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Mammoth Mountain Ski Area

Coordinates: 37°37′50″N 119°01′57″W / 37.63056°N 119.03250°W / 37.63056; -119.03250
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Mammoth Mountain
Mammoth Mountain is located in California
Mammoth Mountain
Mammoth Mountain
Location in California
Mammoth Mountain is located in the United States
Mammoth Mountain
Mammoth Mountain
Mammoth Mountain (the United States)
LocationMammoth Mountain
Sierra Nevada
Mono & Madera Counties, California
Nearest major cityMammoth Lakes, California
Coordinates37°37′50″N 119°01′57″W / 37.63056°N 119.03250°W / 37.63056; -119.03250[1]
StatusOperating
OwnerAlterra Mountain Company
Vertical3,100 ft (940 m)
Top elevation11,053 ft (3,369 m)[1]
Base elevation7,953 ft (2,424 m)[2] at Eagle Lodge
Skiable area3,500 acres (1,420 ha)[2]
Trails175 named
15% beginner
48% intermediate
37% advanced[2]
Longest run3 mi (4.8 km)
Lift system25 lifts: 3 gondolas, 19 chairs (2 high speed six-packs, 10 high speed quads, 1 quad, 6 triple, 3 double), 3 surface lifts[2]
Lift capacity59,000 passengers/hr[2]
Terrain parksDisco Playground, Wonderland Playground, X-Course, Forest Trail Park, Jibs Galore, Transition Park, South Park, Main Park
Snowfall400 in (1,020 cm)[2]
SnowmakingYes, 700 acres (280 ha)
covering 81 trails
Night skiingNo
Websitemammothmountain.com

Mammoth Mountain Ski Area is a ski resort in eastern California, located on the east side of the Sierra Nevada mountain range within the Inyo National Forest. The resort is located in the town of Mammoth Lakes, California. The resort covers 3,500 acres (1,420 ha) of skiable terrain, with a vertical drop of 3,100 feet (940 m) and a summit elevation of 11,059 feet (3,371 m). It receives an average of 400 inches (1,020 cm) of snowfall annually and typically offers a ski season from November until May, with some seasons extending into the summer months.[1][2]

Mammoth Mountain, established by Dave McCoy in the 1940s, developed from a small ski area into a major resort after receiving a U.S. Forest Service permit in 1953 and constructing its first ski lift in 1955. Intrawest Corporation acquired a stake in the 1990s, leading to real estate development, including The Village at Mammoth. In 2005, McCoy sold his majority stake to Starwood Capital Group for $365 million. The resort has undergone infrastructure improvements, including high-speed lifts and a gondola to an interpretive center. In 2017, Mammoth Resorts announced its sale by Starwood to a partnership of Aspen Skiing Company and KSL Capital Partners, later named Alterra Mountain Company.[3]

In April 2006, three members of the Mammoth Mountain ski patrol team died after falling into a volcanic fumarole near the summit during safety operations.

Setting

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Mammoth Mountain is located in California's Eastern Sierra approximately 100 mi (160 km) south of the Nevada state line and 36 mi (58 km) driving distance from Tioga Pass. Because Bay Area residents have to drive across four mountain passes to reach Mammoth, most of the skiers are from the Los Angeles area.[4]

Mammoth Mountain is a lava-dome complex on the southwest rim of Long Valley Caldera. Its last magmatic eruption occurred about 50,000 years ago. Volcanic gas is emitted at several locations on the mountain.[5]

Description

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Terrain

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Mammoth Mountain's terrain is primarily north-facing (65%), ensuring excellent snow retention. The east (22%) and west (10%) aspects offer varied exposure, while the minimal south-facing terrain (3%) sees the most variable conditions.[6] The top of the mountain has challenging chutes and groomed as well as mogul runs.

Terrain parks

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There are eight Unbound terrain parks. Unbound Main, adjacent to Main Lodge, is highly praised by extreme snowboarding and skiing enthusiasts, and is one of the major attractions of the ski resort.[7]

Chairlifts and gondolas

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The 15-passenger Gondola connects the pedestrian village to the Canyon Lodge base.[8]

Ski season length

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Mammoth Mountain also has one of the longest ski seasons in North America, which averages from the start of November to Memorial Day. The resort occasionally enjoys a longer season, as in 2016/2017, when it opened on November 8 and did not close until August 6th. The 1994–95 season was Mammoth Mountain's longest, with the resort operating over ten months from October 8 until August 13. The 2016–2017 season was the third snowiest on record, with 618 inches (2010–2011 with 668.5 inches was the second snowiest, and the 2022–2023 season total holds the record with 715 inches at the main lodge, and nearly 900 inches at the summit[9]). January 2017 was the snowiest month in Mammoth history, with 246 inches. Mammoth receives an average of 322 inches (820 cm) of snow per season.[10]

Mascot

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Mammoth Mountain has a popular mascot named "Woolly" who can be found skiing around the mountain,[11] taking pictures with guests,[12] and leading events like a Saturday parade for children. He also appears in promotional videos.[13] Many guests consider it lucky when they have a Woolly sighting.[14] According to Powder Magazine, Woolly is the 8th-best mascot (but they would have rated Woolly higher if Woolly didn't also snowboard).[15] Despite the mascot name "Woolly", woolly mammoths never existed in the region.

Notable skiing and snowboarding

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Events

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Mammoth Mountain has hosted numerous ski and snowboarding events, including U.S. Grand Prix competitions, which serve as Olympic qualifiers for freestyle skiing and snowboarding.[16] The mountain has also been a venue for FIS World Cup events, featuring disciplines such as halfpipe and slopestyle.[17] Additionally, Mammoth Mountain serves as a training site for elite snowboarders due to its extensive terrain parks and consistent snowfall.[18][19]

Athletes

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History and ownership

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Founding by Dave McCoy

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Mammoth was founded by Dave McCoy, a hydrographer for the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power. As a member of the Eastern Sierra Ski Club in the 1930s, McCoy noticed that Mammoth Mountain consistently held more snow than other mountains. The Ski Club had a portable rope tow. McCoy bought the rope tow from the club in 1941 and usually kept it at Mammoth. In 1953, the United States Forest Service awarded a permit to McCoy to operate the ski area, and the first ski lift was built in 1955.

McCoy faced adversity in growing the ski area: drought in 1958–59, the 1973 oil crisis, and only 94" inches of snow during the 1976–1977 season, the worst in Mammoth's history.[22]

Sale to Intrawest

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The Village at Mammoth as seen from the Village Gondola station in April 2010.

In January 1996, Intrawest Corporation and Mammoth Mountain Ski area announced that Intrawest Corporation had purchased 33% of Mammoth and June Mountain ski operations, as well as all of the developable real estate owned by Mammoth Mountain Ski Area. In 1998, Intrawest increased their partnership interest to 58%. The development of three new village areas: The Village at Mammoth, Sierra Star, and Juniper Springs, brought new developments to the resort.

Photo taken at the Cornice Bowl ski run at the summit of the mountain.

Subsequent owners

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On February 23, 2005, Dave McCoy announced the pending sale of his stake in Mammoth Mountain, after 68 years of running the ski area. On October 5, 2005, Mammoth announced that a majority stake will be sold to Starwood Capital Group, a private equity fund specializing in real estate, run by Barry Sternlicht. The sale price was $365 million.[23] In 2017, Mammoth Resorts announced its sale by Starwood to a partnership of Aspen Skiing Company and KSL Capital Partners, later named Alterra Mountain Company.[3]

Notable incidents

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Further information: 2006 Mammoth Mountain Ski Patrol Deaths

As the ski area grew, McCoy faced adverse circumstances: the 1973 oil crisis,[24] an avalanche in 1979 that destroyed a ski lift,[24] and a prolonged drought that led to layoffs in 1991.[23]

2006 ski patrol deaths

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2006 Mammoth Mountain Ski Patrol Deaths Memorial

On April 6, 2006, three ski patrollers at the ski area died either due to a fall or combination of CO2 and hydrogen sulfide (H2S) poisoning.[25] Both gases are present on a known dangerous fumarole on the mountain and were more concentrated on that day because the fumarole had been covered by snow for days. Four patrollers were raising the fence around the fumarole, which had become buried due to heavy snowfall. The fumarole had melted a cavern below the snowbridge which collapsed under two of them. The pair of men fell 21 feet (6.4 m) and died on scene. Another died at a later time and seven others were injured. The oxygen masks used by the Mammoth Mountain ski patrol did not properly seal, allowing hazardous gases to come in.[25]

Ski patrol death from avalanche

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In February 2025, two Mammoth Mountain Ski Patrol members were caught in an avalanche on Lincoln Mountain during mitigation efforts following a significant snowstorm that deposited about six feet of snow over 36 hours. One patroller was extracted and found responsive, while the other sustained serious injuries and was taken to the hospital. The area was closed to the public at the time, and the resort suspended all operations at noon for the remainder of the day.[26][27] On February 22, 2025, one of them died.[28]

References

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  1. ^ a b c "706 702 2=MAMMOTH". NGS Data Sheet. National Geodetic Survey, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, United States Department of Commerce.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g "Mammoth Mountain Fact Sheet 22/23 Winter Season" (PDF). Mammoth Mountain Ski Area. Retrieved 2023-08-26.
  3. ^ a b Martin, Hugo (2017-04-12). "Mammoth Resorts is being sold to a Colorado ski partnership – LA Times". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2017-12-06.
  4. ^ Goligoski, Bob (November 10, 2009). "Mammoth Mountain in Bay Area skiers' reach". San Jose Mercury News.
  5. ^ "Mammoth Mountain | U.S. Geological Survey". www.usgs.gov. Retrieved 2025-02-17.
  6. ^ Best Ski Resorts, ZRankings. "ZRankings Best Ski Resorts Topographical Survey". ZRankings. Retrieved 28 October 2015.
  7. ^ Greenwood, Ian (2024-09-12). "Mammoth Mountain, California Is Reimagining Its World-Class Terrain Parks". www.powder.com. Retrieved 2025-02-18.
  8. ^ Jerry Rice (December 21, 2003). "New Village A Mammoth Undertaking - Ski Resort Adds Shops, Restaurants, Condos To The Mix". Los Angeles Daily News. SunSentinel. Archived from the original on March 7, 2014. Retrieved March 6, 2014.
  9. ^ "Snowfall History | Mammoth Mountain". www.mammothmountain.com.
  10. ^ "Mammoth Mountain Historical Snowfall". onthesnow.com. Retrieved 2022-12-28.
  11. ^ "Woolly's Parade and Meet Woolly | Mammoth Mountain Resort".
  12. ^ "Mammoth Mountain's Mascot Woolly Returns (Interview)".
  13. ^ Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine: "261 Days of Fun". YouTube.
  14. ^ "Mammoth's mascot Woolly hits the slopes". 4 February 2020.
  15. ^ "The 10 Best Ski Area Mascots, Ranked". 14 May 2020.
  16. ^ SnowBrains (2021-09-23). "U.S. Ski & Snowboard Announces 2021-22 Toyota U.S. Grand Prix and Visa Big Air as Olympic Qualifying Events". SnowBrains. Retrieved 2025-02-18.
  17. ^ "FIS Slopestyle World Cup - '23 Mammoth Grand Prix - Results, Recap & Replay". Newschoolers.com. Retrieved 2025-02-18.
  18. ^ "How Mammoth Mountain has revolutionized the development of world-class snowboarders". Los Angeles Times. 2022-01-23. Retrieved 2025-02-18.
  19. ^ Branch, John (2014-02-08). "Father and Son, Together on a Halfpipe Quest". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2025-02-18.
  20. ^ "Full Circle: Shaun White Now Part Owner of Mammoth Resorts". SAM Ski Area Management. Retrieved 2025-02-18.
  21. ^ "Danny Kass Is On The Mammoth Team". Snowboarder. 2011-11-08. Retrieved 2025-02-18.
  22. ^ Johnson, William O. (February 25, 1985). "A Man And His Mountain". Sports Illustrated. Archived from the original on January 2, 2013.
  23. ^ a b McCoy, Dave (2008-12-01). "How I Did It: Dave McCoy, Mammoth Mountain". Inc.
  24. ^ a b Johnson, William O. (February 25, 1985). "A Man and his Mountain". Sports Illustrated. p. 58.
  25. ^ a b "Mammoth ski patrol tragedy". Mammoth Local. Archived from the original on 2006-04-09. Retrieved 2006-04-09.
  26. ^ Dolan, Jack (2025-02-15). "Avalanche closes Mammoth Mountain, seriously injures ski patroller". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2025-02-17.
  27. ^ "2 ski patrollers caught in avalanche at Mammoth Mountain; 1 in 'extremely' critical condition". Orange County Register. 2025-02-15. Retrieved 2025-02-17.
  28. ^ "Ski patroller caught in Mammoth Mountain avalanche dies of her injuries, officials say". Los Angeles Times. 2025-02-23. Retrieved 2025-02-23.
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