All Things Mammoth 2011/2012!

[VickiK]

"Expect highs in the upper 60s Saturday and close to 70 Sunday!" in Mammoth this weekend, per Dweeb Report today. Doesn't sound like I'll need my down puffer on this trip. It's the last weekend that the whole mountain is open, Canyon (Warming Hut 2) will be shut down after.

 

[VickiK]

OMG, contess, Please explain the 2 1/2 minute-long silliness that starts at the 10:30 minute mark on this video:

#! Too funny. Do you have to do this too?

 

[mustski]

"Expect highs in the upper 60s Saturday and close to 70 Sunday!" in Mammoth this weekend, per Dweeb Report today. Doesn't sound like I'll need my down puffer on this trip. It's the last weekend that the whole mountain is open, Canyon (Warming Hut 2) will be shut down after.

They always close canyon and eagle around the 20th. Last year DH took DS down a run from the top through stump alley; they "followed" other guys who must have known what they were doing when they disregarded the no lift open sign, right? They hitchhiked back, Not meaning to sound sexist, but why do we even teach men to read?

 

[contesstant]

OMG, contess, Please explain the 2 1/2 minute-long silliness that starts at the 10:30 minute mark on this video:

#! Too funny. Do you have to do this too?

Well, they do have stick horse classes for the little kids! That is so cute. Peewee loves it.

Bring your shorts to ski! Should be fun! Better than hard-pack!

Oh, and I found my down mid-layer was too warm even with temps in the 20's, high winds, and snow coming down. What a waste of money that was for a California skier!

And Mustski, that's pretty funny--just be glad you weren't with them!

Another storm forecast up there next week? And a big one?? I'd love to get one more trip in. Wish it was closer so I could zip up there more easily and not drop so much coin on stuff. My budget is now entirely devoted to my horse showing habit, so skiing is definitely over

 

[mustski]

Another storm forecast up there next week? And a big one?? I'd love to get one more trip in. Wish it was closer so I could zip up there more easily and not drop so much coin on stuff. My budget is now entirely devoted to my horse showing habit, so skiing is definitely over

I would love to talk Bob into going again, but the drive is so exhausting when you only go to ski for a couple of days. If they still had flights going, I could convince him. Otherwise, I think we're done for the season also.

 

[skibum4ever]

I rode a chairlift today with a skier who had flown in on a commercial flight.

 

[contesstant]

And did you pond skim today?! :pound:

 

[mustski]

I rode a chairlift today with a skier who had flown in on a commercial flight.

Really! I wonder what airline? The mammoth website lists all flights as ending 4/15. Either way, I'm hearing strong rumors of paycuts for next year. This will be our second one in 4 years! I thinks we best wait until next year at this point.

 

[mustski]

And did you pond skim today?! :pound:

Yes, inquiring minds want to know and to see pics if you did!

 

[VickiK]

Bankruptcy ahead?
New York Times article, came out a couple of weeks ago: https://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/14/us/mammoth-lakes-calif-faces-bankruptcy.html?_r=3&hp

Editorial column in response to the article: https://www.firsttracksonline.com/2012/04/20/opinion-mammoth-lakes-headed-towards-bankruptcy/

 

[VickiK]

73 in the town of Mammoth Lakes on Saturday, 75 on Sunday. The resort is somewhat cooler but still. Slushy conditions beginning at 9:30am! It was still fun, and I'm a little sad that it's probably likely realistically the end of my season.

I had the chance to try Skibum4ever's Nordica Nemesis skis in the 162 length. Heavy as compared to my Black Pearls, 162 vs my 159's, 96mm underfoot vs. 88. They were really good in the soft snow, especially in the heavier deep stuff, and were easy to turn and control. I enjoyed them for a few runs - thanks to Skibum4ever!

Figured out I could remove the ear muff pads from the helmet. Sweet relief.

 

[skibum4ever]

You have to be young and probably fueled by beer or other substances to do the pond skim. I got wet enough just watching from the sidelines. We took pictures but I didn't dare take any with my phone which I could post right away.

It's supposed to be a little cooler each day and it may even snow by Thursday. Today was pretty nice, a little firmer, until some light showers started about 2 pm. We headed home just in time to avoid some heavy rain and thunder.

Vicki, so glad you could join us and that you liked the Nemesis. Thanks for letting me try your Black Pearls, and I'm glad I didn't fall in love with them.

 

[contesstant]

Thunderstorm while skiing--eek!

Sounds like you had a great time, ladies! Skibum, I suppose it IS a good thing the Pearls aren't for you! You two must have the same BSL to swap skis??

Here's to a better winter next year!!

 

[VickiK]

We're both 23.5. I clipped into her bindings, no problem. At first Skibum couldn't clip into my Marker Squire bindings, but overcame it with a neat pole-strap-around-back-of-binding leveraging trick. Very clever!

 

[mustski]

Awesome - it's great to trade off skis and try someone else's for a few runs. My gigantic 25 mondo feet don't usually afford me that opportunity. So glad you ladies got a little extra time in. I'll have to try the leveraging trick the next time my squires give me some attitude!

 

[skibum4ever]

Not skiing Hangman's (though Mr. skibum did), but having a good time nonetheless. They opened the race course a while ago, and the surface was perfect corn.

West Bowl and Climax were amazingly flat.

The race training course

The bottom is getting pretty slushy, though. Probably time to head home.

 

[skibum4ever]

A couple of more telephone photos:


powder tracks

a view of the upper mountain

lower mountain (park and half-pipe)

 

[contesstant]

Oh wow, look at that corn! Fast, fun and smooth!! Still really warm up there?

 

[mustski]

It looks like there is still plenty of snow!

 

[skibum4ever]

I have a story about the skiing and the wind-buffed slopes. I was trying to add it to my first post, but exceeded the 15 minute edit window, so lost all my changes.

We drove up about a week ago and skied Saturday through Monday. The skiing was OK but it was very warm. We took off Tues. and Weds. to do some condo stuff. It rained, snowed, and was incredibly windy Weds. night and all day Thurs.
Thurs. was almost impossible to ski, very wet, very windy, snow, sleet, freezing rain, rain, and gusts up to 150 MPH at the top. They closed down all the lifts at 2 pm. Everyone wondered what Friday might bring.

Friday we had a chimney sweep come over in the morning, so DH went out first. The groomers were pretty icy, but all the ungroomed steep runs off the top were wind-buffed, smooth, and highly skiable. He had a great time, one of his best of the season. It was truly more a wind event than a snow event, because we think the snow that fell blew to Arizona.

I went out about 11:30 and skied until 4. The groomers had softened to a nice corn surface. The ungroomed runs lower down (such as West Bowl) were also wind-buffed and skied fantastic. I had a great ski day, one of the best of my season.

Today was warmer, but still about 10 degrees cooler than earlier in the week. So here we are and will ski tomorrow and possibly Monday as well.