Wind, wind, wind and some sideways snow… That pretty much sums up Mammoth conditions for the past two days. Yet somehow, even with all the wind, enough snow managed to stick, giving the mountain a new base and a fresh top-sheet.
For a good part of the day today lift operation was hampered by the strong winds. Given the amount of wind it was rather surprising that Chair 22 managed to open by 8:45 AM. Yet, within an hour or so the wind put a stop to that. Many chairs never fired up, including Broadway Express; the top was completely off the table.
Blue skies are expected for tomorrow, which in all likelihood means we’ll see the top open for the first time since the recent blow. No doubt the snow will have been affected by the strong winds, yet I, like many, am intrigued to see how the top has been transformed by the latest deposit.
Going to be in Mammoth tomorrow? You’ll appreciate the sunny blue skies and calm winds.
THE CONDITIONS
The PROS:
- 1-2’ of new snow in the past 3 days.
- Not a blower pow, yet a great snow for resetting the base.
- Snow stayed very fresh today thanks to cold temps; tomorrow temps are expected to stay in the 30s, which means snow should remain fresh for all you week-end warriors.
- Much of the mountain never opened today yet is expected to tomorrow; should be fun to see how everything has improved.
- The scene on the hill is eerily mellow. Who’d a thought? Mammoth, the place to get away from the crowds.
The CONS:
- Cold and strong winds makes for cold fingers – especially when exposing them to try and snap a pic or two.
- Coverage on runs is looking healthier than ever – little tree tops are starting to disappear. Even so, some zones are still bony; charging full-throttle is still intimidating (for me, at least).
PARK REPORT:
- Not much going on in the parks. Park Staff usually refrains from “shaping things up” until the snow and wind let up.
- Grand Prix events were scheduled for yesterday and today – all have been postponed until tomorrow.
The STATS:
- New Snow: 1-2’ in the past 3 days; 12-15’ in the past 24 hours.
- Base: approx. 5’.
- Weather: Cool for the next two days; Sunday things will start to warm up. Pesky North wind returns tomorrow.
- Conditions: Powder, packed powder.
- Lifts: Lower mountain lifts only today, many only open intermittently. Full operation expected for tomorrow (Friday).
- Runs: Limited to lower mountain today. Will we finally see runs like Hangman’s open tomorrow?
Bottom line: A fun, fast “surface” pow today. It will be nice to ride a lift w/o white knuckles tomorrow.