WOW! 37″ so far this season… where is Mammoth representing in all of this?
So far Mammoth has had virtually no snow this season. They opened the weekend of November 8, but it’s been pretty warm up there. Bummer! I have no Mammoth trips planned just yet, because there is no snow!
Our Whistler trip, however… let’s hope that it keeps dumping up there!
This guy somehow avoids an avalance while heli-snowboarding in Alaska!
at the end he is gonna do it again… hahaha!
Ahh, the drive we love to hate. For those of us in Southern California, a trip to the mountains for snowboarding or skiing usually means we head to Mammoth Mountain. This drive can take up to 7 hours if you’re coming from the San Diego metro area. Luckily, since moving to Los Angeles, I’ve conveniently shaved about 2 hours off my trip. Still - 5 hours in a car is a mighty long time. You can only listen to so many hours on an iPod or CD player… Me, I like to interact with the people in the car with me - so it comes down to good conversation.
Good conversation can come about naturally, especially if you’re with a naturally loquacious carfull of buddies. But, sometimes you’re with people you don’t know that well, so it’s fun to “force” the conversation by playing games or asking personal questions of one another. Here are some of my faves, which I’ve been known to pull out of nowhere in dead silence in the middle of 395! I guess you could classify these as “the superlatives.”
You’d be surprised at how well these spark conversation and break the ice among strangers who you may be spending the rest of the weekend snowboarding with in your group Mammoth condo!
You can also play silly games like:
The games are fun but for my money, “the superlatives” are way more fun. What are some other (legal) 
ways to pass the time in a car?
Well, it’s that time of year again… the Ski Dazzle show is rolling into town. It came up on me pretty fast this season, because I’ve just “lost” two weeks being on vacation in Australia. (Yeah, yeah, cry me a river…)
The Ski Dazzle events are a pretty good value if you’re shopping for new snowboarding gear or clothes. In fact, I’d say that most of my snowboarding clothes & equipment is from these shows, either in San Diego or LA. On the one hand, admission to the show is $17, plus you have to pay for parking (it’s in downtown LA.) But, you get a free Bear Mountain or Snow Summit lift ticket with your paid admission (read the fine print on those though, because yeah, it’s a free lift ticket, but only valid thru Dec. 14; or, you can use it for a discount on a season pass.) And there is tons and tons of snowboarding equipment, from boots, bindings, and snowboards themselves, to all manner of snowboarding jackets, pants, and accessories.
Many people also like that you can talk to representatives from the ski resorts on-site and some even offer special ski season travel package deals just at the show.
I find that the selection of clothing is quite large, but you should get there early in the day, and on one of the first days of the event (this year it appears to be 4 days long!) Otherwise you’ll get a bunch of picked-over stuff in super tiny or huge sizes. Be prepared to walk/stand a lot (wear comfy shoes) and wear an outfit that is easy to get in and out of if you plan on trying on any clothes. Oh, and if you’re shy, you won’t like their communal dressing rooms. haha! Regardless of that issue, you will find great deals on clothes and snowboard jackets, pants, fleece, etc.
Aside from the fantastic shopping to be had, you can also view demonstrations, check out the Fireside Chat seminar series (talks on ski and snowboard technology, ski vacation tips, winter photography, etc.) - there’s even a vert ramp if you’re into watching BMX riders. And through all of this I seem to remember that they’re always doing little giveaways over the course of the day, so you might find some new free swag to take home.
All in all, Ski Dazzle - thumbs up - I’m definitely going… Even if I’m not in the market for any new gear!
While we wrap up our scorching summer here in the Northern Hemisphere, I’ll be getting another two weeks of it as I head to Australia till Nov. 17. Just as we turn our clocks back and the “true” beginning of winter is here, I get to go enjoy the sun and heat of the Gold Coast.
It’ll make for difficulties getting into the wintertime and snowboarding mindset… wait a second, no it won’t.
They do have some mountains and some ski resorts in Australia, but they are far away from where I’ll be (Brisbane/Cairns/Sydney) for my vacation. We’ll be indulging mostly in summertime activities such as surfing and my newly-acquired sport, scuba diving!
So. Mammoth is scheduled to open this year on November 8 - that’s a mere 6 days away! Hmmm… looks like temperatures are still in the high 40s in the daytime. Will there be snow? Watch the National Weather Service forecast to find out!
Did you take advantage of the special discounted Silver season pass that went on sale around May of this year? I think it was only $500 or so, what a bargain! But that was sold in limited quantities and for a very limited time.
Well, if ya missed out like I did, here are a few other Mammoth ski and snowboarding deals you can take advantage of for the 2007-2008 ski season:
Pray for snow!
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