Industry News
For the first time in two years, the Mammoth Bike Park at Mammoth Mountain, California, is set to be 100% open in the coming weeks. Much work was required to restore the bike trails and features to acceptable conditions after the havoc wreaked by the 22-23′ Winter. Thanks to tireless efforts from the crew, they are approaching the finish line on restoration work.
In the Winter of ’22-’23, Mammoth saw an incredible 715 inches of snow, extending the ski season all the way to August 9 that year. This was great news for skiers but came at the cost of the bike park opening being delayed until the end of the ski season. There wouldn’t have been much hero dirt to be had, however, as the bike trails were still largely covered in snow. Only a small portion of the Mammoth Bike Park would open for only a few short weeks that season.
“There was so much snow, and it stuck around,” Gabe Taylor, Mammoth Bike Park’s Marketing Manger, told singletracks.com in an interview. “We were skiing comfortably until August 9.”
The sheer weight and moisture from the snow load and accompanying snowmelt took its toll on the bike park. Erosion from the snowmelt made some trails unrecognizable. One especially steep and technical trail, called DC 10, was so eroded that it has been permanently closed with a new trail under construction to replace it. The wood features had also suffered significant structural damage due to the insane snow load weighing on them.
After a combined effort of restoration during the short 2023 summer bike season, and an earlier effort this summer due to less overall snowfall, the Mammoth Bike Park has surpassed the 60% open mark. The trails have been restored and rerouted to combat erosion, and the wooden features have either been fixed up or replaced. Mammoth expects to have 100% of its bike trails open in just a few short weeks. It is an impressive feat, and thanks to the priority placed on restoring the bike park along with the grit and dedication of their employees, mountain bikers will soon be able to enjoy Mammoth Mountain’s trails in their full glory again.
