Skiing Is Still Wowing the Locals

May 26, 2005

By Bump Diamond
Man About Town

    Just ran into skier extraordinaire Joe Vasta down at the Stellar Brew coffee house, and we got to discussing how decent the skiing has been up on the hill lately.
    We were talking even as Mammoth was hanging right in there at about 55 degrees, with a hot sun baking the parking lot around the coffee house deck.
    Lots of people are asking around about the ski conditions—mostly out-of-towners who are coming up for the Memorial Day weekend, bringing bikes, hiking boots, skis, insect repellent, fishing gear and you-name-it.
    Anyway, Joe was up on the hill on Wednesday morning and said the skiing was fine all the way around, but he cautioned to bring some hot-weather wax, otherwise you’ll get some knee-tuggers up there.
    The lifts are starting at 7:30 and closing about 3. He said he skied from about 8 to noon and the runs were fine.
    In the backcountry, that’s a different ball game.
    He said he was up on Virginia Lakes earlier in the month, but experienced some rotting snow and lots of wet snow, so his advice is to make sure you know what you’re doing, and use lotsa wax.