Spotty Trip Report from Mammoth June 13

[SallyCat]

@SallyCat Twin Lakes was beautiful this afternoon. If you haven't been over, you should hit it. It's a fairly easy bike ride. The waterfall is raging!

Ooo, thanks for the tip, that sounds much better than my failed ride on the Mammoth Rocks trail, which was like trying to ride a bike along a beach. I've never had a worse bike ride surrounded by such spectacular beauty!

 

[skibum4ever]

I'd like to do some pitifully easy hiking/walking on dirt trails that are snow free. Maybe next week, definitely when we're there in late July. Anyone want to join me?

And yes, we shall be skiing Tues - Fri next week. I'd love to meet up with some new Divas and take a few runs.

 

[SallyCat]

I'd like to do some pitifully easy hiking/walking on dirt trails that are snow free.

May I recommend the Mammoth Rocks Trail? It's easy and gorgeous. I imagine it would be even easier not pushing a 30-pound mountain bike.

 

[bounceswoosh]

I can't figure out why this is sideways. I tried flipping it in my phone but same issue. Can a mod fix this for me?

This should probably be in a FAQ, but, nope, mods can't help with this. I mean, not short of downloading it and doing the same fiddling you would do. Sorry!

 

[skibum4ever]

@SallyCat, how's it going? See you next Tuesday.

 

[SallyCat]

Going great! It's very warm, for sure, but the snow is fun through the morning. Around noon-ish it gets significantly mushy. Around 11:00 I usually start to take little breaks. A lot of people leave by then, but I can never make myself go while chairs are still spinning, so I slow down and goof off, or do little drills. Today my legs were shot, so I ended up in the parking lot drinking beer with some of the "regulars." I'm determined to get myself off this intermediate plateau, so I go out every day and work at it, sort of like I'm running my own adult ski camp!

 

[SallyCat]

Whew! Dead legs today. I think nine days in a row might have been pushing it for an less-than-fit old cat lady. Headed to Tahoe for a couple of days of downhill biking at Northstar, then back to Mammoth. Snow is still going strong, though!

 

[skibum4ever]

Nine days in a row of packed powder isn't that easy. Nine days in summer conditions is tough, particularly if you ski into the slushy afternoon.

Taking a break from skiing sounds like heresy, but also a very good idea. See you next week.

 

[santacruz skier]

Whew! Dead legs today. I think nine days in a row might have been pushing it for an less-than-fit old cat lady. Headed to Tahoe for a couple of days of downhill biking at Northstar, then back to Mammoth. Snow is still going strong, though!

Northstar has great mountain biking trails....done it many times.

 

[bounceswoosh]

Headed to Tahoe for a couple of days of downhill biking at Northstar

Woot woot!

Nine days is a lot of skiing regardless. Your legs will thank you for a break .... although downhill riding isn't much of a break if you're doing it properly (ie, butt off the saddle).

 

[SallyCat]

Woot woot!

Nine days is a lot of skiing regardless. Your legs will thank you for a break .... although downhill riding isn't much of a break if you're doing it properly (ie, butt off the saddle).

That's very true about DH biking; I'll likely take it pretty easy on the trails. I also need a break from the sun to be honest, and hopefully the biking will be at least slightly wooded and without snow glare. I've had a hard time staying hydrated,* and I got a wicked sunburn on my legs through the hiking pants I've been wearing. I've seen a lot of people wearing buffs and bandanas over their faces to block the sun, and I think I'm going to start doing that in addition to the usual gallons of sunscreen. High-altitude snow fields are not the natural habitat of the Irish; my skin is screaming at me to get back to the cloudy peat bog it was designed for.

*I know, the beer drinking doesn't help, but I am on vacation after all!

 

[luliski]

've seen a lot of people wearing buffs and bandanas over their faces to block the sun,

This is pretty common practice in the sunny Sierras.

 

[Jenny]

That's very true about DH biking; I'll likely take it pretty easy on the trails. I also need a break from the sun to be honest, and hopefully the biking will be at least slightly wooded and without snow glare. I've had a hard time staying hydrated,* and I got a wicked sunburn on my legs through the hiking pants I've been wearing. I've seen a lot of people wearing buffs and bandanas over their faces to block the sun, and I think I'm going to start doing that in addition to the usual gallons of sunscreen. High-altitude snow fields are not the natural habitat of the Irish; my skin is screaming at me to get back to the cloudy peat bog it was designed for.

*I know, the beer drinking doesn't help, but I am on vacation after all!

Wow, through the pants? You must be paler than I am and that's a pretty high (low?) bar!

 

[bounceswoosh]

That's very true about DH biking; I'll likely take it pretty easy on the trails.

To be honest, I spend entirely too much time in the saddle on descents. But I know I'm not SUPPOSED to. Sitting on the downhill is a terrible awful habit, and I wish I'd worked harder to break it in the past. This season I kind of have to - my knee won't put up with that much force without a break.


Also, omg, burned THROUGH pants??

 

[SallyCat]

Also, omg, burned THROUGH pants??

Yeah, and pretty badly, too. I didn't realize how bad until I sank into a hot tub this afternoon and my legs felt like boiling lobsters.

 

[skibum4ever]

Ouch, I plan to stick to ski pants. I think I have a pair that unzip to allow the legs to breathe, I must check the back of my closet. Probably a long sleeve tee up top.

I won't be skiing until Weds., so I'll see you at Chair 3 at 9 am on Weds.

How's the non-ski activity going?

 

[CarverJill]

I got a wicked sunburn on my legs through the hiking pants I've been wearing.

I occasionally get a sun burn on my scalp through my hair! My hair is strawberry blonde so if its really going to be beating down I spray sunscreen on my hair. It's gross but necessary.

 

[Jenny]

I occasionally get a sun burn on my scalp through my hair! My hair is strawberry blonde so if its really going to be beating down I spray sunscreen on my hair. It's gross but necessary.

I've burned the part in my hair more times than I can count! But at least it's only that, not my whole head . . .

 

[nopoleskier]

somewhere I saw a sunscreen spray for hair! google?

 

[CarverJill]

Yeah I used to have that. Its hard to find though and any spray sunscreen works just as well.