Mammoth 4/24/2010

[Staley]

My first day on 2 year old 183cm Head Monster 82s. Cost a whopping $100 and are in like new condition \/ They have a layer of metal in them and are stiffer and heavier than my Praxis (which are both stiff and heavy). I had a few problems adjusting to the length and the required technique is completely different than the Praxis, but the difference in edge hold on the firm morning groomers was incredible. Shorter radius turns were very possible and I felt a lot less chatter when trying to dump some speed.

Since Canyon was closed, I decided to head straight to Chair 5 for some empty corduroy. Despite melting the previous day and freezing overnight, Solitude was very edgeable at 8:45. I also tried the ungroomed Face of 5, which was not as pleasant, but not icy, either. Around 9:45 I headed down to Chair 9. The top of Quicksilver was still very firm, but by the time I reached Goldhill, it was already softening up. I did a few groomer laps on 9, and then around 11:00, I decided to try the slush right under the lift. This was noticeably harder on the Heads. Instead of floating on top of the slush, I cut right through it. At one point, one of my skis just got caught under the surface and I went over the handle bars. Following that experience, I tried to find some firmer snow. I opted for Huevos Grande, which ended up being my choice run for the rest of the day. I wouldn't describe it as corn, but the top is more East facing so it had softened up a bit. Once I passed through the rocky but very manageable choke point, it opened up into not-too-tracked 3-4" of medium-heavy powder. I repeated this run a few times, and I'm convinced it was the best conditions one could find off the top.

This weekend was Mammoth's first annual College Games, so I then competed in an interesting relay race involving a chalice, beer, and Mammoth Mountain sponsored underage drinking :-# The winning team got free season passes, but my team unfortunately came up short. After that, I took a few groomer laps on Stump, where almost the entire run was soft, but my skis were sticking a bit at the bottom. Overall, it was a fun 3 days of skiing. I was hoping for more powder, but the wind decided otherwise after Thursday. Nevertheless, there was decent snow to be found every day. I'm hoping to have a few pictures up from Saturday.

Chair 25 looking lonely

Huevos from above

Huevos from below

 

[socal]

I was up there this weekend as well. It was interesting. On Saturday morning it was pretty clear that a lot of the top never thawed and therefore had decent packed powder conditions in the morning. My intermediate boarder girlfriend really enjoyed the conditions on Cornice. We made it over to Dry Creek and the face of 5 around 11am and it was really good.

Sunday was a different story. Got to the mountain around 10am and chair 1 terrain was mainly frozen solid (groomed and ungroomed). I stuck with the lower elevation stuff off Stump Alley and Goldrush for a while till I finally went to 5 where it was nasty. Skiied up top just to see how it was, the top 1/4 to the skiers left of Cornice was in decent shape but pretty chunky about 1/2 way down. Overall a fun weekend.

I took lot's of pictures, enjoy.

Caught some of the downhill they were running

Conditions looked kinda slow as this was taken in the afternoon

Dry Creek saturday around 11am

Face of 5, notice they groomed one track down the center, good thing too (taken sunday morning)

Lot's of snow down at Main lodge, I think thats the 3rd floor sun deck

Chair 9 area...someone needs to show me around there, that was the first time I've been on that chair

Looking across the high traverse off chair 9, that traverse would make any Alta skier proud. Too bad there were 100 lower lines that ruined the skiing below most of it. I went out to some of the chutes further out that skied really well up top.

And a few pictures of the top

 

[snowboard247]

^ i would be happy to show you around the chair 9 area sometime next season. There are a lot of fun chutes and small cliffs out on dragons tail. Snow usually stays nice there long after a storm.

 

[EMSC]

Caught some of the downhill they were running

Since when does Mammoth race DH on the front side? I thought their speed track was off the top going to the backside. Or at least it has been every time I've been there or they've held National Championships and etc... Curious.

 

[socal]

Caught some of the downhill they were running

Since when does Mammoth race DH on the front side? I thought their speed track was off the top going to the backside. Or at least it has been every time I've been there or they've held National Championships and etc... Curious.

Not sure, maybe because it was a race for younger kids (i think around 12-16 or so)? I only know that b/c I was talking to one of the racers on the lift. He said they used the same course for the downhill and super g, just changed the gate placement. He said it would sometimes go up to the top but in this case it was just at the bottom of Cornice, he suggested it might be because there were some younger people racing and that would just be too fast. At the end of the day, I know nothing about ski racing so take what I say for what it's worth.

^ i would be happy to show you around the chair 9 area sometime next season. There are a lot of fun chutes and small cliffs out on dragons tail. Snow usually stays nice there long after a storm.

Cool. I'll probably take you up on that offer next winter.

 

[Tony Crocker]

I opted for Huevos Grande, which ended up being my choice run for the rest of the day. I wouldn't describe it as corn, but the top is more East facing so it had softened up a bit.

Interesting change in conditions. April 4 it was wind-buffed chalk with no loose snow on top, definitely a DFU run. April 18 I did not take the entry through irregular snow from the top but came in around the upper rocks on skier's right. This time the snow was just barely starting its spring transition, definitely not as good as Dave's or most of the chair 23 runs which were still packed powder.

He said they used the same course for the downhill and super g, just changed the gate placement. He said it would sometimes go up to the top but in this case it was just at the bottom of Cornice

Bottom of Cornice, top of World Cup is the top of the late spring race course nearly every time I'm up there late season. I've presumed that was Super G. On a very few occasions I've seen the start farther up Cornice. I'm not sure I've ever seen racing set up on the backside, maybe 20+ years ago. I think it would be difficult with the variable coverage from wind stripping up high and from the direct sun in spring. They did build huge jumps for some pro snowboarders back there a year ago.

 

[snowboard247]

Cool. I'll probably take you up on that offer next winter.

Awesome.


I know in the last 4 seasons they have not had a single race course set up on the backside.

 

[EMSC]

I know in the last 4 seasons they have not had a single race course set up on the backside.

Not one to let my theories die....

I don't have enough days at mammoth to be certain, but I have in my mind exactly the location of the roll-over where this is --- on the backside. Of Course I could be totally off here as there are not a lot of clues in the picture to really tell. Could this be on the upper part of the front side course (note the blue sky)? BTW this was from 2005 US National Champs at Mammoth (Bode). Right now I say backside course about 1/3 of the way down (assuming I am correct).

 

[Tony Crocker]

Spectator shadows and the "rollover" comment are consistent with the picture being from the Hair Jump area between Cornice and World Cup on the frontside. But that sliver of blue sky is intriguing. I don't suppose you have the uncropped version?

 

[EMSC]

I don't suppose you have the uncropped version?

Nope. That would be too easy :lol: . This is a composite done by Ron LeMaster (A frequent US team technical consultant).

 

[snowboard247]

Im trying to place those rocks in the background of the picture, and I just cant seem to place them.

I havent been on the mtn since monday, im gonna go look around for those rocks when Im up there next, probably sunday.

 

[Tony Crocker]

Upon reflection I think the picture was taken near the top of Cornice.

 

[snowboard247]

Im actually thinking its road runner on the backside, and the turn is the large U-turn that banks back towards ch 13 & 14.

 

[Staley]

I'm inclined to think it's Road Runner on the backside. If I'm not mistaken, the frontside course starts near the top of Cornice. The key here is that there are no real right turns anywhere near the top of Cornice. In fact, the first right happens on St. Anton near the bottom of Scotty's. Since you obviously wouldn't see the sky from that location, I don't think it's the frontside. It also looks a bit too flat to be near the top of Cornice.

Based on the turn, I agree with snowboard247 that this is the large u-turn on the backside. The sky is most likely the saddle where Scotty's starts.

Then again, I've skied Mammoth a lot less than both of you, so what do I know?

 

[Tony Crocker]

Just as the blue sky is problematic for frontside locations (likely needs to be high on Cornice yet the pic doesn't look that steep per Staley), I think the spectator shadows are hard to explain for the backside. They are the wrong angle for the proposed location unless very early in the morning of a late spring day. But U.S. Nationals are in late March and the shadows are short so it's closer to midday.

If I've ever seen a race course on the backside it was 20+ years ago, so I may be having a problem visualizing exactly where it might be.

 

[Staley]

I agree the shadows are problematic, but also notice the rocky patch in the top right. 2004-05 was a huge snow year with 570" for the season. Although I was not there in 2005, I was there at the end of March in 2006 (comparable huge season) and there were not rocks like that near the top of Cornice. The only places without snow cover were on the backside, due to winds and the sun.

 

[Tony Crocker]

I wonder if a DH course starts ABOVE Cornice and makes a right turn into the dropoff? Check out this picture, noting wind-scoured rocks at center:

 

[Staley]

The near-gondi start is actually what I thought fit the rocks/shadows/right turn/steepness best, but I had no reason to think that races start up there. If they do, this is the logical answer, especially since it seems like the photographer is standing slightly above the course and the spectators on the other side.

 

[skibum4ever]

Very possible. I can recall at least one time that the right side of the path down to Cornice was taken up by racers, who then turned to go down the right side of Cornice. The left side of Cornice and the ski down were left open for spectators. The course began just a short way past the Gondola exit. That seems to explain all aspects of the photo.

Later in the day, there were some nice turns to be made on that right side.

 

[EMSC]

Tony,

Visually it looks pretty compelling to me. I can easily imagine for Nationals that they would extend the course for max vert or perhaps to meet a minimum FIS requirement. Especially with one of the largest mountain run race depts I've seen anywhere in the US.