game-changer for me. I realized I needed to mentally grasp a move before my muscles could memorize it. Once that clicked, everything started to fall into place.

Plus, he worked with me to train my body to ride regular vs goofy – as I had no idea which would suit me best until he worked with me to figure it out. Turns out, riding left foot forward is the best for me. He also fixed my bindings to an even 9 degree stance.

Thanks to Bryan’s guidance, I coasted off the lift without stumbling. A small victory, maybe, but it felt huge. Bryan then led me through my first full run. I felt like I was flying. It was pure magic.

To think that in just a month, I’d gone from my first lesson at Mammoth Mountain to taking classes at Mountain High and finally conquering my first run – I was so damn proud of myself.

Bryan even schooled me on snowboarding superstitions, like never saying “final run” at the end of the day. I learned that one the hard way when I caught an icy patch and face – planted so hard it knocked the wind out of me.

After Bryan checked me for a concussion and made sure I wasn’t dizzy, I finished the run and headed back to the tent, bruised but with a deep internal swagger.

When it comes to value, Mountain High Resort’s adult group snowboarding lessons at $206 were a straight banger of a value compared to Breckenridge, Colorado being $359 for a lift ticket, lesson and class. Investing in those sessions was one of the smartest decisions I made. Not only did I gain confidence and skills, but I also walked away with unforgettable memories – and a few scars to prove it.

You are never too old to be a badass.

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