tseeb
Well-known member
Wednesday 7/26/23
In 2019, I had a 62 day break starting on April 29 before skiing Mammoth July 1-3. In 2023, my break was 74 days (2 months and 2 weeks) after skiing Kirkwood on May 12. I’d hoped to go again sooner and get to 50 days for season but was busy with other trips including taking camper to New Brighton Beach (late May), New Hogan Reservoir/Calaveras Big Trees (late June) and Paso Robles/Morro Bay (last week) and an 8 day trip to So. Tahoe cabin in mid-July.
A friend had an extra ticket to Neil Young on 7/24 at Harvey’s Outdoor Arena in So. Tahoe and that motivated me to go skiing again. After Mon night concert, I drove from SLT to Mammoth Tues. PM getting through the couple of long one-lane construction zones on 395 without delay, then stopped at June Lake Brewing for a beer and sort hikes to Gull and June Lakes before buying a 4-pack to go.
I loaded chair 1 at 740 and would not return to the base until noon. Broadway and the park early.
I didn’t see anyone skiing from upper gondola so I went to chair 23 which I rode 17 times including 12 in a row
before moving to upper gondola about 10. Cornice was OK early, but got mostly too soft as it was skied. Snowcats had pushed snow to make narrow entrance into big bumps at top of Drop Out that I skied from the top a couple of times.
Many were continuing towards bottom close to chair, but I never did as path seemed too narrow, rocky and busy for me.
I skied what I thought was a better route to skiers right. I also found good snow along edge of what is probably Drop Out 3 although getting to where it was smooth next to rocks required traversing over a big steep bump or two. There was also a traverse to right of Cornice into the apron of Hangman’s where they were a few skiable lines that had decent snow that I did a few times.
I moved to upper gondola and skied Climax twice, trying both of the two narrow chokes getting out. I hit a rock hard in narrower one to skiers right when I was skiing it more cleanly than I did wider one on previous run. The racers were done so I used chair 3 to ski Saddle Bowl five times (including once on 2nd exit from Climax).
I moved back to chair 23 and skied route a few times that included Drop Out 3, bumps below it, then more smooth snow before a traverse into fast snow racers left on Gremlins. I also skied traverse towards below Hangmans twice, once turning early and skiing smooth line below Varmits. I finished with another lap on chair 3 skiing still fast Saddle Bowl and found a rock on a thin area in Broadway.
I quit at noon with 27K. My day was not over as after a lunch break at camper I got $15 shuttle ticket for Rainbow Fall/Red’s Meadow. I’d seen a full shuttle leaving at noon, then the next one after 1245 did not take standees or handle the line waiting so I got on one about 130. The hike to Devils Postpile was not recommended as they said it was 5 miles due to some closures including bus stop 6 so I got out at stop 9 and did the 1.3 miles downhill to Rainbow Falls and found the 1.5 miles uphill to pickup at stop 10 was enough.
I thought I was going to have to stand on return but a young lady offered me her seat and moved to the back where she found another. When I got back to Main Lodge, snowcats were pushing snow from park onto thin areas of Broadway.
In 2019, I had a 62 day break starting on April 29 before skiing Mammoth July 1-3. In 2023, my break was 74 days (2 months and 2 weeks) after skiing Kirkwood on May 12. I’d hoped to go again sooner and get to 50 days for season but was busy with other trips including taking camper to New Brighton Beach (late May), New Hogan Reservoir/Calaveras Big Trees (late June) and Paso Robles/Morro Bay (last week) and an 8 day trip to So. Tahoe cabin in mid-July.
A friend had an extra ticket to Neil Young on 7/24 at Harvey’s Outdoor Arena in So. Tahoe and that motivated me to go skiing again. After Mon night concert, I drove from SLT to Mammoth Tues. PM getting through the couple of long one-lane construction zones on 395 without delay, then stopped at June Lake Brewing for a beer and sort hikes to Gull and June Lakes before buying a 4-pack to go.
I loaded chair 1 at 740 and would not return to the base until noon. Broadway and the park early.
I moved to upper gondola and skied Climax twice, trying both of the two narrow chokes getting out. I hit a rock hard in narrower one to skiers right when I was skiing it more cleanly than I did wider one on previous run. The racers were done so I used chair 3 to ski Saddle Bowl five times (including once on 2nd exit from Climax).
I moved back to chair 23 and skied route a few times that included Drop Out 3, bumps below it, then more smooth snow before a traverse into fast snow racers left on Gremlins. I also skied traverse towards below Hangmans twice, once turning early and skiing smooth line below Varmits. I finished with another lap on chair 3 skiing still fast Saddle Bowl and found a rock on a thin area in Broadway.
I quit at noon with 27K. My day was not over as after a lunch break at camper I got $15 shuttle ticket for Rainbow Fall/Red’s Meadow. I’d seen a full shuttle leaving at noon, then the next one after 1245 did not take standees or handle the line waiting so I got on one about 130. The hike to Devils Postpile was not recommended as they said it was 5 miles due to some closures including bus stop 6 so I got out at stop 9 and did the 1.3 miles downhill to Rainbow Falls and found the 1.5 miles uphill to pickup at stop 10 was enough.
I thought I was going to have to stand on return but a young lady offered me her seat and moved to the back where she found another. When I got back to Main Lodge, snowcats were pushing snow from park onto thin areas of Broadway.
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