Mammoth Mountain Alpine/Downhill Resorts Resort (Are you this resort?)

General Comments/Likes

Mammoth offers some of the best skiing in the country. Long seasons that often last until July 4th provide skiing opportunity long after all other North American resorts have closed for the season. The higher water content sierra snow may not be equal to the light and dry champagne powder of Utah, but Mammoth offers by far the most reliable snow in the country.

Incredible above treeline ski terrain greets gondola riders with awesome views and steep challenges. For the truly courageous skiers that love the likes of Squaw Valley’s famous chimney, Mammoth’s Top of The World chutes await. Google them if interested, since few people can actually give you a first hand account of these rarely skied, fear inducing lines. Whether you like long, high-speed groomers or steep, exposed rocky chutes Mammoth has something for skiers of all levels. Plus, unlike northern or eastern ski areas, Mammoth offers the most sunny days on snow- bar none!

I hesitate to mention my favorite spots, but here’s a short list of “must ski” runs at Mammoth. Start with high-speed warmups on Broadway or Stump Alley (follow the sun for softening snow), then head up to a wake up on Cornice, followed by drops into the Dropout Chutes and Wipeout Chutes, as well as Scotty’s. As you gain confidence, head into the Paranoid Flats chutes (or The ‘Noids as we call ’em) off of Chair 23, then go back to the gondola to access Climax and the scary-to-look-down Hangman’s Hollow (just call it Hangman’s or Hangers if you want to sound like a regular.) Once the snow softens a little, the Dave’s Run, Dragon’s Back and Dragon’s Tail areas off of Chair 9 are truly sweet steep runs with long smooth run-outs back to the chair. On storm days, the Avalanche Chutes off of Chair 22 are hard to beat. Deep powder and great rock-walled steeps are waiting for exploration. For cruising, you can spend all day on Chair 3 or Chair 5 enjoying the wide groomers with access to tons of other terrain. If you are a good skier that doesn’t mind a bit of a hike and potentially longer walk back to civilization, ask a local to take you to Hole in the Wall and ski through a natural tunneled archway in solid rock with gorgeous views of the Mammoth Crest area.

Backcountry options are everywhere in the sierras, so if you are up on your skills and want to experience some truly amazing terrain, do a search for the nearby Mammoth Crest, Bloody Couloir, Tioga Pass area, etc. and get ready to be blown away. The sierras offer a pretty much unlimited “if you can see it, you can ski it” experience- so long as you are willing to hike/climb and have the knowledge to keep yourself safe in a true backcountry environment.

Dislikes

Mammoth’s only downfall is it’s relatively remote location. It’s a solid 5-6 hour drive from Southern California (loaded with Highway Patrol officers itching to write speeding tickets), but with air service from Los Angeles and other airports now available, Mammoth is becoming an easier destination to reach.