What To Do When You See a Bear in Mammoth

Probability That You’ll See a Bear in Mammoth: Very Likely
You could see him getting some sun on the golf course. He might be dumpster diving. Or he could be hanging around the lake where you fish, expecting you to leave behind a trout dinner, already caught and cleaned and seasoned with garlic. Black Bear encounters are a part of life in the Eastern Sierra. There are a dozen bears within Mammoth town limits and two dozen in the immediate wilderness area.

I am not a bear expert but I have shared a condo parking lot with them long enough to know that you should stay calm, and just stay out of their way. Most bears will avoid confrontation, but they don’t have manners. They can get aggressive if they’re threatened or pushed.

Think about how good burgers smell on the grill. Multiply by 100. Not only are bears good at smelling, they’re strong swimmers, sprinters (up to 40mph), climbers, very intelligent, weigh 200 to 500 pounds, and they’re hungry. They eat meat, vegetation, insects and fish. They love human garbage, but it’s harmful to their health. As winter approaches, they spend 20 hours a day looking for food.

A good way to learn about bear behavior is at the Black Bear Walk & Talk led by Valentine Reserve Education Coordinator Leslie Dawson on Wednesday, August 1. While walking through Black Bear forest habitat you’ll see bear-scratched trees, a bear den and, occasionally, bear tracks. Learn how bears survive in the forest, as well as how Mammoth Lakes is managing their bear population. Meet at the Valentine Reserve entrance gate at 9:30. $15 per person donation. Call 760.935.4356 or visit the Valentine Reserve web page for more information.

Mountain Bikers Can Hitch a Ride on Stump Alley

The Mammoth Mountain Bike Park will begin running Stump Alley Express, a.k.a. Chair 2, for uphill bike access this August. The high-speed quad will join the Panorama Gondola in carrying intermediate and advanced mountain bikers and their bikes to elevated starting points. Stump Alley Express deposits riders above McCoy Station, near the St. Anton Trail and Velocity.

Stump Alley Express runs 10am-4pm Saturdays and Sundays. Operations from July 28 through Labor Day (Sept. 3).

To get to Stump Alley Express, follow Minaret Road (a few miles past the Village) toward Main Lodge. The Stump Alley parking lot is 1/4 mile before you reach the Main Lodge/Adventure Center area. You can also get on the Bike Park Shuttle at the Village, which drops off at Chair 2 and the Adventure Center. A Bike Park trail pass is required to ride the lift – passes are available at the Adventure Center.

Keynote Speakers Announced for 2nd Annual Mammoth Life & Wellness

Mammoth Mountain Ski Area’s second annual late-summer health retreat, Mammoth Life & Wellness, is scheduled for August 24-26, 2007.

Keynote Speakers:
Dr. Pamela Peeke – An “edutainer” and author, Dr. Peeke is known as “the doc who walks the talk” as she guides people to achieve their own mental and physical Peeke Performance™.

David Simon, M.D. - Since he began his association with Deepak Chopra, M.D. in the 1980’s, Dr. Simon has become one of the nation’s foremost authorities on effective use of holistic health care practices, specifically Ayurveda - the 5000-year-old healing tradition of India. As CEO and Medical Director of The Chopra Center for Wellbeing, Dr. Simon is dedicated to catalyzing the prevailing health care system into a “healing system.”

Featured Speakers:
Max Simon - Director of Consumer Products at the Chopra Center for Wellbeing, Max Simon is also the creator of The Self Centered Tour movement. As the son of David Simon, M.D. and Julia Simon, an accredited Vedic Astrologer and Transcendental Meditation teacher, Max has been surrounded by consciousness and spirituality his entire life.

Tami Hulcher – Nationally recognized as “The Queen of Health™”, Tami is a health educator, president and CEO of Ola Loa, Inc., guest of TV and radio, a writer and a soon-to-be author. Her passions are children’s nutrition/obesity, cancer awareness, and the environment. Tami’s popular lecture series has been featured around the U.S. including medical facilities, schools, PTAs, athletic clubs, church and women’s groups and many businesses.

New this Year: If you attended last year’s event you will notice some significant changes.

• The event is being held earlier in the summer (last year it was in October). This is so that a greater amount of outdoor activities like yoga, Tai Chi, nature walks and bike rides can be enjoyed outdoors.
• There will be more cooking classes - by far the most popular and quickly-filled sessions last year.

Interested in attending? Registration is two-fold: choose which kind of pass you want (do you want to attend all three days, or just one day?). Then, once you have purchased a pass, go online to create an itinerary (this is not available yet). Mammoth is offering 2-day priority registration to those who book the lodging package.

More information: MammothMountain.com/lifeandwellness

Fire Restrictions from the Forest Service:

As of June 29, 2007, and until further notice the following restrictions are in effect by Special Order: NO CAMPFIRES or briquette barbeques allowed outside of developed recreation sites and specifically posted campsites or areas, and resorts, pack stations, recreation residences and other sites operated under special use permit with the Forest Service or BLM. Portable stoves using gas, jellied petroleum, or pressurized liquid fuel are exempt from this restriction (with valid campfire permit.)

NO SMOKING except within an enclosed vehicle or building, a developed recreation site, or while stopped in an area at least three feet in diameter that is barren or cleared of all flammable material.

NO WELDING, or operating an acetylene torch with open flames, except by permit.

NO USE OF EXPLOSIVES, except by permit.

These restrictions suspend open campfires except in designated campgrounds and some developed recreation sites throughout the Inyo National Forest and BLM lands. A list of designated campgrounds and developed recreation sites is available at ranger stations and visitor centers.

Any previous reference to areas above 9000 feet being exempted from these fire restrictions is now superceded by this new fire restriction, and there is no elevational exemption.

Fourth of July Parade Float

Every Fourth of July Mammoth Mountain enters a float in the local parade. It’s hard to compete with 2005’s History of Chairlifts float, but this year we went back to the machine shop for help rigging up two new six-pack chairlifts to tow down Main Street and around the corner up Old Mammoth Road. The float celebrated “Cloud Nine,” the name of the new Chair 9 that is being installed this summer. The float passed by Mammoth locals like a fun Disco party cloud rolling through the sky – complete with the Temptations’ Cloud 9 playing from the speakers, Woolly dressed in his angel costume and all his friends decked out in fluffy white afro wigs.