Founder of Mammoth Mountain Passes Away at 104
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Dave McCoy and his wife Roma had a vision. They saw a small peak in the Eastern Sierras as the future of skiing and, with his motorcycle as collateral, they purchased a rope tow for $86 and slowly began the development of what would become the fabled Mammoth Mountain Resort. McCoy passed away peacefully in his sleep this weekend at the seasoned age of 104.
McCoy oversaw Mammoth's development from start to finish, from a small mom-and-pop resort 150 miles southeast of Sacramento to one of the most visited ski areas in the country. His original portable rope tow cost skiers only 50 cents and would pull them from a tree up a short ways to the back tire of his Ford Model A. He saw the resort through thick and thin, never losing sight of his vision: Mammoth as one of the main ski resorts in the country.
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At the time, there were only a few dozen permanent residents in Mammoth, and many didn't think anything of McCoy's goals. He persevered through endless criticism about the distance of the mountain from major cities, challenging weather patterns in the Sierras, economic downturns, droughts, and other unforeseen setbacks. Mammoth and all the skiers and snowboarders who frequent its slopes will forever be grateful to this megalithic man. As Mammoth's website simply states, "Thank you, Dave McCoy, for everything."
