Our main objective for this trip is to raft the Tuolumne River in the high water from the 2016-17 snowpack. But we go through Mammoth on the way in and way out.
Overall Sunday's skiing (16,900 vertical) exceeded expectations. Spring snow surfaces in particular were good, with snow becoming sticky only at the immediate approaches to chair loading areas. Overview as the gondola approached McCoy Station:
Only Climax is skiable from the upper gondola.
View down:
Liz skiing Climax:
The upper part of Climax is wide open, but there are 4 narrow slots through a reemerging rock band about 2/3 of the way down. I skied three of those.
Cornice is only accessible from Chair 23. Viewed from the lift, Upper St. Anton and Gremlin's Gulch are wide open groomers from the blow-in and avalanche deposition during the winter.
Saddle Bowl is wide until the merge with face of 3. Below that is a strip past the base of chair 3 and McCoy Station.
Skiers on Drop Out 3:
I skied 3 runs there plus one on Drop Out 1.
Looking down Drop Out 3 toward McCoy Station:
From the same spot, here's the view down St. Anton, where a strip to chair 1 was maintained until July 16.
Liz at top of Cornice:
The traverse beyond leads to a couple of skier packed lines bordered by deep suncups.
The most WROD-like strip is at the top of the Face of 3.
But there is plenty of elbow room below that.
We skied from about 8:15-11:45. I'm fairly hopeful that these same runs will still be skiable when we return next Thursday.
Overall Sunday's skiing (16,900 vertical) exceeded expectations. Spring snow surfaces in particular were good, with snow becoming sticky only at the immediate approaches to chair loading areas. Overview as the gondola approached McCoy Station:
Only Climax is skiable from the upper gondola.
View down:
Liz skiing Climax:
The upper part of Climax is wide open, but there are 4 narrow slots through a reemerging rock band about 2/3 of the way down. I skied three of those.
Cornice is only accessible from Chair 23. Viewed from the lift, Upper St. Anton and Gremlin's Gulch are wide open groomers from the blow-in and avalanche deposition during the winter.
Saddle Bowl is wide until the merge with face of 3. Below that is a strip past the base of chair 3 and McCoy Station.
Skiers on Drop Out 3:
I skied 3 runs there plus one on Drop Out 1.
Looking down Drop Out 3 toward McCoy Station:
From the same spot, here's the view down St. Anton, where a strip to chair 1 was maintained until July 16.
Liz at top of Cornice:
The traverse beyond leads to a couple of skier packed lines bordered by deep suncups.
The most WROD-like strip is at the top of the Face of 3.
But there is plenty of elbow room below that.
We skied from about 8:15-11:45. I'm fairly hopeful that these same runs will still be skiable when we return next Thursday.
