Evanescent Photography : Mammoth

I just got back from an amazing weekend in Mammoth Lakes, CA. This weekend was one of the coldest of the season, with temperatures dropping below 0 at night and averaging somewhere in the mid 20's during the day. Despite the cold weather, this weekend provided us with some pretty epic conditions. Lucky to get some fresh snow on the first night we enjoyed near perfect conditions throughout the weekend. Mammoth currently has the most snow in North America, with an approximate 192" base and deep powder is plentiful throughout the mountain.

A few things you may or may not know about Mammoth...

Mammoth mountain is located along the east side of the Sierra Nevada mountain range in the Inyo National Forest. Mammoth mountain was formed by a series of volcanic eruptions that began approximately 200,000 years ago. The mountain is still considered an active volcano, with the most recent activity taking place 700 years ago. Mammoth releases high levels of carbon dioxide, which prohibit plant and tree growth in much of the southern section of the mountain.

Mammoth produces an unusually large amount of snowfall each year when compared to other Eastern Sierra peaks. This is due to its location in a low gap in the Sierra crest. On average Mammoth produces around 400" of snow annually. The base of Mammoth is 7,953 feet and the summit reaches 11,053 feet. There are 150 trails and over 3,500 acres of skiable area.

Mammoth is known for it's wind. Sometimes this produces awesome wind blown snow that is referred to as "the buff". The buff is fine snow with a buttery texture that can make for some amazing conditions. If the direction is right sometimes it's possible to get fresh tracks on every run, if not it can lead to hard packed conditions or ice.

Here are a few photos from this weekend. All photos were taken and edited with my iPhone.