Glorious first day of the season!

[Wrong Wheel Drive]

After making the totally great decision to camp on Friday night in sub 30 degree weather, I woke up early with not many hours of ehh sleep and made my way to Mammoth Lakes, CA. But it was all worth it once I did my first run. Considering the lack of planning and winter camping, I didn't know if Id be doing more than one day of skiing. But after my second run I got to booking a hotel since it was so much fun. It's been since March and usually I get in a few days in May/June so it was long overdue. Thankfully skiing itself is rather COVID safe. Now the Apres ski and excess travel, well that's probably going to be what gets places shut down as the pandemic worsens. I went nowhere other than the ski slopes today with using my car for all dining and rest facilities. I got there nice and early for a front row spot. It was well spread out for a Saturday even though the parking was PACKED. Lines were a little long in the afternoon but mainly due to the covid spacing and unpacked chairs. Plus it is limited terrain by Mammoth standards. But I never got bored and the longest lift line was about ten minutes. However, the morning was truly the time to shine. Between 0830 and 1100, I must have gotten in over 20 runs because there were ZERO lines on the lift I repeated often. Overall a great day and I'm looking forward to day two tomorrow. Just in time too since California announced a 3 week ban on short term lodging starting Sunday. Now I shall relax and eat my dinner salad I packed at home along with some microwaved soup because covid.



Car photos are from a nearby park I went to after the ski day to stretch and throw some dic golf drivers for a bit. I was gonna play a round of disc golf but apparently they took away the baskets because winter. Not a whole lot of snow in town at the lower elevation so I figured it'd still be open.

[spacekraken]

That's so exciting! I'm holding out a bit to get an idea of what days are quiet at my local hill, hopefully going come january or february

[PowderHound]

I got out for my first resort day today. Tons of fun even if it was mostly man made snow that had turned to ice.

[Wrong Wheel Drive]

@spacekraken yeah no way could I wait that long! Thankfully skiing is at least an activity where wearing a mask is a given already anyways.

[Wrong Wheel Drive]

@powderhound no ice here until end of day in some high traffic begginer spots. But even then it's only ice from a west coast standard. Perfect weather really, not too cold to freeze the hell out of everything and not too warm to make slush. Just perfect consistency. Sure I prefer mounds of powder but I've had way worse days mid-season with plenty of snow around, just all of it shit.

[spacekraken]

@wrong-wheel-drive Yeah just trying to gauge business since I live with at risk family. Might be able to get some turns in over the holidays! I also have the glacier on Mt Hood to ski all summer so not quite as hurried.

[gettingoldercarguy]

@wrong-wheel-drive Shouldn't you be out bending valves and not skis? I kid, I kid.

[Wrong Wheel Drive]

@spacekraken if you can day trip it, I'd consider it pretty safe. No worse than hiking at least. And I'm intending on not riding any gondolas that's for sure.

[Wrong Wheel Drive]

@gettingoldercarguy yeah the machine shop didn't get my head done this week due to holiday backlog. So that's the only reason why I'm here and not redoing the miata lol.

[gettingoldercarguy]

@wrong-wheel-drive Works for me! I was just kidding around. Need to get back to assembling the top end of my wrx tonight.

[SmugAardvark]

My preferred places in Tahoe have mostly all opened up as of yesterday, so I'm excited to take a trip up pretty soon.

[jminer]

Man I need to learn to ski now that I live out here - that looks like an amazing way to spend a day!

Also I love winter camping!

It is surprising they took down the baskets - would not have expected that. I’m also loving all the disc golf courses out here - I’ve hit like 5 or 6 in the last month! I’m a bit rusty, but enjoying it and regaining some of my form.

[Highlander]

@wrong-wheel-drive I’m happy you got out, whitefish opens this week looks like we will be on groomers but there is a good bit of snow already. Our newly elected governor is not likely to impose any restrictions due to COVID.

[beefchips]

@spacekraken FWIW I was up on Hood on Thursday... Meadows was emptier than I've seen it in many, many years. I got a season pass so I'm hoping it stays empty

[spacekraken]

@beefchips heck yes, I'm gonna definitely take some precautions and go then! Just not sure when-have a season pass too but I figure I'll get most of my days in during spring once it's less touristy.

[Wrong Wheel Drive]

@spacekraken spring skiing is my favorite skiing! That is what I was most sad to miss last season. Yeah I still got in a solid 20 days for the season and the majority of them were amazing. But all I needed was a few spring trips march/April along with a couple mixed ski/bike trips in May/June to really round out the season at 30+.

[facw]

@wrong-wheel-drive I was at Stowe this weekend:

The Noreaster went south (too bad, they were predicting 14-25" on Saturday at one point), so what you see there is mostly fog. Snow up top was feeling pretty good though. The lower third of the mountain was all manmade, and only on two runs, which meant they were quite busy, and were forming 2' high moguls before noon. Gave me a lot of trouble and really wore out my legs.

Today there was more now, though express quad in the photo was closed due to wind, leading to huge lines at the only other lift serving the main mountain, a triple. Instead I went over to the other side where they had opened a quad serving a single easy blue (with a green option at the very top) and did that until I got bored, and then called it a day given that my legs were still quite tired from yesterday (will need to work on getting them into skiing shape).

[Wrong Wheel Drive]

@facw I do kind of wish I had explored other mountains in Vermont when I used to ski there. While I loved Sugarbush and Mad River Glen, it would have been nice to try out Jay and Stowe primiarly. But also others like Okemo, Killington, and small ones like the Middlebury Snow Bowl. Sugarbush hit the right balance of good snow, cheap pass, and manageable crowds though. Jay would have definitely been my top choice otherwise but the extra two hours of driving each way would have killed me. It's funny now that I happily pay $650 a year for the restricted Ikon pass and ski fewer days than when I had a $339 unrestricted pass to Sugarbush. But now at least the quality days FAR outnumber the shit days. I have not once skiied in a trash bag here nor had to hop rivers and meadows midway down the hill in February in between ice moguls.