Sledhead secrets

Would-BE sledders who want to ascend above cactus level for that winter wonderland up high should expect lots of company at popular spots just off main roads in the local mountains. But inside the national forests lurks an inviting option: areas that have been cleared out specifically for snow play.

Located at turnouts along roads such as Angeles Crest Highway, these areas are plowed for parking and play. There’s usually plenty of room for sledding, and you won’t have to worry about being ticketed for illegally parking along the highway. The Angeles Crest turnouts you encounter on your way out of La Canada-Flintridge tend to be far more packed than those you’ll come upon if you enter the forest from the east.

This week, however, there’s added danger in the Angeles National Forest -- potential mudslides from the combination of stormy weather and fire damage from the last two years. Rangers say sledding is permitted on western roadsides but access to the eastern end is limited because of heavy snow and possible slides.

Those looking for an alpine experience that feels more like the Sierra than Southern California can travel north on Interstate 5 beyond the Grapevine and visit Mt. Pinos, about 20 miles west of Frazier Park, where there’s sledding around the Chula Vista Campground. (Tire chains are often required on Mt. Pinos Road.)

Keep in mind that many popular sledding areas also abound with such natural obstacles as rocks and trees. On heavy snow weekends, ambulances commonly cart away injured sledders, says Paul Bennett of the San Bernardino National Forest.

To avoid colliding with nature, Bennett recommends commercial snow play areas where trees and rocks have been cleared. For a fee, you can “tube-oggon� in the San Bernardino Mountains at Snowdrift Winter Park and the snow play area at Snow Valley Ski Resort, both on Highway 18 about three miles east of Running Springs, and at Alpine Slide at Big Bear Lake. Fees range from $8 to $20, including sled or inner-tube rental. With the exception of Alpine Slide, which has a chairlift, you’ll need to schlep self and sled up the hill.

When it comes to downhill transport, options range from a plastic saucer to higher-tech sleds that resemble non-motorized Jet Skis. Note to ex-Midwesterners and “Citizen Kane� fans: Don’t expect to find the toboggans you had as a kid -- wooden ones with metal runners. Sleds here have more in common with beach boogie boards than Rosebud.

There are sleds shaped like saucers -- virtually impossible to steer -- and sleek, aerodynamic plastic numbers. A recent survey at Sport Chalet in Burbank revealed sleds ranging from $3 for a Crazy Slide (a plastic sheet with a handle) to $100 for the Hamax Snow Family, which comes complete with brake and steering wheel. Sales associate Maynard Enriquez recommends sturdier double-ply models, such as the two-person Super Whomper, $30, instead of flimsier single-ply models, which can bruise a tailbone if slid over a rock.

A cheap and easy alternative? A couple of blocks of ice from the supermarket (yes, a few still sell blocks) with a towel on top. Don’t knock it till you’ve tried it.

To e-mail Julie Sheer or read her previous Outdoors Institute columns, go to latimes

.com/juliesheer.

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Haul out that sled and slide

Here’s how to get going on a woodsy session in the snow.

National forest sledding spots: Chilao, Charlton Flat and Big Pines in the Angeles National Forest; Laguna Mountain Recreation Area in the Cleveland National Forest; and Humber Park and Onyx Summit area in the San Bernardino Mountains.

Snow condition updates: Access may be restricted because of snow and mudslide danger. Call before going. Angeles National Forest, (626) 574-5200; Frazier Park area, (661) 245-3731; San Bernardino National Forest, (909) 382-2601 or 2602; and Cleveland National Forest, (858) 674-2901.

Parking: To park in a national forest, you need a $5 Adventure Pass, sold at forest visitor centers and some sporting goods stores.