MAMMOTH 22/23 - LIFE'S A BEACH

[Eastern Sierra Skier]

Curious about the winds and avy control probability for this weekend. Will the storm slow enough between part 1 and 2 to get some decent skiing late friday/ early saturday or with mammoth likely be on wind-hold? Likelihood of gusts above 70mph?

Here you go. These may help make your decision. Knowledge is power.

https://mammothweather.com/
https://www.wunderground.com/severe/us/ca/mammoth
https://www.windy.com/
https://opensnow.com/

If you ask me, and this is just my opinion,
I’ld be trying to time the storm, not the bluebird day. The best days at Mammoth for me are when it’s nuking down snow and it’s fresh tracks every run. Ski the storm days, you’ll get more pow runs than any sunny day.

This just popped up on my phone. Like the latest update.




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[Hopeless Sinner]

If you ask me, and this is just my opinion,
I’ld be trying to time the storm, not the bluebird day. The best days at Mammoth for me are when it’s nuking down snow and it’s fresh tracks every run. Ski the storm days, you’ll get more pow runs than any sunny day.

QFT.

I don't ski Mammoth but this seems to work out better for me too.

[Long duc dong]

Here you go. These may help make your decision. Knowledge is power.


If you ask me, and this is just my opinion,
I’ld be trying to time the storm, not the bluebird day. The best days at Mammoth for me are when it’s nuking down snow and it’s fresh tracks every run. Ski the storm days, you’ll get more pow runs than any sunny day.

I would pretty much agree with this.

On storm days you get lap after lap.

I've had many bluebird days where the top was wind affected, or got tracked out very fast.

Having said that, when you do get a top day with stability and light snow (obviously these ideal conditions are rare) and you get a couple of insane laps down the Paranoids.....You really remember those. I think of days like last spring around April 20 (I think, don't remember the exact day) or a late February Monday in 2019. When you get that perfect top line it stays with you. To me, those lines can be so special that they are sometimes the days I remember most, even if you don't get all that many laps.

But on a storm day where it keeps filling in, those are the days you ski the most pow. When the avy chutes and the trees on chair 25 are just constantly refilling and you get lap after lap of that......I would probably try to time the storm day. Storm days almost never disappoint, while the bluebird days sometimes do.

Let's hope we all get lots of both of those this season!!

We were finally able to line up a ski lease for the season. We got very lucky, someone in our group had a good connection. The price has gone up, but still worth it. I'm not organizing it anymore, thankfully. It doesn't start until the middle of the month, so the rest of you guys will have to pack things down for me. I've thought about making a run up to hit this storm, but I'm pretty swamped right now, trying to finish my primary project before the holidays. The smart and responsible thing to do is to stay here and work. If I push over the next couple of weeks I should be in good shape so that we can take a 4-5 day trip around the 17th and really enjoy it without much anything serious hanging over my head. I've only gotten one day this year so far, an afternoon at Snow Summit. I could use a few more groomer days to break in my boots.

But man....This one looks good. I'm going to be smart and pass. My sacrifice should really make it certain that this storm will be good. We went to vegas over Thanksgiving to see Aerosmith and sure enough, the surf was nuts while I was gone. We came back on Friday and Saturday was bonkers at Trestles, so I can't complain too much.

I hope some of you guys get this. Let's hope it is as good as advertised. To those of you who are able to get this, watch for rocks. These are sometimes the storms where it can be really sketchy, you have just enough of a base that you think you can really let it rip.

[Boomer28]

Well put LDD. That was me on the first big storm few weeks back, was just too slammed to drop everything and head up. Now I'm in a much better spot and cruising into the end of the year making the run today possible!

We were going to leave at 6am but my buddy's son is coming now and has a few morning classes at HS he needs to hit before we spring him. ETD 10am so wish us luck....got some new snow-ish tires on the AWD wagon and a few decades of driving in the New England winters so should be fine. Only thing that ever worries me is some flat lander dipshit in a G-Wagon with bald summer tires driving like they're on rails....

[Pinned]

Anyone need a lift up from LA early Thursday? Only catch is I can't drive you back as the car will be full on that run...

Going to try and leave the South Bay around 8:30am

I'm planning on leaving Saturday AM and returning Tuesday evening if anyone wanted a lift up or back.

Planning on going to this in Bishop on Saturday evening if anyone else is planning on it: https://www.esavalanche.org/classes-...eason-kickoff/

[Boomer28]

Interesting day...combination of work dragging into evening on Wednesday & a cranky 6yr old = leaving LA around 11am. My buddy up at MM said it was snowing from about the time he woke up so I was a bit concerned about the drive, specifically a valley-floor-slush-shit-show-situaiton.

We got some rain on the 14 up through Canyon Country and then it was scattered clouds/blue sky the rest of the way till about Big Pine. Wind was whipping the whole way up with a lot of dust storms but the temp stayed at 57 until bishop at about 3pm when we came through.

Snow flurries started just south of Crowley and road was fine till about last few miles before exit. Not a lot of cars overall and pulled into town just short of 5hrs total drive time including a stop for In N Out and taking on fuel at the casino/weed/gas station....

Town Road was pretty covered but the power wagon pulled strong and we made it up to B's house no problem. As of now I'd say about 2' in town, with pretty swirlly winds. Snow is blower light but it's not too cold. Hitting the sack for a early wakeup as I'm on chorizo burrito duty.

Will be on 187 black ops, red alpha SV shell, grey pants tomorrow. Skiing with about 4-6 others.

[Ottime]

110% agree on storm days. By far my best days skiing at Mammoth have been storm days without 22 or the top open. Amazing amounts of pow and no one out out the hill. The bluebird days that followed never compared. At best a run or two of the goods, but way more people, lines and wind affected. Go for the storm days and make the most of the bluebird that follows.

So jealous feeling of a great start to the season. It’s 88F and a bit rainy here. But at least I’m going surfing next month. And but in a 100 plus miles on the bike this week. Enjoy the cold.

[supermodel159]

Yesterday afternoon was amazing. Light winds, no lines, and re-fills every lap. Snowed pretty hard all night. Had to navigate to Vons by muscle memory, nearly whiteout conditions.

[PowerWhore7]

storm day ftw

[jackstraw]

storm day ftw

You whore!!

[thefrush]

Last two hours of yesterday and all of today were fantastic. I really gotta hand it to MMSP & Mtn Ops. They had everything that was running pre-storm + Chair 22 & Chair 13 open by Noon. Let's do it again.

[thefrush]

Well, round 2 kinda fell apart. We got a bunch of glop overnight which will make for great base building, but this morning the storm stopped. Thurs & Fri were the days. Yesterday & today at the mtn featured heavy snow and limited terrain. Next weekend's storm appears to be dwindling as well.

[Pinned]

I got in a few good untracked runs today and the wind early helped. I think tomorrow will be fun if they are able to get anything above Ch2 open.

[Boomer28]

Mini TR:

Friday was all time. Best first day of my life. We made it to Canyon around 830am and were about 15 back on chair 8 when it loaded. First run was quick down Griz right to 22 as we saw it spinning from lift. Ended up waiting about 20 minutes, felt like forever and we almost bailed about 3 times. Ended up doing 3 laps off the Chutes and then bounced to try and ride 5 but it wasn't running. Got few more laps off 1 & 2 with some epic little trips into the tree lines. Ended up at 3 for about 15 minutes till it opened and got 3 great runs off that but it was getting bit tracked out after 2nd one.

The sheltered snow was super light but there were a lo of wind affected parts that were wrecking people all over, myself included as you'd go from deep pow to harder stuff in a very short space...mountain overall was pretty mellow and started fading around lunchtime. After my last run off 3 I decided to go to main to meet a buddy and we decided to ride the gondy up to McCoy to meet some of the group. At the mid station, the lifty surprised us by asking if we were going to top (it had been closed all morning) and told us were were #2 car up! Line at this point inside was huge and they packed the car and up we went.

Of note again, different faces/aspects had wildly different snow, both in depth and consistency. Scottys/Dropout/Wipeout and pretty much all below 23 had ripped pretty hard and almost slid to base of 23 leaving a significant cornice. Contrast that to what I saw below on Climax, few patrol cuts, about half a dozen bomb craters and that was it. Run down was one of best of my life, snow was bottomless and super light and was my last run of the day due to my legs about falling off at this point. Only regret was not getting to hit Cornice Bowl off 23 as that held all it's snow and looked as good as Climax.

Saturday was pretty shit viability for first half of day but around lunch we went over to 12 and lapped that till we got hungry and had much better time. Ended up skiing till about 3 and felt super strong so that was nice. Still was plenty of deep snow to be had and crowds again, probably due to the conditions were light.

Yesterday sucked shit and was classic mashed potato sierra cement. Took 3 runs and bailed. Overall A++ first few days. Mountain is primed for the season and MMSP was on their game getting everything open.

Drive up, into the malestrom:


Wait at 22:


About to Climax:


Thank Jebus for Goretex (Saturday on 12):

[liv2ski]

I can't remember the last time there was this much snow early December. Thank you Jesus, thank you Lord... It is time to run 20 red lights in your honor.

[thefrush]

Nice one Boomer! Friday was definitely wonderful. From what I heard and saw, yesterday was also superb. Weekend forecast is looking great! Keep it coming Üllr!

[Eastern Sierra Skier]

Tuesday, searching for some non wind affected snow.

Looks promising.

Lots of choices.

Skied this one. Wasn’t blower, but was better than what I skied off the Top.

[PowerWhore7]

Good shit this week

[Long duc dong]

Boomer, PW7 and ESS,

Thanks for the shots, as always.

Did the top slide? I'm particularly wondering about the Paranoids, given that a heavy layer of snow fell on weaker layers. Last season I got some great windbuff noids laps around December 20th or so. Then, the massive storm led to that huge fracture and I didn't ski the noids again until April. I'm just hoping something like that doesn't happen again.



I might have to drive up Sunday AM and ski Sunday and Monday.

Our ski lease doesn't start until Dec 16, but I might just have to deal with it and get a hotel. It would be really nice to get some pow.

I probably should be responsible, but like Martin Sheen says in Wall Street "money's (you can substitute responsibility, or anything like that here too) is just something you need if you don't die tomorrow."

I might just have to do it. There is no serious reason why I can't. Back when I had a less flexible schedule I would have killed to do a quick strike like this.

[Eastern Sierra Skier]

Wind machine turned on yesterday afternoon and the skiing lit up. Same thing again today. Sections of the Top are buffed out and firing.

Good skiing off 23 in the Dropouts.

Dave’s.

Skiers right of the face of ch 5 is smooth and buffed out.

Dry Creek area had some good skiing as well.

Dress warm as the current windchill at the top is -12 deg.

[liv2ski]

LDD, I read it slide to the ground put that doesn't jive with ESS pictures. Oddly his picture of Dave's looks chunky like it slide a bit.

[Boomer28]

As of Sunday the only massive slide we saw was below, and lookers right of 23. Did NOT ski Daves at all unfortunately.

[Long duc dong]

Thanks for the info guys.

It looks like this storm might be big. I will probably decide tomorrow afternoon if I'm going to do a quick strike.

I hope some of you guys are planning to go up.

[thefrush]

LDD, something in Paranoids went big in the last cycle as there is a ton of debris down in the apron. But, I'm not sure where it came from as there are no big crowns and the entrances are currently better than they ever were last year. I skied P4 yesterday which was steep, spicy and fun! Dropout 3 went huge in the last cycle and left an enormous debris pile on St. Anton that they've since groomed. Everything else held pretty strong. Also skied two laps in the Hemlocks yesterday which was a blast. Saw a few tracks coming out of Dos Pasos North. Not sure if patrol or poachers as I don't think it has been opened yet. But it does look like we might get to ski it this season!

[Long duc dong]

LDD, something in Paranoids went big in the last cycle as there is a ton of debris down in the apron. But, I'm not sure where it came from as there are no big crowns and the entrances are currently better than they ever were last year. I skied P4 yesterday which was steep, spicy and fun! Dropout 3 went huge in the last cycle and left an enormous debris pile on St. Anton that they've since groomed. Everything else held pretty strong. Also skied two laps in the Hemlocks yesterday which was a blast. Saw a few tracks coming out of Dos Pasos North. Not sure if patrol or poachers as I don't think it has been opened yet. But it does look like we might get to ski it this season!

Thanks for the detailed update!

I guess if things are going to go than it's good for it to happen now. If the weak layers are gone than hopefully the base can build. That's how it seems to my uneducated eye.

I do wonder where the debri came from if you can't see the crown. Usually you can sort of piece those things together.

That's awesome to hear that the noids entrances are better than at any time last year. That zone just might be my favorite on the Mountain. When the entrances are consistently good over the course of a season and the wind buffs it those lines are just always fun. And when they are actually stable and not wind-affected on a pow day....Those are the lines you dream about. Like others have said about storm days vs. blue bird days, the storm days are the ones where you remember the day. Line after line, everything keeps getting refreshed. On the bluebird days you might be fewer lines, but you might get that one line that is the line of the year for you. I guess storm days are almost always insane, while the bluebird days don't always work out. But when they do they are pretty nuts.

Definitely a win-win.

Glad to hear Hemlock's was fun.