It was a snow season for the books – one that at times buried the mountain resort, but also created a rare “second season” that allowed slopes to stay open through the summer.
Now, after 275 days of snow play, the lifts have finally come to a halt. Mammoth Mountain shut down snow operations on Sunday, Aug. 6, ending an extremely long season for the popular California mountain resort.
Only three times have winter operations stayed open into August, including in 2017. This season marked the second longest in Mammoth’s history. The latest the resort has ever stayed open was nearly 30 years ago, in 1995, when it closed on Aug. 13.
“I think the biggest thing was the sheer amount of snow that fell in Mammoth last year,” said resort spokesperson Tim LeRoy. “When you’re setting a record for snowfall, it’s a completely unique circumstance.”
More than 900 inches of snow fell at the summit, a “mind bending” amount of snow, LeRoy said. Even the resort’s Main lodge saw a whopping 715 inches of snow. The runner up was the 2010-11 season when 668 inches fell.
Originally, the resort was supposed to close at the end of July, but officials decided to extend an extra week until Aug. 6 because there was still so much snow.
“It’s simply because we can,” LeRoy said. “I think the decision-making around Mammoth is providing the maximum amount of value to pass holders. That means if there’s snow to support it, we will.”
Though the amount of snow this year ultimately let the resort stay open longer, it wasn’t always easy on the community during those storms mid-winter and into spring that at times shut down the mountain and roads into town because of the amount of white stuff they dumped.
“It is so much work to get a mountain open with that much snow. So many people put in a tremendous amount of hours to get the mountain open with that much snow and they did,” LeRoy said. “It’s going to be a winter where people will say, ‘Do you remember ’23?’ The amount of snow that fell and the amount of fun we got to have on it was completely unique.”
Unlike any other resort in the country, the resort’s “second season,” as it is dubbed, allows for summer and winter activities to collide. Visitors could ski or snowboard, then mountain bike or golf, or even hit the lake, all in a few hours.
But the summer sun is taking over, and it was time to say goodbye to winter, LeRoy said.
The resort will now shift full gear into the summer season, already offering bike park trails and an adventure center at Main Lodge. Work is also being done on capital improvements, including a new six-pack chair at Canyon Lodge.
Everything else around Mammoth is open – the lake, camping, trails and more – for summer fun, LeRoy said.
And then in about 100 days, winter will be back. Mammoth has already set its opening date for the 2023-24 winter season for Nov. 10.
Source: Orange County Register
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