Earlyseason snow gives lift to Mammoth Mountain resort
After getting a solid snow dump over the weekend, Mammoth Mountain resort will open to skiers Friday, ahead of most other ski areas in the Sierra. However, singleday lift tickets for the opening weekend were already sold out Wednesday morning.
Earlyseason storms have brought upward of 12 inches of snow to some mountains around Lake Tahoe and to Mammoth, which rests south of the Tahoe Basin in the Eastern Sierra. More snow is expected to arrive later this week, possibly Thursday night. Most of Tahoe’s premier ski areas are targeting openings between Nov. 20 and early December.
Due to the coronavirus pandemic, skiing this year will operate differently than in years past. Most mountains have shut down walkup ticket sales, instead offering a limited number of day passes to skiers without season passes and requiring non-passholders to book online in advance. Some require pass holders to reserve their spots, too. For a full breakdown of what each ski area is doing this season, check out The Chronicle’s pandemic ski guide at https:// bit. ly/ 2IqXGCe.
The first chair at Mammoth spins at 7: 30 a. m. Friday on the Broadway Express lift ( Chair 1). Not all of Mammoth’s 3,500 acres will be accessible during opening weekend; the area will open five chairlifts ( 1, 2, 3, 6 and
11).
The resort says it has invested $ 1 million in new safety protocols for COVID19, including stations for sanitizing. Skiers will be required to wear face coverings at all times and maintain social distancing. For the list of safety protocols, visit www. mammothmountain. com / covid.