The Weekend

I had the opportunity to go to Mammoth with Chris this past weekend. This is special because Chris lived there 15 years and was a snowmobile guide for eight of those years in winter.

What this means is that he got our group of four guys the hook up, bigtime!

My saint of a wife gave the thumbs up and we were gone on Thursday afternoon.

What is the best way to break up a drive from central AZ to East central CA:


Bootleg:



A couple hours riding really gets the kinks out of the legs.



I was again reminded that slack angles and high bottom brackets are a good thing.



Sadly, I think Brent Thompson was in the process of dying as we were enjoying his super trail system. RIP Brent, and thanks for this legacy.

Hitting Mammoth, I was shocked:



I am not much of a winter sports guy, and while I have survived many a midwest winter, I was unprepared for the massive amounts of snow that accumulate in real mountains.

First up was snowmobiling. This was a first for me. Chris got us hooked up with sleds and we were off (very slowly for me at first!)

First it was packed trails, then he took us out to experience a "powder" field.



This consists of attempting to control a machine with almost no directional stability while trying not to get stuck. We all failed, even the big cheese occasionally, but I learned that apparently, getting stuck in powder and extricating oneself is all part of the fun of snowmobiling?!?



This is how you are supposed to do it


Chris in Powder from Enel on Vimeo.

I never got that competent.

Amazing how fast four sleds can tear up a powder field.



I was told conditions were perfect, snow storm two days prior, then a day of sun to let the pack firm up just a little. I was certainly not the least bit cold.



Chris showed us the crater where his wife fell off the lip 9 years ago almost killing herself.



Another view. That is a big fall. Straight down.



Nice scenic views.





After three hours I had had enough of mechanized travel. My impressions of snow machines are that they are a fast, noisy and efficient way to get some place if you have to travel over snow. Fun? Not really for me. Too noisy, too stinky, just not my deal. Fun for the price (free), but I would not go out of my way to buy or rent one unless I needed it for transportation.

We grabbed a quick lunch and headed out of town, down 4000 feet and 45 minutes to bike again.

This is more like it:







I loved the Jeffrey Pines. Beautiful trees.





The trail was mostly smooth with occasional techy rock piles to keep it interesting.











The name of the trail is Lower Rock Creek, and it is a gem. We eventually were turned back by snow, but it was great while it lasted. Need to find this in summer some time.

After that we did a quick shuttle run down "Wagon Wheel" as daylight was fading. It shakes you like a paint shaker, and is recommended.

I would say we fully extracted the juice from this day.

Next day Chris got us the hook up for lift passes at the mountain.

There was a lot of this:



And this:



People actually pay to do this?? I hadn't downhill skied for a decade and it made me remember why. The skiing is fun, but the trade off in line time, crowds and dollars simply does not compute for me.

People who think this is the ultimate fun experience have never mountain biked I think?

Still the views were killer:



Bike helmets work fine for skiing.



Just a little wind at the top of the mountain:


Mammoth Peak from Enel on Vimeo.

Skied until the lifts closed, got some dinner, then headed home early the next am.







This little trip confirmed that, for me, nothing beats riding a mountain bike; certainly not snow machines or downhill skiing. Probably not flying, racing cars, or any of the other throttle sports. Biking on the trail is just that perfect combination of technology (but not too much), solitude, exercise, adrenaline, speed, challenge and beauty. Can't be beat IMO.

It's still nice to broaden your horizons, especially when the price is right.