Category Archives: Mammoth Mountain

High winds and high adventure while spring skiing at Mammoth Mountain

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Skiing in the sunshine at Mammoth Mountain. (Photo courtesy of Mammoth Ski Resort)

By Marlene Greer

This week in Mammoth Mountain was the first time I’ve actually had to pole downhill. Yes, that’s right – use my ski poles to propel myself down the mountain.

On Tuesday, bone-chilling winds at the summit hit 75 mph, according to mountain staff, and mid-mountain was not much better with strong 30-40 mph winds. The temperature at the top was a chilly 20 degrees.

The gondola to the summit was closed for three days and opened again on Thursday, though Chair 23, the other lift to the top, remained open despite the high winds. Whether that was a wise choice is debatable.

Those who ventured to the summit Tuesday and Wednesday described winds nearly blowing them over and being pelted unmercifully with ice. Skiing off the summit, they told me, was a scary experience.

Caitlin, a 20-something skier from Utah, was skiing Mammoth on Tuesday with her four friends and got caught off guard at the summit by a powerful gust of wind.

“It was so bad we all huddled together for about five minutes,” she explained. “We didn’t know what to do, which way to go. I felt like I was going to get blown off the mountain.”

Inga, spending spring break at Mammoth with her boyfriend and friends, called her one and only ride to the summit and ski down “an unfortunate adventure.”

Shredding some snow at Mammoth Mountain. (Photo courtesy of Mammoth Ski Resort)

“The wind was blowing ice so hard that the ice hitting my helmet sounded like hail,” her boyfriend added. The San Diego couple did not plan on making a second attempt to the summit that day.

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Skier Cross Camp with X Games gold medalist John Teller at Mammoth

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Learn the secrets to speed with X Games gold medal winner John Teller at Mammoth Mountain on May 18-19.

Combine Mammoth’s incredible terrain with Teller’s world-class talent to learn the techniques that helped Teller win X Games gold and become the first American to win a World Cup Ski Cross event.

The camp costs $299. For more information, call Pam Lonza at 760-934-0795 or email plonza@mammoth-mtn.com.

Special discounted lodging rates are available at the Mammoth Mountain Inn for the Mammoth Spring Camps at a discounted room rate of 20 percent. Rates may vary based on room type/size and availability. 

Reservations can be made at www.mammothmountain.com, and using the following information:  John Teller Skier Cross Camp Group ID: 15288, Password: 37000188

Reservations also can be made by calling 800-626-6684.

Join Stacey Cook for Chix on Stix weekend at Mammoth

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Join two-time Olympian, recent second place World Cup downhiller and Mammoth team athlete Stacey Cook and friends for a weekend of Chix on Stix, May 18-19. The packages starts at $319.

Weekend itinerary

May 17

  • Welcome reception

May 18

  • Morning free skiing with personal coaching tips by Stacey and friends
  • Nutritious lunch and skiing recap
  • Outdoor yoga in a beautiful Sierra setting. Bring your own mat.
  • Late afternoon healthy cooking class with special guest chef.  Learn to cook high-energy, nutritious meals for an active lifestyle
  • Evening movie night outdoors in The Village with homemade s’mores

May 19

  • Morning free skiing and introduction to racing through gates with Stacey and friends.
  • Nutritious lunch and farewell celebration.

All ages and abilities welcome, sorry guys – women only! Groups will be created to match participant ability and provide the best experience.

Lodging special

Special 20 percent off lodging rates will be available at the Mammoth Mountain Inn to all Chix on Stix participants. Rates may vary based on room type/size and availability.

Ski Mammoth Mountain through Memorial Day, likely longer

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Spring has arrived at Mammoth Mountain, and so has Mammoth Springfest. (Mammoth Mountain photo)

Mammoth Mountain announced today it will be open for skiing and snowboarding at least through Memorial Day. With several storm systems forecast in the coming weeks, it’s possible that the resort will stay open longer, a spokesman said.

Many years, the slopes have enough snow to keep lifts running through July 4.

Earlier this week, Mammoth Springfest got off to a rousing start. Here’s a look at the schedule:

Oakley Week, through Sunday – Oakley Week has tons of events going on for shredders and skiers of all ages. Participate in signature snowboard competitions, visit the Rolling O-Lab, follow the Shred Hunt plus take in all the other action.

Mammoth Winter Biathlon, Friday-Sunday – Catch the excitement of this fast-paced Olympic sport in one of the largest biathlon events in the country.

Easter weekend, March 30-31 – Easter Bunnies, slopeside egg hunts, free snowmobile rides, and a host of other family-friendly activities will be happening across the mountain on Saturday and Sunday.

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It’s snow, snow and more snow on the slopes at Lake Tahoe, Mammoth

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Squaw Valley has a base depth of 2 to 8 feet, and expect that to increase as fresh powder keeps falling today at the resort. (Jeff Engerbretson photo)

As of 5 a.m. today, Squaw Valley reported up to 6 inches of new snow while sister resort Alpine Meadows said it received up to 5 inches – and the white stuff was still coming down, at a rate of about an inch per hour.

This storm follows another one that recently rolled through, dumping up to 4 inches of snow. The two-storm total was expected to be 10-15 inches by Wednesday evening.

Skies were expected to clear by mid-day Friday, making for easier travel this weekend to all of the Lake Tahoe resorts.

Mammoth Mountain already has the most snow of any resort in North America, and it could receive another 2 feet by this weekend. (Mammoth Mountain photo)

Mammoth Mountain also was reporting fresh snow this morning, with 6 to 10 inches falling in the past 24 hours and a base depth of 7 to 16 feet.

The Weather.com forecast for Mammoth has a 60-70 percent chance of snow on Thursday and Friday, followed by partly cloudy to sunny skies on Saturday and Sunday when highs are expected to be in the 40s and 50s. For more information, click here.

Airbags prove a useful training tool for X Games competitors

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Bobby Brown slides down the hill after wiping out in the men’s ski big air finals at the Winter X Games. The use of an airbag in training can help develop the body mechanics needed for big tricks, but it also increases the risk for athletes striving for glory in action sports now defined by increasingly technical and dangerous tricks. (Photo by Daniel Petty/The Denver Post)

By Jason Blevins
The Denver Post

Backflips are taking over skiing and snowboarding. Spinning double and triple-corked trickery was the golden ticket in every competition at last weekend’s X Games in Aspen.

The sketchy-to-learn tricks have expanded the training toolbox for athletes to include massive airbags.

Superstar Shaun White honed his triple-cork on a private airbag at Breckenridge. His airbag training at a private pipe at Silverton Mountain in 2010 greased his way to Olympic halfpipe gold that year. Today, the massive bags aren’t just for the pros but also the young aspirants nipping at their heels.

“It’s just changed everything. It’s so valuable and such a great in-between step, that difficult step between imagining a new trick and actually doing it. Now we can have the luxury of taking that step and not get hurt,” said Aspen’s Gretchen Bleiler, who sessioned an airbag at Mammoth Mountain ski area two weeks ago as she regained her snowboarding pipe form after suffering an eye injury while training on a trampoline.

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Big mountain for a small price at Mammoth Mountain

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California’s only real big-mountain experience, now offered at small-mountain prices. For $199, adults get three days of lift tickets good for use 3 out of 4 consecutive days.

During this promotional sales period, through Feb. 10, the $66 Threedom Tickets are the best lift ticket value. Tickets can be used anytime through April 21, excluding Feb. 16-24.

Here’s the fine print: Skiers must purchase online or at Call Center, up to noon first day of use. Not available at ticket window. Cannot be combined with any other offer. Cancellation, credit and refund policy does not apply. Sale price applies for adults and seniors.

Information: www.mammothmountain.com

Mammoth reports most snow in North America

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With a base depth of 8-16 feet from Main Lodge to the Summit, Mammoth says it has the most snow in North America.

Snow Report – Updated: 9:48 AM Snow Report Hotline: 1-888-SNOWRPT

New Snow
Season Total
239 inches
At Main Lodge
Surface Conditions
Packed Powder
Machine Groomed
Base Depth
94 in
Main Lodge 8,900′
Base Depth
120 in
McCoy Station 9,600′
Base Depth
192 in
The Summit 11,053′

Mammoth gets a ton of snow, but reporting “exactly” how much snow is on the mountain at any given time can present a challenge, so they’re making some changes to the way they report snow depth on the mountain. In the past, they’ve used measurements from one location (off Sesame Street, near Main Lodge) to reflect the snowfall totals on the entire mountain. Now, they are increasing the number of measurement sites in order to more accurately report how much snow they have on the ground.

Historically, new snowfall and base depth totals have been measured by Ski Patrol at their Sesame Street Snow Study Site. This area, located right off of Sesame Street (Chair 11), is home to a number of different sensors that read new snow totals and provide measurements for base depth.

While those readings are highly accurate, they do not reflect the measurements for other parts of the mountain (areas that may receive more snow or be highly wind-affected). In order to be more thorough, Mammoth will now be reading measurements from Sesame Street, as well as mid-mountain and the Summit.

Its operations team will probe the mountain weekly for our mid-mountain totals, and will use the sign at the top of the mountain to provide a visual indicator of how much snow is at the top. No more adjustments necessary, just real measurements reflecting the base for the entire mountain.

 

Shopping for deals on the slopes

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At Mountain High, the Express Pass opens the way to money savings on the slopes and several special features. (Mountain High photo)

By Jerry Rice

OK, everyone knows that skiing and snowboarding can be expensive – traveling to the resort, lodging, equipment rentals, lift tickets…

But there are many ways to save on costs without cutting cut corners on the fun. Some examples:

> Free rentals for first-timers, ages 8 to adult, when a beginner lesson package is purchased at Bear Mountain and Snow Summit during the month of January. It’s part of a Learn to Ski and Snowboard Month promotion in partnership with the National Ski Areas Association. Information: 909-866-5841, www.snowsummit.com

> Mammoth Mountain’s January midweek pass is $249 – $50 less than last season. With regular adult lift tickets at the resort running $99 per day, the cost of the special midweek pass essentially means it more than pays for itself after three days on the slopes. Other price levels are $179 for youth, $69 for children and $199 for seniors. The pass is valid Monday-Friday through Feb. 1, but must be purchased by Monday. Information: 800-626-6684, www.mammothmountain.com

> At Mountain High, spend $10 on a rechargeable Express Pass, load it with almost any lift ticket and start saving – $10 on all flex ticket options – and enjoying other benefits. Those other benefits include guaranteed reservations in case of a sellout, a free eight-hour non-holiday ticket after every five visits, and the ability to track the number of runs you’ve completed, the total vertical feet and other individual stats. Information: 888-754-7878, www.mthigh.com 

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Snow much fun for the holidays at Mammoth Mountain

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By Jerry Rice

It was a merry Christmas and it’s shaping up to be a happy new year at Mammoth Mountain, where 224 inches of snow has fallen so far this season. Should Mother Nature continue her generous ways – more white stuff is in the forecast for today and Sunday – last winter’s total of 263 inches may be eclipsed sometime in January.

That’s great news for the resort that boasts the most open terrain in the country. And it couldn’t come at a better time than now, when many skiers and snowboarders are out of school and off work for the holidays.

“It’s a big part of our business, that Christmas to New Year’s break, because we can have high visitation over a seven or eight day period, instead of seeing that high visitation just on the weekends,” said Joani Lynch, spokeswoman for the Mammoth Mountain ski resort.

With that, here’s a look at some recent action at Mammoth, set to the music of Professor Kliq’s “The Most Beautiful Day.”