The first part of 1978 brought over 50 inches of rain, not to mention some snow. The rain brought destruction...the snow brought a new experience in skiing.
The week of rain caused very little damage in Wrightwood, even though the fire department had to vac water from several wet cellars. Following the laws of nature, the water caused more damage as it coursed downhill. Hwy 138 and Phelan Road were washed out. Flooding caused Phelanders to tread water for 12 hours-as help from Wrightwood was delayed by the storm. The downpour carved new contours along Hwy 138, starting at Mt. Top and going all the way down to I-15. The storm wasn't over as lightning flashed and a small earthquake added to the scare. Cajon Pass had visible damage. But, there was also some hidden damage...damage to the railroad track that was not seen until it was too late.
As seen in the photos taken by Chuck Elder and Paul McGuffin of Wrightwood, sixteen cars of a westbound Santa Fe freight train were derailed after the train hit a washed out 150 foot section of track. Four engines and one dozen auto carriers piled up and caught fire The engineer and fireman escaped death, but two men riding in the train were lost. Despite the disheartening incident, there was a light at the end of the tunnel, so to speak.
The same storm that dumped so much rain also delievered 2-3 feet of snow on the local ski areas. (1)
The storm that wreck havoc on the low lands left white stuff on the highlands. The photos of Kathy Taylor showed an interesting sight. Forget the crowds, don't worry about sunburn and daytime snow blindness...for the first time, night skiing had come to Wrightwood, California. Night skiing routinely happened Wednesday through Saturday, 4:30-20 P.M. .Sometimes the snow was good, sometimes it was ice. As long as the edges were sharpened, it beat anything that had come around in a long time. No crowds and even shorter lift lines made for great skiing. (2)
Just news from the past:
1. Mountaineer Progress, volume 18 no. 28, March 8, 1978; photos by Chuck Elder and Paul McGuffin
2. Mountaineer Progress, volume 16, no. 26, Feb. 22, 1978;
photos by Kathy Taylor
-From the Wrightwood Historical Museum archives-
