Report from Cinco de Mayo, 2023

Brought to you by Mono County Tourism

While skiing at Mammoth Mountain, CA this morning we noticed some cool, short, spicy-looking chutes across the valley.

We joked about skiing them but weren’t sure there was any parking nor exactly how to get there.

Then, after skiing from the resort down to the village (village ski back trail) and taking the gondola back to the ski hill, we saw the chutes perfectly.

Turns out the chutes are on Earthquake Dome.

Great name.

We skied in very windy, foggy, sunny, cold conditions today and were worn out by noon.

We came home, ate, and passed out.

I took an hour nap then woke up thinking about those chutes across the way…

I jumped outta bed, into the living room, and announced I was gonna ski those Earthquake Dome chutes.

Trevor was down.

Dwanis was out.

We packed up and ran out.

We were able to park right at the bottom of the dome and started up.

Easy skinning but kinda tough to figure out which chute we were hiking up.

We picked the right one luckily and started up.

After 2 switchbacks it was boots and crampons and steep.

We hiked up the chute lookers right of the chute we’d planned on skiing.

We scrambled up rock and pulled on tree.

At the top, we were rushed.

After a deluge of in-and-out cotton puff clouds, a huge spaceship cloud was closing in on the waning sun.

The time was 4:30pm.

We transitioned quickly and dropped in.

As I made my first turns, I wasn’t totally sure I was in the right place.

The was one of the most bizarre “chutes” I’ve ever skied.

• Mini spine
• Mini nose
• Hard right traverse
• Chute bordered by bush, rock, & tree
• Narrow chute
• Wiggly chute
• Left jog
• Weird shady ramp
• Cut right again
• Dodge trees
• Big open apron

I was very stoked at the bottom.

Felt like a win.

Especially after discovering the run from the gondola that day.

The thing was convoluted and might not last another day in this weather.

The chute reminded me of a Golden Lab with its happy wiggle-bottom shakes 😀

Thanks, Mammoth!

PHOTOS