Ski FREE at Mammoth this Friday 12/9

[skibum4ever]

Mammoth is offering a free lift ticket this Friday Dec. 9.

From what I hear, the groomers are skiing pretty well. See Staley's review below.

Check out this link:


http://www.mammothmountain.com/Mountain ... /WhatsNew/

 

[Tony Crocker]

Terrain remains fairly limited though with the cold temps it's expanding. If limited to manmade groomers I'll generally take the daytrip to Snow Summit over the long drive to Mammoth. The snowmaking will open Canyon/Eagle Dec. 14, so I may take a couple of quiet midweek days after that to check it out. That's only because I have MVP and a cheap place to stay. When I was paying for day tickets at Mammoth I would not go up there until natural terrain like 3, 5 and some of the top runs were open.

Big Bear has also had favorable snowmaking for the past week. Chair 10 at Summit will likely open within a few days, leaving only chair 6 (the Wall) not yet open.

 

[skibum4ever]

We skied today from 1 pm to 4 pm. Skiing on the groomers is firm, fast, and not rocky. We were even told that Cornice is skiable. We'll check that out tomorrow.

Tomorrow we intend to ski early and leave when it gets crazy.

 

[tseeb]

I thought about going, but even with breaking up the trip with an overnight stop in South Lake Tahoe, it is a long way from San Jose. If I could have talked my friend who wants to ski there sometime into joining me, I probably would have done it. At least one way could be shorter since CA-120 over 9,900+ foot Tioga Pass and through Yosemite re-opened after being closed due to trees falling down in windstorms last week. Amazing that it is still open, as there was snow on the ground when I was hiking at 8,000 feet along 120 in early Oct. and CA-4 and CA-108, both are lower and steeper passes north of 120, are closed.

Some people on Mammoth forum were not happy about the free skiing.

 

[Staley]

It was not especially crowded today. Never waited once for a lift.

 

[Amy43]

No way! Super bummed I missed it! Anyone know if they do this more than once?

 

[Tony Crocker]

It was definitely a spur-of-the-moment move to attract business when there has been little natural snow during a typically slow time of the season.

Mammoth's altitude and low humidity have been conducive to nearly continuous snowmaking. I have little doubt that what's open is skiing well.

 

[Staley]

Yep, the amount of snowmaking is extraordinarily impressive and everything is skiing well. Canyon Lodge is about ready to go.

 

[snowave]

Some people on Mammoth forum were not happy about the free skiing.

Those kooks will complain about anything! :wink:

 

[bludbut]

I was up there skiing with the family on Free Friday. Shredded the face of Sesame all day for the most part . I did take a couple runs top to bottom and thought it was your typical man made- fast, with some sugar on top. Pretty fun all in all. Even Saturday as pretty empty. Mammoth needs a dump it serious low tide up there. Hey Snowave I am happy to report that unlike the B.W. The Mill had Jager and Mammoth Pale Ale on tap. =D>

 

[socal]

Some people on Mammoth forum were not happy about the free skiing.

Those kooks will complain about anything! :wink:

I like to read some of the weather threads over there. Most of the "ski" forum is unreadable to me. I think the demographic is a little less 20-50 ( i know there's some older guys on here) something freeskier and more 40-60 something groomer skier who likes to crack jokes only a grandmother would laugh at.

Good weather info there though.

 

[Tony Crocker]

Most of the "ski" forum.....

Mammoth is an unusual ski market in that a lot of people ski almost nowhere else. Some of the Forum people like to nitpick about how the place is operated. If they got around more and saw how things are done at some other ski areas, they would be more grateful IMHO.

The usual lament: It wasn't this way when Dave McCoy was running the place. Actually in most respects it was, and no surprise I have a lot of data to back that up. The big change is the pricing model. Day tickets are a lot more now, but there was no cheap MVP until Intrawest came in in the late 1990's.

 

[snowave]

Most of the "ski" forum.....

Mammoth is an unusual ski market in that a lot of people ski almost nowhere else. Some of the Forum people like to nitpick about how the place is operated. If they got around more and saw how things are done at some other ski areas, they would be more grateful IMHO.

The usual lament: It wasn't this way when Dave McCoy was running the place. Actually in most respects it was, and no surprise I have a lot of data to back that up. The big change is the pricing model. Day tickets are a lot more now, but there was no cheap MVP until Intrawest came in in the late 1990's.

I don't pick on the operations as much as I feel the place just doesn't have the feel of a $100 day lift ticket resort. Yes, it has great lifts and terrain, snow quality is usually very good. But the quality of the resort/town infrastructure in all other ways (base areas, services, town, etc) are half-class on many levels. In the end, I have an MVP-season pass, and I'm grateful for that... and love to ride the place. I just think it's overpriced by about $10-15.

 

[Staley]

There's almost no reason for people to be paying full price on lift tickets, especially anyone that posts on a ski forum. The season is so long and the passes get paid off so quickly that I can't seeing not buying a pass. I fully expect for my daily rate to be below $5 a day by the end of the season. In fact, considering I only spend about $3/day on food, I could very well pay just $8/day for skiing this year. It can be done on the cheap.

 

[Tony Crocker]

Yes, it has great lifts and terrain, snow quality is usually very good.

Isn't that what the near $100 lift ticket is paying for?

But the quality of the resort/town infrastructure in all other ways (base areas, services, town, etc) are half-class on many levels.

True, but my impression is that the SoCal commuters, who are still 90% of Mammoth's clientele, don't care that much. There are still not enough of the high-end destination skiers who do care to support The Village, etc. in its current configuration.

 

[socal]

I fully expect for my daily rate to be below $5 a day by the end of the season.

How is that possible? Isn't the MVP the cheapest pass option at >$600?

 

[Tony Crocker]

Student pass is $299 with only Christmas week and President's weekend blacked out.

 

[socal]

Student pass is $299 with only Christmas week and President's weekend blacked out.

That's a hell of a deal.

 

[snowave]

Yes, it has great lifts and terrain, snow quality is usually very good.

Isn't that what the near $100 lift ticket is paying for?

But the quality of the resort/town infrastructure in all other ways (base areas, services, town, etc) are half-class on many levels.

True, but my impression is that the SoCal commuters, who are still 90% of Mammoth's clientele, don't care that much. There are still not enough of the high-end destination skiers who do care to support The Village, etc. in its current configuration.

The price of a lift ticket should be fairly relative to the lift infrastructure, so yes.. it should be big part of it. BUT... not all of it.


And yes, you're probably right... many in socal could care less about a village, etc..... they are passive and complacent to a large degree. MH puts an exclamation point on that imo with their poor operations.

That's not my point though. I'm strictly saying, Mammoth is not a $100 resort because of the lack of all the other pieces that I think don't come together to make it represent a $100 resort... like Vail or Aspen, etc... Not saying I want that, but everything other than lifts at Mammoth are largely inferior to other places I've been/have knowledge of that are equal to the same price.

 

[socal]

Yes, it has great lifts and terrain, snow quality is usually very good.

Isn't that what the near $100 lift ticket is paying for?

But the quality of the resort/town infrastructure in all other ways (base areas, services, town, etc) are half-class on many levels.

True, but my impression is that the SoCal commuters, who are still 90% of Mammoth's clientele, don't care that much. There are still not enough of the high-end destination skiers who do care to support The Village, etc. in its current configuration.

The price of a lift ticket should be fairly relative to the lift infrastructure, so yes.. it should be big part of it. BUT... not all of it.


And yes, you're probably right... many in socal could care less about a village, etc..... they are passive and complacent to a large degree. MH puts an exclamation point on that imo with their poor operations.

That's not my point though. I'm strictly saying, Mammoth is not a $100 resort because of the lack of all the other pieces that I think don't come together to make it represent a $100 resort... like Vail or Aspen, etc... Not saying I want that, but everything other than lifts at Mammoth are largely inferior to other places I've been/have knowledge of that are equal to the same price.

Isn't your lift ticket price basically the price for the on mountain experience and amenities? I'm sure that hotels/food/etc are more expensive in other locations than Mammoth due to the fact their "village" is nicer, but the lift ticket cost in my mind is based on the lifts, terrain, grooming, avalanche control, etc.