Mammoth Mountain Ski Area facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Mammoth Mountain |
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 Mammoth Mountain
Location in California
Mammoth Mountain
Location in the United States
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| Location | Mammoth Mountain Sierra Nevada Mono & Madera Counties, California |
| Nearest city | Mammoth Lakes, California |
| Coordinates | 37°37′50″N 119°01′57″W / 37.63056°N 119.03250°W |
| Vertical | 3,100 ft (940 m) |
| Top elevation | 11,053 ft (3,369 m) |
| Base elevation | 7,953 ft (2,424 m) at Eagle Lodge |
| Skiable area | 3,500 acres (1,420 ha) |
| Runs | 150 named 25% beginner 40% intermediate 35% advanced |
| Longest run | 3 mi (4.8 km) |
| Lift system | 28 lifts: 3 gondolas, 23 chairs (2 high speed six-packs, 9 high speed quads, 1 quad, 6 triple, 4 double), 2 platter lift |
| Lift capacity | 50,000 passengers/hr |
| Terrain parks | Disco Playground, Wonderland Playground, X-Course, Forest Trail Park, Jibs Galore, Transition Park, South Park, Main Park |
| Snowfall | 400 in (1,020 cm) |
| Snowmaking | 477 acres (193 ha) covering 46 trails, 33% |
| Night skiing | None |
| Website | mammothmountain.com |
Mammoth Mountain Ski Area is a huge ski resort in eastern California. It's found on the eastern side of the Sierra Nevada mountains, inside the Inyo National Forest.
Mammoth has over 3,500 acres (1,420 ha) of slopes for skiing and snowboarding, with 28 lifts to take you up the mountain. The mountain rises about 3,100 ft (940 m) from base to top, reaching an elevation of 11,059 ft (3,371 m). This means it has a really long ski season! A man named Dave McCoy started the resort in 1953. From 2005 to 2017, it was owned by the Starwood Capital Group. In 2017, Mammoth Mountain was sold to a group that later became Alterra Mountain Company.
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Exploring Mammoth Mountain
The ski area is located on the north side of Mammoth Mountain itself. It sits within a large volcanic area called the Long Valley Caldera. Most visitors stay in the nearby town of Mammoth Lakes, California. Sometimes, people also stay in towns like Bishop or June Lake. The June Mountain ski area, which is also owned by Mammoth Mountain, is located near June Lake.
The top of Mammoth Mountain has challenging slopes and groomed runs. It also has bumpy "mogul" runs. There are eight special areas called Unbound terrain parks. Unbound Main, which is close to the main lodge, is very popular with extreme snowboarders and skiers. It's one of the main reasons people love this resort.
Long Ski Seasons and Snowfall
Mammoth Mountain often has one of the longest ski seasons in North America. It usually opens in early November and stays open until Memorial Day (late May). Sometimes, the season is even longer! For example, in 2016-2017, it opened on November 8th and didn't close until August 6th! The longest season ever was in 1994-1995, lasting over ten months, from October 8th to August 13th.
The 2016-2017 season was the second snowiest on record, with 618 in (1,570 cm) of snow. The record was set in 2010-2011 with 668.5 in (1,698 cm). January 2017 was the snowiest month in Mammoth's history, with 246 in (620 cm) of snow falling.
Mammoth usually gets about 206 in (520 cm) of snow each season. However, during the 2010-2011 season, it received a record-breaking 668.5 in (1,698 cm)!
A fun fact: Back in the 1980s, older adults could ski for free at Mammoth. Now, people who are at least 80 years old can still ski for free!
Mountain Slopes and Directions
The ski area has different slopes facing various directions:
- North-facing slopes: 65%
- West-facing slopes: 10%
- East-facing slopes: 22%
- South-facing slopes: 3%
Getting to Mammoth Mountain
Mammoth Mountain is located in California's Eastern Sierra region. It's about 100 mi (160 km) south of the Nevada state line. It's also about 50 minutes from the eastern entrance of Yosemite National Park.
Even though Mammoth is in central California, most skiers and snowboarders come from southern California. It's a five-hour drive from Los Angeles using U.S. 395. This makes it much closer for southern California winter sports fans than the ski resorts around Lake Tahoe.
Mammoth Mountain is more popular than ski resorts closer to Los Angeles. This is because those resorts rely a lot on making snow. Mammoth gets much more natural snow and has longer seasons.
During winter, many mountain passes across the Sierra Nevada close after the first big snowfall. This means it can be a very long drive (6-8 hours) to Mammoth from the San Francisco Bay Area and most of central California. For example, in summer, the distance from Fresno to Mammoth Lakes is 189 miles (304 km). But in winter, it almost doubles to 366 miles (589 km)!
Flying to Mammoth
In recent years, more visitors from outside California and Nevada have come to Mammoth. You can fly to Mammoth Yosemite Airport (MMH) near Mammoth Lakes. United Airlines offers flights from Los Angeles all year round. United Airlines also has seasonal flights from San Francisco and Denver to Mammoth Lakes.
History of Mammoth Mountain
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Mammoth Mountain was started by Dave McCoy. He worked as a water expert for the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power. In the 1930s, McCoy was part of the Eastern Sierra Ski Club. He noticed that Mammoth Mountain always had more snow than other mountains. The Ski Club had a portable rope tow. McCoy bought this rope tow in 1941 and often used it at Mammoth.
In 1953, the United States Forest Service gave McCoy permission to run the ski area. The very first ski lift was built in 1955.
New Developments and Ownership Changes
In 1996, a company called Intrawest Corporation bought part of Mammoth Mountain and June Mountain ski area. They also bought all the land around the resort that could be developed. By 1998, Intrawest owned more than half of Mammoth.
This led to the building of three new village areas: The Village at Mammoth, Sierra Star, and Juniper Springs. These new areas brought many changes to the resort.
The Village at Mammoth is designed like a European town, where only people can walk (no cars). It opened in 2003 with many shops, restaurants, art galleries, and luxury apartments. A special gondola, called the Village Gondola, takes skiers and snowboarders directly from the Village to the Canyon Lodge base area.
On February 23, 2005, Dave McCoy announced he would sell his share of Mammoth Mountain after running it for 68 years. On October 5, 2005, it was announced that a company called Starwood Capital Group would buy most of Mammoth Mountain. They paid $365 million for it.
Because of a tough economy in California starting in 2007, some stores and restaurants in The Village closed. However, by the fall of 2010, with help from local businesses, many new restaurants and stores opened again.
Before and during these ownership changes, the ski area got many upgrades. The resort went from having 16 chairlifts in the 1980s to 23 today. A new gondola was built that goes all the way to the top of the mountain, where there's a visitor center at 11,053 feet (3,369 m). This center has telescopes and displays about the mountain's history.
Almost all the old, slow, double chair lifts were replaced with faster, modern lifts. These new lifts include high-speed quad (four-person) and six-seater lifts that travel very quickly. Mammoth Mountain often works with the Doppelmayr company for these modern lifts. Some old lifts were also removed.
The Mid-Chalet, which used to have picnic tables on its roof, was completely updated in the early 2000s. It was renamed McCoy Station and now offers fancy foods and a cafeteria. You can see large old photos of Dave McCoy and his family hanging from the ceiling there. A small, cozy bar and snack area called The Mill Cafe was also added around the same time.
In 2011, Chair 5 was chosen for an upgrade for the 2011-2012 season. It was changed from a fixed-speed triple chair to a high-speed quad lift. This cut the ride time in half and increased how many people could ride it each hour. Following tradition, the chair was given a new name: High Five Express.
Mammoth Mountain also owns the June Mountain ski area in the small town of June Lake. On June 21, 2012, the CEO of Mammoth Mountain announced that June Mountain would close for the 2012-2013 season after more than 50 years of operation. However, June Mountain reopened for the 2013-2014 ski season.
As of 2018, a zip-line was being built at Mammoth. When it's finished, it will be the steepest in North America. It will go from the top of the mountain near the upper gondola down to the bottom near Main Lodge, with a stop near the top of Chair 1.
RFID Lift Passes
In the 2011-2012 season, Mammoth Mountain started using RFID (Radio-Frequency Identification) lift passes. These passes were designed to help with two problems: long lines at the lifts and long lines at the ticket window. A total of 72 RFID gates were put in at 18 different lifts. The RFID lift pass has a special chip inside that talks to the gates, making them open automatically when you get close.
Meet Woolly, the Mascot!
Mammoth Mountain has a very popular mascot named "Woolly." You can often find Woolly skiing around the mountain, taking pictures with guests, and leading fun events like a Saturday parade for children. Woolly also appears in videos that promote the resort. Many visitors think it's good luck if they spot Woolly! According to Powder Magazine, Woolly is one of the best mascots in skiing.
