Mammoth Mountain Cancels Ikon Pass Early Ups Again As Mega Storm Arrives

Ian Greenwood
·2 min read

Mammoth Mountain, California, has canceled another Ikon Pass early-ups event due to inclement (might need a stronger word in this case) weather.

The now-cancelled event was scheduled for Sunday, March 3rd.

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Mammoth's early-ups are pretty self-explanatory: a couple of times during the winter, the resort allows Ikon Pass and Ikon Base Pass holders to load the lifts early at 7:30 A.M.—providing them exclusive early access to the resort—followed by a complimentary breakfast at Mccoy Station.

It's a wonderful idea on paper. However, every time Mammoth schedules an early ups event, the weather seems to get rowdy in the best way possible, depositing fresh snow and, as a consequence, preventing the resort from facilitating early access.

The previous early-ups event, scheduled for February 4th, was also binned due to heavy snowfall.

"Things we are certain of – Schedule Early Ups, and it's going to DUMP," the resort wrote on Instagram. "It's looking like we have a lot of digging to look forward to the next few days."

At this point, the early ups to winter storm warning pipeline has become a meme. "Want snow? Just schedule an Early-Up Day," read a tongue-in-cheek comment from one skier below Mammoth's cancellation announcement.

The nascent tradition is developing a strong track record. Mammoth scheduled an early ups event for this weekend, and now, forecasters expect the resort will see four or more feet of snow by Sunday.

So, sure, it's a shame that Ikon Pass holders won't be able to ride the lift before everyone else. But collectively, I imagine Mammoth skiers and snowboarders aren't particularly bummed about the loss, given the impending bottomless powder days.

The next early ups event is scheduled for April 7th which, at this point, will probably get cancelled in lieu of an epic storm.

Related: California Ski Area Cautions Skiers To Prepare For "Up To 12 Feet Of Snow"

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