QUICK HITS

• Low-tide but perfectly skiable if you pick lines (12″ base, 14/24 lifts open)
• Rocks random – not a carpet
• Best snow we found: St. Anton’s (backside Facelift) + Solitude under 5
• Ugliest: Gold Rush past 5 + Dropout/Wipeout entrances off 23
• Canyon Express spinning but zero downhill access – only way down was the thin Schoolyard → Roller Coaster connector
• Mill parking easy before 7 am, ~80% full by 8 am
• Bluebird and warm once the sun hit

CANYON ACCESS

Only way in: narrow cut-off from Roller Coaster → Schoolyard → Canyon base. Coverage thin but manageable – people were the biggest obstacle. Express was spinning and from a distance looked open, but once we got there it was 100% closed to skiing. Base was warm, lot full, lower snow baking fast.

Naan window, bars, Starbucks, retail open. 4th floor dining closed.

WHAT WE SKIED & WHAT IT FELT LIKE

Overall the mountain is thin but not dead. Groomed lines held up fine if you kept your eyes open. Rocks are truly random landmines instead of a carpet. Parking lot felt cold at dawn, then we were over-layered the second the sun hit.

Gold Rush past 5
Hands down the roughest zone we touched. Runs under Gold Rush (Gold Hill, Christmas Tree, Santiago, The Face) looked translucent with dirt and rock bands everywhere. Traversed left then middle back to Stump – worked because traffic was light, but if it fills in you’ll be weaving hard. Skier’s left had a couple perpendicular trenches.

Dropout / Wipeout entrances off 23
Rocks very visible in the drop-ins. Watched sick skiers go straight at it, cut diagonal, and clear loose stuff.

St. Anton’s – backside of Facelift
Favorite snow all day. Firmer pack with a few harder spots but mostly edgeable and clean. Killer view of 23 and the Minarets.

Chair 5 / Solitude
Opened mid-morning and became a go-to. The open blue (Solitude) skied smooth on top, small soft bumps you could bounce around, some soft-on-hard mid-run. Guys diving straight under the chair found pockets but paid for it with a sharky exit.

Upper off 23 & Cornice
Best snow quality up high. Cornice fast as usual, side bumps soft and playful – but a rock at the bottom of pretty much every one.

Stump / Broadway / Roller Coaster
Stump carved great until the human slalom started. Upper and mid soft-on-hard like Broadway. Roller Coaster (skier’s left only) fast and fun, just everyone in the same lane.

PARKING

Camped off 395 the night before – ~20°F, car iced solid by dawn.
Looney Bean → The Mill just before 7 am – wide open. By 8 am pushing 80% full. End of day Main Lodge road parked nose-to-tail.

OUR TRIP – RANDOM BITS

Grabbed naan at Canyon window – pricey but fluffy and good.
Ran into UK military guys training downhill in leather boots – super friendly, pointed out our G.I. Joe squad drilling under Broadway.

Quick Woolly sighting at Mammoth Mountain Inn pre-first chair.
First laps ever on the new Broadway lift – smooth.
Snagged a new beanie.

MORE RESOURCES & ACTUAL DATA

Official temps 11/27 (NOAA Mammoth Lakes)
Main Lodge low 32°F → high 43°F
Summit high ~37°F
Winds light, gusts to 25 mph ridge

Snowmaking
Guns staged on Solitude and Roller Coaster – ready when temps drop. Without real snow or aggressive printing, lower mountain and connectors are on borrowed time.

Season Outlook
Near-term (next 7-10 days): Dry and mild – no storms, overnight lows 25-30°F good for snowmaking on Solitude/Roller Coaster, but daytime 45-50°F highs could melt lower slopes (watch Canyon). Crowds peak Fri-Sat, then slow till Dec 13 Night of Lights.
Far-term (full winter): Typical Mammoth (opens Veterans Day, skis to Memorial or later into June/July/Aug if storms cooperate). Potential monster year (700″+ possible) if La Niña brings Dec-Jan dumps – need 2-3ft early base to unlock backside/upper terrain.

Useful links (always check these yourself)
• Mammoth official report: https://www.mammothmountain.com/winter/mountain-report
• NOAA point forecast: https://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php?lat=37.6516&lon=-119.0312
• Caltrans QuickMap for 395/203: https://quickmap.dot.ca.gov/
• OnTheSnow report: https://www.onthesnow.com/california/mammoth-mountain-ski-area/skireport
• Snow-Forecast 7-day: https://www.snow-forecast.com/resorts/Mammoth-Mountain
• Eastern Sierra Avy: https://www.esavalanche.org/

[Gallery: Photos 2, 3, 8, 11 – sunrise, drive-up, extra Canyon views]