It’s weather whiplash in the Eastern Sierra.
While much of the Southwestern U.S. endures sweltering heat that continues to topple daily records, historic snowfall has brought an unusually extended ski season to Mammoth Mountain, where snowboarders and skiers continue to soar down the slopes in shorts and sunglasses.
“Even though it’s July 21, it seems like summer is just starting and winter is just barely ending,” said Ashley Strauss, a recreational snowboarder who has lived in Mammoth Lakes since 2010.
Visitors have until Aug. 6 to shred the snowpack, according to an announcement Thursday. This will be only the third season in the resort’s nearly seven-decade history that has extended into August — joining 1995 and 2017.
Usually, Mammoth Mountain receives an average of about 33 feet of snow — enough to fuel a season lasting from November through June.
This winter shattered that norm. A record 60 feet of snow was recorded at the resort’s main lodge, the snowiest season on record.
The tremendous snowfall has not only kept the slopes running longer, but created a unique juxtaposition of Mammoth recreation and beauty.
At the base of the snow-capped mountain, which towers more than 11,000 feet in elevation, vibrant yellow and purple wildflowers bloom where snow has retreated. Formerly easy stream crossings are swollen with cool, rushing water. Several campsites are closed, trails are wet.
And at the Mammoth Lakes Basin, nestled in the Sierra, Lake Mary has swamped parts of the forest with crystal clear water.
At Horseshoe Lake at the Mammoth Lakes Basin, trees are engulfed by clear water from historic snowfall.
(Samantha Lindberg / Mammoth Lake)
Strauss said she’s been waiting all summer for snow-shuttered swaths of the Eastern Sierra to open — such as Tioga Pass, the eastern entrance into Yosemite National Park that opened Saturday after months of being smothered with snow and ice.
“It’s just sort of a completely unique set…