June Mountain 3/4/98


June Mountain Ski Conditions \|
Base: 7,545' Summit: 10,135' 2,590' vertical Longest Run: 2.5mi. Snowphone: (888)JUNE-MTN	Matt Winter 3-4-1998

Hello skiers and snowboarders, this is Matt Winter coming to you once again, this time from beautiful June Mountain. Often referred to as Mammoth Mountain's little sister, this resort is located about twenty minutes or so to the north of Mammoth Lakes.
	June Mountain is nestled high in a glacial valley, with spectacular views of the surrounding Eastern Sierra Nevada Range. To the north, you can see all the way to Mono Lake, to the west, one finds amazing views of seemingly endless mountain peaks. The scenery is actually so fantastic that it takes a certain amount of willpower just to keep your mind focused on the skiing that is at hand.
From the parking lot at the base, you can look up at The Face, a super-steep, double-diamond pitch that allows the hardcore skiers to show off all the way to the bottom. A short chair ride brings you to the June Meadows Chalet, a combination of mid-mountain lodge and business offices. With a huge deck area, and a wonderful smelling barbecue, I knew that this would be the place to have a great lunch break later on in the day. I rode J6, a high-speed, detachable quad chair to the top of Rainbow Summit (10,050'), where I had my choice of several beautifully groomed runs. I chose Rosa Mae, a gentle intermediate run which led me to a short-cut through the woods to Hutson Haus, the upper-mountain lodge. Hutson Haus is a small cabin with a nice deck area, bathrooms, and another outdoor barbecue.
	From here, I took J7, another high-speed, detachable quad to the top of June Mountain Summit (10,135'), the highest point on the ski hill. This chair services mostly black diamond and double-diamond runs, although there are several easier routes back down to Hutson Haus.
First, I chose Powder Chute, a double-diamond run that had some leftover powder from the most recent storm. I made several laps on J7, and skied more double-diamond runs with names like Deer Bowl, Davos Drop, and Pro Bowl. Each of these runs was more than challenging enough to excite any expert skier, and there were even a few untracked turns to be found. I decided to head back down to the June Meadows Chalet for some lunch, opting for a fresh grilled cheeseburger, and an ice-cold beer. The burger was grilled to perfection, and the beer tasted great on such a warm, sunny day. While I was eating lunch, I had a chance to talk to a few of the locals, who informed me that it was so crowded because on Wednesdays, lift tickets are only $10. I was surprised, because I thought that the runs were completely uncrowded, but I guess it was just a matter of perspective. June Mountain definitely has a friendly, family and locals-type atmosphere to it, and I would imagine that the skiing is generally wide open, with very little crowds to deal with.

After lunch, I decided to try my luck on the lower mountain, and headed off to The Face. This run is super-steep, and was filled with tons of skier-packed powder. Even though the run is very steep, the snow conditions were so perfect that every turn was pure bliss. Arriving at the bottom before I was ready, I headed back up for another run. After several laps of this, I was tired and ready to call it a day. June Mountain is not a big mountain as compared with others, but it has a very respectable vertical rise of 2,590', and over 500 skiable acres. With runs for all abilities, and a very well thought out design on the upper mountain, this ski area is very family-friendly, while still maintaining some of the steepest terrain in the Sierra Nevada Mountains on the lower half. For skiers looking for a pleasant change of pace from the big-mountain, big-money atmosphere of some ski areas, June Mountain is the perfect place, and the nearby town of June Lake offers a variety of lodging accommodations. This was the first time I had ever skied at June Mountain, and I left with a very nice feeling. I am already looking forward to my next trip back to this gem of a hill, hopefully on a fresh powder day. Until next time, folks, turn 'em and burn 'em, and always PRAY FOR SNOW!!

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