[mtbhead]

Anyone go there for lift rides in the past year or two? I didn't even know they kept their lifts open in the Summer. They make it sound like they may have some Expert stuff???: http://www.mammothmountain.com/bike_ride/bike_park/

Most of you probably already know this, but I just found out that they opened up the qualifying range to top-10 (instead of top-5; woohoo, I'm in now), apparently to increase the race turnout. Details on Team Big Bear's web page.

I'm curious if the trails might be worth a trip up there before the race just to have fun and scope the course out. I've never been there...

 

[kidwoo]

I was there last week. It's fun and yes they have a few full blown dh runs. Very sandy (not dust like big bear/northstar). Certainly worth the trip.

 

[dfinn]

I was there last week. It's fun and yes they have a few full blown dh runs. Very sandy (not dust like big bear/northstar). Certainly worth the trip.

Is it that stuff called pummus? Weird rock/sand stuff that seems to all over down there.

 

[RhinofromWA]

Is it that stuff called pummus? Weird rock/sand stuff that seems to all over down there.

Yeah probably....I call it kitty litter. Broken up lave rock I beleive.

I only really raced the Kamakazi (in 2000) there and the road was all kitty litter and at speed it was wierd....kind of like hydroplaning. Definately a rush.

I received an email today and it said I qualified rolleyes: ) and that they were going to have a SuperD and the Kamakazi amoung other races.

If you guys go to the national champ race you should opt to run eh Kamakazi at race pace. It is a old school experience.

Yeah I was hard core. Knee pads and a Pryme FF helmet. No upper body armor If I got off it was going to hurt! lol

 

[kidwoo]

Is it that stuff called pummus? Weird rock/sand stuff that seems to all over down there.

Pumice. It's the pourus volcanic rock that has voids from gases in the rock as it cools. That's the stuff that floats on water. And yeah that's the key to mammoth......become one with the pumice and never touch your brakes if you can.

 

[Dingus McGee]

Anyone know for sure what the DH course(s) will be for Champs race?

thx

 

[kidwoo]

Anyone know for sure what the DH course(s) will be for Champs race?

thx

A friend of mine who lives in Bishop (just south of mammoth) said they're just using velocity top to bottom. They were still deciding on whether or not to use a short little section of chainsmoke that parrallels velocity for a short bit.

 

[Dingus McGee]

A friend of mine who lives in Bishop (just south of mammoth) said they're just using velocity top to bottom. They were still deciding on whether or not to use a short little section of chainsmoke that parrallels velocity for a short bit.

Ah OK, I think I did that one in 2000, that last time I went down there. I remember getting haired out on the chute to spine-run about halfway down-super fast and exposed...I was running a V-brake on back. Luckily me and my bike have evolved! Cant wait to see Mammoth again that place is a geological
party!

Edit - Seems like Exp/Pro and Beg/Sp are running different courses, based on the schedule (concurrent or overlapping practice times, etc) I'm racing *cough, cough*, ahem, -sport- for one last time.

 

[mtbhead]

Thanks guys,
If you find out anything more, please continue to post info. I've never been to Mammoth, so I'm pretty stoked about finally getting up there this year. I don't know any of the old courses or trails that you were talking about, but I plan to take advantage of all of the practice sessions for the race weekend. I'm also signed up for the Super-D, which might be a bit crazy, but I've had fun doing one at North* last year, and one at Snow Summit the year before.

So, who from this list is heading up to race the DH? I'd like to hook up with some other riders for practicing (always more fun to do that), but so far I don't know anyone else who's going (not even to any of the other events).

 

[Dingus McGee]

Thanks guys,
If you find out anything more, please continue to post info. I've never been to Mammoth, so I'm pretty stoked about finally getting up there this year. I don't know any of the old courses or trails that you were talking about, but I plan to take advantage of all of the practice sessions for the race weekend. I'm also signed up for the Super-D, which might be a bit crazy, but I've had fun doing one at North* last year, and one at Snow Summit the year before.

So, who from this list is heading up to race the DH? I'd like to hook up with some other riders for practicing (always more fun to do that), but so far I don't know anyone else who's going (not even to any of the other events).

I'm probably going to get all of 1 practice run in ...oh well..I come to party and sleep in a van! There aren't many practice opportunities unless you get there on Thursday or so........

 

[Juano]

Thanks guys,
If you find out anything more, please continue to post info. I've never been to Mammoth, so I'm pretty stoked about finally getting up there this year. I don't know any of the old courses or trails that you were talking about, but I plan to take advantage of all of the practice sessions for the race weekend. I'm also signed up for the Super-D, which might be a bit crazy, but I've had fun doing one at North* last year, and one at Snow Summit the year before.

So, who from this list is heading up to race the DH? I'd like to hook up with some other riders for practicing (always more fun to do that), but so far I don't know anyone else who's going (not even to any of the other events).

I have also heard that it is Velocity which is awesome. I can't wait I remember riding it in 2000 on a heckler and loved every minute of it and now on the Demo it will even be more fun. Velocity is (for the ones have never ridden it) fast, rocky and rough. As I remember they're a lot of chutes into pummus sand and the start is the best. You start on the rocks and then make a 90 degree right but you go up onto a rock and then roll into the corner, awesome.

 

[EBasil]

Thanks guys,
If you find out anything more, please continue to post info. I've never been to Mammoth, so I'm pretty stoked about finally getting up there this year. I don't know any of the old courses or trails that you were talking about...

Don't worry, the maps are extensive, the trails are well-marked (except for a part of "upper Velocity" that is lightly traveled and hard to follow) and you could scout/ride ALL the "DH" trails in one afternoon if you're motivated. The riding is so fun, you WILL be motivated.

 

[mikehell]

Has anyone on this list actually ridden Chainsmoke? I understand that the pro/ex course will combine this with Velocity. I'd like to see some reviews.

 

[SarahMaria]

I'm apt hunting in SC the week before Mammoth. Is anyone from Santa Cruz driving out to Mammoth for the race (22-26)?
I'm looking for a ride from SC to Mammoth.It would be a one way ride, becasue I'll fly back to VA from Reno. I'll pitch in for gas and driving.

My friend Kirstin is racing, but I'm just going for fun. Will there be opportunities for non-racers to ride - free ride park and downhill fun stuff? Becasue if there is, I might bring my bike

Sarah

 

[Heath Sherratt]

Hard tires with spaced out knobs that are long to grip through the pumice? Or Soft with large knobbies to float on top?

 

[Heath Sherratt]

Timberwolf or Weir? 2.5 big enough?

 

[kidwoo]

Timberwolf or Weir? 2.5 big enough?

Timber. dig in the sand Like you have a choice to go bigger than 2.5 if you're using wtb tires?

 

[kidwoo]

Has anyone on this list actually ridden Chainsmoke? I understand that the pro/ex course will combine this with Velocity. I'd like to see some reviews.

Yup. Broke my foot on the top part thanks to some jumps built by morons and a hearty gust of wind. The first part of the trail is lame but short. Most of it is really fun. Some extremely tight berms that will take some practice and some fun jumps further along that won't. It's not what I'd call a dh race course...kind of like racing down clown shoes.....more a jib type trail.

 

[kidwoo]

I'm apt hunting in SC the week before Mammoth. Is anyone from Santa Cruz driving out to Mammoth for the race (22-26)?
I'm looking for a ride from SC to Mammoth.It would be a one way ride, becasue I'll fly back to VA from Reno. I'll pitch in for gas and driving.

My friend Kirstin is racing, but I'm just going for fun. Will there be opportunities for non-racers to ride - free ride park and downhill fun stuff? Becasue if there is, I might bring my bike

Sarah

You'll probably be able to ride bullet, the "other" dh trail. It's fun but might be hard to get to depending on the lift situation.

 

[Damn True]

And remember, Kamikaze and Super-D are open to all comers. No qual required.

 

[Brian HCM#1]

And remember, Kamikaze and Super-D are open to all comers. No qual required.

You actually going to ride your bike? I don't think you've even been to N* this summer, whats up with that?

 

[Damn True]

No, I haven't been to N*, but I may be going this weekend.
But I have ridden in New Zealand and raced in Durango.
Been riding a lot of road and XC.

 

[Brian HCM#1]

No, I haven't been to N*, but I may be going this weekend.
But I have ridden in New Zealand and raced in Durango.
Been riding a lot of road and XC.

I'll be there sunday, but not racing. Hope to see you there then.

 

[scooderdude]

Went to Mammoth last week to check out the DH and Super D courses. Arrived on Wednesday in time to do an up and back ride on "Uptown/Downtown" on trail bikes. Couldn't belive how sucky I was from the altitude.

Next day my buddy and I went up the gondola to the top to ride the DH course. The first ride down we rode "Skidmarks" to upper "Velocity", the only way from the top to get onto Velocity. Apparently upper Velocity will tie into "Chainsmoke" for the race. We ended up missing Chainsmoke entirely on the first run, as neither of us had ridden these trails before.

Second run down we did manage to get onto Chainsmoke, but for only one run: They decided to close Chainsmoke for at least the next 24 hours while they made some improvements to a few of the corners and jumps, and to build what we heard would be a HUGE double over the top of the XC course. Oh, great - drive all the way to Mammoth only to learn we couldn't ride the course for the period we were there. Great.

Here's what I can say, though: This will be one tough course. Traction is very difficult with nearly every turn a challenge to stay hooked up. There are also ~4-5 rather steep, spooky rock sections or drops between the Velocity and Chainsmoke sections. Two or so are on the upper Velocity, just before the last chute leading to Chainsmoke. Several others are on Chainsmoke, including one 20' steep slab canted at some 45 degrees with a pumice landing. Midway down the slab, there is an indentation in the rock - a gap, if you will - such that as you roll it you would go from rock to air to rock beneath your tires before the bottom! Even the bail-out routes around the largest of these rocky sections on Chainsmoke are treacherous! Carnage, baby.

Granted, I haven't been on my DH bike much this season at all, but I could not even muster the courage to attempt to ride any of these rocky puzzles. They were even tough to walk/hop/step down. Either the approaches were preceded by tight and often steep corners in granular, zero-traction pumice or rock sections making approaches iffy, or the landings were in sketchy rocks or deep pumice. Either way it was intimidating, especially with only one day (or one run, in the case of Chainsmoke) to attempt any of them.

And we were not able to ride the upper course at all. You could see the terrain over which the course would run while on the upper reaches of the gondola ride to the top. The lift leading to it, which you access after exiting the gondola at the 1/2 way point, was not operating. It was considered "out of bounds" until race week. But what it consists of is a few hundred yards of exposed bedrock interspersed with cobbles and pumicey sections. The course was not marked at all. It looks way fast.

The "coffin" jumps were cool looking on Chainsmoke, actually, and I think if we could have ridden a couple more times I would have had them mastered.

Overall, it looks like a Team Big Bear influence has soundly struck in Mammoth - building synthetic jumps and the like. Too bad, as I had heard Mammoth had not succumb to that yet. No more.


The rest of the day was spent on the Bullet DH course, which is starkly different from the Velocity/Chainsmoke course. I wish the race were to be held on Bullet. It's fast and swoopy and fun with enough "natural" jumps to make it interesting, and traction was much much better than higher on the mountain.

The following day we rode trail bikes on "Brake Through" to "7 Bridges" to "Downtown". We rode that route twice, and was the most fun we had in 3 days!

 

[kidwoo]

Scooder. 1) "mastering" the coffin jumps just requires braking like a mofo, not much else. Were they rebuilding that part?

2)The steep slab on chainsmoke is easiest down the main line. Trust me. The go around lines are much harder to move your bike through. I nailed that wooden fence trying to take the right hand "chicken line" when I tried it twice. The straight line is easier than it looks.

3) Remember......rocks are your traction!!

As far as mammoth becoming big bear...not quite. Chainsmoke was designed as a freeride trail. NORBA just got fiesty since that's the only new thing on the mountain since the last few races there. But your right, riding it at a race pace will take some skill..........

 

[Yeti DHer]

Scooder... Any idea about a sport course?

 

[scooderdude]

Scooder... Any idea about a sport course?

Nope. Never even saw a map of it.

 

[scooderdude]

Scooder. 1) "mastering" the coffin jumps just requires braking like a mofo, not much else. Were they rebuilding that part?

Nope. But they were doing work on down the trail from the coffin jumps - hydrating and spraying some high-tech soil binder onto the pumice to maintain the berms and jumps in that area. It's where there is a series of sharp banked left/right turns followed by a rythmn section.

2)The steep slab on chainsmoke is easiest down the main line. Trust me. The go around lines are much harder to move your bike through. I nailed that wooden fence trying to take the right hand "chicken line" when I tried it twice. The straight line is easier than it looks.

Yep. I saw that the slab, although the biggest of the rocky puzzles along the course, would be the easiest to negotiate down the main line. It's the only one I thought I could ride with a try or two (or three). I tried the chicken line, but ended up off the bike walking (or hopping) down instead after pulling my panties out of my crack.

3) Remember......rocks are your traction!!

As far as mammoth becoming big bear...not quite. Chainsmoke was designed as a freeride trail. NORBA just got fiesty since that's the only new thing on the mountain since the last few races there. But your right, riding it at a race pace will take some skill..........

And that the trurth!

 

[LOOnatic]

For any interested 's, i will be riding Mammoth this thurs thru maybe sat (sep 16-18) and just checking things out.
I know most guys are waiting to go and race the following weekend but i'm on roadtrip baby and that's my window of opportunity.

Post or PM if you wanna ride and swig quality barly pops..... neaky: