This Saturday the Forest Service has scheduled a field trip to walk through the proposed ski back trial between Mammoth Mountain Ski Area and the Village.

Conceived as a way to reduce congestion on busy winter days, proponents say that the ski back trail would help encourage feet first, transportation in Mammoth and allow people to ski directly to the village rather than take the gondola or the bus from main lodge to get off the mountain.. Businesses in the Village are expected to get a needed boost as well.

Opponents cite the noise of snowmobiles, snow making, and grooming machines affecting neighbors who live along the proposed route. Others say that the trail will have too much flat terrain, leaving snowboarders stranded.

Mike Schlafmann with the Forest Service explained that the ski back trail would help with, but not solve congestion as people leave the ski area in the afternoon. The Village gondola can move 2200 people up the hill per hour, but at 22 feet wide the ski back trail can only handle 900 to 1200 people per hour.

The public comment period on this Forest Service plan to build a ski back trail runs through the end of the month. This field trip to tour the proposed ski back trail is scheduled to run 10:00 to noon on Saturday. Forest officials say to meet at the garage complex across from the Sledz tubing hill. For more information or to submit comments contact the Forest Service office in Mammoth Lakes.

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