MammothSnowman.com

12-3-2020 – 8:34 AM – Good morning and thanks for stopping by MammothSnowman.com.

FYI: Mono County went into the purple tier this week, so restaurants have no indoor dining in Mammoth Lakes. 

Some restaurants have outside setups and everyone is doing take out that they bring right to your car when you pull up. The Ski Area also has tables set up outside for dining and drinks. 

Mammoth Mountain and Eastern Sierra Weather: There will be more clear blue skies over Mammoth Mountain and the Eastern Sierra today.

At the 9000-foot level highs will be in the ’40s with nighttime lows into the 20s for continued snowmaking out on Mammoth Mountain.

For Mammoth Lakes and Crowley Lake expect highs into the upper 40s to the low 50s with lows in the teens. Winds over the next week look to be out of the SW than the West with gusts 10 – 20 MPH at times out on Mammoth Mountain.

Highs in the Bishop area are in the upper 50s to low 60s with lows in the mid to upper 20’s.

The next 10-14 days is looking clear and dry with nighttime snowmaking taking place. Weather Guy has a new post from Tuesday with his outlook for snowfall in December.

Mammoth Mountain Snow Report: Here is my report from Monday. The opening week and the Thanksgiving crowds were gone, wait times were zero to a couple of minutes at the most. That’s my type of skiing, open it up and make lap 20 laps by 11:30 AM. 

The snow at the first bell was about as firm and fast as it can get. After a few runs, it started to loosen up just a bit,  with the skier and boarded traffic helping to create a softer surface.

I got out on most of what was open except for the discovery chair area. For the most part, coverage is good on the open runs. There are a few small bare spots that are spreading small rocks out in a few areas, but most of the obstacles are avoidable.

Crews are making every effort to blow snow nightly and into the morning hours. I saw them blowing snow this morning on Andy’s Double Gold and on Upper Solitude.

If you’re considering coming up right now it’s low tide with firm man-made snow the rule. Now is not the time to take out your new skis or snowboards. Having a good tune is a must right now with the snow being so fast and firm. Matt over at Fast Ski Sports can get you taken care of tune-up wise, make sure to tell him the Snowman sent you in.

Saddle Bowl has some good coverage with just a couple of sections that have some avoidable floaters. The snow conditions are better than the lower runs with it not being so firm. Took a run in here right at the start of the morning and ended up doing a bunch of laps. I came back midday when the light was perfect and took 5 more laps.

West Bowl is tough to get into and once you’re in you want to avoid the very rocky left side of the run. On the skiers right there are fewer rocks but it’s still low tide. You will want your rocks skies if you plan on skiing or riding what I call Ebben Bowl. (no image)

Roller Coaster over at chair 4 was open, the coverage is good. The snowmaking crews had blown some softer snow in the upper sections that was a ton of fun. Not many people taking advantage of chair 4 so you can do lap after lap with no waiting in line at all right now.

Mambo by 11 AM had the softest snow conditions on the hill with no obstacles to worry about. Snowmaking crews have this run open all the way down to the bottom of chair 2. 

Stump Alley has gotten a bit wider. It started out very firm but softened up with all the sun it gets. Coverage is good and will get better as the snowmaking crews are still working to widen the run-up.

Lower Solitude is open and offers up a long run back to the bottom of chair 10 via Easy Rider. At the top of this run, I would make sure I was riding to skiers right of the snowmaking guns they have set up. Expect this area to get much wider by the end of the week with all the snowmaking going on.

Upper Solitude is still closed, but looking at the snow plies they have made and all the guns that are set up I would bet it will be skiable in the next week if not by the weekend.

Broadway is in great shape now coverage wise. It’s fast and fun flying back down to the Main Lodge.

The Unbound Main Park is getting more and more built out day by day. They have features set up now from the top of chair 6 all the way down to the lower park. I will get a bunch of photos of this area later this week.

Fascination is open with just natural snow cover and it’s not groomed. It looks doable but I did not try it, I will wait for the snowmaking crews to lay some more snow down. (no image)

Andy’s Double Gold had snowmaking cranking today so it was closed. 

There is a base of 18-24 inches on the runs that have snowmaking. Mammoth Mountain will be open from 8:30 AM to 4 PM (Weather Permitting) 

Lifts running are Chairs 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 10, 11, and G1. G2 is open for scenic rides to the top. There will be NO access to skiing and riding off the top at this point. They do have the snowmaking guns set up on Cornice Bowl, but those have been up since before opening day. No idea when the snowmaking crews plan to start making snow in here. 

Lift Access for Passholders: As of now, if you have a season pass you will not need to make a reservation to ski or snowboard. Please be aware that this can change at any time, I will let you know if I do hear of any changes coming. 

If you’re looking to buy a lift ticket you need to purchase them from the Mammoth Mountain website in advance, there are NO walk-up lift ticket sales this year. 

>>>>>If your going to be skiing and riding a bunch this year forget daily lift tickets, the best choice by far is to purchase an Ikon pass, nothing like parking and just heading to the lift. Here is the link to purchase an Ikon Pass, you have until December 10th. 

Other Things to Do: If you’re not going to be out skiing and snowboarding try a Scenic Gondola Ride to the Top of Mammoth Mountain. Gondola rides to the top are open from 9 AM to 3 PM. Nothing like taking in the view from the top and then getting your picture taken by the large sign at 11,000 feet.

The Mammoth Lakes Ice Rink is open, here is the link to get more information about ice skating in town. My family has had a ton of fun at the rink over the years. Give it a try for something new to do this Thanksgiving weekend. 

Right now the snow line in the Eastern Sierra and the Mammoth area is around 7500-8000 feet with mostly small amounts of snow off the ski trails. Many of the paved trails in and around Mammoth Lakes are melted off and great for a walk or a bike ride. It’s chilly out so make sure to layer up if you’re out riding or taking a walk.

You can also fish Hot Creek and the Owens River during late Fall and the Winter months. Check with one of the local fishing shops to get the full details of what works at this time of year. Hiring a local guide is always the best way to if you want some cold winter hookups.

Down in the Bishop area, all the mountain bike trails and hiking trails are in prime shape so might be a good week to ski and bike and hike as many of you do later in the spring. 

Ski Ya Later, Snowman… PS: Please consider becoming a subscriber, here is the link to learn more.2A