🎿 I Just Realized Ski Season Is Only 8 Weeks Away

Hey Ski Fam,

I did something dangerous this morning. I counted the days until Mammoth opens. 🎿

Mammoth Mountain has Opening Day scheduled for Friday, November 13, 2026, weather and conditions permitting.

That’s eight weeks and one day.

And somehow, saying eight weeks instead of “November” changes everything. November sounds far away. Eight weeks sounds like I should probably figure out where I put my ski gloves. 😂

❄️ Winter Suddenly Feels Close

All summer, ski season feels like some distant land.

We hike. We bike. We fish. We sit by the pool while quietly wondering if checking Mammoth webcams in July counts as a problem.

Then September arrives.

The days get shorter. The calendar starts filling with fall stuff. And one morning you realize winter isn't nearly as far away as it felt in June.

Mammoth has November 13 on the calendar for its 2026/27 Opening Day. Of course, this is skiing, so Mother Nature gets the final vote. Opening Day is subject to weather and conditions.

Still...

57 days. 😍

🎿 Opening Day Isn't the Start. It's the Deadline.

Here’s what hit me.

I always think I have plenty of time to get ready for ski season. Then the first real snow shows up and suddenly everyone remembers their skis need a tune.

The kids have grown. One glove has vanished. The goggles are scratched. And somehow there is still a smashed granola bar in a jacket pocket from last winter. 😂

So this year, I’m changing how I look at Opening Day.

November 13 isn't when I start getting ready. It’s when I want to be ready.

That gives me eight weeks.

🏋️ First: Wake Up the Ski Legs

I’m not talking about becoming an Olympic athlete by October.

I’m talking about waking up muscles that have spent the summer doing very non-ski things.

This is when I start bringing back the basics:

• 🦵 Squats and lunges

• ⚖️ Balance work

• 🪜 Stairs

• 🚴 Biking or other cardio

Nothing crazy. I just want my legs to remember what work feels like.

Because I know what happens when I don't.

First ski day. 10:30 AM.

My brain says, “LET'S GO!”

My quads say, “We need to talk.” 😂

🎿 Next: Find Your Gear

Yes. Actually find it.

Pull out the skis. Find the boots. Find the helmet. Open the ski bag you haven't touched since spring and see what surprises are waiting inside.

Check the bases and edges. Think about the last time the skis were waxed. If something needs work, I’d rather discover it now than the night before my first trip.

Then comes the gear audit.

Check the gloves, goggles, helmet, socks, jacket, pants and base layers.

If you have kids, make them try everything on because children have this annoying habit of growing. 😂

Put it all on. Walk around the house. Look ridiculous.

It beats discovering at 6 AM on ski day that somebody's boots don't fit.

🚗 Then: Plan the First Trip

This is the fun part.

Where are we skiing first? Who is coming? Do we need lodging? Rentals? Lift tickets?

Mammoth is already selling winter products for the coming season.

That tells me something.

Winter planning isn't coming. It's already here.

If Mammoth is your first trip, November 13 is close enough to start the conversation.

Send the text. Start the group chat. Put a weekend on the calendar.

Because we all know what happens when five skiers say, “We should totally do Mammoth this year.”

Nothing. 😂

Somebody has to pick the weekend.

🏔️ And What About Big Bear?

This is where I want to be very clear.

Big Bear Mountain Resort has not announced an official 2026/27 Opening Day for Snow Valley, Snow Summit or Bear Mountain.

The resort currently says November 21 is the earliest date its resorts may open. November 21 is not an official Opening Day. Actual opening dates will depend on weather, conditions and snowmaking.

That’s Southern California skiing in a nutshell.

We make plans. Mother Nature makes other plans. 😂❄️

Then the temperature drops and half of Southern California starts watching snowmaking cameras.

📅 The Dates I'm Watching

For now, my calendar is pretty simple:

• 🎿 November 13: Mammoth Mountain's scheduled Opening Day, weather and conditions permitting.

• 🏔️ November 21: Earliest date Big Bear Mountain Resort says its resorts may open. This is not an official Opening Day.

• 👨‍👩‍👧 December 19: June Mountain's scheduled Opening Day, weather and conditions permitting.

Those dates can change.

But right now, we finally have something we didn't have all summer.

A countdown. ❄️

🎿 Why I'm Starting Now

If I say, “I'll deal with it in November,” November will arrive at roughly 900 miles per hour.

Work gets busy. The calendar fills. Then one morning I'll see snow on a webcam and suddenly I'll be tearing through the garage yelling:

“HAS ANYONE SEEN MY OTHER GLOVE?!” 😂

I don't want to start ski season stressed.

I want the gear ready. The legs ready. The trip planned.

Coffee in the cup holder. Skis on the roof. Mountains ahead. 🏔️

That’s the feeling I've been waiting for all summer.

❄️ The Big Lesson

For months, winter has felt far away.

It doesn't anymore.

Mammoth's scheduled Opening Day is 57 days away. That gives us eight weeks to get stronger, check our gear, make a plan and start texting the ski crew.

Because eventually you make that first turn.

The edges bite. The cold air hits your face. And you remember exactly why you've been waiting all summer.

Oh yeah. This is why. ❄️🎿

Winter isn't here yet.

But I can finally see it on the calendar.

The best ski day starts long before the first chair. 🎿❄️

Know a skier who still thinks winter is months away? Share this with them and start planning that first ski day.

– Sasha Everett ⛷️❄️

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