This week’s storm dumped up to 2 feet of snow on some slopes.
“We aren’t Big Bear or Mountain High,” Kathy Ewing-Finley said. “We don’t have any designated snow-play areas, so when people arrive ready to play ... their plan is already set on trespassing and illegal behavior before they even get out of the car.”
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Eva Hatch, who lives in Julian and has a website called Mountain Made, said the backcountry is not designed to accommodate the spontaneous and large number of visitors.
“Our local emergency agencies are staffed to accommodate the local population, and staff is not increased on busy tourism days,” Hatch said. “There is no local government entity to clean up after the visitors. Additionally, we have no way to dispose of the trash left behind.”