Off the Top

Mammoth Mountain

A flowy intermediate-friendly descent off the top of the mountain.

Mountain Biking Difficult

Distance: 8.2 km
Ascent: 1 m
Descent: 495 m
Duration: 0-1 hrs

Low Point: 2.9 km
High Point: 3.4 km
Gradient: 4˚

Few trails begin on Mammoth Mountain’s summit, and the other two notable descents—Kamikaze and Skid Marks—are both expert-only drops through the scree field. Off the Top, however, is an intermediate-friendly switchbacked singletrack descent.

View from the Mammoth Mountain summit Photo: Dave Alter

Description

"Prepare for a visual onslaught as soon as you roll out of the upper gondola,” writes MammothMountain.com. "The Mammoth Crest, Minarets, Mt. Ritter and Banner Peak will all be vying for your eyes’ attention, so pull off to the side and take it all in. There’s no better view in mountain biking.”

While many of the trails in Mammoth Mountain Bike Park are brutally rocky and technical, Off the Top is a delightful change of pace. Most of the singletrack is smooth and flowy, albeit loose from the nature of the dry, silty volcanic pumice. To keep the silty trail together, some sections—and many of the corners—feature long stretches of paving stones. Without these pavers, the trail would quickly degrade and wear out, becoming yet another gnarly expert trail.

Sources: https://www.mammothmountain.com/summer/bike-park-overview/mammoth-bike-park/mammoth-bike-park https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n5mKux-9QAI

Difficulty

Difficult

Mostly stable trail tread with some variability featuring larger and more unavoidable obstacles that may include, but not be limited to: bigger stones, roots, steps, and narrow curves. Compared to lower intermediate, technical difficulty is more advanced and grades of slopes are steeper. Ideal for upper intermediate riders.