There’s Nothing Like a Backflip

Nothing more fun than a backflip into deep powder.

Mammoth has received about 5-6 feet of snow in the last week.

Tyson Carr, shot by Peter Morning, on a Chair 1 windlip, Tuesday Feb. 27, 2007.

Mammoth is 12 Domes of Magma…

…and other interesting facts I learned at  ”Fire and Ice: An Aerial Exploration of the Mammoth Sierra, presented by the MMSA Host Department” on Saturday, Feb. 24 at Canyon Lodge.

• The Owens Valley is the deepest valley, peak to trough, on the continent.
• Mono Lake is 300 feet higher than Lake Tahoe.
• The Sierra was a coastal range a loooooooooooong time ago.
• The town of Mammoth Lakes resides on a terminal moraine of a glacier. Other carved-out handywork of glaciers include Rock Creek, Convict Lake and Lundy Canyon (everywhere I go for fall colors).
• The Long Valley Caldera, which is partly responsible for pushing the earth on its southwest side up in the shape of Mammoth Mountain, is 20 miles wide and 10 miles in the other direction. Holding one of the largest collections of magma in the earth, it erupted 760,000 years ago. The Sierra was already in place before this eruption (Plate Tectonics).
• Of the biggest locations of volcanic activity in the Pacific Ring of Fire, the Long Valley Caldera is second only to Yellowstone.
• When magma rises after an apple-pie type eruption such as the Long Valley Caldera, resurgent domes are formed.  The domes in our neighborhood include Lookout Mountain, Earthquake Dome, the Knowles, Dry Creek Dome, Southwest Dome, and 12 domes congealed together that make up Mammoth Mountain. The last dome that was formed is where you probably head on a powder day – Lincoln Mountain.

Image: W. Bowen

Fire and Police Olympics Re-scheduled

The California Fire and Police Winter Olympics, originally scheduled for this week, Feb. 25 – March 1, have been re-scheduled for April 3-5.

Julien’s Unbound Gallery

Something that comes along with the job for Mammoth Unbound Terrain Park supervisor Julien Lecorps is finding himself in the best photo ops on a daily basis.  He currently has a gallery posted on Transworld Snowboarding Mag’s site titled Mammoth Update: February.

15 Inches of New Snow

By the end of day yesterday (Thursday) the weather was coming down so hard, the only chairs open out of Main Lodge were Broadway Express and Discovery Chair (there were ten more chairs open over by Canyon and Eagle).

Snow Reporter Tyler’s recommendation for today is, “Head over to Chair 3 as soon as it opens, and if you can get over the Chair 5 it’ll be really good.” There you have the insider’s snow report, now go shred. Chair 3 probably opened in the time you were reading this. Go!

The Best Lunch on the Mountain

Pictured is my favorite lunch on Mammoth Mountain: the BBQ pork sandwich with an extra side of sauce at the Mill Cafe. The Mill serves made-to-order and really good food. A lot of it is healthy too, like the vegetarian chili and the turkey wraps. Hey, I consider a pork sandwich healthy if I’ve been riding all day.

What also sets the Mill apart is its small, cozy interior fronted by a sprawling sundeck, complete with firepits, Adirondack chairs and an outdoor bar. Located conveniently at the Gold Rush/Stump Alley intersection, you have to have a darn good excuse for not making it to an on-slope, apres ski meet-up.  

Super Duper Pipe Open

The Super Duper Pipe in Main Park is now open! Cut daily with our new 22-foot Zaugg Pipe Monster, the “Duper Pipe” is one of just three 22-footers you can find anywhere.

Photo caption: Stephen Clausen with possibly the highest air ever by an investment banker. Photo by Julien Lecorps, Feb. 19, 2007.

Live Music Around Mammoth Presidents Weekend

Saturday, Feb. 17 & Sunday, Feb. 18:

• Eagle Lodge – Soul Reason Jazz and Blues (highly recommended by Mike of the Mammoth Marketing Dept., who saw them last night at Whiskey Creek.)
• Canyon Lodge – Hempstring Trio Acoustic Jam Band
• Main Lodge – The Pyronauts Surf Band

Bands play from 2:30 to 5pm. The last shuttle bus from each lodge departs at 5:30pm.

Powder Day

With all that fresh snow, Garret Warnick found the nearest rock to jump off. Photo taken near Chair 5 by Julien Lecorps, Feb. 13, 2007.

Mammoth Gets Sizeable Storm

The big storm of ‘07 has hit Mammoth. Everything feels normal again. 888.SNOW.RPT reports five feet at the top; today in the trees over by Chair 25 there was at least that much. Hooting and hollering has been going on all over the mountain today, as locals and vacationers who decided to extend their weekend to Tuesday have the winter wonderland all to themselves.

Photo caption: Dana of the Mammoth marketing dept. finds her line under Chair 25 trees.