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How to do Mammoth like a local |
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Written by Alex Close & Joanna Hartman/Tahoe World
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Tuesday, 20 March 2007 |
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 Sure, those of us lucky enough to live in the Tahoe area have a dozen ski resorts at our fingertips. But when the season starts to fade into its twilight, sometimes we just need a change of scenery. Or someplace with an elevation high enough to hold the snowpack just a little bit longer.
That’s where Mammoth comes in. Hop in the car and in three hours you’ll be swooshing down monstrous open bowls off an 11,000 foot gondola serviced summit.
We took the trip for the inside scoop, check out how to do Mammoth like a local.
Step 1: Plan ahead for mid-week vacation time. You’ll save yourself from fighting the hoards of Southern Californians. And they ski like they drive.
Step 2: Stay close to the Village. You can park your car in one spot and walk or ride the bus anywhere. Innsbruck Inn, Juniper Springs and Mammoth Mountain Inn come recommended, but beware, just like Tahoe not much in Mammoth comes cheap.
 Step 3: Take advantage of the night life. It is all walking distance after all. The island-themed Lakanuki clears out the tables and chairs to make room for dancing, Hennessy’s overcrowds with well-dressed 20- and 30-somethings, and Whiskey Creek hosts live music on the weekends, boasting one of the hottest scenes in Mammoth.
Step 4: Allot the whole day to ski or snowboard almost 30 lifts. Fighting the crowds is one thing, but finding good powder stashes is another. One local snowboarder told this grasshopper: “You just gotta find your Easter eggs.” Locals say if you must ski a weekend, stick to the perimeters of the resort where the lifts are slow going but the liftlines aren’t. Chairs 22, 23 and 14 are good Saturday and Sunday bets. And mid-week, you’ve got all 3,500 acres to yourself.
 Step 5: Aprés is key. A day on the slopes leaves you hungry and parched. Stop by the familiar Auld Dubliner for a Snakebite and Guinness, or saddle up to the Sidedoor for a creme-filled crepe. And if you skiied all day and are ready for an early dinner, check out LuLu for French-inspired entrées, drink your dinner in the form of a Double Nut Brown from the Mammoth Brewing Company, or save a buck and grab a cheesy bageldog at the Old New York Deli & Bagel Company.
Step 6: Check the weather and the road reports. While getting stranded in Mammoth an extra day isn’t the worst thing in the world, your boss just might not understand.
 If you go:
Mammoth Mountain is located in Mammoth Lakes, California, 170 miles from Tahoe City. Head south on Highway 395 for a couple hours and veer right at the CA-203 exit towards Mammoth Lakes. The mountain boasts 400 inches of snowfall each year, 150 trails, a top elevation of more than 11,000 feet and nine on-mountain eateries not including the Village. So when you tire (as if) of the Tahoe Basin’s spring skiing, gas up that beater and head for the High Sierra.
Photos by Alex Close/Tahoe World
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