Grand Opening of Mammoth’s Cloud Nine Express Set for Friday, Dec. 21

Written on December 18th, 2007 at 07:00 pm by Bill
Filed Under: Press Release

MAMMOTH MOUNTAIN, CA. – Over eight inches of snow have fallen on Mammoth
Mountain since 4am this morning and it’s still coming down. Thanks to the help from
Mother Nature, Mammoth Mountain Ski Area will hold a Grand Opening event to
celebrate the debut of Cloud Nine Express on Friday, December 21, 2007. Cloud Nine
is a brand-new high-speed six-pack chairlift that has replaced Mammoth’s legendary
Chair 9, a double-chair. The $6.5 million project was completed in the fall of 2007 – just
in time for the 2007/08 winter season.

The Grand Opening will take place at 11am at the base of the chairlift. The event will
include a ribbon cutting and an appearance by Woolly. As always, skiers and
snowboarders must have a valid lift ticket to board Cloud Nine Express.

The new Doppelmayr lift will whisk skiers from the Eagle Lodge side of the mountain to
10,371 feet near Dragon’s Back in just over six minutes, providing access to hundreds of
acres of intermediate and advanced terrain and cutting the ride time in half. Originally
installed in 1969, the fixed-grip two-seat chair is famed for deep powder and runs like
Dragon’s Back and Ricochet on the eastern slopes of Mammoth Mountain. The new lift
will provide quick and efficient service while being able to operate under more acute
weather conditions and giving more skiers the opportunity to enjoy some of the best
terrain Mammoth has to offer.

“While we anticipate increased usage of the terrain around Cloud Nine Express, the
chair upgrade will also provide more convenient access to the other side of the
mountain,” said Mammoth Mountain Chairman and CEO Rusty Gregory. “On busy days
twenty-five percent of our skiers start their day at Eagle Lodge. We believe many
intermediate and advanced skiers will use Cloud Nine Express to move across the
mountain quickly.”

Winds can be strong as weather blows in over Mammoth’s east side. The heavier sixpassenger
lift has been installed instead of a quad lift to allow it to operate in higher
winds. The six-pack chair is heavier and more stable in wind, so the Lift Operations
team anticipates more full days of operation.