Mammoth opens bigger, snowier sled park

”So, where can we sled?”

We all ask that question. We’re visiting this winter wonderland at Mammoth, we have the sleds or the saucers, and we envision ourselves (OK, our kids) flying down the hills just like those movie scenes -- but where do we go?

Well, there’s the corner of Minaret and Old Mammoth roads, that spot behind the buildings, where families take their saucers ... or various meadows off Highway 395 where hardy souls tromp up the hills with their plastic toboggans ... or there was the on-again , off-again Sledz. The former snow tube site -- halfway between the village and Main Lodge on Minaret Road -- depended on the weather. Some seasons there just wasn’t enough snow to cover the slope, and other times there was too much to clear away.

This year, it should be different; Mammoth Mountain has taken over, improving and enlarging the place, bringing in snow-making equipment and renaming the spot Woolly’s Adventure Summit tube park. (You know, Woolly -- as in the Mammoth Mountain mascot often seen posing for pictures atop a ski run.)

Officially open as of Friday, the tube place serves kids of almost any age (over 42 inches tall) who can slide down six groomed lanes up to 420 feet long, some steeper than others. (The best price: $40 for two hours, but call 800-Mammoth in advance for that.) Riders will be towed back up the hill by lifts on either side of the “drag race”-style course. Tubes are provided.

Says Mike Colbert, Mammoth’s director of winter activities: “It’s snowed a lot in my neighborhood recently,” as he and his crew have made enough of the white stuff to create a 2-foot base for tubing. His goal is to provide an “active area for family fun.”

“If you’ve skied or boarded all day and want something else to do, we’ve got it. We’ve got a flat learning curve too,” Colbert says with a laugh. “You can master tubing on the first run.”

For the littlest kids (under 42 inches), Woolly’s is creating a separate snow play area , where the younger set can build snow figures, toss snowballs at targets, slide down a little hill on Woolly’s sleds and, coming soon, ride a gentle “tube merry-go-round.” New tower-style outdoor heaters should keep the kids warm.

With the deeper pockets of Mammoth Mountain behind him, Colbert also was able to enlarge the parking lot to about 65 spaces, create a viewing deck (also warmed by tower heaters), install a new music sound system and lights for night hours. And he’s committed to opening every day: “If we get a blizzard at 4 a.m., it’ll be tough but we’ll try.”

The park will operate until 8 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays (5 p.m. on weekdays), offering an outdoor option after the lifts close.

For more information on hours and pricing, click here