Dave McCoy was a scout for the Forest Service and found a place with tons of snow. Hence, he built a tow rope in Bishop as a warm up and then built chair lifts at Mammoth in 1955. My father always dragged his kids to Mammoth for many years, since Mt. Baldy was too small.
Getting tons of snow is usual for Mammoth every five years. Last two years were brutal with little snow and limited skiing.
Those darn, ripper-snapper snowboarders. Learn how to ski.
ping