Industry News
A new chairlift and infrastructure improvements at Mammoth Mountain, the opening of affordable housing, and updates to flight service highlight what’s new in Mammoth Lakes this winter.
Mammoth Lakes, Calif. (August 28, 2024)—Mammoth Lakes is gearing up for another unreal winter season. The leaves will soon change to show off a spectacular array of colors before the flakes fly this winter. Progress is moving quickly on replacing Chair 1 at Mammoth Mountain alongside other capital improvements.
United Airlines flights into Eastern Sierra Regional Airport in Bishop (BIH), just 45 minutes south of Mammoth Lakes, will be even better and more comfortable this winter. Fly direct from San Francisco (SFO) beginning December 12, 2024, or Denver (DEN) starting December 19, 2024. All United flights into BIH will be offered on the highly rated Embraer 175 (E175).
New at Mammoth Mountain
Chairlifts: The replacement of Broadway Express – Chair 1 at Mammoth Mountain is underway, with completion anticipated for the 2024-2025 Season. The new Doppelmayr D-Line 6-seat detachable chairlift will feature in-terminal parking at the top and bottom to improve opening times on big storm days, 90-degree loading on an automated loading conveyor to ensure an efficient load process, and an uphill capacity of 3,000 passengers per hour – a 25% improvement over its predecessor. Other upgrades are being made to further modernize the mountain’s chairlifts to reduce stoppages and wait times for guests. Face Lift Express (Chair 3) and Unbound Express (Chair 6) will receive upgraded controls and new AC drives, improving the efficiency and reliability of the chairlifts.
Snowmaking: Mammoth Mountain has committed $3.5M this offseason to further automate and improve the energy efficiency of its snowmaking capabilities. The mountain added 15 SMI Super Puma fan guns on two of their most popular runs, Stump Alley and Roller Coaster while adding 12 automatic Klik tower guns along Schoolyard and Chickadee. These improvements in snowmaking will aid in connecting terrain between base lodges, allowing for improved early-season access out of Canyon, Eagle, and Main Lodge.
Woolly’s Adventure Summit: A hub of activity and exploration, further improvements to Woolly’s Adventure Summit include continued construction of a new full-service Day Lodge, re-opening of the Woolly’s Mountain Coaster, and the addition of summer tubing lanes, which opened in summer of 2024. Woolly’s Mountain Coaster provides a thrilling ride down exciting curves, spiral twists, and roller jumps through the forest as they descend 3,550 ft of downhill track back down to Woolly’s Day Lodge. Other future improvements in the planning stages include a rock-climbing wall, a ropes course, and more. Woolly’s Day Lodge is expected to open for the 2024-2025 Winter Season and when complete, will feature 6,000 sq. ft. of facilities to serve guests, including public restrooms, ticketing, food & beverage, retail goods, and indoor and outdoor patio dining areas. The permanent Day Lodge will replace the temporary facilities currently serving the site.
New Around Town
Community Dog Park: The Town, in partnership with the Mammoth Lakes Foundation, identified a suitable location at the intersection of College Parkway and Wagon Wheel Road for a temporary off-leash area for dogs. The Town received a $50,000 T-Mobile grant and previously allocated an additional $150,000 for a dog park. The land adjacent to the dog park was identified to provide expanded parking, restrooms, and other amenities. This infrastructure will support other uses, such as the new McCoy Arts & Cultural Center (MACC), slated to open in 2025, pathways, and long-term housing. Construction began in 2023 and is expected to be completed by this fall.
Events
Key events coming to Mammoth Lakes this fall and winter include:
- OCR World Championships – October 4-6, 2024: Since its inaugural event in 2014, the OCR World Championships has served as the premier independent world championships for the sport of Obstacle Course Racing. Now drawing athletes from over 70 nations, the OCR World Championships features professional and amateur age-group competitions.
- Night of Lights – December 14, 2024: Mammoth Mountain’s holiday spectacle returns again this year to Canyon Lodge. Night of Lights is a free fireworks spectacular that lights up the Sierra sky. Enjoy outdoor family activities, including fire pits, live music, snowmobile rides, and more.
- Elevation Mammoth – March 12-16, 2025: The Twenty-Third Annual Mammoth Gay Ski Week returns to Mammoth Lakes, California.
Food and Beverage
Capybara Empanadas: A locally owned food truck specializing in Argentinian cuisine will operate year-round at the Community Recreation Center. It will offer traditional empanada styles with a few modern takes, seasonal options, and desserts.
Flights
United Airlines will again offer flights to Eastern Sierra Regional Airport in Bishop (BIH) this winter, just 45 minutes south of Mammoth Lakes. Fly direct from San Francisco (SFO) beginning December 12, 2024, or Denver (DEN) starting December 19, 2024. Visitors can also connect from hundreds of cities across the country and around the world – now in more comfort. All United flights into BIH will be offered on the Embraer 175 (E175). With no middle seats, larger windows, and more first-class seats available than other planes, the E175 has earned the second-highest satisfaction rating of all United planes, just behind the Dreamliner 777.
Affordable Housing
Ribbon Cut on Phase 1 of Mammoth Lakes Historic Parcel Project – Ground Broken on Phase 2: Mammoth Lakes celebrated the opening of “The Sawyer” – Phase 1 of The Parcel affordable housing project and the ground-breaking for “The Kingfisher” – Phase 2. The project is being built in multiple phases over several years and will have upwards of 450 affordable units at full build-out. “The Sawyer” (Phase 1) includes 81 units (80 affordable units and 1 manager’s unit), a child-care facility, and a public park. “The Kingfisher” (Phase 2) will include a total of 148 rentable units (146 affordable units and two manager’s units). Future phases are currently in the planning process. Additional information is available here.
“Lease to Locals”- Pilot Program Launched to Incentivize Year-Round Rentals: The Town of Mammoth Lakes, in partnership with Placemate, Inc., is launching an innovative initiative to address the lack of long-term rental housing options in Mammoth Lakes for local workers. This new program will provide up to $18,000 in incentive payments to property owners who convert their housing units from short-term rentals or sitting largely vacant into year-round or seasonal rentals for the local workforce. The Town has allocated $450,000 for one year of funding for the Lease to Locals program and will consider renewing the program based on performance and funding availability. As of July 2024, they’ve unlocked 570 units and housed 1,290 locals. Additional details at placemate.com/mammoth.
Check visitmammoth.com and mammothmountain.com for more information and to get started booking a Mammoth Lakes vacation.
