Steve Taylor – The Mammoth Snowman
Steve grew up riding bicycles in the 60s and 70s. Living in La Canada on the Angeles Crest Highway, Steve was inspired to take up road biking as he watched everyone riding by his house.
The biking was fun, and everyone in the neighborhood rode daily. All the kids back then got in great shape as Steve lived in an area with hilly streets. Climbing on a bike became a habit and skill that would come in handy later in life.
Biking got even more fun when Steve saw his first Mountain Bike. The feeling was, OMG, you mean you can ride a geared bike in the dirt? After trying a friend’s new mountain bike, Steve was so excited that he went to the La Canada bike shop and laid out $550 for a top-of-the-line new Diamond Back Mountain Bike.
After that, Steve rode every dirt road and single-track trail in the Angles National Forest. In 1985 when he heard how Dave MC Coy would have people ride off the top of Mammoth Mountain via the Gondola, he was so stoked he mentioned it to the owner of Mt Waterman.
Lynn thought it was a great idea and had Steve be the first guy to take his bike on the chair lift to the top. After that, Mt Waterman became one the first ski areas to run on weekends for Mountain Bikers. Yes, all the way back in the mid-80s.
Steve also ventured to Mammoth Lakes in the mid-80s to ride the Kamakazi Uphill and Downhill, Rock Creek Canyon, and the Mammoth Rock Trail.
In 1990 Steve and his wife moved to Mammoth Lakes just below Canyon Lodge. That first Summer, there was no Bike Park, but Mammoth Mountain had miles of service roads and many trails that got used for Mountain Biking Racing.
The locals got to ride free back then until 1991 when Mammoth Mountain declared they were now open as a Bike Park. Steve jumped right up and purchased the first season pass ever sold at the Bike Park.
Back then, a lot of locals did not want a bike park, and they also refused to pay to ride. Steve just embraced it and went out daily to ride all the new trails that Dave MC Coy had built. It was a fantastic time to ride in the Eastern Sierra.
Today in 2023, Mountain Biking has never been better; the bikes are insane, the gear is fantastic, and the Eastern Sierra offers more rides than ever.
Steve started this website to share his passion for Mountain Biking in the Eastern Sierra with others. The plan is to venture out to a new trailhead every week and get trail beta, photos, and video and then post that information via a trip report here on the website…. 🙂
Looking for New Team Members and Contributors!
If you’re interested in being a part of my weekly Mountain Bike Video / Photo Tours, email me at: steve@easternsierramountainbiking.com. There are weekly rides now scheduled right through next Thanksgiving.
We are looking for fit riders willing to stop and go on rides to gather content.
The content gathering will occur all over the Eastern Sierra and in the Mammoth Mountain Bike Park.
Steve Taylor – The Snowman @ 760-709-1351
