Out the door from Glendale at 6:45AM, 4 hours flat to the Mammoth Lakes turnoff from 395 (a new record). But then 15 minutes slow driving up the hill.
Adam was here since Dec. 27 and went home today. Friday the rain/snow line was 9,000 feet, right at Main Lodge, so he had wet races with UCSD Ski Team. Snow level lowered to 8,000 late Friday afternoon and dumped 30 inches of dense snow over the next 24 hours. Almost nothing was open Saturday, maybe 4 lifts for awhile, then they closed early.
When I was driving up 395 most of the mountain was visible, but cloud lowered by the time I reached the parking. Upper and outlying lifts (9, 14) never opened and some of the other lifts were delayed as there was some cable icing from Friday/Saturday.
I did manage to hit Chair 5 about 10 minutes after it opened ~12:45. Unlike Alta it was not critical to be first in line. The snow was so dense and windpacked that it felt like slightly irregular cruising on the fat skis.
Then across the mountain to Chair 12 to try some trees, which had similar snow. Chair 12 is slow, so after 3 runs I went to Main Lodge to thaw out. Temps were in 20's but it was snowing lightly and blowing hard on most of the lifts.
I added a warmer layer and headed out again at 3PM. It was now snowing as hard as 2 weeks ago with similar visibility. I thought I would traverse in to the lower half of the Avalanche Chutes from Chair 10 and probably call it a day after that. I was pleasantly surprised to see skiers above me, meaning that Chair 22 had opened at 2:30 despite the worsening weather.
So I headed over to 22 and managed to ski both Avy 1&2 before 4PM closing. The unusual dense snow would not be called powder by most people's definition, but it was consistent and enjoyable. And it had a powder-like effect of controlling speed in the confined 35-40 degree chutes so that I could ski both of them nonstop.
Mammoth has had about 9 feet of snow since I was here 2 weeks ago (and it's still dumping now) and since nearly all of it was cement coverage is deep, similar to last year at this time.
Adam was here since Dec. 27 and went home today. Friday the rain/snow line was 9,000 feet, right at Main Lodge, so he had wet races with UCSD Ski Team. Snow level lowered to 8,000 late Friday afternoon and dumped 30 inches of dense snow over the next 24 hours. Almost nothing was open Saturday, maybe 4 lifts for awhile, then they closed early.
When I was driving up 395 most of the mountain was visible, but cloud lowered by the time I reached the parking. Upper and outlying lifts (9, 14) never opened and some of the other lifts were delayed as there was some cable icing from Friday/Saturday.
I did manage to hit Chair 5 about 10 minutes after it opened ~12:45. Unlike Alta it was not critical to be first in line. The snow was so dense and windpacked that it felt like slightly irregular cruising on the fat skis.
Then across the mountain to Chair 12 to try some trees, which had similar snow. Chair 12 is slow, so after 3 runs I went to Main Lodge to thaw out. Temps were in 20's but it was snowing lightly and blowing hard on most of the lifts.
I added a warmer layer and headed out again at 3PM. It was now snowing as hard as 2 weeks ago with similar visibility. I thought I would traverse in to the lower half of the Avalanche Chutes from Chair 10 and probably call it a day after that. I was pleasantly surprised to see skiers above me, meaning that Chair 22 had opened at 2:30 despite the worsening weather.
So I headed over to 22 and managed to ski both Avy 1&2 before 4PM closing. The unusual dense snow would not be called powder by most people's definition, but it was consistent and enjoyable. And it had a powder-like effect of controlling speed in the confined 35-40 degree chutes so that I could ski both of them nonstop.
Mammoth has had about 9 feet of snow since I was here 2 weeks ago (and it's still dumping now) and since nearly all of it was cement coverage is deep, similar to last year at this time.
