(tense music)
(snow rumbling)
- [Man] Serious storm; we are
at war with Mother Nature.
These avalanches can be
deadly, and the best way
to mitigate 'em is with explosives.
Here at Mammoth Mountain,
it's a blast from the past.
We literally use World War II cannons.
Charge!
(dramatic music)
(explosion booming)
- Detonation!
- [Man] Detonation.
(suspenseful music)
- My name's Matt Seibert.
I'm a Mammoth Mountain ski patroller.
On any given day, we can see
anywhere between 5,000 and 18,000 guests.
(light music)
We try to keep a constant
watch on the mountain
and changing conditions
to create the safest environment possible.
(light music)
Steep slopes, large
snowfall, intense winds.
They're all recipes for an avalanche.
(snow rumbling)
(light music)
- I've worked in our artillery program
here on Mammoth Mountain
for the past seven years.
The howitzer was originally
a World War II weapon of war.
Now discontinued in the war theater,
it is now a valuable tool
for avalanche mitigation.
Our whole team feels secure
when the gun goes out and fires.
It's able to reach targets
that we would not normally
be able to reach with just
throwing hand charges.
- [Man] Fire!
(explosion booming)
- Detonation! Clear to reach.
Our intent is to create many
small controlled avalanches.
As opposed to letting the snow rest
and winding up with one
large, devastating avalanche.
We fire our gun 90% of
the time blind in a storm
without being able to see our target.
We are capable of dialing
in on one tiny little rock
and nailing it on the nose.
- Fire!
(explosion booming)
- Detonation! - Detonation!
(light music)
The risks are real.
- [Man] Uh, upper mountain wind slack
is considerable danger.
- [Matt] Each day we arrive at work
we put our name on the
board for accountability.
(light music)
- We go out together; we work together.
At the end of the day,
we come in together.
Take our name off the board,
and we don't stop work
until the last one of
us is in for the day.
(light music)
I do take joy knowing that there
are families out here
recreating, having fun,
bringing up the next generation
of skiers and snowboarders.
Enjoying the mountain.
(light music)
It's a job I love, and
it's my goal to create
the safest environment for our guests.
(light music fades)
(bell dings)
