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Mammoth Monthly
Every month, quality magazine journalism from on high.
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March 22, 2009
by Mammoth Local Staff
As you may have noticed, MammothLocal.com, the online arm of Mammoth Monthly magazine, has stopped updating its pages until the economic climate improves. Owners Jean and George Shirk decided to keep the site alive, however, just for the heck of it. The Shirks still have a thing about Mammoth, and may return there soon to stir up more trouble. In the meantime, enjoy the high country (who doesn't?) and stay safe and well.November 09, 2007
by Evanne Jardine
Lying Jim Townsend and his Homer Mining Index, based in Lundy Canyon in the late 19th century, was so decidedly outrageous and brazen that he and his paper earned a unique spot in Eastern Sierra history.October 31, 2007
by George Shirk
There is a YouTube movie that shows Stacey Cook above Shotover Canyon in New Zealand. She is about to be sent over a cliff on a 360-foot, freefall drop, advertised by the Canyon Swing proprietors as "the world's highest swing." In the video, Cook giggles a bit, but it not a nervous laugh. In fact, the twenty-three-year-old Olympic and World Cup downhill racer actually seems to relish the opportunity to make the drop and swing.August 06, 2007
by Mammoth Local Staff
Mike Strassman, a key figure in the development of Eastern Sierra rock climbing, has died. He was 47.June 19, 2007
by Brandon Russell
"Russell Malm is a popular and colorful local personality," said Laurey Carlson, a top organizer for this year's Mammoth Motocross, in which Malm participated for the first time.View image
May 21, 2007
by Mark Schlenz
If good old "John 'O Mountains" Muir was Nature's most divinely inspired priest, he was her best publicist as well. Do you remember how Muir, returning to the lowlands, finally finishes his First Summer? "Here ends my forever memorable first High Sierra excursion. I have crossed the Range of Light, surely the brightest and best of all the Lord has built; and rejoicing in its glory, I gladly, gratefully, hopefully pray I may see it again." In Mary Austin's writings, by contrast, the mountains and deserts of the Eastern Sierra are much more than places of pilgrimage for solitary seasonal ecstasy. They are places where careful observation of -- and responsible relation with -- plants, animals, and peoples belonging to particular environments are required for individual survival and sustainable community.April 19, 2007
by Mammoth Local Staff
Andrea Mead Lawrence celebrated her 75th birthday Thursday among family and friends who gathered at Mammoth Mountain Ski Area.April 17, 2007
by Stacy Corless
Russell Kile, who is fifty-seven, and his son, Matt, who is thirty-one, are members of a well drilling family that has made a living bringing water to thirsty western homesteaders. "We've been at it a good solid four generations, " Russell said.View image
April 13, 2007
by Mammoth Local Staff
Deena Kastor, Mammoth's Olympian long distance runner, multiple long distance record holder and marathon bronze medalist in the Athens Olympics, will have a day in her honor. A proclamation designating April 29 as "Deena Kastor Day" in Mammoth was approved by the Town Council.View image
April 07, 2007
by Mammoth Local Staff
Dick Goetzman, a longtime member of the Mammoth Lakes Foundation and a U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association president, died this past week at his home in Long Beach, the USSA announced. His death followed a series of recent health and medical problems, USSA President and CEO Bill Marolt said.April 01, 2007
by Tom Cushman
Bill "Doc" Randol first visited Mammoth Lakes during the summer of 1935 as member of a Boy Scout troop that made the drive up from Los Angeles to camp along the shore of Lake Mamie. Doc remembers that the lone main road of that era didn't extend to Horseshoe Lake, that catching 18-to 20-inch trout was ritual, that the area included at least one parsimonious personality. "This fellow hired me to paddle his canoe while he fished, and I did so for hours," Randol recalls. "At the end of the day he gave me 25 cents and said to meet him again the next morning. So, I did. And, when we got on the water, and he was standing in the front of the canoe, casting, I suddenly reversed my stroke. He got a nice bath. Don't know how I worked up the courage to do that."March 27, 2007
by Mark Schlenz
Supplied with only a tarp, some water jugs, and little if any food, the school's "students" cross thresholds in their lives through a carefully guided rite of passage known as a Vision Fast. Developing the Vision Fast, founders Meredith Little and the late Steven Foster may have achieved for passage rites what author Joseph Campbell accomplished for mythologies.February 14, 2007
by Brandon Russell
On one of the biggest party nights of the holiday season, Mammothists wearing Hawaiian clothing jammed into Eagle Lodge, where Kathy Copeland and her volunteers were throwing their annual "Island Extravaganza" bash on behalf of disabled athletes. Suddenly, a happy, throaty "Yahhhwwaa!" pierced the air, and everybody knew that Copeland had just made another greeting.View image
January 22, 2007
by Mammoth Local Staff
Casey McCoy, the Bishop off-road motocyclist who learned to ride dirt while growing up in the Eastern Sierra, finished 31st in the 29th running of the grueling Dakar Rally motorcycle race on Sunday.View image
January 09, 2007
by Bump Diamond
Two big birthdays happen in early January. There's Martin Luther King, of course. And there's "Caveman" Dave Fitzpatrick, who on Monday, Jan. 8 turned 51. In spite of not a whole lot of snow on the ski hill, he notched his 55th day on the slopes.View image
December 31, 2006
by Stacy Corless
Dr. John Ungersma, a retired Navy captain and orthopedic surgeon, is leading the charge to make the Owens and Hammil Valleys California's next wine-producing region.December 17, 2006
by Mammoth Local Staff
Chef Brian Doi, who created the first Parallax menus on Mammoth Mountain and recently has been sous chef at Restaurant LuLu in the Village, has been named chef at Alpenrose, according to the restaurant. A graduate of the Southern California...December 06, 2006
by Mammoth Local Staff
It felt like Greta Boyer Night at the regular meeting of the Town Council on Wednesday, as a packed house said adieu to Mammoth's "Den Mother," who retires later this month.November 21, 2006
by Stacy Corless
While the popularity of non-technical, homemade-looking headwear hit a fuzzy peak the past couple seasons, there's one brand that stands out. Available only at Mammoth Mountain retail shops, Muhka hats remain all the rage for the diverse members of a Sierra winter family, from free-heelers in the backcountry and riders in the pipe to dog walkers at Shady Rest.November 15, 2006
by Brandon Russell
The scene is Mammoth Mountain. The time is the middle of the night. The season is dead of winter, the altitude is 9,000 feet and outside, snow is coming down in great, heavy loads, whipped by swirling, 90-mile-an-hour winds. The assignment is straightforward: Keep the roads to the ski area open, keep the snow groomed and help get the ski lifts running as fast as possible in the morning. This is a Clifford Mann kind of night, and the odds are not in the storm's favor.September 06, 2006
by Bump Diamond
Olympic distance runner Meb Keflezighi is back in town after placing second in the prestigious New York City Half-Marathon last week.by Bump Diamond
"Going up wasn't the hard part," says unicyclist Jerry Oser. "It was coming down that was hard -- braking with your legs, crashing, braking and crashing. That's a problem I have. I keep doing stupid stuff."View image
August 28, 2006
by Mammoth Local Staff
A benefit to help injured climbing legend John Bachar will be hosted on Sept. 15 by Mammoth Mountaineering, according to the store's owner, David Talsky.View image
August 25, 2006
by Lyin' Judy Bridger
Shot him where?!?! In the three most popular versions of the legend of Leroy "Lee" Vining, the lumberman and gold miner died the same way -- by an accidental, self-inflicted gunshot wound "to the groin." Yipes! No one from around here is quite sure of the location of the remains of Lee Vining. Aurora, Nev., where he died, is just simply gone, except for a few scraps of iron and shards of glass, and for a cemetery nearby. On the shores of Mono Lake, town officials were notified that the name of their town, Lakeview, was already taken and they'd have to find another name, so they turned to the memory of their leading citizen, humbled and now quite dead.August 22, 2006
by Bump Diamond
Alex Cushing, who founded Squaw Valley Ski Area and brought the Winter Olympics there in 1960, died on Saturday, Aug. 19 at his home in Newport, R.I..August 17, 2006
by Mammoth Local Staff
Olympic marathoner Deena Kastor of Mammoth said her training in Europe this past summer was so sketchy that she gave up running in favor of an Italian vacation.August 01, 2006
by Georgia Kelly Lowe
When my husband Neil and I became the newest owners of Tioga Pass Resort in May of 1963, the legend of Gardisky's ghost was handed to us along with the back door key. "The place is haunted," said Ray, the former owner. "Al Gardisky, the Russian guy that built this place, still comes around." Yeah, yeah, I thought, not yet understanding how young and dumb I was at twenty-eight when all I'd done to earn a living was take shorthand, type and file. "By the way," I asked. "Where are the cooks and waitresses? Upstairs?" "They won't be here for a month," Ray said. "We open this weekend and you're the cook and waitress." "Oh," I said, and sank down on a stool that looked like a tree stump.View image
July 30, 2006
by Mammoth Local Staff
Jon Regelbrugge, a U.S. Forest Service veteran who recently worked as a deputy district ranger in the San Bernardino National Forest at Big Bear, is Mammoth's new district ranger, according to Bernie Weingardt, the Forest Service's regional forester.View image
July 19, 2006
by George Shirk
"I'm probably the only person who has spent his life at the lakes," says Bob Schotz. "I understand how precious they are."July 18, 2006
by Stacey Mitchell
There was a time, back in the '30s, when the people of Lee Vining put down their work and gave their town over to Mark Twain. There were speedboat races on Mono Lake. There was a beauty pageant. There was art and sculpture, a big Hollywood influence and, most of all, there were parties that people still talk about to this day. And then it was gone.June 01, 2006
by George Shirk
Dr. Richard Carlson, author of the best-selling book, "Don't Sweat The Small Stuff," will speak at the Mammoth Life and Wellness conference in October. Carlson joins Dr. Andrew Weil at the three-day event. Weil is best known as the world's foremost authority on health, healing and alternative medicine.May 23, 2006
by Bob Sollima
Bob Sollima, a well-known Mammoth resident, has written an ode to his devoted dog, Dakota, who died last weekend. Bob and Dakota -- and before that, Bob, Dakota and Chief -- were a mighty familiar sight around here.May 09, 2006
by George Shirk
Dr. Jack Perry, along with Dr. Richard Price and physiologist Rita Klabacha, have pushed wellness as the main ingredient of the SPORT Center's Human Performance Lab. They hope the lab will make Mammoth a destination for athletes ranging from those with Olympic level capabilities to ordinary people who care about their health and their athletic ability.April 10, 2006
by Mammoth Local Staff
Scott's peers on the patrol voted him "Rookie of the Year," an award he received just two days before his death.by Mammoth Local Staff
"His boundless energy, determination and easy laugh will be missed and dearly remembered by everyone who knew him."by Jim Stimson
"His adventures were pure and without any fanfare. Walter was modest and humble, extremely bright and engaging. He was great fun to be with." An appreciation of one of Mammoth's most dynamic characters.March 26, 2006
by Bump Diamond
SUGARLOAF, Maine (March 26) - Olympian Stacey Cook , the Mammoth Ski team member who now races out of Truckee, spoiled Kirsten Clark's homecoming parade Sunday, barreling past the local favorite to win a gold medal -- her first U.S. title -- in super G at the TD Banknorth U.S. Alpine Championships at Sugarloaf.March 22, 2006
by Mammoth Local Staff
We'd like to take a little time to welcome new readers of MammothLocal.com, and to remind our regulars of the various interactive and dynamic components of the Web site. These include frequently updated local news coverage; free classified ads; changing online polls (our current poll is focused on summer activities); a dynamic calendar of events; up-to-the-minute weather from Howard Sheckter; the entire Mammoth Monthly magazine in PDF format; a Mammoth restaurant guide; "comment" tags on every story, so readers can react and contribute online, and an online store, accessed from the Marketplace page.March 13, 2006
by George Shirk
The new leader of Mammoth Mountain Ski Area and suddenly the most powerful man in Mammoth, Barry S. Sternlicht introduced himself on Friday, Feb. 10, presenting a few of his ideas along the way. Among the ideas is that he and his Starwood Capital Group envision Mammoth as a "wellness town," thereby differentiating itself from other resorts. View imageFebruary 09, 2006
by Mike McKenna
When you first meet Will Erickson and Jason Senior, they seem like normal enough guys. Erickson is clean-cut and appears younger than the 41 years of age his driver's license claims. Senior, who's a youthful 30, is the outdoor athlete type and is as laid back as anyone in a mountain town. Both, however, are mad scientists who never say "no" to a beer. Erickson is the brewmaster for Mammoth Brewing Company and Senior is his assistant. They have been working together in their laboratory/brewery in Mammoth for more than six years and have managed to create quite a reputation at beer festivals for the crazy concoctions they've crafted.February 04, 2006
by George Shirk
"In five years I think that we won't be as far along as we think we're going to be today. I think it's going to be tougher slogging than today's economy would indicate. ... Having said that, I think you'll see a strong focus at the high end of the market. Understand that that's not the sole focus of Mammoth, but it's a significantly underserved element of our current market today."January 11, 2006
by George Shirk
"There is a growing number of people who want something different and are prepared more to work for it. Getting into the backcountry and the wilderness is a lot of work and it's hard work. It's physically uncomfortable and you have to suffer, and I'm generally impressed by the number of people who do it." View imageDecember 04, 2005
by George Shirk
Mammoth Mountain Ski Area founder Dave McCoy will give the Mammoth Lakes Foundation a $3 million gift for the construction of student housing and parking facility at Cerro Coso Community College. Foundation CEO Evan Russell made the announcement at Saturday night's Friends of Education dinner, He also announced that McCoy was this year's winner of the "Founder Award.” "He's stepping up to the plate once again,” said Russell, who also announced that McCoy will match any gift over $5,000 to fund the proposed Sherwin Hall dormitory and the parking structure.November 15, 2005
by mammoth admin
By Dick Dorworth I was a ski racer from Reno in the 1950s and '60s, and the mountain and people and experiences of Mammoth were a huge part of my formative years and beyond. Mammoth is part of my heart and life experience, a guide to the mind. Only the inaccuracy of nostalgia allows people to claim that the '50s were a “better” time for American skiers, but both my heart and mind tell me it was a simpler era. Today's Mammoth Mountain skier gets miles more skiing on better and more varied terrain than the skier of 50 years ago. But it does not seem to me that the personal satisfaction, well-being and joy of the day's skiing endeavors are any better.January 21, 2005
by Monica Prelle
The only female chef in town is also the youngest. Alisa Powell, the new executive chef at the Mountainside Grill in the Mammoth Mountain Inn, is just 29, but she's laid-back, confident and a stickler for detail.Advertisement
