This trip was the best we could do with weather. Tuesday, the day the SoCal fires started, was to no surprise a peak wind prediction day for Mammoth, so we drove then to ski the next two days.
The wind subsided only gradually, so the upper gondola was closed both days, and chairs 12-14 and 23 were closed Wednesday. The wind also disrupted a snow machine near the top of chair 1, blowing its output into this fence before it could vaporize.
Both days we got on the hill around 9AM, skied a warmup run or two, then met Elissa whom we knew from the old Mammoth Forum. She liked morning runs off the back of 3 to Saddle Bowl, Gremlin’s and St. Anton, the latter smooth groom and former sections with some softer snow blown in.
We then skied Coyote to 5 and Gold Hill to 9. On Wednesday Elissa was meeting at McCoy for lunch 11:30 so we skied through Sliver/Sanctuary under chair 5 on the way. Elissa was working the afternoon with Mammoth Adaptive Sports.
After lunch Liz and I skied Rodger’s Ridge, which had a windswept approach behind McCoy but nice packed powder on the run.
We took Gold Rush to ski 3 laps on chair 25, its two groomers plus a traverse to Grizzly, which retains winter snow on its east exposure midwinter. Liz didn’t like its entry and ended up on crunchy south facing Sunshine.
View riding Gold Rush to Top of the World with Upper Dry Creek illuminated below.
Those look like deep bumps so we avoided that run. The other ungroomed runs on 5 were more fluidly skiable though snow varied from firm to soft with the upslope wind effect. Overview of chair 5:
From 25 we moved to 9 where I observed a few skiers traversing out Ricochet. Getting to that traverse was ugly.
I had to get past those rocks (not as bad out of view looker’s right) to where the traverse started below the fence.
Looking down Ricochet
I could time most of my turns in smooth sections on the upper part. The runout had occasional crunch from morning sun. It’s rare that I’m skiing here in afternoon shade. Liz took a pass on that rocky entry and found some soft snow between Gold Rush and the chair 9 liftline.
Back up 9 we skied Solitude to 5 and our last ungroomed run on Face of 5.
After two more cruisers on Terry’s and Mambo, we called it a day Wednesday with 23,000 vertical.
On Thursday Elissa had the whole day free, so when found excellent conditions on Gold Hill, we gave it an encore plus a split to Quicksilver and chair 25. After a groomer there I wanted to inspect chair 22. They skied off the back to the Mill while I braved Avalanche 1. I was correct that its sheltered north aspect would have softer snow, but it has more narrow spots with current coverage and I skied very deliberately. That’s a good definition of a limit in technical skiing I should not exceed at age 72. So I needed that break at the Mill too.
After the break we rode 2 and skied Andy’s to chair 1.
I was ready to check out the now open chair 23, but Liz and Elissa said they would go off the back. Elissa got her skis tangled and fell loading 23. Fortunately she only had a whiplash sore neck but she was done for the ski day.
I skied a lap on Cornice, then joined Liz at chairs 13 and 14. Cornice had a huge wind blast in the face at entry, so by past experience I approached and skied down the upper quarter or so as fast as was safe.
We skied from 13 Secret Spot past 12 to Main Lodge, where Liz took a short break while I had my last shot at 23.
View Wipe Out side 23:
Drop Out side
Notice the numerous sastrugi waves in the snow. A very few skiers were navigating between them but I know that would be high effort of me at 10,000+ feet.
Here’s the wind plume on top of 23
There was one continuous smooth line down the Hump and I was not the only skier who chose that route.
Snow was stiff but not as firm as our first trip a month ago when it had not snowed for 2 weeks.
I finished my day with interesting lines down the chair 3 liftline and the scattered trees between Sliver and Triangle on chair 5.
My vertical Thursday was 27,000.
The wind subsided only gradually, so the upper gondola was closed both days, and chairs 12-14 and 23 were closed Wednesday. The wind also disrupted a snow machine near the top of chair 1, blowing its output into this fence before it could vaporize.
Both days we got on the hill around 9AM, skied a warmup run or two, then met Elissa whom we knew from the old Mammoth Forum. She liked morning runs off the back of 3 to Saddle Bowl, Gremlin’s and St. Anton, the latter smooth groom and former sections with some softer snow blown in.
We then skied Coyote to 5 and Gold Hill to 9. On Wednesday Elissa was meeting at McCoy for lunch 11:30 so we skied through Sliver/Sanctuary under chair 5 on the way. Elissa was working the afternoon with Mammoth Adaptive Sports.
After lunch Liz and I skied Rodger’s Ridge, which had a windswept approach behind McCoy but nice packed powder on the run.
We took Gold Rush to ski 3 laps on chair 25, its two groomers plus a traverse to Grizzly, which retains winter snow on its east exposure midwinter. Liz didn’t like its entry and ended up on crunchy south facing Sunshine.
View riding Gold Rush to Top of the World with Upper Dry Creek illuminated below.
Those look like deep bumps so we avoided that run. The other ungroomed runs on 5 were more fluidly skiable though snow varied from firm to soft with the upslope wind effect. Overview of chair 5:
From 25 we moved to 9 where I observed a few skiers traversing out Ricochet. Getting to that traverse was ugly.
I had to get past those rocks (not as bad out of view looker’s right) to where the traverse started below the fence.
Looking down Ricochet
I could time most of my turns in smooth sections on the upper part. The runout had occasional crunch from morning sun. It’s rare that I’m skiing here in afternoon shade. Liz took a pass on that rocky entry and found some soft snow between Gold Rush and the chair 9 liftline.
Back up 9 we skied Solitude to 5 and our last ungroomed run on Face of 5.
After two more cruisers on Terry’s and Mambo, we called it a day Wednesday with 23,000 vertical.
On Thursday Elissa had the whole day free, so when found excellent conditions on Gold Hill, we gave it an encore plus a split to Quicksilver and chair 25. After a groomer there I wanted to inspect chair 22. They skied off the back to the Mill while I braved Avalanche 1. I was correct that its sheltered north aspect would have softer snow, but it has more narrow spots with current coverage and I skied very deliberately. That’s a good definition of a limit in technical skiing I should not exceed at age 72. So I needed that break at the Mill too.
After the break we rode 2 and skied Andy’s to chair 1.
I was ready to check out the now open chair 23, but Liz and Elissa said they would go off the back. Elissa got her skis tangled and fell loading 23. Fortunately she only had a whiplash sore neck but she was done for the ski day.
I skied a lap on Cornice, then joined Liz at chairs 13 and 14. Cornice had a huge wind blast in the face at entry, so by past experience I approached and skied down the upper quarter or so as fast as was safe.
We skied from 13 Secret Spot past 12 to Main Lodge, where Liz took a short break while I had my last shot at 23.
View Wipe Out side 23:
Drop Out side
Notice the numerous sastrugi waves in the snow. A very few skiers were navigating between them but I know that would be high effort of me at 10,000+ feet.
Here’s the wind plume on top of 23
There was one continuous smooth line down the Hump and I was not the only skier who chose that route.
Snow was stiff but not as firm as our first trip a month ago when it had not snowed for 2 weeks.
I finished my day with interesting lines down the chair 3 liftline and the scattered trees between Sliver and Triangle on chair 5.
My vertical Thursday was 27,000.
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