We Got the Goods South of Mammoth

[Telegasm]

March 9th: a zillion North-Northeast slopes from 1 to 30 miles south of Mammoth Mountain and above 9,000 feet are (generally) in truly awesome condition right now. Aside from that, the corn harvest is on. Lovers of Mini Morrison, avoid Old Man's Bowl unless you want to help out with the honorable effort to develop a backcountry mogul field.

Day before yesterday I skied a giant canyon on a giant peak, descending from about 12,000' to 7,000' on mostly powder and some corn. To looker's left / skier's right were countless north-facing chutes, all full of dry powder, all untracked.

Yesterday I skied from the Pine Creek mine/mill up the Morgan Pass trail and to the south and west of there (i.e. south of Peppermint Peak) I saw heaven many times over. Undocumented big lines on unnamed peaks by the dozen.

About 2pm I was standing waist-deep in corn-on-powder admiring the ghost of a mine at 13,000 feet. A wooden railroad trestle led steeply downhill, like a ski jump, from a covered mineshaft to a single ore-dumper car still hanging on the ends of the rails, above a big wood & metal hopper to load the ore onto an aerial tramway, of which the cables are still hanging at the top end (then disappear under the snow) and a tramway car is still waiting beneath the hopper to be filled. 100 yards of snowy scree and a half hour later, we were standing at the top of a 6,000 foot chute leading directly to our vehicles. The skiing was shit but the scenery could not be beat.

[splat]

I love the mountain character of old mines. That sounds freakin nice.

[Telegasm]

Why, of course. Here's your biscuit!

[Bodhi]

Will be in that area doing a peak this Sunday...thanks for the info on the conditions...

peace,
BS.

[Telegasm]

Have a great time out there, Bodhi.

It's funny how if you look around Mammoth town one would assume, both from the visuals and the general conversation among skiers, that things have shifted completely into the corn cycle and hunting powder would be fruitless. On the contrary, that ignores the power of altitude and shaded exposures. Right now looking for powder and not finding it is probably worse than just aiming straight for killer corn. But finding the powder (and it's out there!) still tops that.

[tarkman1]

Talking about powder in Mammoth right now would probably garner strange looks from those riding the chairs, but not those looking for north faces, couloirs, and peaks in the 13k+ range. I don't know yet what I'll do this weekend, but I'll be out there.