North American ski areas are known for their strong focus on satisfying freeride fanatics and powder fans. Mammoth Mountain is no exception in this respect. From the Main Lodge, the Panorama Gondola takes skiers and snowboarders up to the 11,053 ft (3,369 m) “Top of the Sierra” in under 15 minutes. From there, you can follow the Upper Road Runner and Skyline trails to traverse the summit ridge until you find an untouched route to enjoy the powder.
Areas of low pressure from the Pacific provide Mammoth with a regular supply of natural snow
Mammoth Mountain ski area is just 200 km from the Pacific coast as the crow flies. As a result, the ski area is particularly susceptible to Pacific storms which regularly make landfall. It is not uncommon for a metre or more of new snow to fall overnight. As a result, Mammoth Mountain clocks up over 10 meters of snow during an average season! As soon as the sun rises again over the Eastern Sierras after one of these mega storms, the mogul runs Dragon’s Back, Head Chutes and Dave’s Run are the perfect place to enjoy a bluebird day.
Tree skiing in the lower section of the ski area
Although often not permitted in Europe, tree skiing is a real fixture of freeriding in the USA. While descending through forested areas is often prohibited in the Alps, there are numerous tree skiing runs in Mammoth Mountain ski area. In particular, the RollerCoaster, Crosswalk, Avalanche and Sideshow trails down from the Rollercoaster Express Lift all offer the opportunity to ski through the trees close to the trails.