“The Sun is shining, the weather is sweet…” And for Mammoth’s FREE FRIDAY that pretty much sums it up. With the spontaneous announcement of free-tickets to all that showed up to play on December 9th, 2011 much speculation ensued. Would there be a frenzy? Long lift-lines? Over-crowded runs? Congested parking lots? Rotten attitudes? FREE FRIDAY has come and past and we have the answers: no, no, no, no and no. The Mountain’s promotional event came out smelling like roses.
Many popped over from Tahoe (the consensus: Mammoth has more snow/terrain than Tahoe ski areas). Some used this as an excuse to try out Mammoth for the very first time. Those that had already pre-purchased tickets were given a voucher to use for any future date. And, what did this all amount to? For all I observed, people were smiling, happy and just all-around stoked to be out recreating in beautiful weather on the best ski/snowboard runs to be found in California… yeah, it was pretty sweet.
THE CONDITIONS
The PROS:
- Rollercoaster Express/Chair 4 is back in action – Rollercoaster run is well covered top to bottom.
- Lower Solitude/Easy Rider is excellent – long, varied pitches and the snow softens up surprisingly well as the day goes on.
- By mid-day pockets of loosened granular “pow” present great opportunities for dipping into the white room (if you know the way).
- Perfect, sunny weather.
- Plenty of long cruisers for conditioning those legs for the long season ahead.
The CONS:
- Manmade snowpack is firm and fast – be on your toes, pay attention and ski/ride within your ability.
- Thin coverage here and there.
- Venturing “off-piste” is a no-go. Yet, there are always the few daring enough to test the waters.
PARK REPORT:
- The Super Pipe is simply awesome – yes, the shaded wall is firm but the perfectness of the sunny wall makes up for that and more.
- Tons of variety between Main Park and Forest Trail – the Unbound Crew is mixing it up daily.
- Same as last conditions report – firm conditions demand perfect execution.
The STATS:
- New Snow: Nope, but maybe some just around the corner.
- Base: 1′-2′
- Conditions: Man-made, groomed daily.
- Lifts: 1, 2, 3, 4, 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 | Easy Rider | Rollercoaster
Now the big push is on to get Canyon open… looking forward to it.