Snowboarding Forum - Snowboard Enthusiast Forums banner

Already better then last year-a few pics from mammoth

13K views 97 replies 14 participants last post by  mixie 
#1 ·
well, it's not been a fantastic year here in California but Thanksgiving weekend this year was better then January last year! I wasn't going to post any pics as they're really not so hot..... but after seeing some pics of what Colorado looks like? I figured any snow is better then no snow and I'd share some minor stoke. Note, I suck as a photographer and all I have is a crappy iPhone.

Y'all in canada and the PNW can shut the hell up about your powder! If the sierras don't see some serious snow soon I'll be headed up that way. I have the month of January off work and I will find some damn snow if it kills me.



Wedsensday sucked hard. My first day of the season and it was raining. I did two runs and said fuck this! No pix lol.

Thursday and Friday were pretty good riding. No powder but carvable hard pack and fast groomers. This dude was ripping it up, and jumping over the rocks. I wish I was as good as he was. These two are from inside the gondola :D



Good Morning!! I never get sick of this view.


Some runs on the back side....
 
See less See more
4
#65 · (Edited)
I have been known to drive up to mammoth for a big pow day and drive back to LA the next day. Zombaco and I did that back in December and had a pretty good time! I think we left LA at 8pm, arrive in Mammoth at around midnight. Rode the next day until last chair and was back home in LA by midnight? Something like that. it's about a 4-5 hour drive for me depending on traffic and no speeding cos the man is out in full force on the 395. I don't do one dayers all that much though. I have had mishaps where I planned to go up for a week, then my fucking job has called me to come into the office. So I had to drive back to LA for a fucking day of work then gone right back to mammoth. I try to avoid that shit lol!!


Normally when I do drive go up there I stay for 3-4 days at least to make it worth the trip. I've also hopped a ride with someone else with no return date planned and flown home when I felt like it. Im lucky like that!! I also have a seasonal rental up there so I have a place to say when ever I want which is helpful. If it's a weekday and Im not working Im in mammoth but this year i have a boyfriend and I have been staying home unless there's really good conditions...

however I am most likely going up next week Tue-Thur. I need some me time :D Alex, I almost positive Im going I'll know for sure on Monday. I NEED to ride and Mtn High aint' looking so great with highs of 78 today!


Sadly my work schedule is up in the air for Feb. I am on storm watch and hopefully have a lot of time off!!! more snow please!
 
#66 ·
Damn man, I used to live in Orange County and I just couldn't take doing that drive so often. Also bear wasn't cutting my love/need for big mountain, powder and natural terrain by any means either.

Finally said fuck it and took off for SLC, best decision I made. 11 resorts with 500"+ of super light pow only a 40 minute drive away. Plus we've got Jackson only ~4 hours away.

But I really want to make it out to the sierras again, I haven't been back since I moved away 3 years ago. My last trip there was killer, 49 inches in 3 days...With one last day at June with a perfect bluebird...oh that front face :eusa_clap:
 
#67 · (Edited)
Im 2 hours closer to mammoth then you were down in the OC. Still a long ass drive. However I work in the TV/Film biz and leaving LA is just not a reality for me. Not to mention I own a nice house and have lived here my whole life and my family is here bla bla bla....Moving to the sierras and coming back to LA 1-2 times a month IS a reality for me and that is the goal in the next 5-10 years or so. I could probably do it sooner if I really wanted. I actually thought my employment was coming to an end and I was gonna jump ship rather then find a new gig....but in the end I got offered a sweet job and figured "eh...one more tv season can't be that bad" lol

FUCK big bear is all I have to say about that.

and yes, I love june mountain so very much. I had a handful of very deep pow days there last season and it breaks my heart they are closed.
To be honest that is why Ive rode less this season. I won't ride mammoth on a saturday if it's a pow day or I know it will be crowded. Come spring time, sure I'll ride mammoth on a saturday. There were two weekends this year I'd have gone up if I could have rode at June on Saturday. Instead I stayed home. :(

Here's the other thing about SLC--How cold is it right now? Are you shoveling snow? How's the job situation out there and what do you do? If my family wasn't here I'd leave so cal

It's 77 and sunny here in pasadena. I have a lovely view of the mountains from my house and no ice or snow to be shoveled etc!
 
#68 ·
Your situation is totally understandable, I would probably stay in socal too if I were you.

Though I am probably a lot younger than you, I left mission viejo when I was 19 for SLC. Work...I don't make much money...I'm in my early 20's, work nights, shred in the AM, take a few classes. It's enough for rent, season pass and car payment. But that's all I need right now. All my family is back in Orange County but I go back a few times a year.

Salt lake city isn't usually that bad in winter, but this year we've had record snowfall in the city, it's been in single digits since December - people this year are stoked if it hits the low 20's. We haven't seen the ground since early December as we keep getting pounded by snow and super cold temps that it just stays.

Usually in SLC it will snow a few inches then melt away in a week or two, the average low temps from November-April range from 20-35. Annual snowfall for downtown SLC is around 70-100 inches - it's very erratic year to year. To put in perspective, Big Bear Lake receives an annual snowfall of 62 inches.

SLC is perfect for me, but I totally see how one would want to stay in california, warm, and close to the mountains. SLC good though because you have four seasons, cold snowy winters, warm green spring, hot dry summer, "fally" cool falls. You got the mountains close and the desert close and tons of lakes in between. Plus I can hop a super cheap flight to LB/LAX/John Wayne in an hour an 15 mins. It's like a mini hollywood but for snowboarders and skiiers, seeing a lot of pros shopping at the local market and such :)

You should totally make the move to the sierras though! :thumbsup: After living in SoCal for almost 20 years, it's great to live in the mountains.
 
#69 · (Edited)
I'm in my early 20's
I'm closing in on 40. DAMN KIDS GET THE FUCK OFF MY LAWN!!! :mad:


the mountains here are nice but really...without snow? They're kinda pointless...I didn't feel that way until I started snowboarding :laugh: Now I just get angry when I see brown mountains :blink: Considering I can see Mt Wilson from my house, that's a lot ;)

I've wanted out of so cal since I was 25 but something always drags me back into the fray!!! Right now it's a bf who isn't even interested in learning to snowboard....sigh...I'd seriously consider SLC and I could probably find work there if I tried realllllly hard.


I realize I am approaching poutanen levels of mentioning my 'bf'. Zombaco, next time you see me, slap me ok?
 
#70 · (Edited)
Ok, slap coming :dizzy:

I, like mixie, am in entertainment, and the days off are prime for snowboarding. Pretty much always have dec & jan off. Only wish games paid as well as tv. Really missing that season pass this year. But I still try to get up to mammoth once a month from la.

Today at mammoth.... complete shit show for lift lines. Chair 9 empty all day. Thought I'd give the top a run, got to mccoys, easily 200+ people in line for the gondi. Fuck that! Shoulda stayed on 9.

Did have some sweet and very challenging tree lines off 9
Snow Winter Tree Geological phenomenon Sky


Posting from my phone, hopefully turns out alright.
 
#72 ·
Today at mammoth.... complete shit show for lift lines. Chair 9 empty all day. Thought I'd give the top a run, got to mccoys, easily 200+ people in line for the gondi. Fuck that! Shoulda stayed on 9.
Yeah man - on weekends here you gotta really pick your lifts carefully.

1. NEVER GO BACK TO THE BOTTOM OF THE MOUNTAIN UNLESS YOU HAVE TO. That means avoid Broadway, Stump, Goldrush, Canyon express (ESP Canyone express!!!), etc. You'll have to go through it once when you get there, but stay on the top to mid part of the mountain. The lines at the base lifts can be freakin' insane.

2. Go to the remote or "harder" lifts - 14, 12, 9, 25, even 3, 5, 23.

I just assumed it was busy today so didn't even go out. Will think about tomorrow afternoon - guessing a bunch of folks will leave to head back to LA despite it being MLK weekend.
 
#78 · (Edited)
Yeah, I know better especially on a holiday weekend. But was trying to meet with friends and wanted a top run before I met up with my lady after her lesson. Doubtful I would have gotten back to canyon if I had gone up top.

Chair 25 is awesome too. Lots of trees and steeps, cut across the groomers to more trees. It's actually been quite nice in the early afternoon after baking in the sun all day. 9 is still my fav, can ride different lines all day down that. Love the backside but always a pain to get back, having to go thru main.

I think on crowded weekends if you can get first chair you're good anywhere for an hour, then ya gotta stick to certain areas. I'd really like a chair from 9 to the top of daves / dragons back or from the backside to the gondi shack.

Didn't ride the back today. Went yesterday with the cobra, and it absolutely slayed the wind scoured off piste. Probably the best board I've ridden. Super fun and surfy feel, but still damp enough to cut thru the crud. I would really like to take it out on a pow day. I think I really like the directional shape versus all the true twins I've ridden previously.
 
#79 · (Edited)
I think I really like the directional shape versus all the true twins I've ridden previously.
how did she do? How many days does she have now? Did you get her a rental at the mountain or put her on something from P3?

i have the cutest little 121 board in my garage...I need a little grom riding buddy me thinks!! Need to install my madisons tomorrow!!!


Yah I am not a fan of the true twins Ive rode. I like my directional board thankyouverymuch.

I will have to give chair 25 another chance

there was a very long thread on the mammoth forums about adding a chair from the 9 to the top of daves. i.e. a third summit chair since there's already Ch 23 and the gondi.

I kinda agree with most in that thread-- it would be a bad thing.....you think the top is tracked out fast now? fuuuuck...that. would also put a LOT more traffic on that ridge.

then again I am old and want everyone to get the fuck off my lawn lol
 
#81 ·
Mammoth could definitely use a new coat of fresh. That forecast looks like just whats needed too, sounds like it'll be heavier snow.

Everything is pretty packed down, but the warmer temps lately have created some slushy snow spots in the sunny areas. Top of Lincoln is starting to look pretty sad and brown, but all in all much better than last season still. I was surprised they were grooming riccochet (top to bottom), dragon's alley, and scottys. Made for some fun fast steep groomer bombing in the first hour.

I'll try to get some more pics put up later today.
 
#82 · (Edited)
I'll try to get some more pics put up later today.


Please do! and scottys is usually groomed. Except when covered in avy debris ;)

I am headed up Sunday night. Riding Monday and Tuesday. Gotta work wednesday :(


Here's hoping that everything opens by noon on monday for a lovely bluebird powder day!And that Tuesday is still good too.
Please?

I kinda want to go up sunday morning and ride a bit during the storm. I love me some good storm riding. Free refills and no crowds but...such is life...
 
#84 ·
dude we need some more details!!! Took me a second to figure out where that pic was from. I so rarely ever ride out of canyon. Stump or Eagle as I like to park at stump and I can take a shuttle to eagle from my condo.


I am headed up Sunday night and will be riding Mon and Tue.

Anyone else up there? lets meet up for some laps!
 
#93 ·
Yeah, gotta fly out of town for a meeting on Monday. So much easier (and more reliable/predictable) to fly out of LAX.

Have a great time - I hope you get some POW!

thanks! I did. I met up with alex12 (hi!) and we had some nice pow on monday. Today kinda sucked so we packed it in early.

Next week is looking like more snow....so who's in?!

Im gonna try to go back up tue-thur next week if it snows.
 
#85 ·
also, tell me nothing is open and that the visablily is BAD and its crowded and the snow sucks.

please? i need to feel better about sitting at work....I need the money or I would be up there RIGHT NOW :'(

and Im not going up for the weekend because it will be crowded and I want to be with my bf omg Im worse then poutanen
 
#95 ·
I know :( I have been on storm watch every single day.....I am working monday and friday next week and have a 'maybe' for wedensday. Sigh...Thanks work! Way to fuck up my week!!!! Though I have a feeling my wedensday session is gonna fall thru so if it snows we are GOING!

I am out the following week because I have tickets to a show on thursday.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top