One of the most anticipated new chairlifts for the 2023-24 season has made its debut.

On Saturday, Mammoth Mountain opened the new Chair 16, also known as the Canyon Express. Chair 16, which opened back in 1994, was replaced this past offseason by a state-of-the-art chairlift.

The new Doppelmayr D-Line six-pack detachable high-speed chairlift is a game changer for the California ski resort. This capacity upgrade, which can fit 25% more guests compared to its predecessor, will help reduce lines at the Canyon Lodge base area. The enclosed top and bottom terminals will help it open quicker during deep storm cycles and windy days. In addition, the chairlift has been realigned slightly to the north to reduce the impact of snow slides from the nearby Avalanche Chutes.

There were some critics of the new chairlift though. Some noted that the off-ramp at the top terminal is pretty steep, leading to riders crashing into each other. While it does look steep, I imagine some more snow will help mellow it out.

Other improvements at Mammoth this season include the continued buildout of the Woolly’s Adventure Summit (which includes the opening of a new mountain coaster), a $5.5 million investment in snowmaking, and an expansion of the bathrooms at the Chair 14 Melt House.

Image Credits: Mammoth Mountain (Peter Morning, Helly Hansen, Smith Optics)

Before you go getting idea about sending it over chairlifts at ski resort let me call for a momentary suspension of suspended disbelief and let you know that this “Party Lap” was orchestrated by the Red Bull on a closed course under the supervision of Mammoth Mountain and should not be attempted by the skiing public. With that said, dig this super badass edit of a dream trip down the sunny slopes of the iconic California resort. The choreography is next level:

Yesterday, August 6, 2023, marked Mammoth Mountain‘s closing day for the 2022/23 ski season. This may be quite surprising to those of you who haven’t been paying attention, but a majority of readers probably already knew this. With an early opening on November 5 (rather than the planned November 11) and a closing date of August 6, Mammoth has officially closed out a 275 day season, their second longest ever.

According to NPR, Mammoth Mountain breached its season snow total record on March 30, with a storm that pushed the total over 700 inches. The season’s final tally reached 715″. For reference, the 2021/22 season reached just 260″, and the second deepest season ever, the 2010/11 season, reached just 668.5″.

Snowfall History at Mammoth Mountain

Last season, Mammoth Mountain’s deepest month was December, with 161″ touching down. This year, December brought just 116″, but November brought 61″, January brought 220″, February brought 113″, and March brought 192″. The enormous 220″ of snow that fell in the first month of the year made it the second snowiest January on record, with the 2016/17 season seeing a massive 245.5″.

“The real heroes here are the people who put the time into opening the lifts every day; it was a herculean effort. When you think of what goes into opening a mountain with that kind of snow, it’s hard to wrap your mind around.” – Mammoth Mountain spokesperson Tim LeRoy

August 6 Closing Date At Mammoth

The resort initially announced plans to close in late July, but the mountain held snow through the spring and early summer unusually well. On June 21, Mammoth Mountain still had a 70″ snowpack at the base, and skiing and snowboarding was available top to bottom. On July 20, Mammoth announced that they had pushed the closing date back to August 6, officially creating the second longest season in resort history.

Mammoth Mountain’s 2023/24 season is scheduled to begin on November 10, just 96 days after its closing date.

Related: Did National Geographic Get Its “Top 10 Emerging Ski Towns” From 2013 Right?

Image Credit: Mammoth Mountain via Facebook

It’s officially the final boarding call at Mammoth Mountain. On Monday, Mammoth Mountain gave a lift and conditions report on its social media pages.

Currently, Mammoth has six ski trails open. In terms of lift operations, Broadway (1) has taken its final curtain call for the 2022-23 season. The Face Lift (3), Chair 23, and the Panorama Gondola are currently operating daily from 7:30 AM-12 PM. Due to the diminishing snowpack, no beginner terrain is available.

The most significant part of this post is that it officially confirms that Mammoth will be closing on August 6th. They originally had the closing day set for July 31st, but they announced on July 20th a season extension to this Sunday.

Sunday will feature a host of activities. They’ll be offering free stickers, coffee, juice, and donuts for guests that arrive early. After the lifts closed on Sunday, work will start on their offseason projects, including a new Canyon Express (16) chairlift. In addition, Mammoth’s bike park will be open daily from 9 AM-6 PM.

If Timberline Lodge makes it past Sunday, the Oregon ski resort will be the last outdoor lift-serviced ski resort open in the United States for the 2022-23 season.

Image Credits: Mammoth Mountain

Mammoth Mountain, California has taken to social media to announce that they are extending their 2022 – 2023 ski season until August 6th. Mammoth is able to open so late into the summer due to a fantastic winter and watch the scary received 715 inches of snow at the mid lodge.

Looks like there’s still plenty of snow to push around in Mammoth Lakes, California judging by this backcountry adventure by the Owen Leeper. Excellent advice from Mr. Leeper on using Google Maps to find the best climbing routes to access lines.

“Skiing Pinner Couloir outside Mammoth Lakes, CA. I like to use google earth to find the easiest way up and down couloirs in areas I’ve never skied before. Luckily i was able to scope this line from a couple days earlier, so i knew it went through. I was able to hike up the safe route, away from rock and wet slides in the chute, then ski down it quick and as safe as possible.”

The biggest spring skiing operation in the country right now is unsurprisingly Mammoth Mountain in California. Mammoth still has insane snow depths, with 142 inches at the Main Lodge, 175 inches at McCoy Station, and 195 inches at the Summit. With Memorial Day Weekend coming up, they’ve let people know what to expect.

From Friday through Memorial Day, they’ll have the following lifts open: Broadway (1), Stump Alley (2), Face Lift (3), Roller Coaster (4), High Five (5), Unbound (6), Chair 8, Cloud Nine (9), Gold Rush (10), Discovery (11), Chairs 12, 13, 14,  Eagle (15), Schoolyard (17), Chair 23 and the Upper and Lower Panorama Gondola. There will be limited services out of the Canyon & Eagle Lodges, which is due to the construction of a new high-speed six-pack chairlift.

The major event of the weekend will be the Mammoth Yacht Club. On Saturday, they’ll host their Second Annual Boat Races over at the Main Lodge, which will see participants race down in cardboard vessels. Other weekend activities will include snow tubing at McCoy Station and live music.

They also described their plan for operations following Memorial Day, where the lift operating hours will shift to 7:30 am-1 pm. The Broadway (1), Stump Alley (2), Face Lift (3), High Five (5), Unbound (6), Discovery (11), Chair 12 and 23 chairlifts will remain open. The Panoramic Gondola will be going through a summer maintenance project starting on May 30th. It is scheduled to reopen on June 17th. Mammoth is expected to remain open until at least the end of July.

The full details are below, which include a great photo from Peter Morning of the legendary Glen Plake.

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Image Credits: Robson Hatsukami Morgan, Mammoth Mountain, Peter Morning

If you’ve been wondering what the snow depths have been like during the 2022-23 season, this video from Mammoth Mountain gives you a great perspective. The video follows a snow groomer at Mammoth riding up the mountain as he captures snow depths along the way thanks to SNOWSat’s technology. He captures snow depths of over 500, 600, 700, and 800 inches of snow. The biggest depth he found was a mind-boggling 813″ of snow.

To explain how SNOWSat works, planes fly over Mammoth Mountain during the offseason to chart the ground. This helps to determine the exact elevations and topography for when the snow groomers are passing by during ski season. During the winter months, the difference that is measured with the SNOWSat technology helps determine the exact depth. You can learn more about SNOWSat here.

The video from Mammoth Mountain is below.

Image/Video Credits: Mammoth Mountain

Didn’t realized they manufactured parachutes that could handle the weight of a mammoth then I thought of Operation Dumbo Drop. Gotta love Woolly, hardest working ski resort mascot in the game!

Photo by: Local Freshies®

It’s our humble opinion that if you’re not skiing powder snow, the next best surface is a nice layer of corn. Spring corn snow is a type of snow that forms when the temperature warms up during the day, causing the snow to melt and then refreeze at night. This creates little frozen kernels that create a smooth and easy surface to lay down turns.

Unlike other types of snow, such as powder or packed snow, corn snow doesn’t require as much effort to turn even if you sink into it. It provides buttery turns that are smooth and fast.

One of the challenges with corn snow is that it can quickly turn to slush as the temperature rises, which can make it more difficult to ski on. To avoid this, many skiers will head out early in the morning before the snow has a chance to soften too much.

There are several ski areas that are known for having excellent spring corn snow conditions. Here are five of the best.

Five Great Places to Find Perfect Corn Conditions

Mammoth Mountain, California: Mammoth Mountain is known for its long season, which often lasts well into May or even June. During the spring, the mountain’s high elevation and abundant sunshine help create ideal conditions for corn snow. It’s no wonder people call it California Super Corn.

Arapahoe Basin, Colorado: Arapahoe Basin, or “A-Basin” as it’s commonly known, is famous for its steep terrain and high-altitude skiing. Its north-facing slopes and dry climate make it a great place to find excellent corn snow conditions in the spring and early summer.

Snowbird, Utah: Snowbird is located in the heart of the Wasatch Mountains and is known for its dry, light snow. In the spring, the mountain’s south-facing slopes receive plenty of sun, which helps create perfect corn snow conditions.

Whistler Blackcomb, British Columbia: Whistler Blackcomb is one of the largest ski resorts in North America and has a reputation for its incredible terrain and abundant snowfall. In the spring, the mountain’s lower elevation slopes soften up and create ideal corn snow conditions.

Sun Valley, Idaho: Sun Valley is a classic ski resort that is known for its long, wide runs and abundant sunshine. In the spring, the mountain’s south-facing slopes soften up and provide great corn snow conditions for skiers and snowboarders.

Photo by: Local Freshies®

It’s worth noting that the quality of corn snow can vary from year to year, day to day and even from hour to hour, depending on the weather, humidity, temperature and sunlight. That being said, these ski areas are generally reliable for providing good spring corn snow skiing.