"Setting my alarm last night at 11:30 p.m. for a 4:20 a.m. wake-up felt a little insane, and, dare I say, slightly dreadful. Especially after hiking over 10 miles around Emerald Bay in the afternoon. But the extreme lengths that we'll go for the things we love doing as skiers and snowboarders could most definitely be described as somewhat crazy. Hey, what can I say? That's the allure of Mammoth Mountain in May."
"The two and a half hour drive south on Highway 395 is always so surreal, but it also flies by in the best way possible. First, we were treated to a picture-perfect alpenglow sunrise looking up at Job's Peak from the valley. Along the way: big mountains, a raging river, snowy peaks, thermal creeks - the views, although dangerously distracting, are quite literally endless."
"As we arrived at Main Lodge just after opening at 7:30 a.m., the crisp morning air was already giving way to the warm spring sun. We started the day with a couple of quite firm and freaky-fast laps on the lower-mountain groomers off of Broadway Express (Chair 1). I had a strong feeling that the snow would begin softening very quickly, not long after the intense May sun hits it."
"I recalled skiing smooth, edgeable corn in the morning on Center Bowl off of Face Lift (Chair 3) the last time we were here a couple of weeks ago. So we made our way over and ripped a few fast laps in some perfectly soft conditions. The sun was starting to get hot, the snow was softening up, and therefore, the skiing was just starting to get really good. Right now, there is one of the longest and most fun wiggles I've skied this season, right under Chair 3."
An early drive to Mammoth Mountain in May begins with an alpenglow sunrise and sweeping views of the Eastern Sierra Nevada, including big mountains, a raging river, snowy peaks, and thermal creeks. After arriving at Main Lodge shortly after opening, the day starts in crisp air with firm, fast laps on lower-mountain groomers off Broadway Express. Spring operating hours encourage getting out early for a full day. Center Bowl off Face Lift is revisited for smooth, edgeable corn, and conditions soften as the sun warms the snow. As spring heat increases, skiing becomes especially enjoyable, including a long, fun wiggle under Chair 3.
Read at SnowBrains
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