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When consummate mountain man and ski pioneer Dave McCoy set up a skier’s rope tow in the early 1940s on the flank of Mammoth Mountain in the Eastern Sierra, he and his wife Roma could not have imagined what would transpire.
Mammoth Mountain Resort may have started on a shoestring budget — a modest lodge and Chair No. 1 opened in 1955 — but it has become a mega-resort. Today, it has four day lodges, 28 lifts (12 of them high-speed), three gondolas, seven terrain parks and three halfpipes, and the city of Mammoth Lakes has grown up around its base.
California’s highest ski area, at 11,053 feet, enjoys an average of 400 inches of usually light fluff on its 3,100 feet of vertical drop. But this year’s wet, wild winter has delivered the snowiest ski slopes in the country — there were 446 inches at Mammoth’s summit by Valentine’s Day — and a ski season that will last at least through Fourth of July.
Skiing and snowboarding for every level, plus plenty of other snow play possibilities make this resort one of the nation’s top ski destinations. Stay in the Village, down slope from Mammoth’s main base, with plenty of lodging options, including the fine Westin Monache Resort, shops, eateries and a gondola linking it to the ski hill.
Slope action
Experts and advanced schussers will want to head for the Panorama Gondola to the summit or Chair 23. Savor the fantastic views of the Sierra, the Whites, the Minarets and high desert from the top, then drop into intimidating double-black diamond bowls like Climax, Hangman’s, Dropout/Wipeout Chutes and the aptly named Huevos Grandes. Don’t doubt you’ll need them. Frequently groomed Cornice and Scotty’s provide challenging, but less scary steeps. Lots of glade skiing, both wide and tight, are all around you on this not-quite extinct volcano.
Intermediates will find groomer heaven on many sections of the mountain, with a good concentration off Eagle, Cloud 9 and Chairs 12-14. Beginners will gravitate to the trails off the Discovery and Schoolyard chairs. And riders and freestyle skiers have seven terrain parks to explore in the resort’s Unbound system, progressing from mild to the outrageous jumps and humongous 22-foot super pipe of Main Park, where the pros play.
If you want even more variety, 20 minutes north you’ll find Mammoth’s sister ski area, June Mountain, with seven chairs and a family-friendly outlook. Kids under 12 can ski for free. June’s twin summits — Rainbow with its scads of blue cruisers and June, with more challenging blacks — beckon visitors. Don’t freak out looking up at the scary face from the bottom. Most of the runs are hidden from that vantage point.
More snow play
The Mammoth area also excels in cross-country ski and snowshoeing options, with trailheads accessible by car or free shuttles from the Village. Adventure awaits at the Tamarack Cross-Country Ski Center at Twin Lakes, for example, where you can buy a trail pass and skate or Nordic ski on 19 miles of scenic groomed tracks. The ski center also offers guided full-moon snowshoe tours.
More? There’s snow tubing at Woolly’s Tube Park down Minarets Road from the ski area, ice skating at the scenic Mammoth Lakes Ice Rink in town and sledding off Mammoth Scenic Loop road. Plus guided outback Snowmobile Adventure tours leave daily from the Mammoth Main Lodge.
Apres-ski soak
Want to rest your aching self apres-ski? Head for the Long Valley Caldera east of the airport, off Benton Crossing Road, to one of the many primitive, natural hot springs. These springs, easily reached by car during the temperate months, are a hike-in affair during the winter. The two pools at popular Wild Willy’s are a 1½ mile walk over snow, and Crab Cooker, Hilltop, Rock Tub and others are a similar jaunt away — but worth it for the hot soaking possibilities at the end of the trail. And Travertine Hot Springs, off Jack Sawyer Road near Bridgeport, might be the best hot spring access option.
Dress warmly, but be prepared for the possibility of a clothing-optional scene at the springs. Bring water, snacks, a flashlight and a sense of adventure.
IF YOU GO
On the mountain: Lift tickets at Mammoth Ski Resort start at $79. Find ticket information, lodging options and details on tours, cross-country skiing, snowmobiling and tubing at www.mammothmountain.com. Find details on June Mountain’s ski slopes at www.junemountain.com.
To the mountain: United Airlines runs seasonal nonstop flights from San Francisco to Mammoth Lakes. Find details at www.united.com.
More: Find details on the Mammoth Lakes Ice Rink, 416 Sierra Park Road, and other Mammoth Lakes attractions at www.visitmammoth.com. Get a peek at the region’s hot springs at nobackhome.com/hot-springs-near-mammoth.
Eats: Mammoth Lakes offers some fun dining options, including Petra’s Bistro & Wine Bar at the Alpenhof Lodge at 6080 Minaret Road; Jimmy’s Taverna at 248 Old Mammoth Road; Mammoth Brewing‘s taproom and eatery at 18 Lake Mary Road; and the Clocktower Cellar at 6080 Minaret Road.