SUMMER SKIING: Not every winter delivers an epic amount of snowfall, the kind of mega-flakeage that keeps people schussing into July and even August. But that's just what happened earlier in 2017, over January, February, and beyond, which means that the slopes of Mammoth Mountain remains open even as the middle of July approaches (and, yes, it plans to welcome skiers and snowboarders into August, though for how long that'll be remains firmly in the "let's see" camp). But while the still-truckin' ski season is understandably catching headlines this July, it's good to remember that summer pursuits are now open, and very much happening, around the mountain and in nearby communities. Snow on the slopes doesn't mean that the Saturday bicycle rides with Woolly, the mammoth mascot of the destination, aren't happening, and line-casters are definitely out looking for the plumpest of piscine treasures in the regional lakes and streams. If you're feeling more summer than winter about a possible mountain getaway, best...
PERUSE THE MAMMOTH EVENTS, the ones that don't entail poles or ski hats. The Mammoth Food & Wine Experience is just ahead, on Friday, July 14 and Saturday, July 15, so make for The Village at Mammoth to get up on what local eateries like Ramenya Noodle Shop and Mammoth Rock Brasserie are cooking up. The Reggae Festival, Mammoth Festival of Beers & Bluesapalooza, and numerous other music-oriented, sunshine-sweet, soak-up-the-warmth to-dos are ready to flow ahead of autumn's arrival. One thing to note? Devils Postpile National Monument, a summertime favorite with a typical June-to-mid-October visit window, remains closed as the impact of the wintertime snowpack impact on the road in is addressed.
