Mammoth Area Intro Half-day Backcountry Skiing

For folks on a Mammoth Mountain holiday, at only $165 per person this introductory program is a convenient and low-cost way to experience the backcountry for the first time with a guide. This 4-hour half day program allows for time to learn the basics about backcountry equipment for skiing or splitboarding, efficient uphill travel technique, and gives us time for a short, heart-pumping climb and descent in the accessible local Mammoth area backcountry. This program requires enough snow close to the trailheads. Starts at 8am or 12:30pm daily, with 24-hour minimum advance booking, and needs a minimum of 2 to run. Cost does not include backcountry ski/snowboard rental, but we have gear for rent! We provide avalanche safety equipment (beacon, shovel, probe, and backpack at no additional cost).

If you want to go bigger in the Mammoth area or beyond, we would love to take you or your group out for a full day to really show you what the Eastern Sierra backcountry has to offer!

On storm days that close the lifts at Mammoth Mountain, the trees can hold irresistible powder, and whenever the resort gets tracked out, the backcountry calls and keeps on delivering the goods.

Mammoth Lakes – the ultimate ski town! Not only is there a fantastic and enormous ski resort that shadows the town, but it is surrounded by snowy backcountry. There you can enjoy easy access to slopes for a variety of backcountry neophytes to hard-charging freeskiers. On storm days that close the lifts at Mammoth Mountain, the trees can hold irresistible powder, and whenever the resort gets tracked out, the backcountry calls and keeps on delivering the goods. This 4-hour half day program allows time for 1 short heart-pumping climb and 1 pristine descent in the local Mammoth area backcountry, and the instruction in the tools and techniques needed to get there. We offer a morning and afternoon outing on a daily basis through the winter/spring seasons when there is enough snow on the ground.

So bring your Alpine Touring, Telemark, Splitboard. or Snowshoe equipment and join us for a short guided tour of the nearby stashes in places like the Sherwins, Earthquake Dome, or the Mammoth Mountain “sidecountry.” Need backcountry gear? We provide the avalanche rescue gear for you to use (beacon , shovel, & probe) included with the cost of the tour, and Sage to Summit has full alpine touring setups (skis, boots, skins, & poles), and snowshoes for snowboarders for rent at additional cost. For telemark equipment and splitboards (recommended over snowshoes for snowboarders) there are retailers who rent them in town. The guide will choose the best location for the day on this one, based on the conditions and the group.

Backcountry snow takes some getting a feel for, so even though this is a great introductory backcountry outing, it still requires at least intermediate to advanced downhill resort skills (able to ski/ride any black diamond runs in all conditions, efficiently and in control, with linked, fall-line turns) and good aerobic fitness. Join us to ski and ride the Mammoth Area backcountry!