California/Nevada Seeking Mammoth recommendations

[Pat AKA mustski]

Damn, I'll be back up there May 2-5

Just missed you again! This happened last spring too. Our move in date is May 7 so we have to come back here in between to pack necessities.

 

[Tricia]

I really appreciated the Squaw recommendations I got here recently so now I am looking for help with Mammoth, where I will be next week for a mix of skiing by myself and with kids.

I'm and advanced and love speeding and carving down long, groomed runs. I am also looking to push myself more, including more time in the moguls and trees. So I'm thinking 80/20 or even 70/30.

Based on my research, these seem promising for me: Chair 23, West Bowl, Paranoid Flats, Avalanche Chutes.

And runs to ski with kids: Road Runner, White Bark Ridge, Stump Alley to St. Moritz, Gold Hill.

As always, advice appreciated.

I'd say we'll meet you but a bit of that depends on timing. @dbostedo will be here to ski Squaw/Alpine for part of that timing.
Maybe a day trip to Squaw for us???

 

[Dougb]

I'd say we'll meet you but a bit of that depends on timing. @dbostedo will be here to ski Squaw/Alpine for part of that timing.
Maybe a day trip to Squaw for us???

Not sure if this was meant for me, but I would love to ski with you guys some day! Maybe Squaw next season?

I will be at Mammoth Skiing Tuesday through Friday, with some combination of solo/with kids and mornings/afternoons. My wife — the only non-skier in the family — wants us to spend time with her and not just the snow.

 

[Dougb]

Had my first day at Mammoth today -- actually, half day. Wind shut down all but Discovery Chair by around 11 when I left. But frankly, by that time the altitude got to me as well. A fast run down Face Lift (10,585 feet) and I started to get tired and a little nauseous.

My goal today was to scope out turf for skiing with kids tomorrow, so I was looking for a mix of blues and greens. I hit (in no particular order): Europa Cup, Knee Deep, Stump Alley, Center Bowl, Exhibition, Lost in Woods, Roller Coaster, Saddle Bowl, Silver Tip, Solitude, St. Anton, Terry's Run, Apple Pie, Easy Rider, and Disco Bowl.

And for me, I also hit Christmas Bowl and finished off the day going down Cornice Bowl (FUN).

It was icy in the morning and windy up top. Not the best combination but my Fischer RC One GT 86 skis and easily handled everything, including the morning crust. Those edges can dig in and fly. When Stump Alley softened up they were an absolute blast carving. Ski Tracks and the Ikon app had me at 53mph, 13 runs, 10 miles, and 10k vertical feet.

More to come tomorrow.

 

[Pat AKA mustski]

If you enjoyed Cornice, try Scotty’s ... it’s a blast and offers great opportunity to move into some bumps in the ungroomed lower part of the bowl.

 

[In2h2o]

Chairs 12/13 access mostly blue runs if you dont mind a slower 2 seater.

Re: altitude I suggest not drinking alcohol the first night and drinking a vitamin water power c dragon fruit prior to getting on the mountain. Hydrating after coffee and before skiing should help get rid of the altitude slump.

 

[Popeye Cahn]

Chairs 12/13 access mostly blue runs if you dont mind a slower 2 seater.

Re: altitude I suggest not drinking alcohol the first night and drinking a vitamin water power c dragon fruit prior to getting on the mountain. Hydrating after coffee and before skiing should help get rid of the altitude slump.

So an older 2 seater like say #3 at Summit?

One thing I dislike about hydrating prior to skiing...

Peeing. Damn if my bladder isn't the smallest on the planet. I generally don't drink on the mountain, especially beer.

 

[Larry]

5 more days and I'll finally see Mammoth again after almost a 2 year absence

 

[In2h2o]

So an older 2 seater like say #3 at Summit?
One thing I dislike about hydrating prior to skiing...
Peeing. Damn if my bladder isn't the smallest on the planet. I generally don't drink on the mountain, especially beer.

Not sure about the chair #3 at Summit, its been a while, but I do know that Mammoth has a lot of trees....

 

[Dougb]

Got back out there today with 4 kids in tow. We spent most of the morning on blues and greens around the Main Lodge and Mill. By around 11:30 the visibility was pretty tough for them with the snow and wind. The good thing is there were no lines anywhere.

I dropped them off after lunch and went back. Parked in the Mill and walked right on to Stump Alley. Unfortunately Chair 23 and the backside were closed because of the snow and wind, so once again I was thwarted from seeing the backside. Still I had fun doing laps on Face Lift and Chair 5.

Once again the Fischer RC One GT 86s showed they were the right purchase. Super easy and fun to ski slow with kids, and plenty fine on the fresh — even when I hit unexpected patches of ice because of the wind. These were the right purchase and match exactly with the reviews.

I’ll be back tomorrow with one kid. After today’s snow, tomorrow is supposed to be sunny. Should be great.

A few pics from the last two days.

 

[Pat AKA mustski]

So an older 2 seater like say #3 at Summit?

One thing I dislike about hydrating prior to skiing...

Peeing. Damn if my bladder isn't the smallest on the planet. I generally don't drink on the mountain, especially beer.

Yes, it would be similar to chair 3.

 

[Popeye Cahn]

Yes, it would be similar to chair 3.

Thanks, I sort of figured as much but it's nice to know from those who know ;-) Going up in a month, hopefully there is still some decent skiing then

 

[Dougb]

Today was magnificent. 2” of fresh snow in the morning, bluebird conditions, no lines. But maybe what made this one of the most epic ski days for me ever was it was the first time I skied alone with my 12 year old son.

You can see we ran the whole mountain. A ski instructor told me to start at Chair 9 in the morning and follow the sun across the mountain, and that’s what we did. We parked at Eagle and literally had the whole mountain to ourselves in the morning. We made our way across and took the gondola up and I finally made it to the backside. We skied there, ate lunch, came back, and then I convinced him to take Chair 23 up with me and drop into Cornice Bowl. And he did it!!!! We made our way back to Eagle and nearly 20 miles later he told me it was one the best days of his life. Mine too.

Once again the Fischer RC One GT 86 impressed me. It’s so easy and fun to ski. The tail surprises me because this ski can carve hard on the groomers but it releases so easy when you take it off piste. I’m really appreciating it more and more every day.

Some pics.

 

[Pat AKA mustski]

We made our way back to Eagle and nearly 20 miles later he told me it was one the best days of his life. Mine too.

That kind of day is the best kind of day!

 

[Larry]

Today was magnificent. 2” of fresh snow in the morning, bluebird conditions, no lines. But maybe what made this one of the most epic ski days for me ever was it was the first time I skied alone with my 12 year old son.

You can see we ran the whole mountain. A ski instructor told me to start at Chair 9 in the morning and follow the sun across the mountain, and that’s what we did. We parked at Eagle and literally had the whole mountain to ourselves in the morning. We made our way across and took the gondola up and I finally made it to the backside. We skied there, ate lunch, came back, and then I convinced him to take Chair 23 up with me and drop into Cornice Bowl. And he did it!!!! We made our way back to Eagle and nearly 20 miles later he told me it was one the best days of his life. Mine too.

Once again the Fischer RC One GT 86 impressed me. It’s so easy and fun to ski. The tail surprises me because this ski can carve hard on the groomers but it releases so easy when you take it off piste. I’m really appreciating it more and more every day.

Some pics.

Wow, what a great day and experience you guys shared. I suspect today was one of the better blue bird days up there.

 

[Tricia]

Today was magnificent. 2” of fresh snow in the morning, bluebird conditions, no lines. But maybe what made this one of the most epic ski days for me ever was it was the first time I skied alone with my 12 year old son.

You can see we ran the whole mountain. A ski instructor told me to start at Chair 9 in the morning and follow the sun across the mountain, and that’s what we did. We parked at Eagle and literally had the whole mountain to ourselves in the morning. We made our way across and took the gondola up and I finally made it to the backside. We skied there, ate lunch, came back, and then I convinced him to take Chair 23 up with me and drop into Cornice Bowl. And he did it!!!! We made our way back to Eagle and nearly 20 miles later he told me it was one the best days of his life. Mine too.

Once again the Fischer RC One GT 86 impressed me. It’s so easy and fun to ski. The tail surprises me because this ski can carve hard on the groomers but it releases so easy when you take it off piste. I’m really appreciating it more and more every day.

Some pics.

Priceless!

 

[Dougb]

Bit of a slower day today. Kids were in lessons and I hung out with my wife and the other parents. Still I got some runs in on Cornice Bowl and Scotty’s and even tooled around the backside with my son and her friend as they got mogul lessons. That was fun.

It was slushy — and iced out at the entrances to the runs up top — but again my Fischers were up to the task.

I think the extra altitude compared to the Tahoe resorts makes this a really good California spring skiing destination.

 

[Tony]

Often better than chair 9 on a Spring morning is chair 25 which softened even on Tues/Wed although it was getting brown in a few spots.

Once again I should have been there the day before or day after the days I was at Mammoth. If I go back in the next 6 weeks, it will either be for a foot of new snow, or more likely for more typical Spring conditions than the stormy or high wind days I've experienced too many times in April and May.

But July 1-3, 2019 was good. See California/Nevada - 2018 - 2019 Mammoth Mountain | Page 41 | SkiTalk | Ski reviews, Ski Selector (link may not be safe from work) and California/Nevada - Mammoth in june/july | SkiTalk | Ski reviews, Ski Selector for some posts from a better year

 

[Dougb]

That was really an epic week at Mammoth. I skied the entire resort by myself, much of it with my kids, and loved every minute of it. The place is huge and wonderful. The higher elevation meant good snow all week as we got everything from sun to high winds to fresh snow.

I also loved skiing the whole mountain in my new Fischer RC One GT 86 skis. They easily handled everything and anything Mammoth threw at them on and off-piste. Thanks @Philpug for the review, otherwise I never would've even looked at them.

Favorite parts? Dropping in Cornice Bowl and skiing all the way down to the Gondola. Runs off of Chair 9 in the morning, especially the Slot. Runs off of High Five Express, especially Upper and Lower Dry Creek. Eating grilled cheese sandwiches at the Melt at The Outpost on the Backside.



A little video my son shot just so you could see the fresh tracks we got.

 

[Larry]

@Dougb , what a great trip and just in time. Mammoth on monday 4/19 has shut down the eagle/canyon side along with chair 5(at least during the weekdays)