Waiting on the weather
“As you might guess, we’re waiting for it to snow,” Mammoth Mountain Ski Area (MMSA) CEO Rusty Gregory said drily at the beginning of his Jan. 13 MMSA/Town Liaison Meeting presentation on the Mountain’s operations.
Gregory noted that in spite of the lack of precipitation, with only about 42.5 inches of snowfall to date, MMSA ran 17 lifts and kept 50 trails open to the public through the month of December.
“We had more terrain by far than anyone else in California,” Gregory said. Although, he added, “that’s like being the tallest man in a midget contest.”
Gregory reported to Town Manager Dan Holler and Mayor Rick Wood that thus far, the Mountain has received 20% less revenue than projected, and 28% fewer visitors. “We’re now starting to catch up with [our numbers] last year,” he said. “But we continue to operate at a deficit to our budget.”
As for June Mountain, visitation is off 58% from a projected 60,000 visits per year. Gregory noted that snowmaking options are extremely limited at June, with a smaller reservoir and little equipment.
In fact, the Mountain rented a compressor to aid snowmaking over the holidays. “We brought it in to get a base of snow built,” Gregory explained. “The idea of sustaining that for the whole season was never the plan.” The Mountain recently sent the compressor back to Anaheim, Gregory said.
With no snowmaking capabilities at present, June is down to only two chair lifts: J1, which brings visitors up to the lodge, and J2. “We intend to keep June open as long as mother nature will allow,” Gregory said.
Mayor Rick Wood questioned Gregory about snowmaking at MMSA, wondering whether rumors that the Mountain is running out of water are true.
“The well draws haven’t been bad,” Gregory replied. “The aquifers are holding up really well.”
Gregory also gave an update regarding the Mammoth Mountain land trade with the U.S. Forest Service.
Currently, MMSA operates the Main Lodge under a Special Use Permit from the Forest Service, which makes any renovation or redevelopment of Main Lodge difficult. A land trade would allow MMSA to take ownership of that land, and not only renovate the Lodge, but redevelop the larger area, including the Mammoth Mountain Inn.
The Mountain’s long-term vision for the land includes about 1,000 hotel rooms and six different properties, Gregory said.
The land trade is “back on track,” he said. A bill to facilitate the trade passed the House of Representatives and is currently in Senate Committee.
As for the fate of operations at June Mountain, Canyon and Eagle Lodges, should the drought continue, Gregory gave no clear answer. “Before we face the hard questions at Eagle, Canyon, and June, we hope Mother Nature steps in,” he said.
