Driving Three Hours for Mammoth's Opening Weekend Was More Than Worth It
“What if I forget how to ski?”
My buddy, who is a better skier than most, asked the rhetorical question with a smile as we unloaded my Honda CR-V. Parked a few hundred feet from Mammoth’s Panorama Gondola, we had just made the trek down from Truckee for early-season turns. Energy drinks, gas station snacks, and pure, unfiltered stoke coursed through our veins.
We decided to ride the gondola to McCoy Station for our first lap. The summit hadn’t accumulated enough snow to open quite yet, but no matter, we were moving uphill with the promise of downhill thrills just minutes away.
As we unloaded the gondola, a friendly liftie chimed in, “Hey guys, welcome. It’s a little thin out there, but the sun is softening things up nicely, enjoy!”
We clicked into our skis and pushed out onto the groomed slope. We hung a right towards Stump Alley, and my eyes widened after my first turn. The snow surface, which was mostly manmade, was surprisingly nice. The morning’s fresh corduroy had disappeared, but the sun and above-freezing temps were slowly working their magic.
It felt a bit like spring, which was odd for early November, but I couldn’t complain. Making soft, edgeable turns, with no lift lines and little crowding on the slopes, was more than I could ask for. We were skiing, and it was fun. Imagine that.
Tap or click below to watch our lap down Stump Alley on November 7, 2026. Keep reading for more from the weekend.
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Mammoth’s grooming and snowmaking teams deserve an award.
Temperatures didn’t dip below freezing on Saturday night, but that didn’t prevent the mountain from opening four excellently groomed slopes on Sunday.
Silver Tip and Rusty’s constituted the longest lap on opening weekend, and since these trails hold shade longer than Broadway and Stump Alley, it made sense to start our morning off on one of the latter trails. The sun is your friend during these early-season offerings.
As we unloaded Chair 1 at 8:30 a.m., I turned to my buddy and said, “Let’s just ski Broadway. Nobody is on it, and I swear I can see fresh corduroy from here.” It ended up being the right call.
The surface was a little firm, don’t get me wrong, but the corduroy and soft snow just under the night’s groom was perfect. I laid down wide, sweeping carves on my Salomon QST 106s, and I chased my buddy down a practically empty slope. I hooted, hollered, and laughed.
I don’t track my skiing with any apps or wearable tech, but we must have eclipsed a top speed of more than 40mph on that first lap. As we rejoined the very small line on Broadway, we took deep breaths and practically exclaimed in unison: “Holy shit, that was fun.”
Tap or click to watch our first lap down Broadway on Sunday, November 8, 2026. Please note that I mistakenly labeled this video as 2025 because I’m an idiot. Keep reading for more.
Stump Alley started to get a bit thin towards the bottom on Sunday. Mammoth’s grooming team launched a valiant effort to farm enough snow, but the rocks, dirt, and shrubs were undeniably poking through.
That was understandable considering overnight temperatures didn’t drop low enough to make snow, but we were using our rock skis anyway. We didn’t mind a little off-road skiing, so to speak.
The slope has since closed, but it will surely reopen after a couple of nights of sustained snowmaking and/or a natural storm cycle.
Speaking of a natural storm cycle, a major winter storm is on the horizon. OpenSnow forecasts that Mammoth could receive up to 27 inches of snow over the next 10 days, with more snow in the 11- to 15-day forecast.
Look for more trails, lifts, and terrain parks to open at Mammoth as winter kicks into high gear. Their grooming, snowmaking, and lift teams are ready. Trust me.
Matt Lorelli
A special thanks to Mammoth for opening early and rolling out a fantastic product despite Mother Nature’s best efforts.
You made my weekend, and I’m fired up for the long season ahead.
Happy ski season, friends. Ski ya out there.
Related: Against All Odds, Mt. Rose Did It Again: Opening Day Conditions Report
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