tseeb
Well-known member
Tioga Pass, elevation 9,945 feet, opened last weekend. It's a beautiful drive, through Yosemite and misses the crowded Valley with all the big waterfalls and cuts the distance from San Jose to Mammoth to 260 miles. I had a short window to get in a couple of more days skiing as I need to be back for a memorial service Sat, morning so I drove on Wednesday, stopping in Yosemite for three hikes. That night, I slept in the back of my SUV near Info Craters, about 5 miles from (Mammoth town and ski area).
After getting breakfast in town, I was on the slopes before 8 am. I skied Stump Alley a couple of times, but it was not softening very fast. I also went up chair 3 a couple of times, before moving to chair 23 where Cornice Bowl seemed to soften earlier than Stump Alley. I noticed skiers kicking up snow and went up chair 23 before 9 am. I was worried that those skiers kicking up snow were all racers, but I went up and found good, and already softened, snow in Cornice Bowl. I took it three times and also saw good snow in Drop Out chutes. I didn't take the highest entry, but cut between the rocks and had two good runs there. I also saw snow looked good in Wipe Out chutes (except for 1 which had bigger bumps than I like). I tried to go right at the top of 23 and was greeted by a closed sign. Even though others went that way, I traversed high across the top of Drop Out 1 (not only big bumps but also very firm). I went that way twice, first skiing the top of Drop Out two and the bottom of three, then skiing the top of 3 and bottom of 4 the next time. (Edit - Tony Crocker says there are only 3 Drop Out chutes, but some of these are getting hard to count with all the rock bands appearing.) Snow was good, especially where smooth, but needs more skiers on it to smooth it out.
I also skied chair 5, which opened a couple of hours later than other lifts. The first time I came across from chair 3 and followed a well-used traverse past Dry Creek and went past a rope where all the closed signs I saw were pointing the other way. I went past a big half-pipe and while skiing down got yelled at by some employees who said the whole East side of chair 5 is closed to the public as there is US Ski Team training. They also said that I should know by now as I did it yesterday a couple of times and was warned. I told them I was not there yesterday (when I was not there).The next time up chair 5, I went down Coyote, where snowcats seemed to have trouble grooming the little snow that is left as they left drop-offs and there are some bare areas to avoid. The next time I came down Triangle where snow was OK, but needs to be skied more as there are some suncups and other features developing. The road to the right at the top was very good the three times I skied it mid-morning.
I quit for a break at about a quarter of 12 and some snow started falling at the bottom of chair 1. It continued to snow lightly, on and off, the rest of the day. I made it up chair 23 two more times, skiing one of the Wipe Out chutes from the top, then taking Cornice Bowl and traversing right to get some corn below Hangman's. Snow was getting firmer in places from the wind, clouds and storm. I quit at 1:30 with 30.5K vertical and found it was raining below the Main Lodge. Will be out there again tomorrow.
After getting breakfast in town, I was on the slopes before 8 am. I skied Stump Alley a couple of times, but it was not softening very fast. I also went up chair 3 a couple of times, before moving to chair 23 where Cornice Bowl seemed to soften earlier than Stump Alley. I noticed skiers kicking up snow and went up chair 23 before 9 am. I was worried that those skiers kicking up snow were all racers, but I went up and found good, and already softened, snow in Cornice Bowl. I took it three times and also saw good snow in Drop Out chutes. I didn't take the highest entry, but cut between the rocks and had two good runs there. I also saw snow looked good in Wipe Out chutes (except for 1 which had bigger bumps than I like). I tried to go right at the top of 23 and was greeted by a closed sign. Even though others went that way, I traversed high across the top of Drop Out 1 (not only big bumps but also very firm). I went that way twice, first skiing the top of Drop Out two and the bottom of three, then skiing the top of 3 and bottom of 4 the next time. (Edit - Tony Crocker says there are only 3 Drop Out chutes, but some of these are getting hard to count with all the rock bands appearing.) Snow was good, especially where smooth, but needs more skiers on it to smooth it out.
I also skied chair 5, which opened a couple of hours later than other lifts. The first time I came across from chair 3 and followed a well-used traverse past Dry Creek and went past a rope where all the closed signs I saw were pointing the other way. I went past a big half-pipe and while skiing down got yelled at by some employees who said the whole East side of chair 5 is closed to the public as there is US Ski Team training. They also said that I should know by now as I did it yesterday a couple of times and was warned. I told them I was not there yesterday (when I was not there).The next time up chair 5, I went down Coyote, where snowcats seemed to have trouble grooming the little snow that is left as they left drop-offs and there are some bare areas to avoid. The next time I came down Triangle where snow was OK, but needs to be skied more as there are some suncups and other features developing. The road to the right at the top was very good the three times I skied it mid-morning.
I quit for a break at about a quarter of 12 and some snow started falling at the bottom of chair 1. It continued to snow lightly, on and off, the rest of the day. I made it up chair 23 two more times, skiing one of the Wipe Out chutes from the top, then taking Cornice Bowl and traversing right to get some corn below Hangman's. Snow was getting firmer in places from the wind, clouds and storm. I quit at 1:30 with 30.5K vertical and found it was raining below the Main Lodge. Will be out there again tomorrow.
