MMSA Ski Back Trail Environmental Assessment (EA)

Project Description: "The Mammoth Mountain Ski Area (MMSA, the Project Applicant) has applied to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service (Inyo National Forest) for approval to construct the Ski Back Trail. MMSA proposes to construct a ski trail to increase skiable terrain at the Canyon Lodge portal and to simultaneously create skier return capacity to The Village portal. Existing up-slope capacity exceeds down-slope capacity causing slope crowding and excessive demand on The Village Gondola and the Canyon Lodge and Main Lodge Transit systems at the end of the day. In addition, future development of The Village is expected to double the demand on the Village Gondola. Construction of an additional trail accessible by skiers to The Village, Canyon Lodge, and Main Lodge would allow for a better balance between up-slope and down-slope skier capacity thus, improving circulation, resources allocation, and guest experience. The Ski Back Trail would be approximately 7,800 linear feet with an average width of 22 feet and would require grading a total of 6.16 acres of the MMSA." – from the Executive Summary