Mammoth Mountain is a Famous American natural resort of the Sierra Nevada mountain range, which got its name in honor of the mountain formed 57 thousand years ago from volcanic lava and solidified in the shape of a mammoth. In the winter season, Mammoth is one of the largest ski resorts not only in California but in the entire United States.
Meaning and history
Mammoth Mountain is a lava dome located in and around the city of Mammoth Lakes. It is one of the main attractions of the Inyo National Forest, which encompasses areas of Madera and Mono counties in east-central California.
The mountain was formed by several volcanic eruptions, every 5,000 years between 110000 and 57000 years ago. This volcano is still active, its last eruption was 700 years ago in the form of a large groundwater vapor release.
Nowadays, it still emits gases that kill trees and vegetation, and carbon dioxide emissions can also lead to human casualties, for example, in 2006 the gas killed patrolmen at the Mammoth resort. Nevertheless, Mammoth Mountain Ski Resort is an extremely popular winter sports destination within the state of California.
The Mammoth Resort was opened back in 1953, with the first elevator running as early as 1955. Dave McCoy owned the resort from its opening until 2005, after which he sold his property for $365 million to Starwood Capital Group.
The winter season opens here one of the first in the country and usually lasts until the beginning of July. The highest point from which you can start your descent is 3369 meters, with elevation differences of up to 924 meters. The total area for gliding down the slopes on skis equates to 3500 acres, and the flat track is 45 kilometers long.
Mammoth Mountain is an ideal destination for all levels of skiers and snowboarders, from beginners to experienced. There are 150 runs, 30% of which are for beginners and pros, and 40% for intermediate skiers. The longest piste is 3 miles (4,8 km).
In addition to the main slopes, Mammoth has 7 snow parks and three half-pipes. The resort also operates three ski schools: at the Mammoth Mountain Inn, Wollywood School by the elevators, and Canyon Kids, located near the Canyon Lodge.
What is Mammoth Mountain?
Mammoth Mountain is the name of an American ski resort located at Mammoth Lakes in California. For skiing and snowboarding, there are 89.8 kilometers of trails and 100 kilometers of cross-country ski runs to which resort guests are transported by 28 elevators. The winter sports area is located between elevations of 2,424 and 3,369 meters.
In terms of visual identity, Mammoth Mountain Resort has changed its image several times throughout the years, starting from quite a naive badge, and finishing with a minimalistic and progressive symbol, and this timeline reflects all stages of the resort’s development.
The 1960s – The 1990s
The original Mammoth Mountain logo, designed in the middle of the 20th century, featured a cute and kind of naive image of a baby mammoth skiing. The image of the creature was drawn against a plain white background of a circular medallion with a thick black frame in a yellow outline. The name of the resort was written around the frame in bold white capitals of a geometric sans-serif typeface.
The 1990s – The 2000s
After the first redesign, the Mammoth Mountain logo became more “progressive”. The mammoth changed its skis to a snowboard, and the lettering around the perimeter of the medallion was rewritten in an extra-bold modern sans-serif typeface with uneven edges of the characters and a paint-drawn effect.
The 2000s – The 2010s
In the 2000s the visual identity of Mammoth Mountain was significantly changed. The minimalist emblem is a stylized letter “M”, composed of a blue solid figure, “cut” by two white lines resembling the tusks of a mammoth. The blue and white emblem was accompanied by a medium-gray title case lettering in a bold and softened handwritten cursive font.
The 2010s – Today
At the beginning of the 2010s Mammoth Mountain was revamped again. Now the badge of the resort looks super cool and progressive. Drawn in a minimalistic black-and-white color palette, the badge is composed of two elements: a stylized MM monogram, resembling a crown, and a title case lettering, which is set in the same typeface as the one from the previous version of the badge.
Font and color
The bold handwritten lettering from the primary logo of the Mammoth Mountain resort is set in a custom designer typeface with bold rounded bars. The closest commercial fonts to the one, used in this insignia, are, probably, Clantontrade, Be Cool, or Landslide, with some visible modifications of the contours.
As for the color palette of the Mammoth Mountain visual identity, it is simple and direct: black on white. The minimalistic scheme shows the stability of the resort and the excellence of the services it provides.