Sampling the Mammoth Backcountry

During our Eastern Sierra trip, we stayed at a condo in the town of Mammoth Lakes. There is a lot of ski touring right near town. Initially, we figured that we would focus on “more interesting” objectives. But as we drove into town, we realized that the skiing in the “Sherwins”, as they are called, are quite interesting!

The Sherwins provided a few enjoyable afternoon tours. A typical Sherwin lap is about 2000 ft of gain. There are a variety of tree runs, avalanche paths, and chutes. Most are north facing.

It seems that everyone else spring skiing in the Eastern Sierra overlooks the Sherwins, because we never saw anyone else out there.

One day, we had some absolutely delicious corn for lunch on a midday lap of the main avy path. This feature is hundreds of feet wide and the steepness is in the low 30 degrees range. It was truly some of the best corn skiing of my life. It felt bizarre to be skiing right above a big fancy neighborhood and golf course.

Another day, we hit “Rock Chute”. This iconic line towers above Mammmoth.

While the Sherwins certainly were not the highlight of our trip, it was super fun to sample the local goods and have some relaxing tours with a short drive. If you are looking for an easy day in the Eastern Sierra, you cannot go wrong with the Sherwins!