Last night Mammoth was hit by a “sleeper” snow storm. While the town slept approx. 6” of fresh silently fell on the Mountain, providing those lucky enough to be around on a Monday with some of the best skiing and snowboarding of the season.
The top of the Mountain was socked in all day, limiting riding to the lower mountain. Not a problem, as there were plenty of good turns to be had off of Chairs 1, 2, 3, 5, 10, 12, 16, and 22. This light “hit” was just what the doctor ordered, filling in a lot of the bumps once predominate throughout the off-piste terrain.
As an alternative, I’ve provided a few GoPro clips as I thought these would best “describe” today’s conditions. Granted, I was late to join the party, yet the soft, new canvas was still a lot of fun. And, as late as I was to get my tail to the hill, I still managed to get a couple untracked moments.
Looking forward to what tomorrow has in store for us…
THE CONDITIONS
The PROS:
- 4-10” of fresh snow.
- No “ice” to be found. Just about everywhere you went there was great, soft, slash-able snow.
- No lift lines, no waiting whatsoever.
- Cold temps = snow quality remained awesome all day.
- Top never opened. Didn’t make it out today? I expect the top to pop tomorrow, promising more moments of fresh glory.
- Previous zones with off-piste bumps filled in very nicely, making for a much smoother, faster ride.
- Tree runs are much more inviting again.
The CONS:
- Chances are you missed out on this “refresh.” Very few people were on the hill today.
- Top never opened. NOTE: this was also listed as a Pro.
- Lots of “obstacles” still not covered or barely covered. Use caution in unfamiliar zones.
- Visibility certainly got tricky at times as clouds were rolling in and out all day.
- Have it bad for corduroy? Today was not for you. Anything that may have been groomed last night was quickly covered by a blanket of fresh. I’ll wager the cords will be $$$ first thing tomorrow though.
- Not enough new snow to re-set the base for runs with a predominately Southern aspect.
PARK REPORT:
- There’s powder out there, go make some turns.
- I was impressed… even though the parks were blanketed in white, the Unbound Park Staff was out clearing features for your jibbing pleasure.
- The Super Pipe is still closed for reconstruction.
The STATS:
- New Snow: approx. 6” on the ground this morning. A few spots had less, a few spots had a lot more, close to 1’ even.
- Base: approx. 4’.
- Weather: Off and on snow throughout the day. There may be a few more inches in the forecast for tomorrow evening as well.
- Conditions: Powder.
- Lifts: All lifts, except 9, 13, 14, 20, 23 and Upper Gondola.
- Runs: Lower mountain only today. Due to poor visibility the Top, Chair 9 and the backside remained closed today.
Bottom line: To those that hit up the hill early today (or at all, for that matter)… well done.