[tgreathead]

Been trying to get up to Mammoth all year but it never worked out until now. Nagaredama and I headed up there late Thursday night to ride until Sunday afternoon. We met up with Solar and 2 of his buddies (Carlos & Rico) that arrived super early Friday to leave Saturday afternoon. This was Rico's first Mammoth experience and he was killing it every step of the way. As usual I'm behind the lens most of the time so shots of me are few and far between.
Anyway, on to the pics.

Nagaredama picks up some night driving supplies (Red Bull)

Our hotel room had just enough room for beds and bikes. I'm taking this picture leaning up against the wall!

PitaPit for breakfast the first morning (and every morning for 3 days)

Just after meeting up with the other guys we meet the self proclaimed 'Mammoth Sage' (in red) giving us words of advice about "breathing in tune with the mountain, becoming one with your bike and and meditating in the temple that is Mammoth." You can see Nagaredama trying not to laugh.

Self portrait on Off The Top

Nagaredama ending the X Zone on Kamakazi

Carlos in the X Zone

Solar hits the drop

PitaPit for lunch, Nagaredama & Rico

Solar airs the log on Flow. Notice his bike is now a Demo, quick story; He wrecked on his 7.7 earlier in the day on the same jump and didn't realize his derailleur hanger was weakened. He dropped the stairs in the Village and it busted. He didn't have an extra so we went to rent another bike. He reluctantly rented a Norco since the Demo they stocked was gone. As we're getting in the car to go we see the Demo driving up for return. Needless to say Solar was pretty stoked.

Nagaredama hits the log

I hit the log

Nagaredama on Shotgun

Rico on Shotgun

Solar airs on Shotgun

Solar's flat from airing on Shotgun

Nagaredama waters the dry ground

Rico "hits the wall"

Nagaredama, Rico & Carlos chill while Solar changes the flat (flash made it green for some reason, I kinda like it)

Carlos chills

Nagaredama chills

Rico on the Shotgun log (first try)

Solar on the Shotgun log

Post-ride beer run, this apparently was a refurbished case of beer

Rico, Nagaredama & Solar decide what to drink

Waiting for a table at Angels? Drink in the car :biggrin:

Black bear wandering down the street, picture's blurry and messed up but it was as big as the sign above it.

Solar & Carlos ride up

Group shot at 11,000'

Rico flats on upper Shock Treatment

Carlos hits the hip jump

Rico hits the hip jump

Solar hits the hip jump

Nagaredama hits the hip jump

NY Deli famous $5 burger, its freaking huge

Nagaredama & I at 11,000' (totally random: he saw a friend from high school getting off the lift so she took the picture)

Nagaredama on Skid Marks

Me on Juniper

Nagaredama on Juniper

Nagaredama watching the game at Roberto's

Last day

View from gondola

My wife baked us a cake for the trip so I decided to eat a piece for her at the summit

Nagaredama's lady made us cookies, same story

Nagaredama contemplates the cookie

Nagaredama hits upper Shock Treatment

ditto

Decisions, decisions...

Packed up and ready to go home

Nagaredama didn't see the parking lot entrance so he climbed under the fence. I walked around

Awesome trip, will be doing it a few times next year when the trails are in better shape. Hopefully Nagaredama will post the few pictures he took of me **hint hint**

 

[Nagaredama]

I'll post my pics as soon as you start spelling my name right!!!

It is Nagaredama damn it!!

 

[tgreathead]

I'll post my pics as soon as you start spelling my name right!!!

It is Nagaredama damn it!!

Keep it up mister and I'll expose your real English name!!!
(I edited them all, one by one, in the snow, uphill both ways)

 

[Monkeybidnezz]

Awesome pics.

 

[Bicyclist]

Nice pics, but Pita Pit?

Especially with 5 Boroughs and Bergers near by.

 

[tgreathead]

Nice pics, but Pita Pit?

Especially with 5 Boroughs and Bergers near by.

I love me some Pita Pit. Chicken, avocado, tomatoes, eggs & salsa for breakfast, double chicken, tomatoes, mushrooms, olives & tzatziki for lunch.

We had 5 Boroughs right before hitting the road, couldn't miss that.

 

[Bicyclist]

I literally ate nothing but Subway (they had really good price specials), 5 Boroughs, and Bergers like the whole 8 days I was there this year.

 

[Slugman]

Sweet shots...

You should get this moved to the 'ride report forum', that is where mine will be (as soon as the admins bless it's existance:biggrin: )

 

[tgreathead]

I literally ate nothing but Subway (they had really good price specials), 5 Boroughs, and Bergers like the whole 8 days I was there this year.

8 days, now THAT's a Mammoth trip.

 

[tgreathead]

Sweet shots...

You should get this moved to the 'ride report forum', that is where mine will be (as soon as the admins bless it's existance:biggrin: )

I guess I'll leave it up to their mercy. I figured I'd post it here since the number of people browsing the different forums is 94 to 3.

 

[Slugman]

I guess I'll leave it up to their mercy. I figured I'd post it here since the number of people browsing the different forums is 94 to 3.

Yeah but in the RR forum people will comment on the ride, here they will debate the advantages/disadvantages of the linkage system on your bike...

 

[tgreathead]

Yeah but in the RR forum people will comment on the ride, here they will debate the advantages/disadvantages of the linkage system on your bike...

Hahahahahaha

 

[Bicyclist]

8 days, now THAT's a Mammoth trip.

Oh yes it was. Too bad my bike's all clapped out now, though.

 

[zmtber]

one coment how do you guys eat that pita pit garbage, ag it taste like plastic

 

[Bicyclist]

one coment how do you guys eat that pita pit garbage, ag it taste like plastic

Word. MMMMmmmmm Pizza and burgers.

 

[tgreathead]

one coment how do you guys eat that pita pit garbage, ag it taste like plastic

I thought it was pretty good, but we've got weird palates. I don't like chocolate but love brownies. Nagaredama hates tomatoes but loves salsa.

 

[zmtber]

yeah, but there is a chance it was could this time, for me its seems like every 3rd trip up there it taste fine the other times like muck (lunch lady style)

 

[Nagaredama]

Since TG was nice enough to correctly spell my name. I decided to the post the few pics I took with my camera.

While some hate on the loose Cat Litter pumice that is Mammoth, I love it. Nothing more fun than guiding your front 2.7 Nevegal through the Litter. Pebbles fly everywhere even when going slow. Falling aka a "Cat Nap" doesn't hurt at all. My local trails on Mt. Wilson have so much exposure everytime you try to hit something you run the risk of falling down the hill into Pasadena.

I can't wait to go back next year with a DH bike!

TG on Skid Marks

Lil Roller on Shock Treatment

Drop-ito on Shock Treatment (watch out for the loose Litter!)

TG stepping it in the X-Zone

Rolla on Velocity

 

[spincrazy]

Looks like a lot of fun, and I'm not trying to be a dick, but what the hell do you need a DH bike there for?

 

[tgreathead]

Since TG was nice enough to correctly spell my name. I decided to the post the few pics I took with my camera.

Thanks
That step up looks so weak, I need more speed. Rif likes the shock treatment roller pic :biggrin:

 

[Nagaredama]

Looks like a lot of fun, and I'm not trying to be a dick, but what the hell do you need a DH bike there for?

Our pictures don't show the boulders that litter trails like DC-10, Chainsmoke, and Bullet.

We only stopped to shoot on stuff that had places to stand to the side of trail. It just happened to be the easy stuff.

 

[tgreathead]

Our pictures don't show the boulders that litter trails like DC-10, Chainsmoke, and Bullet.

We only stopped to shoot on stuff that had places to stand to the side of trail. It just happened to be the easy stuff.

Its true. Looking back at the pictures its all the easier parts. Next time we'll have to stop at the crazier parts to get pics.

 

[.Pit Steelers.]

nice pics, i'll add in a few areas like where you were as to why we you need a dh bike.

Just before that wooden ramp:

Shocky Treatment:

Velocity:

Velocity:

Not trying to take away from your glory, just adding in..wish i was there when they had all trails open..got any pics of upper velocity?

 

[tgreathead]

Not trying to take away from your glory, just adding in..wish i was there when they had all trails open..got any pics of upper velocity?

No worries, I'm just stoked to see more pics of the trails I miss already

Upper Velocity was closed all weekend. No pics of lower Velocity either. I'm kinda bummed I didn't get some, it was actually the first time we rode it. First run was all sketchy, stopping at every obstacle to check it out first. By The last day we were flying since we knew it so well.

Our runs of choice were:
warm up - Off the Top to upper Shock Treatment to lower Shock Treatment to Kamikaze to X Zone.

mid-day - McCoy to lower Velocity a few times in a row

crowd pleaser - upper Skid Marks to Lincoln Express to Flow to Shotgun.

 

[Slugman]

Rolla on Velocity

My first time down thay trail this year I was following a couple local guys, and ther were flying! I found that hitting it fast turns that sucker into a drop.

However the landing was near flat... so I do not suggest it!

p.s. Check out my Ride Report for more shots...

 

[solar]

Damn, the kitty litter only looks half as deep in pit's pictures!
I'll probably not go that late in the season again.
Regardless of the sloppy trails, the riding was still fun, weather was perfect, and its great to be on some different terrain.

I could not believe the gondola line on saturday. Was it busy on sunday as well?

Regarding the DH bike thing:
I spent half a day on my 7point and a day on a rented Demo 8.
The slack angles of the demo made plowing through the kitty litter easier and more accurate, and was generally much more stable at higher speeds and on the steep stuff. Me personally, I could ride most of the stuff on either bike, but felt safer and faster on the demo.
Plenty of riders up there on both types of bikes. Whichever you choose or have to ride, its all about having a good time right?

Too bad you didn't get any pics of "moto girl" on the norco.
We'll probably see her killing the national circuit next year anyway:biggrin:

 

[solar]

My first time down thay trail this year I was following a couple local guys, and ther were flying! I found that hitting it fast turns that sucker into a drop.

However the landing was near flat... so I do not suggest it!

p.s. Check out my Ride Report for more shots...

Yeah, I almost landed flat on that a month ago- scary.
But, you can pre-jump it to hit the transition.

 

[tgreathead]

Damn, the kitty litter only looks half as deep in pit's pictures!

I could not believe the gondola line on saturday. Was it busy on sunday as well?

Too bad you didn't get any pics of "moto girl" on the norco.
We'll probably see her killing the national circuit next year anyway:biggrin:

The run in to that ladder was all mush when we went, looks like its actually smooth in those pics.

Sunday line wasn't too bad. We got a slightly later start (10ish). Gondola line was never more than a few minutes.

For those that weren't there...
We were riding upper Skid Marks right where it comes out of the trees into a huge pile of kitty mush in a left turn. We were below as Carlos was coming and suddenly see a dainty little blonde hauling ass behind him. She was sitting down, wearing an XC helmet, capri jeans and Nike running shoes. We all gasp as we wait for her to eat sh!t hard but she held on. She ended up waiting at the turn so we kept going. Further down we're sitting at an intersection and she comes tearing up to us again. She stops and we ask if she's okay. She says she's fine and giggles. We ask her how many times she's ridden Mammoth. She replies it was her 8th run on a bike ever!!! We couldn't believe it, she was killing us on the trails. We asked how she's so good and she said she rides moto. Then it made sense but she was dressed like she was going to the mall! It wasn't until the next day that we were getting off at McCoy and she helped us out, she was working there. She was just 'cruising' home after her shift the day before. It was nuts.

 

[tgreathead]

Velocity:

Looking at this pic is a true testament to the bad conditions. The run in to these logs was so torn to hell that we didn't see a single person air it, no one could keep speed.
I can't wait to go again next year and do Velocity when its in better shape.

 

[solar]

Re: moto girl:
When I chased her I couldn't believe how fast she was riding. I'm thinking "I've only been on this rented bike for 10 minutes, I better slow down!"
She looked so nonchalant and whipped that bike around the switch backs effortlessly. Natural talent- hope she gets into racing.

 

[CBJ]

Sweeet pictures looks like so much fun. I would love to try to ride Mammoth.

 

[PatBranch]

Good pictures! I really wish i made it there even more now... Hopefully I can make it next summer. Too bad the resort season is pretty much over... Snow is good though!

 

[seismic]

Awesome pictures !! Thanks for sharing !

 

[.Pit Steelers.]

Yeah i went like 8 days after it opend and stayed for 10 days so im sure the trail condstion were in much better shape. But the b-bumps got so bad on velocity it was ridiclious the last few days we were there...then on the last 3 days we were there the gondola go shut down cause of thunder storms at like 2..so only road the lower half....gotta get back there this summer hopefully, a little more deeper into the season when they got more trails open

 

[tgreathead]

Yeah i went like 8 days after it opend and stayed for 10 days so im sure the trail condstion were in much better shape. But the b-bumps got so bad on velocity it was ridiclious the last few days we were there...then on the last 3 days we were there the gondola go shut down cause of thunder storms at like 2..so only road the lower half....gotta get back there this summer hopefully, a little more deeper into the season when they got more trails open

Ya, I'm planning on a week next year right after it opens. If you thought the braking bumps were bad 18 days after it opened you should have seen them last weekend.