Mammoth sounds big, and in fact this Mammoth is bigger than just big! Topping 11,000 feet, the mountain is best known for one of the largest and highest ski resorts in the Sierras. Mammoth Ski Area promises a dramatic skiing experience for everyone. Mammoth Mountain, a fitting name for this California peak, is noted for its state-of-the-art amenities and eight months of skiing. The widths of slope runs and ski moguls are measured in miles. And here this resort offers more skiing terrain than any other. Snow begins to fall on Mammoth Mountain in early November and legitimately lasts into June. During the third week of December in 2010, the area’s twelve feet of fresh snow just about guaranteed skiing during the 4th of July weekend.
   Located in the Ritter Range, east of Devils Postpile National Monument, Mammoth Mountain anchors the southern end of the Mono-Inyo chain of volcanic craters. Regarded as dormant, the big guy still outgases high concentrations of CO2 gas. Although it was not well understood in the past, it’s now known carbon dioxide discharges were responsible for area deaths and a massive tree kill in the Horseshoe Lake area. Data indicates a large concentration of CO2 still lies deep within the mountain, seeping from any fissure. Fearing adverse reactions from these CO2 emissions, camping has been prohibited in order to prevent additional deaths due to asphyxiation.
   Even when the skiing season is over, Mammoth Village stays busy, entertaining radical mountain bikers, sightseers and golfers. Mammoth Lakes is not only the name for this resort town but a picturesque string of alpine lakes.

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