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Springtime At Mammoth Stretches To Memorial Day ... At Least

Mar 16, 2010; 3:15 PM ET

Mammoth Mountain gains an extra long ski and snowboard season due to snowfall that piles up 400 inches annually and the highest elevation lifts in California. Deep snow and Eastern Sierra elevation that tops 11,000 feet mean the lifts can run into summer.

Slather on the sunscreen, and don the T-shirts, sunglasses, and bikinis to hit the corn snow that makes up one of the longest ski seasons in North America. Expect bluebird skies, for Mammoth boasts over 300 days of sunshine per year.

Spring skiing and riding at Mammoth runs at least through Memorial Day. How far beyond that the sliding season can stretch depends on how the snow holds up. "The season can go until July 4," Mammoth's Dan Hansen told OnTheSnow.com. The High Sierra resort's latest closing ever was August 13, 1995.

Warming temperatures in May can peel feet off the slopes fast, but this winter's snowfall, which topped the 400-inch mark by early March, bodes well for the spring snow pack. Mammoth will determine the ending date for this season as spring progresses based on how long the snow lasts.

The resort runs its regular winter season through April 18 with all 28 lifts operating, winds and weather permitting. Three main base areas --Eagle, Canyon, and Main Lodge- access the slopes. But starting April 19, Mammoth moves into spring mode, reducing to eight lifts with Main Lodge as the only base area.

Spring lifts include the gondola, Face Lift, Thunder Bound, Broadway, Discovery, Chair 23, Stump Alley, Goldrush, and sometimes Chair 5. May snowmelt can shut down Goldrush and Stump Alley, but the gondola, Face Lift, Broadway, and Chair 23 are spring fixtures to reach the high elevation bowls of corn.

Becky Lomax for OnTheSnow.com

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