Mammoth, April 9-10, 2025

[Tony Crocker]

Weather is full on spring this week, but with the clear skies there was still an overnight freeze. So like most spring days at Mammoth we could find pleasant snow conditions as long as our legs could hold out.

We got on the hill 9AM, met Elissa and skied was partially softening Stump Alley. A second run around to Main Lodge was still firm as was the back of 3. The Face of 3 was better as it had not been that severely melt frozen. East facing Coyote had good corn, so I knew it was time to ski 9 and 25. In addition to 3 groomers we skied south facing moguls on Sunshine.

We made our way to McCoy for lunch, but Liz and I took a Cornice run first. Elissa works with Mammoth Disabled Sports on many afternoons. Liz and left McCoy via the upper gondola to Dave's Run. Mammoth has "bodies of water" views too. Convict and Crowley Lakes to the SE:

Mono Lake to the NE is visible from the highest parts of the ski area.

Dave's had good spring snow when we were there at 12:45. We continued down to chair 5, surprisingly quiet, perhaps due to lunch hour?

We crossed over to chair 3, then off the back to 23. We skied 3 top to bottom runs, all finishing with nicely groomed St. Anton. Liz skied groomed Scotty's on all of them, while I skied Drop Out 3, Wipe Out 1 and the Hump. Wipe Out 1's top 500 vertical had Mammoth last chalky winter snow. Spring snow was prime on the other runs 1:30-2:30 including the less steep aprons below.

My final run from a bottom to top gondola was Climax to Triangle. View from top of Triangle to the cliff with chair 3 on the other side.

The trees in foreground were completely buried in 2017 and 2023. The rocks below the cliff were buried in 1983.

I quit at 3PM with 26,200 vertical.

 

[tseeb]

You said "Mammoth has "bodies of water" views too. Convict and Crowley Lakes to the SE:"

I think what you posted as Convict Lake is an unnamed lake or pond above Mountain 24 Hour Storage. I was at Convict Lake on Sunday and don't think it's visible from Mammoth as it's in a deep canyon. Lucia and I skied Heavenly today from 915-1 PM. We caught 2nd tram. After skiing, cleaning and closing cabin, then 3 stops in South Lake Tahoe, I drove home non-stop in 3 hrs 40 min and will not be writing up anything until tomorrow. Will also try to write-up our weekend at Benton Hot Springs soon.

 

[jamesdeluxe]

Convict Lake

I had to look it up:
The lake's name comes from a 1871 incident where a group of convicts escaped from Carson City, Nevada, and a posse pursued them to the lake, resulting in a shootout and the deaths of both posse members and convicts.

 

[Tony Crocker]

I think what you posted as Convict Lake is an unnamed lake or pond above Mountain 24 Hour Storage

I knew the Convict Lake road turnoff was opposite the airport, which is also visible in my link. But an examination of Google Maps shows Convict Lake behind the small ridge that is behind the unnamed lake (red arrow) in the picture.

 

[Tony Crocker]

Weather Thursday was a rerun of Wednesday. The town of Mammoth Lakes was warmer, topping 70F. On the mountain seemed similar as there was more of a breeze in the afternoon and there was still an overnight freeze with the clear skies.

After Wednesday it was easy to time the sunny areas precisely for optimal corn snow. We got 3 runs on Chair 9 starting 9:45. On the last one of those we skied to chair 25, which was not running even though it did Wednesday. So we had to ski down to Eagle, which was fortunately not sticky yet at 10:30, then used 22 to get to the Back for More corn run on 25.

We skied through Canyon and 16 to chair 5, where Sanctuary was again groomed but still a bit firm on its upper half. Up 5 again we took 3 laps from McCoy Station. First was Cornice, much smoother than when we skied it two hours later Wednesday. Liz gave that a rerun while I skied Climax. At noon we exited off the back of Mammoth. The boundary line path was narrower than last week, so I ventured outside it, view down here.

I have to make it over the smooth ridge of snow in the center of the pic to get back in bounds.

Liz crossed the boundary a bit lower down and so was able to stay closer to it.

Our timing for chair 14 was as good as for 9. The Arriba and Santiago groomers were in prime corn mode with fewer skiers than chair 9 in the morning. Riding chair 14 I took pics of some features installed in the rocks overlooking Dos Passos. This partly obscured memorial plaque has been there for some time.

New this year is this alien figure.

And also this headless ski figure:

There are no longer action figures in Gravy Chute, but The Hulk and El Chapulin Colorado are still on the rocks by chair 23 (pic from December).

After grilled cheese at the Outpost, we rode 14 one last time and hiked up to Scotty's. View of Liz at top of Scotty's with chair 23, Wipe Out 2 and the Hump in background:

Scotty's was outstanding both days. The grooming was very wide on the apron so remained smooth into late afternoon. Liz skied it 3x Wednesday and twice Thursday.

I took two more laps on 1 and 23, skiing Drop Out 1 and the Hump. At 2PM the Wipe Out side of 23 is just barely getting into corn mode. If the temperature cools off some, much of the top will be hardpacked all day. With more moderate recent temperatures many of the upper steeps would still have winter snow.

I rode a gondola up to Dave's for my last run, finishing with 28,600 vertical. We have had two well timed trips, hitting possibly the last big storm of the season and winter conditions last week, then two optimal spring ski days this week.

 

[jimk]

Similar conditions in the Cottonwoods right now. April is for the faithful! Very much enjoyed the low crowd factor at Soli and Deer Valley the last two days.

 

[Tony Crocker]

Soli and Deer Valley the last two days

I would expect Deer Valley to be complete slop in the current weather.