MOVING UP: Deciding upon a direction that is most associated with Mammoth Mountain, one of the Golden State's best-known ski resorts? You'd likely pick "up," as the giant peak definitely has an upwards-to-the-sky presence, or you'd pick "down," for that's the general direction that skiers and snowboarders head. And "up" is very much the current theme at Mammoth Mountain as we enter the middle part of November 2020, for skiers will begin to go "down" the destination's famous slopes early. A day early, in fact, for the Eastern Sierra destination's opening day was just moved up to Nov. 13 (it had been Nov. 14, weather permitting).
HOW, WHY, AND SO FORTH? The answer is as simple as snow is cold: A lot of flakes fell on Nov. 7 and 8, and with a foot of accumulation, plus the resort's powerful snow-making operations, all systems pointed to opening sooner. And more snow is on the way, says the Mammoth team. There are some things to know before hitting Highway 395, including the specific chairs that will open on Nov. 13 (there are five in all, "more than normal for this time of year": chairs 1, 2, 3, 6 & 11). There are no more individual tickets available for opening weekend, do note, and no walk-up tickets will be sold during the 2020-2021 season. But Ikon passes? They're still available for purchase ahead of time.
NEW SAFETY GUIDELINES... and COVID-19... precautions at the mountain are numerous. Social distancing, face coverings, and limited capacity are part of the resort's plan, and all visitors should review all protocols before purchasing their advance tickets. Again, due to limited capacity, all tickets and passes this season will need to be advance tickets, so do plan ahead.
