It was a rough morning on Mammoth Mountain yesterday, when two ski patrollers were swept up in an avalanche during control work on Lincoln Mountain, leaving one of them seriously hurt, resort officials said.
The slide released at about 7:30 a.m., before any lifts had opened to the public, while the Mammoth Mountain Ski Patrol was doing avalanche mitigation on the Lincoln terrain. Both patrollers were taken to Mammoth Hospital, and one has since been moved out of the area for further care. In response, the resort shut down mountain operations for the day so crews could secure hazardous terrain and focus on their own staff.
According to CBS Sacramento, resort officials said one patroller suffered serious injuries and was being transferred for additional treatment, while the second was being evaluated for possible broken bones. No names or additional medical updates had been released as of yesterday.
Local outlets reported that both Mammoth Mountain and neighboring June Mountain temporarily paused operations, allowing patrol and lift crews time to complete mitigation work and reassess conditions. ABC7 noted that the closures occurred amid a powerful Sierra storm that dumped heavy snow and generated strong winds across the high country. Resort officials said reopening plans will be shared through their official channels.
Heavy Snow And Avalanche Warnings
The same storm that created the dangerous conditions has delivered a significant snowfall, along with a major spike in avalanche risk. SFGate reported that Mammoth’s upper elevations picked up roughly 67 inches of snow since Tuesday with the resort also flagging additional accumulations in some forecasts.
The Eastern Sierra Avalanche Center had issued backcountry warnings for high avalanche danger around the region, and the National Weather Service called for gusty winds and hazardous travel along the Sierra crest. Together, Eastern Sierra Avalanche Center bulletins and NWS advisories provide daily guidance that professionals and backcountry travelers rely on for route planning and mitigation decisions.
Lincoln Mountain's History Of Danger
Lincoln Mountain, and the steep avalanche chutes on its northern face, has already been a flashpoint for risky work this season. A February incident on the same slope trapped two patrollers and left one of them fatally injured. The Los Angeles Times reviewed that earlier accident along with the resort’s public statements about what happened.
Mountain safety experts say rapidly loading storms can build deep, unstable slabs that are notoriously tough to tame, even with explosives and extensive pre-release work. The latest slide on Lincoln is a stark reminder that the people doing that work are often the most exposed.
What Officials And Forecasters Say
Resort officials are asking guests to be patient while patrol teams work to make the inbounds terrain as safe as possible. They stress that avalanche mitigation significantly reduces the risk of slides inside ski area boundaries, but it can never eliminate that risk entirely, especially during large storm cycles.
The Eastern Sierra Avalanche Center posts field observations and detailed forecast analyses that backcountry users and resort visitors are urged to check before heading into the mountains. Eastern Sierra Avalanche Center guidance, combined with updates from local outlets, will be the best source for safety information and timing as the weather pattern evolves.
ABC7 reported that Mammoth Mountain plans to release more information about reopening and operations as conditions allow.
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