Mammoth Mountain R: Derek Shea P: Eric Meyers
Mammoth Mountain has long been the standard of supreme shredding on the west coast, and this year looks like it is shaping up to be another legendary season in the high Sierras. Last winter, Mammoth Mountain broke snowfall records left and right and the chair didn’t stop spinning until the Fourth of July. Now most resorts would probably want to sit back and relax after such a long season, but Mammoth stepped up to the plate this summer and got busy with a whole slew of recently announced improvements.
For starters, its going to be easier to get there this year, as Mammoth/Yosemite airport expands flight service to include routes from San Diego and Orange County while continuing service from Los Angeles, San Francisco, and San Jose.
Then, when you arrive at Mammoth, getting on-snow will be easier than ever thanks to a new radio-frequency ID ticketing program that allows lift tickets to be pre-loaded so you can skip the lines at the ticket office.
Next, be sure to take your fancy radio-transmitting ticket through the gates and into the lift lines quicker than ever and unfortunately presumably with less Australians to chat with. On the upper mountain there will be a shiny new high-speed quad replacing the old fixed-grip chair 5, getting you up into the pow-day playground known as Upper Dry Creek.
Down where it really matters, in the Unbound Terrain Park, the fellas have been hard at work all summer making improvements to the dirt base of both halfpipes, as well as welding up a whole new slew of features for the return of the Art Park, which this season will feature the work of Jamie Lynn. Sponsorship partners Oakley and Monster Energy will also be creating signature features for the park this season.
Oh, and they’re adding a snowtube park because, well, why not? Tubing is rad and usually makes for a fun snake at the end of the day!
