Mt June and Mammoth questions

[Buell]

I know it is closed this year but understand they are planning to open it for next season. How is the carving at Mt June? I like its reputation for empty runs. Are there many good carving runs? Is there anything steep or steeper? Would I be bored there if that was my only carving mountain (I also do a lot of backcountry so I am not totally dependent on the resort).

I really dislike big scenes and crowded slopes. Is there any hope I would like riding at Mammoth for a couple of months? I assume the terrain is better for carving but am pretty concerned about the scene. I can avoid the weekends.

Thanks, Buell

[nekdut]

June carving runs are amazing. Gunsmoke is a perfect moderate pitch the whole length and is regularly trenched up by a bunch of carvers. Schatzi and Deer Bowl are great choices for slightly steeper runs. Grooming at June is definitely better than Mammoth and is overall a better carving mountain (even though Mammoth dwarfs June significantly). The best choice would be to just get a Mammoth pass so you can go to both mountains when you feel like switching it up (Mammoth pass works at both).

Crowd-wise June is perfect. It is rare that I have anyone in line in front of me and is a great place to test out a new 2m+ stick ;). Mammoth on the weekends can get crowded but is actually very empty on the weekdays, particularly since it is very easy to spread out and hit more remote areas. Yes the LA scene people can suck, but they are easy to avoid if you know where to go.

[KingCrimson]

I dont know nothin about June, but 2 months into the season and ~32 days I still haven't come close to getting bored here. Lots of killer steeps and bumps and windbuff. There are lots of good groomers too..if you're into that sort of thing. ;)

The ritzy feel does drag on me, but the awful LA scene does subsidize it for the rest of us!

Edited January 9, 2013 by KingCrimson

[Buell]

Thanks for the beta.

KC, I never figured I would get bored at Mammoth. Just possibly driven away by the scene. Stoked for you on going for it. That is the way to an epic life.

Nekdut, sounds like some great runs and scene.

Any thoughts on where to find rentals for 2 months? We are looking at VRBO and it seems Mammoth is the main option. June Lake appears far more expensive than I expected. Are there any good areas outside of Mammoth we should be looking at?

[KingCrimson]

Thanks for the beta.

KC, I never figured I would get bored at Mammoth. Just possibly driven away by the scene. Stoked for you on going for it. That is the way to an epic life.

Nekdut, sounds like some great runs and scene.

Any thoughts on where to find rentals for 2 months? We are looking at VRBO and it seems Mammoth is the main option. June Lake appears far more expensive than I expected. Are there any good areas outside of Mammoth we should be looking at?

At times, the scene sucks. The Village, which is a sort of outdoor mall with bars and restaurants and condos, is the epicenter of the powerhouse resort feel and it's BAD.

That said..Pretty much everywhere else in town feels pretty down to earth. Most of the locals are pretty cool- the kind of people that you're worried about just couldn't stand living here because we are SO freakin' isolated. Yes, there's crap like the 2 massive base lodges that lend a wannabe Aspen feel, but at the same time there are high speed quads littered all over the mountain.

I really don't think the scene will bug you at all, and like Neil said, it's easy to avoid

[nekdut]

Any thoughts on where to find rentals for 2 months? We are looking at VRBO and it seems Mammoth is the main option. June Lake appears far more expensive than I expected. Are there any good areas outside of Mammoth we should be looking at?

Your main choices will be in Mammoth itself. June's selection is pretty high quality but not much to choose from. Crowley Lake is an option too, about 15 minutes from Mammoth, but weather can sometimes make that drive challenging. Since you're looking at a rental beyond 2 months, you can avoid the town occupancy tax and have a wider selection of full houses/cabins to pick from.

[kipstar]

June is a nice place to go from time to time but I am not sure you would want to spend 2 months riding there mostly continuously compared to Mammoth which has the groomed runs of June plus also has a bit more variety being a lot bigger, with the wind packed powder in Cornice, Scotties, etc plus a bunch of freshies on Chair 9, backside, Paranoids etc when the snow comes in.

It's a long time since i rode at June, but I recall it is quite good for racing and stuff since the pitch is so constant at June, and definitely not so crowded in the weekend....on the flipside if you want variety, then it's hard to pass up Mammoth when you can do top to bottoms on the gondola with a whole variety on the way down...head over to the warming hut side etc etc and when it is midweek Mammoth can really be a great fun place to ride. The ppl who ride June are many of the same people who ride Mammoth, but for some reason just seems like less attitude over at June...maybe that was because they all used to smoke weed on that stupid Yan tram lift that has been removed, who knows.

Spent last week in Japan with some former Mammoth locals and we were talking about the good old days of the ghetto area, the options for eating, the shuttle service around the town, etc etc; Mammoth is a pretty awesome place and big enough on and off the mountain not to drive you bonkers; June would start to feel pretty small quite quickly (although great if you ride backcountry I guess). Interestingly, the guys from Mammoth (ex race dept) claimed June is a great place for racing.

If you wanted not crowded and great groomers, Rose and some of the areas in Tahoe would be maybe cheaper than Mammoth, and maybe a bit more interesting than June.

[Buell]

Thanks Kipstar.

I am largely wanting to be in that area for the BC in the eastern Sierra. Kirkwood is also a possibility but not as close to the east side. Beyond that I am looking for a mountain to carve at and ride the occasional mixed conditions day. We like it pretty quiet and don't go out to eat or drink much.

At the moment we are continuing to look in the wider area but will probably end up being very close to Mammoth for next year. We will also probably hedge our bets with a full Mammoth pass so we can go to June and Mammoth until we know the area better.

[Buell]

Thanks for the help everyone.

We are in the process of reserving a place in June Lake for 2 months next winter. We are stoked, even if it is a year away. We'll have a pass for both Mammoth and June Lake so there will be plenty of options. We look forward to meeting the carvers in the area.

[MTB_DH11]

Lived in Mammoth for three years back in the early/mid nineties. Had a huge group of carvers that lived there. The face of 3 all the way to the bottom of 2 was a leg burner mid-week. No one there. Always hit "marthas box" to see who could come the closest to a full circle. Busy days, off to June. Great for carving back then with a ton of carvers going at it. How many carvers live there now KingCrimson? Is Gordy Johnson still live there? Was his sub-rep for Rossignol Snowboards. All we ever heard about back then was "the tram to be built from Mammoth to June" to spread out the crowds and link the two mountains. Wish they would have done it.

[KingCrimson]

I know a pile of softbooters who can out-carve a lot of hardbooters, but counting myself, I think 4.. One of the kids I coach on the high school alpine team, his dad, and 110/220 i think lives here but I've never seen him ride or met him.

[slopestar]

Thanks Bro...

[KingCrimson]

i meant in mammoth! Ability level aside, I think a lot of people on plates would carve better and have more fun in softies. The surfy style of carving just works better in softies.

[slopestar]

Just messing with you