Mt Bachelor Nov. 26 & 27

[schubwa]

So, Yesterday I check the report and Rainbow and Sunrise Chairs are added to the list. But they didn't want to open Sunrise Lodge and lot (those crafty Powdr accountants): so go park elsewhere and ride over. As luck would have it I get to Rainbow, wait 20 minutes past the 9:30 opening time and get first chair for the season. If you've been to Mt Bachelor, you know this is NOT a big deal. Rainbow is an old triple and quite a relic. Agonizingly slow, I arrived to get first tracks in dense but very fast PNW freshie. It was snowing, right at freezing, laying down some base for Saturday.
After getting frozen off Rainbow I went over to the Nordic area and put in some time on my skate skis. The trails over there were in perfect condition. We have unusually consistent conditions here in Central Oregon, especially in the early season, but this year will spoil us for a while (I hope). If Joe Bastardi is right, at least us older guys will go out with a smile!

It snowed 10" overnight with colder as you go over yesterday's dense base. Perfect right side up cake. I promised to take my sweetheart Sally Russell riding today and she did really well on her reverse camber Burton.

We now have a 47" base (108" YTD) after the usual slow and steady snow accumulation we get here. The riding was good here today. I was on a new board, a Lib Tech TRS 157. It's a true twin, Banana and MagnaTraction, I mounted the binders just back of center on my goofy side. Slick deck, I love it!

We rode the Skyliner Chair mostly today. Sally liked the easier angles off that chair and the groomers had about 6" overlay so it was just right as it was her first day.

 

[Tony Crocker]

I know Summit is always a crapshoot for wind plus they may need to do control work. But what's preventing Outback and/or Northwest from opening with this much snow? The bean counters DO know it's a holiday weekend, don't they?

 

[Admin]

The bean counters DO know it's a holiday weekend, don't they?

But not much of a holiday weekend for skiing and riding, you know that. Even with the snowfall we've had, although I've encountered visitors these past few days Alta, for example, has been exceptionally quiet on the hill. It's wonderful to have early season guests distributed over such a large amount of acreage, but the bottom line is that there just aren't a lot of people out there compared with December, even pre-Christmas December.

 

[Tony Crocker]

FWIW Mammoth can be busy at Thanksgiving if the snow is good. That's why they got all the lifts running by Friday. I'll be interested to see if snowboard247 can get the attendance stats after this weekend. Adam is up there and described the crowds on the nice weather day Friday as "somewhat less than a February non-holiday weekend." But definitely more than pre-Christmas December in my experience.

 

[Admin]

News flash: this ain't Mammoth. Neither is Mt. Bachelor. Not everything in the ski world has to be defined in the context of Mammoth.

 

[Tony Crocker]

I suspect the easterners show up in force at Thanksgiving on the rare occasions there is enough snow, and probably in enough numbers on average years to produce significant lines and high density on the limited open lifts/runs. Perhaps EMSC could comment on the Front Range areas, which also have a decent sized drive-up population base.

 

[EMSC]

Front Range areas, which also have a decent sized drive-up population base

With the locals driving most of the turkey day business, it's fairly snow dependent. In a bad year while it seems (is) insanely crowded due to lack of terrain, but in bigger snow years while there are more literal folks out it feels a bit less crowded. Numbers on any given weekend in Dec can spike hugely if a big storm cycle blows in. Otherwise Turkey Day weekend is a bit higher in visit numbers than until just before the Christmas period.

 

[schubwa]

what's preventing Outback and/or Northwest from opening with this much snow? The bean counters DO know it's a holiday weekend, don't they?

You just don't see them open Outback and NW Expresses until there's about six feet. Both of those areas face right into the prevailing wind and so have some stubborn reefs to cover. You have great cover on 90%, but there's the other 10.
The other reason is that Thanksgiving is not really a true ski weekend IMO. When I lived and taught at Mammoth, it seemed there was one big day (usually Friday). TGD was mellow because everyone is eating and watching football. Next day you might ski, then it's fix the ski house, snowshoe, shop, relax and visit with family and relatives. And leave early back to LA on Sunday to miss the homebound traffic.
Even though we're a couple or three hours from some bigger metro areas, unlike the LA to Mammoth drive, there are some ski areas that are closer than us right on the way. The result is we had some lines at Pine Martin Express on the powder mornings but Skyliner was two minutes or less and Sunrise/Rainbow was wide open. Just not that many folks up skiing for the whole weekend. We won't see any liftlines from now until the day after Christmas.

 

[Bobby Danger]

hopefully we don't see any lines here till after christmas either . based on yesterdays crowd thinking it's gonna be busy a powder day on a weekend usually brings people out in force but there was none of that this weekend . california has a larger population base to attract customers from . so mammoth would probably be wise to get the ski area open as quickly as poss. . cause when it's snowing in cali. they ain't coming here they ain't leaving the state . when every where in the west is having a good season folks don't travel as much why it's good on the home hill . it isn't any better anywhere else than it is here . but i'll bet you we see big numbers of easterners if something doesn't break soon . their getting impatient reading about all the snow out west. and they don't wanna here it from me.they don't even call anymore !! :dead horse: :dead horse:

 

[schubwa]

they don't even call anymore !!

LOL: Go Bobby!

Hey, next drink is on me!

PS...more coming your way via out west.

 

[Tony Crocker]

When I lived and taught at Mammoth, it seemed there was one big day (usually Friday). TGD was mellow because everyone is eating and watching football. Next day you might ski, then it's fix the ski house, snowshoe, shop, relax and visit with family and relatives. And leave early back to LA on Sunday to miss the homebound traffic.

I'm sure that's the way it was this year. Adam headed to Mammoth after dinner Thursday. Friday was a nice weather day and moderately busy. Saturday's weather was nasty with wind, snow and no visibility above tree line. Adam did get out and and ski the powder Sunday before driving home. The L.A. to Mammoth drive is much easier now than when schubwa was in SoCal, so not a big deal leaving 2-4PM on Sunday anymore. There are now only 2 stretches of 2 lane highway (10 miles through Olancha/Cartago and 16 miles above Red Rock Canyon) between L.A. and Mammoth. I have heard that the 395 between Ridgecrest and Cajon Pass has become a real PITA as it remains 2 lane through a bunch of growing high desert communities.