(Peter Morning/MMSA)
Mammoth, for the timing (California)
For several reasons, Mammoth is Californians’ favorite mountain. For one, it’s huge, with more than 3,500 acres of terrain. On holidays and weekends, when Angelenos make the five-hour drive here, its ferrying capacity of 59,000 skiers per hour becomes an obvious asset.
But Mammoth’s most remarkable feature is the length of its season, which usually runs from early November into June. In 2005-06, Mammoth got enough snow to open in October and didn’t close until July 4th. Most years, there are only four months out of the year when you can’t ski Mammoth.
Set on the eastern edge of the Sierras in the vicinity of Yosemite National Park, Mammoth is like a magnet for snow, with an average tally of 400 inches per year. All that takes a long time to melt. So if you find yourself in California after Passover and still have a hankering for the slopes, no problem: Mammoth will be open.
Vital Stats:
Size: 3,500 acres
Trails: 150
Lifts: 28
Vertical: 3,100 feet (Base: 7,953. Summit: 11,053 feet)
Special features: There are plenty of glades, so if you want your own private corner of the mountain, you’ll find enough powder to keep you busy and away from the crowds all day.
