Despite the fact its one of the more cliché and popular mountains in the Sierra, Mammoth Mountain is one of my favorites.  Why?  For starters, its a very tectonic hill.

Mammoth is a lava dome complex that is known primarily for the large ski area that bears the same name.  Mammoth Mountain was formed in a series of eruptions that ended 57,000 years ago. However, it still produces hazardous volcanic gases that kill trees and have caused ski patroller fatalities in 2006.

In addition to being very active geologically, Mammoth is also well known for its unusually high amount of snowfall–about 400″ annually.  In the summer, mountain bikers take over the mountain, with the Kamikaze downhill run being very popular.

Mammoth Mountain at dawn, May 2010

To see all of my photographs from the Sierra Nevada, click here.