unofficial mammoth mountain ca conditions report

Chair 2 December 7 2011 — Stump Alley, getting better every day.

Bottom line, skiing and snowboarding is AWESOME, any way you slice it… but you probably already knew that. A conditions report, then, yes? Well, by East coast standards, Mammoth is killing it (take it from me, one hearty NE native). No really, MMSA’s mountain ops are crushing it with the snowmaking. Many acres of skiable terrain are opening on a regular basis.

The PROS:

Chair 10 opened this week, providing access to Lower Solitude/Easy Rider – a long, wide enjoyable cruiser.
Early in the day the cords are a ripping good time.
Late in the day, pockets of loosened granular “pow” makes for fun, playful turns.
Daytime weather is near perfect: not too hot, not too cold. Hey, we’re in CA, right?
Great time to just cruise and get those legs conditioned for the season ahead.
Unbound is the place to be: no joke, the park is as good as it’s ever been for this early in the season.
Mid-week = you have the Mtn. to yourself.

Chair 10 at Mammoth Mountain, CA — Have Chair 10 and Solitude all to yourself.

The CONS:

If your edges aren’t sharp get ready for some slippin an’ slidin’ (there’s a mastery and art to that ya’ know)
Rocks (mostly pumice) are starting to mix in with the man-made: they’re hidden everywhere and nip at your bases/edges when you least expect it.
Falling hurts a bit more than normal at present (I tested that one myself today).
Venturing “off-piste” is a no-go. Those winds that ripped LA? Same winds scoured the Mtn. pretty good.

22 foot super pipe at mammoth mountain — This super pipe is a work of art; well done Unbound Crew.

PARK REPORT:

Did I mention that Unbound is the place to be right now?
The Super Pipe is legit (sunny wall was as good as ever around 1pm).
Main has 7 jumps, covering all abilities and jibs in the double digits. Nice thing too is these are being modified/updated almost on a daily basis = always something new = fun.
Forest Trail (FT) is taking shape…
FT has 5-6 boxes (various styles) and a nice 3-pack of 15′ tables.
Conditions are bit firm (obvious) so it’s a great time to practice being “light” on those feet.

new flat down jib in main park — Steezy Matt puts the new flat-down guard rail to the test.

box to barrel transfer feature at unbound — Sick new box to barrel transfer feature in Main - anyone want to shoot on this?

The STATS:

New Snow: It’s been a while.
Base: 1′-2′
Conditions: Man-made, groomed daily.
Lifts: 1, 2, 3, 6, 10, 11, and Panorama Gondi (top and bottom).
Runs: Sesame Street, East and West | St. Moritz | Broadway | Mambo | Silver Tip |Stump Alley | Powder Bowl | Ralphies | Saddle Bowl | Andy’s Double Gold | Cornice Bowl| Fascination | Wall.

So, take it or leave… you decide. I’m a pass holder, I live here and I’m stoked (happy to get out as much as possible). And like everyone else, I look forward to seeing the white flying around here again soon (Mother-made, please).

UPDATE: Did I mention the snowmaking crews are crushing it? Whales (massive banks of man-made snow) are appearing all over the place, mostly around Canyon. It may not be that far off ’til we see chairs 4, 17 and 16 spinning (fingers crossed); I’ll keep you posted.