Our Ice Age/Stone Age themed Chicago Week 2023 was planned for Mammoth, CA 2/25/23 – 3/4/23 with 165 participants. We had 3 flights into Reno and two into Bishop. The plan was that participants on the Reno flights would cruise the beautiful scenery to Mammoth on a 2 ½ hour bus ride. The skiers flying into Bishop would take the smaller buses and/or large vans on a shorter scenic ride to Mammoth.

Well, the historic California blizzards that totalled over 900” were an uninvited part of our trip. Bishop Airport closed, the highway from Bishop to Mammoth was closed, and the highway from Reno to Mammoth was closed.

It kept snowing, snowing, and more snow……Although we were able to get our “bishop airport” participants to Reno, the highway remained closed. No buses were running, and many busses were stranded in the snow on the highway. So, our plan to bus people to Mammoth on Sunday didn’t work, and the bus company didn’t foresee the road opening for at least a few days.
Sunday started our wonderful, snowy ski week. Lots and lots of snow. While some joined the mountain tours; others skied on their own. What a fabulous day of skiing. Everyone was so happy!
16 people made it to Mammoth on Saturday and/or Sunday; most of them driving in the crazy weather. Most of the 131 in Reno stayed at the Silver Legacy. The next new plan was to either stay in Reno on a “Reno Safari” and try to take day ski trips to Mt. Rose, Alpine Meadows, and/or Palisades, or to go home as soon as possible. Most that wanted to go home left on Tuesday and Wednesday. Mike Thomas stepped up to the plate and became the Reno Trip leader while Noreen and I were in Mammoth working with Sports America getting people on flights. Thanks, Mike, for taking over and planning the Welcome and Farewell parties in Reno! Here’s to keeping the theme!

Our Reno Safari group made the best of their unusual ski trip getting to know Reno; hitting casinos (some winning, others not), museums, shopping, dining, playing games, and, or course finding a way to the ski slopes!

Because of the constant snow fall, roads were closed to buses to get to any of the resorts. We had quite a few people who rented vehicles to get to Mt Rose, Alpine Meadows, Palisade, and we even had a couple of skiers who went to Tahoe. On Thursday, a bus was available for us and we had 46 very happy skiers headed to the slopes. As luck would have it, the road conditions were rough, cars off the road, and it took them until ~ noon to hit the slopes at Palisades . . . but they were all happy to be skiing.

Meanwhile, back in Mammoth, it was still snowing and blizzarding (if that’s a word). Our skiers braved the blizzard conditions, skiing in at least waist/chest high snow. Only one lift was open with a few runs; by the end of the week a second lift opened.

It was shared by many that the trip was frustrating, and it was also shared by many that they had a really good time. All in all, it was definitely an adventure, and everyone got home safely in one piece!

Many thanks to Sports America for their hard work and quick reaction to moving everyone around, and thanks to our participants for their patience. I never thought I would say this, but there is such a thing as TOO MUCH SNOW