Mammoth - Introduction
The journey to Mammoth is quite long but in our experience well worth it. This is the winter playground of Los Angeles. They turn up on Friday night and leave on Sunday afternoon, turning the resort into a real party town with the bars and restaurants buzzing – almost LA on snow. Not surprisingly, there is a great choice of dining, all of which is accessible by the local resort bus service. Mammoth Mountain is an area suited to all levels of skier and snowboarder and is one of America’s largest and most exciting ski areas. The resort enjoys excellent snowfall, a great selection of restaurants, shops and bars and a shuttle serving all main lift bases. Beginners are very well catered for, intermediates will find great cruising runs and experts will enjoy the steep bowls. Nearby June Mountain located just 17 miles north of Mammoth offers additional ski areas all covered on the same lift pass.
Skiing
Mammoth has it all – steeps, chutes, wide-open terrain, long runs, tree skiing, and in the spring, warm sunshine, (they claim 300 days a year). Generally, the steeper stuff is near Panorama Lookout (11,020ft) and the skiing gets easier the lower down you go. New high-speed chairs have improved access to the mountain. The snow reliability is hard to fault – you can ski there well into June. Statistic averages are 300 days of sunshine per year 400 inches of snow per year.
Snowboarding
Mammoth has three terrain parks and half-pipes for different levels also well linked by lifts. There are also three unbound terrain parks and one of the biggest super-pipes in the USA, the practice resort of choice for several Olympic riders. There is another park on June Mountain.
Ski Schools
The tuition gets good ratings. Woollywoods, the kid’s ski school, has an excellent reputation, with a tubing park and a full-time babysitting service.
Eating Out
On the mountain, the McCoy station has had a $8 million refurbishment. In Mammoth Lakes, if you want to flash the cash, eat at Nevado’s or Skadies, although Cervino’s has some fabulous Italian fare.
Bars and clubs
Off the slopes for a pose in the sun, the Yodeler at the Main Lodge base is cool, but try the Clock Tower if you prefer to hang out with the locals. Whisky Creek nightclub is one of the best bars in town and gets especially busy at the weekends.
Off the slopes
Diversions include bargain factory outlets saving you hundreds of pounds on top brand names, or if you like the outdoors, check out Yosemite National Park.